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