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