Fall Retreat Time Again...and a reflection on "being a village"

 It doesn't seem possible, but here it is the middle of October already.  That means that it was Fall Retreat for Gwen, Tim, Ellie and Zeke.  Anna and I got to spend a wonderful couple of days together for this last ever (Anna will be on the retreat next year) retreat.  Both of us were well aware of the significance of this time together.  

We tried to do all new things during this special time.  We found a new place to eat breakfast.  We both decided it was a good place and we would return there again.  We tried a new activity!  We painted ceramics.

Anna painted this cute Smores trinket box and I painted a Grandma coffee mug.  Anna thought that was very appropriate for this coffee lover.  We had to include a stop at the very favorite ice cream shop - the Teepee (AKA Riverside Chocolates).

The best part of the weekend is just getting to spend time with Anna.  She loves to play games so there were many, many games on our agenda.  

This game is a new version of Clue and you get to move around the board and discover who the culprit is and where he committed the crime.  I really enjoy this game.  Anna managed to beat me every time, however.  But it was still really fun.  The dogs spent a lot of time watching the door in hopes that the rest of their "pack" would be home soon.  They also kept a watchful eye on us as we played games!

It really is a dog's life for sure.  These two have lots of love, lots of good food and treats and cozy blankets to sleep on.  They are quite the privileged beagles.  I was looking through old photos and found this shot of Anna during Fall Retreat in 2016.  Anna was two and a half.   I couldn't pass up sharing it!

Just before this weekend, I attended the memorial service for an old friend of mine.  Lois was 92 when she died and I hadn't spent much time with her and her husband Don in the last 15 years or so.  But Don and Lois were an important part of my life during the years that I had grade schoolers and teenagers of my own.   I met them around 1990 at my church and I really got to know them when I joined their "Care Group" at their home.  Lois and Don (who was an Elder at my church) provided so much support for me during busy and challenging times of my life.  I did so many Bible Studies with them. Spent so much time at their house and drank so many cups of coffee from a special coffee mug that Lois set aside just for me.  Their prayers, their wisdom and their encouragement certainly helped to bring to where I am today.  At the memorial, Don greeted me as one of his "kids".  He cried tears for the passing of Ken (which he had not heard about) and he inquired about Gwen and Doug.  He told me that he prays everyday for Doug, since he was his Confirmation Elder.  He remember the exact Bible verse that he gave to Doug in 1995.  That verse if Revelation 3:12 -

 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God.   

Don said that it is his prayer for Doug that he would be that strong, upright pillar for his family.   I was stunned that he remembered Doug and continues to pray for him.  

We all need a village to surround us and our family with their support and prayers.  I am so thankful that I get to be a part of the village for both Gwen and Tim's kids and also Doug and Susie's kids.  And I am grateful for the loving, caring adults who are being a village for my children and grandchildren.  What a blessing it is to catch a glimpse of God's provision of that village so many years later.  

Look around and reflect on your life today.  Who impacted your life?  Who stood by you when you really needed them?  Who helped shape your children and their walk with Jesus?  Now consider, who are you being a village for?  Find someone today and spend some time getting to know them better.  Help them with their kids  - even if you are not in the same season of life as them.  Are they older?  Have a cup of coffee with them and ask about their life.  Are they younger?  Ask about their interests. Take my word for it, it matters.  Your efforts matter.  They matter to Jesus for sure.  

Jesus, thank you for loving us so well.  You knew that we need each other and you have given us family, church and friends.  Holy Spirit, remind us to pray for those who have touched our lives.  Give us courage to reach out to be that village that is so needed.  Thank you for precious time with our family.  Amen  

Turning 70 when you sure don't feel it!

This is what turning 70 looks like in my family!  We had a wonderful day on Labor Day (which was actually a few days before I turned 70) celebrating being together.  I don't know what I would do without these wonderful people!  It was a glorious sunny day and fun to be at my house for this event.  Doug made pulled pork, which is a favorite of mine and Lia and Anna made me a "Sprite Cake".  This is really a 7upCake but made with Sprite (which is my drink of choice when it comes to soda).  

We are pretty good about taking family photos whenever we are together.  But usually, we miss getting a picture of me with Gwen and Doug.  This year I made sure to get that photo.  Also we never get a picture of the "adults".  Usually it is just me and the grandkids.  So I was extra happy to get a photo with Gwen and Tim and Doug and Susie.  And notice, please, that Lia is in these photos!  This was the best birthday treat!  She actually came home from college and was able to be at this event.  The added perk of this was that she only had a 4 hour and 30 minute drive back to campus from my house.  Being a bit further west out of the madness of Chicago traffic makes for a quicker trip back to college for her.  Good food, good conversation and good time together.  There is no better birthday than that.

The following days were filled with gatherings with friends to celebrate my special day.  My calendar was filled with breakfast/lunch meetings and so much time together talking, laughing and praying.  I spent my actual birthday morning with Grace and Jimmy and then the late afternoon/evening with Gwen and Tim, Ellie, Anna and Zeke (as well as more friends who came to Gwen's for a ROCK teachers meeting).  All in all, it was a week of fun and fellowship.  No better way to spend a birthday.

As mentioned in previous blogs, I have sort of been dreading this BIG birthday turning 70.  But, as I write this blog, I have realized that each passing year has just gotten better!  A schedule change for me this year is allowing me to attend a Wednesday night dinner and Bible Study at my church.  I have time to have these breakfast/lunch meetings with friends.  Suddenly I have four regular "monthly" get togethers over a meal.  The best realization I have had is that learning and growing doesn't end at a certain age.  I have been stretched by the Bible Studies I am in right now.  I love when I can say, "Wow, I never knew that before!" or "That is a new way to think about that!"   More than anything, I don't want to get stuck in old ways, old thoughts, old ideas.  As I said in my previous blog, I want this new decade to count!  I'm not sure what exactly that means, but I have that target to shoot towards.  I don't have any immediate plans or even ideas, but I feel open to whatever comes my way.  

Today I am celebrating that the antibiotic I received after an urgent care visit last weekend, has cleared up both my sinus infection and urinary infection.   Thankfully, I was never terribly sick with either thing, just a bit aggravated by the symptoms.  The sinus problem is an old one that often strikes with fall allergies around my birthday.  The nonstop headache is reason enough for medicine.  The other symptoms made an urgent care visit more necessary.  So in spite of entering my 70's with a doctor visit, I am thankful for insurance coverage for the visit and medicine at no cost out of pocket.  

This song represents so much to me .  Goodness of God speaks of God's faithfulness over my life.  Take a moment, click this link.  I know this is true - God is running after me and you!  

Jesus, thank you for friends, family and fellowship.  Holy Spirit, continue to remind us that you have been faithful to us.  Birthdays are just days on the calendar. Jesus you are with us all the days of our life.  Thank you for another day to praise you, to worship you, to learn and grow.  Amen

What happened in August?

 Here it is the middle of September and I am wondering what happened to August!  For sure, the month was HOT and DRY here in Chicago.  That is nothing new.  What was new for our family was on both ends of the grandkids.... Lia went away to college and Jimmy started preschool.  How did that happen?  It really seems impossible to think that I currently have grandkids in Preschool 3's, Second Grade, Fifth Grade, Eighth Grade, Tenth Grade and College Freshmen!  That is quite a spread for sure.  Our last "family" event before Lia left for school was the annual Grayslake Days parade that the girls have marched in for Dance Connection for years..  This year that day marked the first time Lia didn't dance - just Ellie and Anna!  And it was my time to say goodbye to Lia and get that last hug!

The girls did great and it was so fun to sit beside Lia during the parade! 

Here are a couple of "action" shots from the girls dancing!

After the parade they always get treated to Ice Cream from the Freeze!  

And then, just like that, Lia was away at school!  It is about five hours away, which is not so bad.  But for this grandma, it feels like a very long way.  The really silly thing is that I have actually seen Lia on Facetime several times and she has already been home for a visit! More about that in the next blog!

And now onto all the others!

The first day of school always reminds me of my birthday.  Because I was born on Labor Day, the first day of school always happened in my birthday week.  During my life, we never went to school before Labor Day.  I never had a 'kid" birthday party because of this and didn't really know that was a common thing!  I have some mixed memories about the first day of school.  I very much remember going to Kindergarten and NOT wanting to stay.  But after a couple of rough days, I came to really like school.  After we moved just before I started fist grade, I wasn't so sure about school.  Now I was riding a bus to school and it was very different than my first experience at school.  Another memorable first day was my eighth grade year.  Again, just after a move.  I walked into a totally different culture having moved to the Chicago suburbs from Minnesota.  It was 1967 and these 13 year olds I found at my new school were "teenagers" in a way that I was NOT!  But somehow I managed to survive and get through school.  Things are so different for my grandkids.  Gwen's kids have been homeschooled since Lia was in fourth grade and Ellie was in first grade.  Doug' kids - right now just Grace - ride a bus to a nearby school.  She could actually walk to school if the roads/subdivisions were completed.  There is a still a farm field that separates their subdivision from the school.  As the birds fly, its a short distance!  This year Jimmy started at the same preschool that Grace attended for two years.  It is a nature based, lots of outdoor time program that is actually held at Blackberry Farms.  This small amusement sort of park has farm animals (including some horses), a merry go round, a train and does hay rides.  Needless to say, it is a great fit for Jimmy who lives to be outside, running around!  Gwen's kids do not suffer from lack of social contact.  They have many different activities (sports, dance, scouts) and so many church friends.  Everyone is constantly going and doing!  

Turning 70 and having Lia leave for college made this August more reflective than I expected.  But August was a month of thankfulness and also a time of looking ahead for me.  Recently someone told me to make the most out of the next decade.  Isn't that a wonderful thought?  So I have decided to make a list of all the ways that I can do just that.  Make these next ten years count.  Do the things that I have been putting off.  Savor each day, week, month and year.  So that when 80 rolls around (and I am very aware that it will come much faster than I could imagine), I will have a decade of wonderful accomplishments and memories.  So, here is to welcoming 70 and walking out towards 80!

Jesus, thank you for the ways you knit families together.  Holy Spirit remind us that our time with our children and grandchildren is short.  Help us to make the most out of each day.  Keep us walking forward when we feel stuck.  Give us strength and stamina to go on when we are weary.  Thank you for the curiosity and wonder of preschoolers, the energy and excitement of  elementary kids, the boldness and courage of the middle schoolers and high schoolers, and the determination and strength of the college students.  Keep us safe in your care, wherever we go.  Amen

Cousins have so much fun together!

 Anna and Grace are always asking for more time together.  Since the girls live about two hours apart, I am the most likely person to manage to get them together (outside of family events).  Since I see Anna on Mondays, we arranged for a Monday when Anna did not have dance and before Grace started school, when I could bring her home with me.  Then Susie's mom and dad dropped Grace off at my house on their way home from Doug and Susie's.   Let me tell you it takes a logistics expert to try and plan these extra events for the kids.  Not only was it necessary for both kids to NOT have any extra activities, but getting the girls from one place to the other took careful planning.  An interesting side note of these complex plans was that Anna got to see Graces "other" grandparents and Grace got to see Anna's "other" grandparents since Tim's parents were at Anna's house when we went there for a swim! Here is a recap of the activities that these two COUSINS managed to squeeze in with Grandma over a 24 hour period!

First we ate at Red Robin - which also happens to be one of my favorite places to eat. 

Even though it was almost sunset, the girls insisted on stopping at a playground near my house.  We have driven by this park several times, but have not had a chance to stop before this.  

They managed to spend almost an hour playing on this playground.  It was a wonderful evening and not very warm which made this a perfect playtime.  After this, we returned to my house.  There was a request for a movie.  So after some difficult decisions, they watched about half of a Disney flick before it was time for bed.  The girls did great going to sleep and I didn't ever have to tell them to quiet down.  Before I went to bed, both girls were asleep.  

Our plan was to go out for breakfast and then drive back to Anna's house to swim.  I had decided to treat them to a movie theater movie, which was a surprise to them!  So, we ate breakfast on the way back towards Anna's and then went straight to the movie theater. 

We saw Despicable ME4 and the girls came ready with their blankets!   Although it really wasn't that cold at the theater, they enjoyed having a blanket to cover up.  

Both girls seemed to enjoy the movie,  I have watched the others in this series, so at least I could follow the plot.  After the movie, we went to Anna's house so that we could enjoy their pool.  It was a wonderful, sunny day so we got spend several hours playing in the water.

The girls jumped on the trampoline to "dry off".  Grandma sat on the deck in the sun, which was enough activity for this busy day.

Grace and I left Anna's house early enough to make the drive home in the least amount of traffic as possible.  Our dinner was the left overs from the night before from Red Robin.  

Grace and I got to spend a nice evening together.  We played some games and watched the end of the movie that the girls had started the evening before.  Grace spent the night with me, since I was getting up early to go to her house, as usual to watch Jimmy and her for the day.  Our complicated logistics plan worked out perfectly.  It was a win for sure.  The girls got about 24 hours together that included a sleepover at my house.  Grace got an extra sleepover with me.  

I am sure it seems like this was a lot of time to spend driving back and forth the distance to the various houses.  But I can't think of a better way to spend several days.  The time to talk with the kids in the car is some of the best discussion you can ever have.  I learn so much during those talks and I get to share with the kids.  I figure that I only have a few more years that the kids will even want to spend this time with me, so I will continue to do whatever I need to do for these events.  

This summer has just flown by.  I can't remember a time that has seemed to pass so quickly.  The interesting thing about this is that I have not taken a vacation this year.  I have truly just enjoyed my somewhat "normal" routine of spending one day each week with Gwen's kids and one day each week with Doug's kids.  The extra perk of this is not only seeing the grandkids, but also seeming my adult children!  I realize the blessing I have that my children and grandchildren have remained a close distance from me.  It may not be in the same town but Doug and Susie are only 20 miles and Gwen and Tim are 42 miles.  If we lived anywhere but Chicago, this wouldn't even be a long drive!  Unfortunately, traffic is the unknown factor going between our houses.  But I am so thankful for having them close by.  I have been reflecting on my upcoming birthday - really all this year - and suddenly have a better understanding of growing OLD!  So until I CANT - I WILL!  I am feeling like that is pretty good advice for most things.  Keep on doing the things you CAN.  Keep on with that hobby as long as you CAN.  Don't let people tell you what you "should" be doing at your age.  Just do the things you CAN for as long as you CAN!  And that includes these special days spent with the kids.  

Jesus, thank you for the reminder of the many blessings you have given me.  Holy Spirit, remind us all to see the small and big blessings around us each day.  Give us patience with ourselves as we age.  Give us eyes to see ourselves as you see us.  Help us to see every day as a gift.  Show us your plans for us, even as we age.  Thank you for loving us.  Amen


  

Enjoying some one-on-one time with Anna

I don't know about you, but for me, time just seems to be zooming by.  With Lia heading off to college this fall, every chance I get to spend time with each grandchild alone seems even more precious.  Anna and I got to spend a short time together when the rest of her family was away for the Junior High Mission trip.  This is the last year that Anna will not included, since she will be in 5th Grade this year.  

We went to a new restaurant for breakfast, which was a special treat.  This place even has a train that delivers food to you if you sit at the counter.  We had a great time talking and figuring out the rest of our day.   We decided to go see the new Inside Out 2 movie.

This movie was amazing.  The message and the characters are so well done.  Anna really enjoyed this movie also.  We had plenty of time left in our day to go in their pool.  I love to swim and Anna loves the water so much.  We actually spent almost two hours in the water.  Anna jumped on the trampoline to dry off when we got out.  We had a little more time to play some games and have a snack before the family got home.  

For some reason, some events just hit me differently.  This was one time that I reflected on just how much Ken has missed.  While he never really spent this kind of time with the kids (he was actually not feeling well enough to in the last couple years of his life) I know that he would have loved seeing the individual personalities of the kids as they have grown up.  Anna told me that she really doesn't have many memories of Ken.  I get that -  she was only 6 when he died.  And with COVID that last year, we really didn't see much of the kids. I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to really know my grandkids.  Anna is always dancing.  She is practicing or creating dances and that might be tap, ballet or jazz. Even in the pool she is creating swim "dances".  If she isn't dancing, she might be painting or drawing or coloring.  She loves all kinds of crafts and arts.  She is a big fan of all kinds of jewelry and loves "press on nails".  Both Sunny and Chandler (the family beagles) love Anna and I witnessed Anna actually teaching a very old Chandler how to use the buttons that Sunny uses to "talk".  I would never have believed it if I wouldn't have seen it.  But Chandler used the treat button to request a treat.  This girl loves Jesus and has shared some really wonderful short videos about Jesus with her grandma!  I can't believe she is a fifth grader when it seems like just yesterday she was a smiling baby!  I can't wait to see what path Jesus has for her life.  This caring, loving young lady is sure to move mountains as she grows!  I am so blessed to have her in my life.

Jesus, thank you so much for family and the ties that bind us together.  Thank you for Anna and time to spend with her.  Holy Spirit, continue to help her grow in her relationship to Jesus.  Give us all courage and boldness to build relationships with the children around us.  Thank you Jesus for home, family and friends.  Amen

Christmas in July for our family!

Doug and Susie always try to give Gwen and Tim's kids an experience for Christmas instead of adding to their mound of presents.  For Christmas in 2023, they gifted a day at an Arcade for the whole family.  It just happened that our schedules didn't allow for this to happen until July, so it was Christmas in July for our family!  This was such a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  The place that Doug and Susie found was really great.  It was just about the same distance for everyone to drive and we planned to have lunch after a couple hours of fun. 

This is just a small sampling of the photos that I took of the kids going from game to game.  Lia and Ellie especially liked this game that actually shot water.  The four girls played the Mario Cart game and actually raced against each other.  Tim and Zeke threw bags against those clowns and won so many extra points that Zeke shared them with everyone at the end of the time.  I decided that video games are not just sitting there - you have to throw and run and shoot and dance.  There is much movement for sure!  I managed to not score many baskets when I tried to help Anna. But I tried!

Before we left the arcade, I made sure to get pictures of the kids together and with me! 

By the end of two hours, we were all tired and ready for some lunch!  The kids all agreed this was the best Christmas present!  We went for a nice lunch at a local place and everyone actually ate all their food with very little left to take home.

Ice cream was a necessary treat after such a good lunch so we found the nearest Baskin and Robbins and went there for a grand finale to this day. 

Gwen took this final picture so she is missing from this last shot!  

It was a wonderful Christmas in July celebration for sure.  

These memory making times for our family are just the best.  As the kids have gotten older, they really seem to appreciate these experience gifts and talk about them from year to year.  In the past we have visited indoor and out water parks, we have gone camping (to see the Eclipse this year) and visited various parks and playgrounds.  I sure love to get these fun experiences with all the kids together.  

Every time I look at these pictures, I get a bit chocked up.  This is the last time my entire family will be together before Lia heads off to college in a few short weeks.  I keep telling myself that she will be home for all the holidays, but, really - where did the time go?  And on the other end of the ages, Jimmy will be starting preschool this fall.  Yes, time marches on.  But I have to admit, that sadness of missing Lia is tempered by a burst of excitement for her.  I can't wait to hear about all the wonderful new things that will fill her life at college.  Every age and stage is filled with new experiences.  The best thing about this, is that I get to share in them.  I am incredibly grateful for every hug, every smile, every phone call or facetime, for every bit of contact I am blessed with from this crew!  

Today, I am especially thankful for Doug taking the time to come and help me solve a very odd problem that happened in my house!  Yesterday, when I went to leave the house, I could not open the door from the house to the garage!  The door handle would not budge!  I went outside, opened the garage door and tried the door to the house from inside the garage.  Nothing!  Apparently the lock mechanism broke somehow.  So I purchased a new doorknob and Doug was able to (rather quickly) change it out for me. 

I can't tell you how many times between yesterday morning and today that I went to that door and could not use it!  Old habits are hard to break!   But Doug's visit to fix this problem is just another blessing of having my family close by.  

There is a verse in the Bible - Proverbs 17:6 that says, "Children's children are a crown to the aged" and that is most certainly true.  One meaning for a Biblical crown is honor and joy.  My grandkids are my pride and joy.  

Jesus, thank you for family, for children and grandchildren.  Holy Spirit, remind us during times of transitions in our life, that you have much more in store for us in the years ahead.  Jesus, give us courage to walk ahead, even when it is a new path.  Holy Spirit, remind us that you are with us when  seasons are changing.  Fill us with hope and great expectation for the new things ahead.  Amen

Fourth of July Fun!

 I have been spending the Fourth of July with Doug and Susie's family for many years.  The Yorkville Parade was one of Ken's favorite things.  Parades, in general, were something that Ken viewed as "Photo Ops".  A chance to take pictures of unusual things.  For me, seeing the kid's excitement is the best.  I'm not sure it is all about the candy, but the candy is important!  

We got to the parade extra early this year and got a great spot on the side of the street without the sun blasting us in the face.  However, this year it was overcast and actually rained on us during the parade!  Still, this was a great spot to catch the action.  Jimmy really enjoyed this parade.  Grace saw several friends from school who were walking in the parade.  It was a very pleasant couple of hours without sweating - thanks to that gently falling rain!  

I spent a couple of hours at Doug and Susie's house after the parade and Doug grilled some delicious Fourth of July fare.  The meal was complete with corn on the cob, which Jimmy loved (once he got the hang of only biting the kernels of corn, rather than the cob!) 

 We were able to sit in the backyard and watch the kids play once the weather brightened up a bit. It was good to visit with Susie's mom and dad and one of Doug's long time friends.   Doug has put up their travel Hamock and the kids both love it. 

One of my very favorite memories of the Fourth of July was in 1979.  Gwen was exactly two months old and Ken decided we should go on a picnic.  We stopped at a local Kmart store to get a cooler (we were very unprepared to have a picnic!)  While Ken was looking at all the coolers and everything we might need for a "real" picnic, I noticed a photographer taking baby pictures.  I convinced Ken that we really should get Gwen's picture taken since she was wearing a red, white and blue dress, complete with matching shoes!

This was one of my very favorite pictures of Gwen.  By the time we started scanning photos, it was faded and not in great shape.  Still, I am thankful to have this picture.  We never actually went on that picnic.  It clouded up and started to rain.  I was not going to take a two month old out in the rain.  Ken was very disappointed but I was very thankful for his plan to picnic, since it got me this photo!  

Isn't it great when you realize that even though your plans don't work out the way you thought they would, something else comes out of it that turns out even better than you could have imagined!  A missed picnic but a photo memory that is still here 45 years later.   I am finally learning to look for these "turn of events" that are so often a blessing.  I love that Jesus often has better plans for me than I could ever make for myself.  So much of life is about your perspective of what is happening.  So I am working on finding the rainbow when a "storm" of unexpected events changes my plans.  I do a lot of driving around these days, and last week I encountered a detour  with a road closed for road work.  Thankfully, I was pretty sure I knew where the detour was taking me.  After arriving at my destination, I realized that the detour had actually saved me from having to make a left turn at a very busy intersection.  While this is just a small pretty insignificant event, I am learning that Jesus cares about everything - even the small things.  And His plans are always that best plans!  

Jesus, thank you for special days, parades and candy for the kids.  Holy Spirit, remind us all to see the turn of events in our every day life as finding a better way.  Jesus thank you that you care about us and even the small things in our life.  Thank you for family times and photo memories.  Amen