Yearly "Mission Trip" time with Zeke and Anna

 Every year since Ellie was a baby, I have had some part of the yearly Mission Trip that Gwen and Tim always spend some of their vacation attending.  In 2009 when Ellie was just 4 months old, I went with on the Mission Trip (to Toronto) to be Grandma to Ellie when Gwen was busy being a leader/participant on the trip.  When you have a nursing baby, you do what you have to do!   I stayed home with the kids as they were added to the family with the exception of 2020 (of course)!  There were only a few years with all four kids, since beginning in 2019, Lia went with Gwen and Tim!  This year, 2023, Ellie went with, so I just had Zeke and Anna.  Zeke is counting down the years (just two) until he goes on the trip also.  It is a "right of passage" for these kids and something that they can hardly wait to experience.  Our time together this year was somewhat different.  Having only two kids means more opportunities to do fun things and less disagreements on what those things should be.  

The biggest highlight of the trip for the kids - and they are telling everyone this - we ate at 14 different restaurants during the 8 days that Gwen, Tim, Lia and Ellie were gone.  There are many reasons why this happened in 2023 but I think the biggest one is my age!  At just a few month shy of 69, I am tired of cooking!  And I know that I have gotten lazy just having to cook for myself!  I really enjoyed all of the meals out and lets just say - it made the kids very happy!

I do have photos of most of the eating out, but I decided to just include this one!  I love the sign on the wall says EAT and that is what we did!  I had some of my favorite meals out that I just never go to alone.  If my count is correct we had 10 "sit-down" meals (some were at fast food places) we had pizza delivered  one time and then we visited Starbucks, Dunkin and the TeePee (Riverside Chocolate) making up the other 4 "eating out" times!  We went to four local playgrounds, we went bowling, roller skating and to the library.  We visited a skate park and also went to a local water park (thanks to Anna being invited to a birthday party).   I'd say that was a pretty good week for Zeke and Anna and this grandma.  

Since Gwen and Tim have a pool and a trampoline we also had plenty of time to swim and jump while at home. Seriously though, this year was the worst weather for swimming we have ever had during this week.  It was COLD and RAINY several of the days.  I actually borrowed clothes from their closets since I only packed clothes for HOT weather!  This was actually really good for the Mission Team since this is the first year in a very long time that they have not had heat advisories!  And they had no rain during the week either. 

 The kids also receive a daily gift from the "mission trippers" which is always a highlight of the day.  This includes a note about what the Mission Team is doing that day and then gives us some specific things to pray.  I love that the kids are older now and really understand this.  Each day, one would open and read the card and then pray for the concerns.  The other one got to open the gift.  Here is a sampling of some of the things they received as gifts...

It was COLD and the water was cold but the kids insisted on taking this volleyball net into the water on the first day!  I know that Gwen was also planning on HOT weather during this week. As it turns out, we didn't get in the pool very much!

Slime making, diamond art, tie dying, and painting were just a few of the gifts.  This year Zeke discovered Sudoku and picked it up quickly!  He pretty much carried that book with him anytime we left the house.  

One of my favorite parts of the trip, besides the games we played and the movies we watched, was that Anna asked me to help her with a scrapbook she was working on.  

Anna and I spent many hours sorting her paper and putting the pictures she has into an order that made sense to scrap.  It was so much fun watching her enjoying something that I love so much!  Zeke was more than happy to have some video game time while us girls were busy cutting and pasting.  

Seriously, the best part of all the eating out was Zeke's very heartfelt statement that he wanted to actually spend time sitting and talking together.  More than once he opted to play a game with Anna and me rather than have a bit of video game time.  Anna told me over and over just how grateful she was to have time with me.  Things like this really melt a grandma's heart.  

I love this time so much!  Over the years various people have made comments about my kids "taking advantage" of me taking care of their children.  I am always taken aback by those comments.  Being with my grandchildren is the greatest gift I could ever receive from my own children.  Being a part of their everyday lives, watching them grow and change and knowing exactly how to pray for them is a priceless gift.  One I would never trade!  

So here I am, back at relationships.  Spending time together is really the only way that we can get to know someone.  I love seeing small glimpses of the amazing way Jesus is shaping each of the kids.  Knowing their strengths and their struggles gives power to pray specific prayers.  And I remember the adage "General prayers get answered generally and specific prayers get answered specifically".  

These last two months (May and June) have been difficult for me.  (Watch for the next blog... yes, I am leaving you with a cliff hanger).  I know that being with the kids and all of the activities in these last three blogs has been the glue that has held me together.  If I did not have an active relationship with Jesus, I can't imagine how this time would have played out.  This is my encouragement for you today.  If you have family that you are estranged from, consider making an effort to form stronger bonds.  If you have been curious about why some of us rely on our relationship with Jesus, just ask!  Find a trusted person with whom you can have open and honest conversations.  Visit a church or two or three.  Try it out.  You might be surprised that all the things you might see on social media are not true.  Are you missing that old friend you haven't seen in years?  Call, write, text, email, message.  Take a step.  Don't have many friends you can count on?  Join a class at the library, talk to your neighbors, visit some older folks at the nursing home nearby.  Take that first step and watch how things will happen.  

Sometimes life throws you an unexpected curve ball.  If you miss that throw, chase after that ball.  You just never know what blessings are ahead.  

Jesus, thank you so much for children, laughter and fun.  Thank you for the availability and the means to find good food around us.  Thank you for cool weather and rain but also for warm sunny days.  Jesus, you know exactly what we need and provide that for us.  Thank you for Mission Trips and for times at home to pray for those who go and the people they touch.  Holy Spirit, nudge us to seek you without fear.  Show us truth as we scan social media.  Thank you for your care and concern.  Amen

May birthdays, Dance Recital and more!

 Trying to capture events that happened weeks ago is hard1  I am learning that I need to stop and make the time to put these words on the page - when they are happening.  For now, I am catching up! 

Zeke turned 12 on May 15.  That seems so hard to imagine.  Especially difficult for me since I had no idea what I got him for his present!  There was some computer "things" that he really needed since he is currently "building" a PC to use for gaming.  I simply ordered what I was told to get (Thank goodness for online ordering!  You don't have to go into a store and look foolish trying to get the correct items!)  I didn't even have to wrap these since I had them delivered right to Gwen's house!  Zeke asked me to please bring him "Chinese Chicken Nuggets" for his birthday.  This is actually just Sweet and Sour Chicken from our favorite, hometown Chinese place that is also Gwen's favorite!  I was happy to bring him this special treat.

Between Zeke's Birthday and Jimmy's birthday was the jam-packed Dance Recital weekend.  Anna only danced on Sunday so Susie decided to bring Grace that day. Lia and Ellie danced at all three recitals.  I always try to imagine the hours and hours of practice that these kids do in order to perform this long recital.  

This was Lia's 14th Dance Recital.  It hard not to get misty eyed thinking about the years that she has worked to get to this point.  It was Ellie's 9th recital and Anna's 6th recital.  Anna decided to dance in the special dance troupe "Spotlight" next year so that she could finally get to dance with Lia for one year!  Ellie has been dancing with Lia in Spotlight for a couple of years.  I love to see the commitment and patience and endurance these girls have shown off at the end of the year recital. 

Jimmy's birthday was next.  These two years have flown by.  Every week he has some new skill or new words or new activity.  They had a Dino themed party for him at a little play place that was perfect for two year olds.  He ran and played and just had a wonderful time being the center of it all.  

Lia turned 17 the next day.  It is hard to even write that number!  It makes me feel so old!  Given the busy life of a 17 year old (and Memorial Day Weekend) we settled for a lunch after church at Portillos to celebrate!  

Her gifts included a special backpack that she wanted for college -  yep - college.  She has already been taking some classes on line, but next fall she will be going in person.  Again, just where did the time go?  She also wanted these cute shorts and hoodie and modeled them for me!  That's one proud daddy for sure!

On June 2nd, Gwen and Tim celebrated 22 years of marriage!  Again - How did that happen?  So Lia, Ellie, Zeke and Anna came to my house tor the day/night/day so that Gwen and Tim could actually have some time to celebrate.  They opted to stay home, but went out to dinner and then also kayaked on their lake and went for a run together.  Hopefully soon, they will plan a better trip away to celebrate their anniversary!  Needless to say, the kids and I had a great time.  Lia actually drove them to my house.  That's a first!  We went out to dinner and played mini golf.  There was a zipline in the park near the mini golf and the kids had a great time pushing each other!  The next morning we went out to breakfast and followed that up with a trip to Target!  

It was a busy 24 hours  - but so much fun.  I can't think of a better way to spend a couple of days.  

These blogs are really like my journals.  They help me keep track of everything that goes on in my life.  So doing these catch up blogs may seem silly, but I love seeing pictures that help me remember exactly where the time went!  And seeing Jimmy at 2 years old and Lia at 17 years old on the same page kind of takes my breath away.  I cherish every picture of all of the grandkids together. It won't be long before it doesn't happen very often.  Yes, time marches on.  

Somewhere in this busy time frame, I passed by Ken's and my wedding anniversary.  May 18th was our 49th anniversary.  Next year would be 50.  I remember having so many conversations with Ken about this milestone and we really thought we would get to celebrate that one together.  Yet, here it is three years that he has been gone.  These many events/pictures just remind me that we should never miss an opportunity to be with family and to celebrate even the small things.  I am so incredibly grateful that I am able to be with each of my grandkids every week.  It is a privilege to watch them grow and change.  I can imagine how much more of an impact these birthdays would have for me, if I didn't see the kids all the time. Its all about having a relationship with them.

I have several friends that I have lost contact with over the last few years.  I have been trying to reconnect with them, but schedules and illnesses and just general tasks have seemed to get in the way.  I have been considering just how hard it is to maintain a relationship when you don't have contact with someone.  This is a lesson that keeps coming back to me whenever I start to feel distant from Jesus and wonder if he is with me at all.  And don't we all have times when that is the case?  Often it is because I have fallen away from Bible study, gathering with other believers or even just listening to worship music.  I haven't given up on getting together with these friends and will continue to try to make contact happen.  And I know that getting back to that place of closeness with Jesus is a journal entry, a worship song or picking up my Bible time away.  As I have been playing catch up with these blogs, it has been a good reminder for me about what is important! 

Jesus, thank you for children and grandchildren and families.  Holy Spirit remind us of all those who may not be related to us by blood but are still like "family" to us - the neighbors, the friends, the co-workers, the people that we see every week.   Help us to make time for relationships that really matter. Holy Spirit, give us courage to let go of those relationships that are not important and remind us all to draw closer to you.  Give us patience with ourselves when we fail to put you first Jesus.  Give us grace to start again and determination to continue to learn and grow.  Amen

Short trip to New York City - May 10-12, 2023

 I can't believe that this year, Ellie graduated from Eighth Grade!  Yep, she is a high school freshmen now!  For her 8th grade trip, Ellie picked New York City.  This was no surprise.  She loves Broadway and has ALWAYS wanted to be a fashion designer.  Now, more specifically, a Costume Designer and work on Broadway.   Gwen asked if I'd like to go with and I am always up for a trip!  

We flew out in the very early morning and hit Time Square at lunch time.  We had the great good fortune to be able to check into our Hotel before we headed out for our first packed day of sight seeing.  This was truly a God-thing since we saw the hours long line to check in later that day!  We were so blessed by this start to our trip.

No trip to New York City is complete for any "fashionista" without a stop of Mood Fabric.  I watched enough "Project Runway" to know about this store.  I was amazed at how SMALL it was and how much stuff was crammed into that small space.  Ellie picked out one cut of fabric to bring home and was delighted.  We toured Time Square (Our hotel was 1/2 block off of Time Square - great location).  

We went to the M&M store and the Hersheys store.  So many people and so much noise!  We returned to our hotel to rest and get ready for our Broadway show - Wicked.  Ellie made a dress for each show we were going to see.

On the way to the show (about 2 blocks walk) Ellie wanted to stop at this small bakery/cafe for a special treat!  She had seen a video about this place and put it on the "must do" list.  It is actually called "Bibble & Sip Cafe" but for some reason, I kept thinking about this as the "Bibity Boppity Boo" place, so it will always be that for me!  The pastries were in the shape of some Anime show that Ellie knows. 

Wicked was amazing.  It really is different to see a Broadway show - actually ON Broadway.  Needless to say, after a predawn wake up in Chicago, Airport/airplane, Uber and walking all over New York City and then a Broadway show, we were ready for bed.

Our second day was just as packed as the first.  We started the day at another must-do stop in Time Square/Broadway - the Stardust Diner.  

After seeing the waiting lines to get seated for the lunch/dinner crowds, we opted for a "Brunch" time slot. We got seated right away and were treated to these amazing singers during our meal. You know that these servers audition for every show on Broadway. If you ever get to Time Square, I highly recommend making this a must do stop.  I think it was one of my favorite parts of the trip!  From there Ellie and I went to the Museum of Broadway.  There are actual costumes from the beginning of Broadway (as well as the history of Broadway) until current.  

Gwen opted to find a quiet spot to sit instead of going with us into this museum.  I am very glad that I took Ellie.  It was really neat to see some of the behind the scenes stuff - including the sewing/design studio backstage.   Also on Ellies list of "must do" things was somewhere that is known for their giant milk shakes!  Anyone who knows Ellie, knows that this is a fitting place for Ellie to celebrate!

From there we went to another Fashion stop - The FIT Museum.  The Fashion Institute of Technology is an actual campus with students/classes happening.  The Museum houses various exhibits that change all the time.  We actually rested for a few minutes on a bench outside of some of the dorms.  I could see Ellie ending up studying Fashion design at a place like this.

We got back to our hotel with enough time for Ellie to get ready for our next Broadway Show - SIX!  This was her pick and she was very excited to see it.  We found out AFTER we actually arrived in New York that Hamilton Theater was across the street from our hotel.  We have all seen Hamilton, but it might have been fun to see it on Broadway!  It was good to see SIX however!  

The highlight of this show for Ellie, was waiting at the backstage doors to get the autographs of all of the cast.  Gwen waited with her (I walked back to the hotel since it was so close) and the wonderful cast all took photos with Ellie and signed her playbill.  For sure this was something that she will always remember.  

Our last day in New York City we took the subway to "uptown" to see the actual home of Alexander Hamilton.  It is a National Memorial, which it really neat.  I love that the kids and youth all love this musical so much when it is, in fact, history!  

After taking the tour and seeing the home, we decided we were hot and tired and rather than walk the mile back to the subway, we Ubered to Central Park.  We had thought about going to the MET, but that day was "Youth" day at the Museum and (it seemed like) all of the high schools in New York had brought the teens to the museum!  It was crowded.  So, instead we just took a walking tour of a small section of Central Park.  

We saw fountains and ponds, and lots of people.  It was fun to see the horse drawn carriages and so many bicycles everywhere.  We opted to walk back to our hotel after a stop at a "real" New York Pizza place.  We Ubered back to the airport for our late evening flight back to Chicago.  

We crammed a lot of stuff into three days in New York City.  It was a trip to remember for sure.  One of my favorite memories is this.....

While we were waiting for our Uber to take us to the airport, Ellie was sad to not have one of the special Macaroons from the "Bibity Bopity Boo" cafe.  We did not have the time (or the feet) to walk the five blocks - so I Door Dashed one to us in the lobby of the Hotel so Ellie could finish the trip with this!  So worth it!  

There is something about these experiences with the grandkids that stay with you.  Getting them  things is okay - but these shared experiences will not be forgotten.  I love that Gwen and the kids want to include me on these adventures and I am very grateful.   Ken and I had visited New York City but I had several things left on my "want to do sometime" list.  And this trip satisfied several of those!  Its amazing how much you can do in three days, when you plan well.  There were many God moments on this trip.  We sailed through TSA in Chicago and a very nice TSA Agent let Ellie's gallon size bag of liquids through with just a warning to not do it again.  We had seats together on all  flights - again really unexpected with the planes totally sold out both ways.  Our room was ready at noon when check in time was 4:00pm.  Totally unheard of.  And the hotel was really nice and we felt comfortable and safe.  We took the subway and walked through a section of New York that might not have been exactly the best.  But it was daytime and again, we felt safe walking.  Even our Uber drivers were kind and respectful and also didn't make me close my eyes during the drive!  Each of these things may just be a small thing to some people.  Sometimes, you just have stop and realize the favor you felt while having fun.  

Jesus, thank you for time spent with those we love.  Thank you for your hand of protection while we travel.  Holy Spirit, keep us mindful of the ways we are covered and surrounded by you, even when we are outside of our normal activities.  Thank you Jesus for provision to travel and experience the world.  Thank you Jesus for family times like these.  Amen