Exhausting, yet rewarding!

After having lunch at "Chipotle" with Tom today before he had to leave for work I picked up 3 of my grandkids...Gage, Kaden and Camryn. The 4 of us went to Kelly's and played in Avery's playroom for a while. A 7 year old, 5 year old, 3 year old, and two 1 year olds with 2 pushover adults in a small room is "exhausting, yet rewarding!" How blessed I am to have all of my kids and grandkids so close. It was fun to watch Camryn and Colton interact with each other. You can already see who is going to wear the pants in the relationship! Later Kaden, Camryn and Jonny and I had dinner together. I am so spoiled to have 2 meals out in one day. Better start my diet tomorrow!

A Great Day with Loved Ones!

Today Katie, Tom, Bonnie, Debbie, Dave and I took my mother to visit her sister Betty and Betty's husband John. They are a dear couple and wonderful aunt and uncle to us kids. Oh, I guess we aren't kids anymore. Mom was very weak and confused, but I know that just having her there made Betty very happy. It must be difficult knowing that this may be the last time they are together and saying goodbye each visit must be hard. Knowing the uncertainty of life I suppose we should always think this way so as to appreciate our time together. It was also good to have cousin Bob there too. I can see he cares for his parents very well. Mom is in the later stages of Alzheimer's decease, but our Lord has blessed her through this. She has had what some call "pleasant demensia". The posted pictures are from about a year or so ago.

My big "love bunnies"

Being a mother is a great gift (and sometimes joke). God knew how to teach us women and that is through our mothering. I am fortunate to have 3 lovely children who bring me great joy.

Jesse is the busy one. Father of 4, he is either working, camping, watching kids or making improvements on his house. I am proud of the man he is becomming. I think he would agree with the statement, "kids can humble us and bring us great joy all in the same moment", right Jess? I think Kelly, Pat and Tamara would agree with that statement too. Jon will just have to find out.

Kelly is a caretaker. She is kind hearted and has decided that that is one of the most important qualities she hopes to see in her kids. I already see it. She is always thinking of others and has a tender heart towards old people and animals.

Jon is tenderhearted. I hope he doesn't mind me saying that. He is insightfull and is a great uncle. The kids always love when Jonny shows up. He is also very talented in cooking, and art.

I love being a mother. I have learned a lot from my children and I know I will continue to learn. I believe that they are just on loan to me while on this earth. I hope I have done well with God's children. Tom and I must have done something right cuz just look at them!

I get teased for my "analogies"!

So I will talk about someone else's! My devotional today used the analogy of a butterfly...A boy had a cocoon and was patiently awaiting the emerging butterfly. One day he noticed the cocoon had a hole in it and the butterfly was struggling to shed its prison so he thought he would help it along and cut a bigger hole in the cocoon. That did help. The butterfly came out but couldn't fly as its wings were too small and its body was too large. Later the boy discovered that the "struggle" of the butterfly to shed its cocoon is what creates its strong wings and fit body. Mothers, doesn't this remind you of parenting? A great lesson of allowing our children to grow through their struggles. If they never work out their own struggles (of course with our love and support), how can they grow and learn from them? I also think this speaks of God's love for us. Sometimes I wonder why He doesn't "rescue" me or others from life's cocoons. Maybe that is why He gave us butterflies!

A great day...

Just a normal day, but maybe that's not entirely true. Tom had the day off and that is an occasion for us. We didn't do anything real noteable, but enjoyed each other very much, went to a movie and cooked (and ate) tacos together. Simple, easy day.

The Lord is teaching me new things all of the time. I am learning to just...enjoy life. My wonderful daughter recently just showed up at my door with a present. It was a simple gift, a plaque that just says "JOY". I think maybe she was trying to tell me something as I realize lately (and I guess she did too) that I have allowed my anxious thoughts to get the best of me.

Another example of what I have learned lately is...just the other day I was going through some of my mother's things and came accross a necklace with a cross on it. I have been wanting one so I thought I would love to wear hers. While putting it on I had to remove the necklace my husband bought for me several years ago which has my children's birthstones in hearts on it. I wore it continually. That necklace has always been "symbolic" to me of "keeping my children close." I know silly, but I had to remove it to put on the cross, and that is when the Lord told me, "Christ first." My family had been my "idols". I'm sure many Christian women struggle with this. I am so thankful to Him that He is soooo patient with me. I have been a believer and follower of Christ for 24 years now and it has taken me this long to see this. Read "Idols of the Heart" by Elise Fitzpatrick.

Anyway, getting back to JOY, it has been joyfull for me to learn this truth as I have shed many anxieties because of this simple action of changing necklaces. I believe sometimes God uses unexpected things as "necklaces" to speak to us. I know I will have times of worry and fretting, but I will go back to what I know is true, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:6-7 Also..."Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken." Ps 55:22. I do believe that if we have the "order" right then our lives will be blessed, yet not always easy. My prayer is that God will continue to show me more of His character and His truths and that I will continue to strive to put Him first.

My Tom...

I love my husband very much. We were married on 12/29/79 at Chapel of the Canyons in Canoga Park, CA. He loved my two kids as his own and shortly after Jonathan was born Tom legally adopted Jesse and Kelly. Tom has softened over the years and is a kind and doting father and grandfather. He is a great provider and I hope we can retire before too long as he is such a hard worker. He calls me "Toots" and I can't tell you how my heart melts when he calls me that! I know, gag me! Someday ask him about the other nicknames we have for each other (Baby and Jerk). Guess which one is which...

My first blog entry...

Ok, I'm very new to this. I have read several blogs and it took me a while to see the benefit of it, so I will give it a try. There are times when I have thought of keeping a journal, but for some reason this seems more fun...being able to post pictures, etc. It also may be a good thing for my kids and grandkids to have and read someday. How nice it would be if I had something like this to read from my parents, or even grandparents! There are a few things that I have, but hopefully I will be able to leave something more tangible about my life for those interested in the future.