Freeze it Here...For Now...Or Maybe Not

I remember being a young mother and thinking at different times, "I'd like to freeze my family right where they are."  It was times when things weren't necessarily smoother, but my children were all at ages that I could enjoy.  I love a newborn.  For a short time.  Then I want them to be older so they smile or coo but still snuggle.  I love the age where the child is in discovery mode.  I loved having children who were a bit older and could assist with the younger ones.  I loved the age when we could talk about important things or just have fun together.  I adored the teenage years.  Most people dread them, but I loved them most of all.  My teenagers were people who talked to me about choices and decisions.  There were several times that I felt I just wanted to freeze them in time so they wouldn't grow up.

Now all my children are adults.  I don't want to freeze them in time anymore.  In fact, they've become more than just my children.  They've become my friends and the people I want to spend time with.  I do love my life at this point with being a mother and a Nana.  I still am Mom to Tom, Erin and Andrew.  They still want me around and ask my advice.  Clare and Sammi are mothers to their own children but they still ask advice as well. I love being a missionary mom.  Although, in just eight short months that will end.  I love that we can talk about both temporal and spiritual things.

I'm Nana to my precious grandchildren.  I'm loving the ages they are.  Cami is old enough to talk to. She's growing up way too fast.  Adam loves to tell me things and show me things that are of interest to him.  Brock just loves to hang out with me and be my buddy.  Evie, well, she's in a league of her own.  She's so imaginative.  I love that some days she is a "chick" and other days a "honey."  Butchy is such a smiley little nugget.  Each has their own distinctive personality and I love them all so, so much!

I love my life with my sweetheart.  We can take time to go out on dates or plan a weekend away.  I love serving at his side while he is the stake president.  I don't go with him very often, but I love to be the silent support system for him.  I've seen the growth but more important, I've seen the love that he has for people.  I love that we are able to attend the temple each month together.

My years teaching seminary are so precious to me.  I love the youth that I've been able to serve.  I've found that I love the scriptures in ways that I never would have known if I hadn't had this sacred opportunity. 

Do I really want to freeze my life in time anymore?  Nope.  I look forward to whatever the good Lord has in store for me.  I look forward to opportunities that may come my/our way.  Life is grand and I love it!

My Pumpkin

 What do these two pictures have in common?

They are both "Punkins."

About a week or so ago, I called Evie, "Punkin."  She has not forgotten that.  She tells people that she is Nana's Punkin.  In fact, she has self proclaimed herself, "Nana's favorite punkin."

Prior to that I called her "Chickadoo" out of the blue and she told everyone that she was a chickadoo.  She has been so fun to have in our home.  

Noah's Ark

Seminary has begun and we are now in our 5th week.  Last week we studied Noah's story about the Ark and the animals and the wickedness of the people who were killed in the flood.  As I drove to church that Thursday morning, I noticed the sky.  It was so beautiful!  I was glad I had my camera to capture the beauty I was witnessing.

After we read a bit about how big the Ark measured, we did the math.  450' long x 75' wide and 45' tall.  That makes it as high as our church building, as wide as the parking lot plus the sidewalk and as long as two parking lots.

 While some of the youth did the measuring, others were creating the animals that would come along on the journey.  Syd drawing flamingos, I think.

 The entire group, minus Neal.

 A flurry of activity in creating animals.

 Crista's butterfly.

 Emma's pair of giraffes.

 Mackenzie and Tiana with Alyssa at the unseen end measuring "around the corner" so we could get a visual of just how long this vessel was.

Savana's pig.  Not certain what Meckenzie drew.  I think a pair of bears.

At any rate, it was so much fun having them outside and doing something practical and enjoying the experience.  A classroom is a great way to learn things but at times it is more practical to get off the chair and actually do it.  I think this is a lesson that they will not forget!

Amazing youth whom I am blessed to spend my mornings with.

Time

I've found that time stand still for no one.  My dad has been gone for over a year already.  Where has the time gone?  Wasn't it just yesterday that we were dealing with doctor appointments and wondering what was going on?  Didn't we just get that horrible diagnosis?

Andrew will be home in about nine months from serving a two year mission.  Where has that time gone?  Didn't he just finish high school?  Didn't we just drop him off at the Missionary Training Center? 

Little Butchy is already 6 months old.  Wasn't he just born last month?  How about Cami?  She is in 3rd grade.  THIRD GRADE!!!  Am I old enough to have an eight year old granddaughter? 

I see a few leaves beginning to change their colors.  I see gardens winding down and the bounteous harvests.  Wasn't it just yesterday that we were wishing the snow would melt?

I began teaching my eighth year of seminary.  Eight years!  How can that be?  I am not a morning person!  I can't do that!  It has been a joy and an absolute privilege to be with these marvelous youth in the mornings.  But eight years?

My husband has been the stake president for 8 1/2 years.  What?  Wasn't he just called? 

Time is a precious commodity that there never seems to be enough of.  And yet, for those people who while away the hours because they can't do for themselves any longer, it seems that time is all they have.  Too much time. 

As I think about my loved ones who have passed, there is never enough time.  There's always the wish for one more day or one more hug or one more "I love you." 

With that thought, I am absolutely grateful for the knowledge of eternity.  The knowledge that families can be together forever.  That marriage is not just until death do us part.  God is in control.  Of that I am certain. 

I understand more than ever that LOVE is spelled T-I-M-E.  What greater gift can we give those whom we love than to spend time with them?

Just What We Do

Sammi and Jeff lived in Provo when they first got married.  Following his graduation from BYU, they moved to Muscatine, Iowa so he could attend nursing school.  He graduated last Friday.  He has a job in Oshkosh beginning in a few weeks.  In order to pay down some student loans as well as save money for his next phase of schooling, they have moved in with us.

We've done this before with the Gourleys.  That probably was a little tougher since we had so many people still living at home.  This time, it is just Pat, Tom and I.  It will all work out and we are glad that we can help.

When the day comes that they move into their own place, my husband will say, "I miss my baby."  He loves having the grandkids here.  He has Evelyn here to snuggle and spoil every single day.

People ask about the changing dynamic in a home when adult children move in with their children.  I always say, "Its just what we do."  I'm thankful we can.

Jinny

When I was a young woman, aged 14-17, I made some wonderful friends because of Girl's Camp.  As with most people, we graduated from high school and lose touch with one another. 

Last year, Dave Robertson called me and asked me if I knew a woman named Jinny.  I told him I knew her from my youth.  He was in contact with her as he was the Branch President in Sturgeon Bay and she was living in the area.

In July, Jinny's son came home from his mission.  I really wanted to go along to Wausau when he was being released so I could see her.  She was invited to come back to church and accepted that invitation.  I went to Wausau that Sunday so I could go to church with her.  She felt at home with the saints there. 

Today I attended her baptism.  It was glorious!

Below is a picture of some of those beautiful women whom I knew from my youth.

Happy rebirth Jinny!

Traditions

I love traditions.  When I think about my own, I don't feel like I have very many.  I love having my family around on Christmas but understand that there are other sides of the family that feel the same way.

When my children were young, we lived next door to my aunt and uncle.  She had all her grandchildren over once a year for a camp out.  They would set up the tent and all sleep together. I had the same thought this week.  I love camping and want to share this with my grandchildren.  So, yesterday we set  up our new tent that has never been used and camped out.  I was a bit chilly and Evie doesn't like to stay in her sleeping bag, so I was up a few times in the night to make sure she was covered.  Somewhere before it was light, Brock was stirring.  I checked on him and found him completely outside his bag and huddles under his "blank."  I inserted him back into his sleeping bag and wrapped him in his blankie.

Adam surely didn't get cold.  He is the green blob.  He wraps himself tight even when it's too warm to do so.  Cami and her friend Grace had warm bags and never stirred.  I did hear some sort of howling in the night.  It sounded like a pack of wild critters.  There were dogs barking as well so I know whatever it was, it woke the neighbor's dogs.  That always makes me a little nervous.

We began another tradition this summer and that was taking them all to Bay Beach in the evening. We went out for dinner and then spent $40 on tickets.  We weren't there that long, but we never had to wait in line for any rides either.  It was fun watching the kids enjoy themselves.

I will probably come up with some others in the coming years as the grandchildren get older, but I don't want Cami to miss out so I have to start things now.  Family is Everything!!!