A Weekend Sleepover

The house is quiet now but it certainly wasn't this weekend! These two special little guys came for a weekend sleepover while their parents headed out of town for a basketball tournament with Jamie's team.

 It was pretty chilly on Friday morning but we headed out for a walk to the Park anyway...Aidan insisted that he was going to walk because he was strong! He did great for the first half of the park....

 ...but he finally got tired and cold and decided to piggyback with Jaxon in the stroller. I got my exercise pushing the extra weight around the park that's for sure!

We were all cold by the time we got home so hot chocolate with marshmallows was next on the list of things to do.

They were both pretty impressed with all the miniature marshmallows they could have in their hot hot chocolate.

 Of course they could both hardly wait until Pa came home from work! They had already decided that they were going to help him make pancakes for dinner...

 ...I can't remember the last time we had pancakes for dinner. Probably at least a decade!

Speaking of decades, the boys had lots of fun with these trophies from decades ago. Everything they do has to be a competition so I unpacked a box of their Auntie Jody's old trophies and they became the coveted awards for every game we played! Who knew something that was decades old could have so much play value? They got to skype with Jody and asked her if they could each take one home!(sorry Jamie and Megs, just what you wanted I am sure)

On Saturday we headed out for a game of miniature golf.

 The boys were very excited.

 This gives you an idea what the Jungle Course was like.......pretty dark and jungle-like.

 Jaxon knew what to do with his ball.

 It was a first for me.....I had never been mini-golfing inside before!!

 Jaxon wasn't too sure about Pa putting his head into the dinosaur's head....

 Aidan on the other hand thought it was lots of fun....

We had so much fun...lots of laughs and hours and hours of games(Uno, Go Fish, Chutes and Ladders and Jr Monopoly). Add to that more hours of playing on the Wii and well, a good time was had by all! Have I said lately that I love being a grandmother? 

Growing Old Together

Doris: Honey, can you please print off those forms for me tomorrow morning at work?

Dave: Sure, just email me to remind me.....

Doris: If I remember I will.....


At this point we both burst out laughing!! Good old fashioned belly laughs...I guess we must be getting old!!! But at least we are doing it together!

You see I don't take that for granted, or at least not most of the time. So many of our friends have lost their spouses in their 40's and 50's and yes, some in their 60's, that we treasure the fact that we are in fact growing old together. Good thing is, we can laugh at ourselves when we have to remind each other to remind each other......well you get it!

The secret? Laugh often! Now I just have to go and actually email him to remind him to print those forms.... I didn't remind him the first time so he forgot!! I love you Honey!

Evidence.....

As I walked past the upstairs guest room I stopped ...... the boys had decided that they didn't want to stay in their individual beds on Sunday for their quiet times and Aidan had joined Jaxon in the guest room, but what was that in the bed?

Evidence...of two little boys who had fun playing.....

....Jamie's old 'little men' that we found in a box of his toys .....

...and an assortment of dice, found by my father and given to the boys over a period of years....these are some of their favorite things to play with!!

 In the Living Room a while later I sat down to write this post and there I saw it....under the Winter Tree(a Christmas tree with ornaments gone and white lights remaining because I love twinkly white lights)......

...a large ball that is only to be played with downstairs. Hmmmmm.....but there it was, under the tree, more evidence!

Not long after I walked downstairs and there it was.....

...more evidence of a little boy that loves having the toys all to himself to play with on Wednesdays when he comes to Mimi's house...

....he pulled every single one one of the old Fisher Price toys out and formed a big circle.

There they are....the Zoo...

....the Playhouse...

...the Circus Train....

...and of course the Farm, every child's favorite, and the truck and tent trailer.

Who knew that over 30 years later these toys would still hold hours and hours of play value? And of course be left as evidence in Mimi's house of two little boys who come to visit every week. Thank you Lord for little people that don't live so far away!

Learning to Listen

As we sat watching a playoff football game(well he was watching and I was reading on the couch beside him) his phone sounded signalling a text coming in. As he responded he explained that he had texted a co-worker earlier(even though it was a Saturday) to see how his day was going after having a very difficult day the day before, and he was now responding back. He had listened to that still small voice.

As I continued to read in Billy Graham's book, Nearing Home, I reread what I just read a few pages earlier. Graham in talking about the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer in making decisions, quotes the verse from Isaiah 30:21, "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'this is the way' walk in it". And it struck me, sitting beside was a man that had learned to listen when the Spirit spoke to his heart.

Earlier that morning he had popped his head in the door to say that he was going down to our elderly neighbours to offer to shovel the snow off their driveway since it was very wet and heavy. He had listened to that small voice and gone and done it rather than just having good intentions. And I am sure that he made their day!

And then an hour later he was off, to meet with someone who had called earlier and asked if he had time to talk, even though he was really looking forward to just watching NFL Playoff Football games. Listening again I had to think!

I have to admit that I don't always listen well. But I can learn to listen.....it just takes practice! And of course being quiet long enough to hear that still small voice. Definitely something to think about!

Baby It's Cold Outside!!

 

A week ago Dave and I had been out in the evening and came outside to the car to giant snowflakes coming down. It was snowing!!! And it just kept on snowing.... 

...and snowing

....and snowing!

 There wasn't any wind, so it just piled up on the trees....

 ...on the deck(10 inches on Tuesday alone!)

 ...on the Bird House.

 This picture is for you Heather....not a footprint in sight on our front yard! It was too deep for anyone to walk across!

 The birch tree hangs full.....

 ...the cedars look like they have been iced with snow!

 A winter wonderland by day.....and a fantasyland by night.

 We get home at dusk and after a couple of days of saying how amazing it was, I just had to take some pictures before I even walked into the house!

 It's magical....

 .....can this be for real?

 The trees stand so silent....

 Our Fountain outside the office at work stands frozen in time....

Baby, it's cold outside!!

Blessed Assurance

As I was writing to a young teen about the fact that my personal relationship with Jesus is what gives meaning in my life I couldn't help but think of the old hymn, Blessed Assurance. The words struck a chord and I just had to go sit down at the piano and play a couple of verses.
Blessed assurance, Jesus is Mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of  salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His Blood.

ch. This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my son,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

Fanny Crosby had it so right when she wrote this song, what an incredible story He has given us! Caily and I enjoyed singing this song together over Christmas so I thought I would share that with you too!

#53. sharing that Blessed Assurance with a mentee(if you are interested in becoming a mentor online check out The Mentor Center and click on 'Become a Mentor'.) 

Making the Most of the Magic

While other people take their Christmas Trees and decorations down the week after Christmas, I resist! As a good friend said to me, if I leave everything up then I feel like the magic of Christmas will continue. That is sort of how I feel this year. Our Christmas together as a family was filled with so much magic, so many memories.

This picture hangs on my wall, and even though it is a Christmas Tree I'm not sure I am going to take it down anytime soon. You see Jody made it for us out of her girls' handprints and little Bria's footprint. And when I look at it, it definitely makes me smile and think of our Texas Sweethearts and how much fun it was to have them here.

As we sat and talked one afternoon during the holidays, the girls and I agreed that it wasn't the gifts that were important at all, it was just being together. And this gift reminds me of being together.

#49. a Christmas gift that keeps the magic of Christmas going strong into January

One Thousand Gifts

I lost track of how many times in 2011 someone told me that they were reading or had read Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Life Fully Right Where You Are, and that I just had to read it. Although I had bought it late last fall, I decided to save it until the new year to read it.

To say that the book is captivating is an understatement. I had already chosen the word 'Joy' for my word for 2012 before I really got into the book, and as I began to read I realized how God had orchestrated that I would be reading this book this year. Ann has challenged me to choose to be thankful, to practice it. As she says, "Change takes real intentionality--Could I list/name one thousand blessings - one thousand gifts?"

In a new way God is reminding me of an old lesson in being content, to be thankful, to cultivate an attitude of gratitude, to be more thankful for what I have, what I can do than what I don't have or can't do.

Philippians 4:11, 12 says I have learned(and I have to say for myself, I am relearning Lord) how to be content with whatever I have.

Ann goes on to say, The secret to living joy in every situation is to learn how to be thankful, whether empty or full....Joy is the realest reality, the fullest life, and joy is always given, never grasped. God gives gifts and I give thanks and I unwrap the gift given: JOY!

And so this year, in 2012, I am choosing to write down 1000 gifts, 1000 things that I am thankful for. One thousand times to say thank you Lord for how you bless me. And one by one they change how I see my day.

#29 for 2012 is: the book 'One Thousand Gifts' which has made/helped me choose to daily give thanks.

Care to join me?

Leaving a Legacy- Part 2

I loved the practical tips that Billy Graham gives in his book, Nearing Home, about the practices that he and Ruth tried to follow in their relationships with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren so that they would be able to impact those who were separated from them.

1. Pray consistently for your family...don't pray only in general terms...Make your prayers specific, and make them daily.

2. Keep in  touch - take advantage of whatever opportunities you do have..an occasional phone call or birthday greeting. Let them know you love them and care deeply about what happens to them.

3. Encourage them - encourage them when they deserve it, and when they don't, encourage them to think about taking a different path.

4. Remember your place - we are not our grandchildren's parents.

5. Be an example - your children and grandchildren learn more about you through observing your actions and attitudes.

Of course he elaborates under each point but I just wanted to whet your appetite, especially if you are like we are and grandparent from afar for some of our families. What great points to try to apply in 2012! The book is an excellent read and if you haven't read it yet, it is definitely worth picking up!