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