Family days and armadillo's

Lacey and NolaJean arrived at our house on Thursday the 29th of March. They came to the house about 2:00pm. I left work at 1:00pm and went to Monticello, Mn to meet up with George and Shirley and my mom. We met there at exactly the same time and loaded up Gram's stuff into the red Chevy cobalt. It seems Grams has been gone a lot, spending 10 days at Lindsey Kay's, 5 days at Emily Jo's and then another 5 days in South Dakota with Gramma Fisher - I think it is safe to say here that she is happy to be in her little apartment all by herself for the night! I ventured home and got to see Lacey and Nola, Lila, Ann and Curt before we all went to bed. Friday night was a quiet night of paperwork and painting the "for sale" sign for our house. On Saturday we woke up and everyone got dressed and ready for the day. We met up with Chris, Emily, JaciAnna, Conner D, and Jordyn at the Sibley East small gym. They had an Easter celebration with games and prizes for the kids and they all enjoyed the family time together. The kids talked about their school, remembering it to be exactly the same - maybe a little more worn with time. We came home to eat some dinner and then it was time to load everyone up for Winthrop. The girls cousin Russell (born and raised in Nevada) has moved back to Winthrop and was having a birthday party for their little guy who turned two years old. It was not near as warm as it had said it would be - but, the kids still enjoyed some time outside in the Winthrop park. The same park where we lived when Emi and Lindsey were little. It turned out to be a wonderful family day.
Now - Nola and her momma went home to Mpls. and Emily and JaciAnna came out to Jackels wedding dance at the Arlington Community Hall. Chris and Conner are sleeping at our house and Jordyn is at Gram ma's sleeping...
so we danced,
and laughed,
and ate,
and talked with old friends, met a few new friends and we are now ending up our wonderful family day!
And I remember when Nola took the armadillo magnet off the fridge and Lacey told me that I had bought that for her when we took our trip to Nevada (Christmas 1994)
...and Chris was looking at all the pictures that Shirley had sent home with Grams when the kids were little. Conner thought his momma was Jaci, that Jaci was Jordyn.
...and JaciAnna found a new friend to dance with at the wedding of the little boy her momma used to babysit for.
...and I just held the whole day in my heart and relived it all -
And I think again what a wonderful family and friends I have - as I try to go to sleep and yet am filled with so much joy that it keeps me awake.
It comes to me in sweet memories...
as I realize just how beautiful an armadillo really is if you look at it through the eyes of a child.

LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER (or, Bowling and Belly Flops)

Robin, Al, Carol, Duane, Curt and myself got to go to Red Wing on a little mini-vacation. We left on Thursday March 15th and came home on Sunday March 18th, 2012. I can't begin to tell you the amount of planning this takes to accomplish just a short mini-trip - starting right with Duane trying to find a place...
cheap enough
with enough to do
and a place to stay where everyone will be happy.
Then finding a time when everyone is off, the piggies are at the right age, the financial situations are at the best time, someone is able to stay here with our foster care, and of course alot of prayers that the weather will be decent so we can get there!
This year when we left Arlington at 11:00 am - it was 74 degrees outside! We have had the most unusual warm, dry winter. It is quite strange as we prepare to leave, wondering if the air-conditioner works! The drive to RedWing is about two hours and we drive slow, enjoying all the pleasures of natures beauty along the way.
The week-end was filled with wonderful conversation, relaxation, laughs, thrifting, buffet's, a little free gambling and of course, bowling! Which brings me to the main point of my writing...
bowling at 51 seems... well, shall we say different? You put your shoes on, take the ball in your hand and try to walk up the lane and lay down the ball with out falling. We talked about how our main fear was falling. Wouldn't you know about 2 minuets later one of us did take a fall?!?! I will never reveal who it was - I will only say it is one of the most graceful 51 year old falls I have ever seen...
it was comparable to diving - somehow landing on your belly and then rolling to your back and laying flat out on the floor for a few minuets.
What were those few minuets on the floor about? We will never really be sure...
I believe it could be a realization that everyone has seen you fall onto your belly, so you are just going to roll over on your back and lay there a bit. Think about your plan...
like how in the heck am I going to get up off the floor with out anyone noticing.
You know that everyone has seen it as the little boy on the neighboring lane sweetly brings you your cell phone which slid across the nice polished lanes just as you landed... really it was such a sweet thing for him to do - even though you wish he wouldn't have seen it. Lets just say it...............
"Hey there little guy... would you mind keeping this under your hat? Lets not mention it to the other bowlers. You see we haven't bowled in a long time and I just wanted to see what the floor looked like at eye level."

After the "2nd square fall", we continued on and played 2 hours of bowling without further incident and we actually had a great time. We got a little green beer so we could take our picture with our hats and beer. I remembered my dad who would have turned 78. (he was also the one who started our little mini-vacations many years ago). He always told us he was Irish because he was born on St. Patrick's day. I think I always believed he was Irish...

...and looking back at the pictures I remember how much fun we all have together. We are so Blessed to have each other...
even if
sometimes we fall
we always know we will help each other back up.
We will always be there for each other and love will always keep us together.

How Beautiful the Feet of Jesus

I remember so clearly the first time I saw Emily Jo. Her curly black hair wet against her scalp, her body so tiny and yet holding every miracle that God had planned. Although not really knowing Jesus personally at this time - I knew she was sent by Him. I knew He had a plan for her life and I understood in my soul that The Lord of all Lords was at my side and held us close.

I remember so clearly the first time I saw Lindsey Kay. Her full head of black hair sticking straight up from her scalp, her little feet exact replicas of her daddy's. Although I didn't know Jesus personally at this time - I was getting to know him through His children. I knew that He had a plan for her life and I understood in my soul that The Lord of all Lords was at our side and held us close.

I remember as if it was yesterday the first time I saw Lacey Lynn. Her blonde hair sticking up all over, her perfect color skin and the way she flew into the world.
...and I was coming to know Jesus as my personal savior. I wanted so bad for all of us to get to know Him. I was so sure inside that there was a great reason for all of this and that we would always be together. He had a plan for her life and I understood that the Lord of all Lords was at our side and held us close.

And as they grew I continued to see similarities of these babies to us - but, most of all I learned to see how they were connected to God. I still can't believe sometimes how Blessed we are here down on this earth. We don't always take time to think of it... we are so busy living life that sometimes we forget to put our feet up and look over the top of them and see all that God has given us.

BUSY IN THE KITCHEN

When I came home from work today Jeff had been dropped off by his staff at 3:30 and was watching some TV and Ann was in her room watching TV. I was a little late due to stopping at Liberty Station to pick up the keys for my new car that has been in the shop sense I got it two weeks ago! (blog to follow!) I said hello to everyone, asked how their day was and began to make some supper for all of us. The plan was fish, hash browns and green beans. I got the fish in the oven and the hash browns frying - - decided that I might as well fry up the hamburger for the bbq's for Saturday,went down in the basement to get up some supplies.
... busy in the kitchen not paying much attention to anything -
Jeff comes into the kitchen and he has the newspaper neatly folded back with the daily puzzle on top. He asked me if I have a pen and I tell him there is one on the microwave.
...busy in the kitchen - however, I started paying a little more attention to what he was going to be doing.

Jeff says "I am just going to work this puzzle for awhile to give me something to do until supper."
I say "Okay, that is a great idea" (I am starting to really get curious now but I am still
....busy in the kitchen.

I get supper ready, and prepare the plates for everyone. I set his plate by him and he moves the newspaper a little to the left so he can eat and still have the puzzle by him. Getting the other plates ready, everyone starts eating. As I am
...busy in the kitchen - I look over at the table.

It is at this moment that I really look at what Jeff is doing. He takes a few bites of his food, sets down his fork, reads the clue, crosses it out and then fills in some boxes with an X. He notices I am looking at his puzzle and says
"some of these are pretty hard so I just fill in the spaces with X's"

Ann innocently tells him "yes, those newspaper puzzles are real hard, but they have books with easier ones in them."

"They do?, where do you get them at?" (he stops eating for a minuet and looks up at her.)

"Usually you can find them at the dollar store, I will see if I can find you one"
"Oh, okay that would be good"

Still standing by the kitchen sink looking at them I am filled with this great sense of joy.
...busy in the kitchen, I realized I have witnessed one of the greatest miracles of the day.

A brother who can not read or write, attempting with great thinking to do the daily crossword puzzle. A friend by his side giving him encouragement to continue on the task at hand even if it is hard... she will help him figure it out.

...busy in the kitchen I help them clean up supper and they go on with their day.

I stop what I am doing and look at the puzzle...
and I am amazed by the neat X's and how articulately the clue's are crossed out. It is beautiful as I look at it, I understand that the joy inside me is a gift from God to me, and He gently whispered to my soul...
" before you is all you need, you just have to slow down, stop being so busy and see what I see."

and I whisper back...
"Thank-you sweet Jesus"

SNUGGIN'

This picture did something to my heart when I saw it. I remember giving Jordyn to Jeff and her just laying her head on his shoulder... snugging in tight. When I reached up with the camera she gave me this look like no more pictures grams, no more moving me around, I have found my spot... I am comfy...
I am with my favorite uncle.
And I think to myself this is a 53 year old man who did not marry or have children of his own. That in itself could make me sad...it at times just doesn't seem "fair"
but, I realize...
if he would have had children of his own...
we wouldn't be in the spot where we are right now...
and my little Jordy Noel wouldn't be so comfy...
snugging in with her favorite uncle.