Rolling along in Birthday Party fun!

 Grace decided to have a Roller Skating party this year.  She has a pair of skates and had even gotten an entire unit in Gym class at school in roller skating.  So this was a great year for this.  

Her party was at Funway, a local very fun place that includes skating, arcade, bowling and so much more (when the weather is nice).  My kids loved this place when they were young and now the Grandkids are loving it as well.  Even Jimmy got in the skating action!

There was a very long time to skate followed by time in the party room!  Pizza and drinks were followed by cake!  Every kid got a card for the video arcade so there were many happy kids. It was a loud, crazy time - but one very happy Grace.  Lia and Ellie had a Spotlight show (Anna elected to do Grace's party and missed the Spotlight performance).  As the kids are getting older it is harder and harder to get them all together for these events.  

Anytime my kids are together I try to snap a picture.  It doesn't happen that often and it is worth having the photographic evidence that they actually do sometimes get together.  

Several of the kids asked me why I didn't roller skate!  That is worth an entire blog!  At close to 70 years old, I certainly wouldn't risk breaking something!  It occurred to me that I was roller skating even before I rode a bicycle.  I had a pair of metal, strap on skates that actually used a skate key!  I am sure that some people reading this blog would have no idea what I was talking about.  I found the following picture on the internet...

These look exactly like my first skates.  Since I was child number five, these were not new but rather hand-me-downs from one of my older siblings.  They were adjustable with your shoe size and I remember that when I started skating my feet were actually smaller than the smallest size.  My dad had rigged up another strap around my toes to old my shoes on the skates.  From the time I was four until I was twelve, I spent much time on those skates!  In the winter (in Minnesota) I would skate in our basement!   I was thinking about this long-lost skill.  I haven't been bike riding years either!  

Getting older is not for the faint of heart.  While I might have been ABLE to skate, I also might have fallen.  And when I did fall, I could have been seriously hurt.  So, it was much smarter to admit that I SHOULD NOT skate.  It's not easy - but it is smarter.  I have noticed that many things are getting a bit more difficult.  I can't get up and down off the floor quite as easily now with Jimmy, as I did when Lia was two.  A lot has changed in those 15 or so years.  It is good that God designed families with young parents who could keep up with the kids!   While I'm not quite ready to sit in a rocking chair and watch all the action from afar, I do welcome the occasional time to put my feet up and relax.  

Every one of these events reminds me how grateful I am that my health is very good.  It has been a bad winter around here with many families going from one sickness to the next.  Here, at the middle of February,  I can report that I have somehow managed to avoid all the sickness.  While winter is not over yet, I believe that the worst has past.  I am looking forward to warmer, sunny weather and more time spent outside.  

 One of the best parts of this birthday party was talking to some of Grace's friends from school.  I was telling them that I always skated when I was their age!  I could tell by the looks on their faces, they were surprised that an old grandma like me knew how to skate.  My rather long-winded account of the skating party comes with a reminder to be kind to us folks that are getting older!  While we don't need to be treated like REALLY old people, it is good to have some understanding of our (new to us) limitations. And always listen to our stories.  We love to tell you about the olden days.  Sometimes there are valuable lessons contained in those stories and they are worth hearing!

Jesus, thank you for children and their excitement and joy.  Holy Spirit, you give wisdom to us even when it is difficult.  Give us courage and boldness to continue to do hard things - when it is the right thing to do.  Thank you Jesus for helping us preserve memories and pass on stories and lessons from the past.  Give us all hearts that are open to hear wisdom from others.   Amen