Forever blowing bubbles

Blowing bubbles at the Foley park
Celebrating life and birthdays
They start with a careful dip of the wand
Catching the soapy liquid
You put it up to your mouth
and ever so gently blow
The bubbles flow freely through the air
Floating
and when the bubble bursts
It shows off a rainbow of sheer color
Beautiful, really, when you think of it
Young children, tiny hands, smiles, serious faces,
What a wonderful way
To spend a sunny day
Forever blowing bubbles...

Ribbons

My little 3 year old package1

Her camera book from gramma dorius... right before the bath

I don't know how I got so blessed...
first the birthday party in Foley...
then to spend Conner D's actual 6th birthday date with him
and now today I spend with Nola on her actual 3rd birthday date!
As soon as I arrive home from work her and I decide that we will go for a walk.  We are going to walk Chloe first and then bring her home and walk down to Gramma D's.
It is hot, and we are sweaty ...
i pull up her curls with my fingers and tie them up with a band...
Lacey and I decide it looks like those ribbons that you run a scissors down and they curl up.
You take the ribbons and dress up a package.
When we get down to gramma D's we are still hot and sweaty and the curls are now really swirly... I take a picture,
and look at the beautiful 3 year old package with the ribbons on top.
Thank you sweet Jesus for this time here on earth.  Where we can enjoy family and relationships and get to know one another.  Where we can walk together safely through the town and end up at our great gramma's door, she opens it with love and we slip into the bathtub water and cool down leaving the ribbons lay tightly curled upon the birthday package.

The Cardinal

Today when I walked Chloe, I heard him singing.
The song they sing is close to one of the most beautiful things I hear out in nature.
I look up and in front of me I spot him on the very top of the neighbors tree, his vivid red set off against the lush green from all the rain we've had.
He sings, I continue to walk.
Walking I hear him again and I look up and in front of me I spot him on the very top of the baseball park tree, beautiful red cardinal.
He sings, I continue to walk.
Walking now towards the railroad tracks I again hear his song.  I look up and in front of me I spot him on the very top of the base ball field light.  Looking up at him I feel like he is looking at me singing his song even louder.  He flies to the next light and when he lands and starts his song, I stop.
I am wondering if there is more than one cardinal on my walk? Or, did this guy lead the way for me?
And I can help but think of Jesus our savior...
how he leads us in such beautiful ways,
if we will just stop,
stop long enough,
to listen to His voice,
in the still of the air as He gently sings in front of you and leads the way.

Feathers

For the first time sense we have been grandparents to five grandbabies...
we took them all.
Emily and Christ celebrated their 10th anniversary on May 10th.
Lacey celebrated her 26th birthday on May 9th.
K celebrated his 28th birthday on May 14th.
They planned a get away to a cabin up in Brainard.
They, meaning, the mom's and dads.
Who would care for the children?
Oh, we would love to.
We all had supper and Grandma Doris's apartment on Thursday for Lacey's birthday.
The kids were all gathered and put to bed and then Lacey, K and Emily drove back to Foley for the night.  They left for Brainard after having a nice breakfast at ______.
Grandma Jan from Foley has a beautiful cabin on Lake _________.
Meanwhile on the home front I have taken Friday off . The kids, Robin and Grandma Dorius head to NewUlm.  We stop by Schmidts meat market in Nicollette to pick up some piggy meat that Duey gave us (we just had to pay for processing which was $64.00 for 1/2 a piggie).
As we are leaving Nicollette and heading to NewUlm Jordyn and Nola are sitting in their carseats in the middle of the van.  They are looking out the window and Nola says " look at that house over there Jordyn" ...                  Jordyn looks out the window and says "whewr, over dere?"
I couldn't help but laugh at their great big grown up conversation about a house in Nicollette.  They are so happy to be together!
In the back seat are Conner and Jaci with Robin in the middle.  We go through the drive through of McDonald's and meet up with Carol down at the park.
The kids all play together quite well and actually meet a couple of other kids.
Leaving here we head to the Hackers pig farm to check out the baby pigs.
It is a long hot day and they are glad to be out of the van again.
It was an absolutely perfect day if you don't count in the incident of the feather...
Lindsey and Cassie come Friday evening to spend the week-end with us and help gramma Dorius and I with all the kids.  This is wonderful - it's two fold - not only will Lindsey help us... but, we will get to have Cassie too!
Thank You Lord Jesus for perfect day, for family and friends.
Thank You Lord Jesus for a perfect day, for parks, food and conversations.
Thank You Lord Jesus for baby piggies, chickens, walks and Your unconditional love.
...and sometimes when a feather gets in the way, causing fights between brothers and sisters -
help us to have the grace,forgiveness and love to continue on with the perfect day You have given us!
Amen

Best Friends

Jordyn Noel and Parker June 29th, 2013

I was going to ask Parker to be my best friend...
but then he left... so...
I'll have to ask him the next time!

Thinking...

I was thinking...

and then I thought some more...

that if I give a little pout and get my mom and dad over here

and then I will smile and kck a little and if I do things just right they will hold me

Oh yah... the thinking worked!  I got this figured out

Mommy's Blessings

It seems like when you are pregnant... not only does your stomach grow beyond what you ever thought possible...
something else happens - your heart begins to grow.
It seems that first little flutter of life that you feel within you begins you stretching in many ways.
Becoming a mother is an amazing thing.  It seems something we love to talk about for years to come.
And when you look at this little baby, just born, crying and red...
your heart becomes flooded with a love that you can feel to the depth of your soul.
And as those babies grow - it seems your heart continues to grow - you can no longer continue to contain it within the walls of your chest.
It is now on the outside, walking with each child...
open to the joys and pains that life brings -
you will never be the same.  It is holy ground.

mom and I

Grams and Conner

Lindsey and Jordyn

Jaci and I

Brittey (jack) Robin Nola Lacey myself Miranda Evelyn Carol

Lacey and Nola

JaciAnna, Jordyn, Conner

Jack and Robin

Grams, Cassie, me and Lindsey

NolaJean, Cassie, Lacey

Lindsey, NolaJean and Cassie

Miranda and Evelyn

Brittey and Jack

NolaJean and Lacey

Daddy's girl

Nola Jean May 2013

Who can work all day, come home, take out the garage sale beads and make a little girl smile like this?  Daddy
Who can climb rock walls with his bare hands and then put together a intricate head dress on a Wednesday evening before getting ready for bed?  Daddy
Who can take a cloudy day and turn it into sunshine?  Daddy's girl

DADDY's girl

Josh and Cassie June 2nd, 2013

Chris and Jordyn June, 2013

Chris, JaciAnna and Jordyn September 2012

Cassie March 2013

Kryztozph and Nola Jean May 2013

Sometimes I look at pictures and I am so gently taken back in time.  A daddy and his girls.
I always worked evenings and Curt would pick up his girls at day care, bring them home, feed them, bath them, tuck them in and pray with them.
and I hope he took a moment like these...
to just take their little hands in his and listen to their sweet voices pave a way for the future which we had no idea of knowing...
that we would arrive here
in this place.
Generations of  love passed down through the touch of a fathers love

A shade tree in Foley

Jordyn Noel and grammie pammie under the Foley shade tree May 2013

What I love most about helping  is being with the people you are helping.  Holding them close in your arms and pretending that you never have to let go...
and in a way you don't have to...
as I learned from Hayden and Conner, once you love someone they are in your heart to stay.
As I hold her close I can feel my heart blend with hers - a pitter patter of baby love flowing over my aging heart, healing spots of lonesomeness, offering shade on a hot day, with spots of sunshine to warm a gramma's soul.

Mopeds

Okay ...
I get a txt one day from the Harren's and it says "WE NEED HELP".
Things have been busy at work, at home and it is the change of seasons.  We need to get things organized for the summer.  Change the pants for shorts, pack away the school clothes, take the to small to the thrift store and organize things for summer.  The plan was I would go up on Friday after work and then bring the little guy home with me along with some laundry.  It turns out he comes home with a temp and so Grammie Pammie decides to stay right there in Foley and help get some things done.  Emi and I worked from sunup to sundown going through things.  We were quite proud of our progress.
I take all the big blankets and sheets and towels up to the laundry mat.  I have the two large washers full and 5 other washing machines rolling along ... we want all of this done!
I am sitting there looking out the large windows to Foley's main street...
I think I see it...
but, it just can't be can it?
I see the big guy... with his Coborns clothes on, his hat, work shoes...
and yes,
it is him, the big guy on the little moped!
I can not contain the laughter with in my soul
...as he pulls up in front of the laundromat as cool as can be asking me if "I NEED ANY HELP"
and so it seems the way of the world,
you help me and I'll help you
and maybe we can even sneak in a ride!

Living in the heart of a 6 year old!

Grammie Pammie went to Foley fun days for the biggest small town parade in Minnesota.
In exchange for the 2 hour trip after work, I got to bring this little guy back to Arlington with me.  After what appeared to be a rather large fit... he got in the car and was sleeping by the time we got to Clear Water.  It was late when we arrived home, and as I promised I slept with him.  Gramma D came in the morning and although she wasn't tired...
I promised she would be in the room with him when he woke up in the morning.
So, Grammy got the foot stool, coffee and some reading materials and sat on the love seat until the little guy awoke at 10:30 am!!
After I got home from work on Thursday Conner and I went out to Missy's to visit with Hayden.  There was trampoline jumping, chicken checking, cat playing and a little chocolate before we went home and got ready for the sleep.  I assured him that yes, I would sleep with him the whole night and I would wait in bed until he woke up... there I stayed until the
little guy awoke at 9:30 am!!
I got to have Friday the 25th off (I worked Thursday for someone).  It is the official birthday of Mr. Conner Dallas Harren.  Born 6 years ago this very day!  This day started out with a birthday call from his momma, JaciAnna and Jordyn.  After a bowl of cereal we head right into the continuation of questions that started with Grandma D on Thursday.
How many days is 6 years? a lot
How long do I have to go to school?  12 years
How many days is that? (Gramma D figures it out for him)
Did you go to school that many days Gramma?  Yes
Oh man, that is a LONG time, how did you do it?
How many minuets before Hayden comes back? two and one half hours
Well how many minuets is that ? when the clock says 5:30 we will go pick up Hayden
... so he watches a little curious George and checks out the clock every half hour or so.
We go pick up Hayden and stop and Gramma D's - she is out of electricity.
It is 6:30 - let's beat the rain and head on out to the movie...
MONSTERS UNIVERSITY.
So, we spend the rest of this special day together...
watching the movie with family and good friends.
Hayden tells Conner that he is in her heart...
Conner states on no uncertain terms are they related...
how can he be in her heart?
I explain to the little guy that once we meet each other and care for one another we are in each others hearts forever.
He tells me that this is "embarrassing"
We get home after dropping Hayden off and get ready for bed, again we must make sure I am staying in the room until he wakes up...
and yes, here I am the next morning when he wakes!  Smiling at me, tells me he loves me and that I live in his heart.
I guess the embarrassment has gone away.
Hayden comes at 9:30 and spends the morning with us.  We go for a walk to get the mail and ride our bikes up to the bakery for a piece of pizza for dinner.  We get home from our bike ride and it is now time for Conner D to go fishing with his grandpa and Tim.  He parks his spider man bike and picks up his spider man fishing pole and away they go.
Missy and Jeff come to pick up Hayden, they are leaving for a week vacation.  Grammie Pammie will take care of Rusty their cat, and we are also keeping a baby cat here for them "Pumpkin" until they get home.
The little guy comes back from fishing.  They didn't have the best luck due to the time of day and the heat.  They (the fish) kept sneaking up and sneaking up and sneaking up and eating off the wax worms...
but they didn't bite.
The fishing crew see's a turtle on the road and they stop to take a look at it...
he is on his way to the lake where they were fishing...
it is a painted turtle.
We go to Gramma D's and watch the movie "Brother Bear 2" on netflix.  It is an adorable movie and although Conner knows almost everything that is going to happen - he states that he has not seen the movie?  I guess his friend told him about it.
We go home and get ready for bed, again we must make sure I am staying in the room until he wakes up...
and yes, here I am the next morning when he wakes!  We say some prayers together and he recites 3 of them... The Lords Prayer, Hail Mary full of Grace, and Now I lay me down to sleep.  He informs me that it is the extent of the prayers he knows by heart.
There is that word again - heart.
And today I know we will meet the little guys momma and sisters.  He will go home and resume his life in Foley.  There will probably be a few fights and some counting.  There will be softball, bible school, parades, lemonade stands, riding bike and friends.
BUT...
nothing will take the place that I have in his heart, and he has in mine!!

SMILE

Sometimes you say it best when you don't say nothing at all!

Birthday parties and such

On Saturday June 15th we again headed up to Foley.  It has been raining non-stop it seems this summer...
but as we drove the 2 hours north, there was a break in the sky and the sun appeared.
Jeff, Lila, grams and I were in the Toyota watching the pine tree's go by, praying the sun would stay for awhile.
We arrived at Emi's house about 1:00pm.  Lacey, K, Nola, Emi, JaciAnna, Conner D, Jordyn, and Chris were at the Lion's park.  Lindsey and Cassie dropped off the two special cakes at the house, then they and Jeff walked to the park.  Lila, Grams and I took the car.  All of us meeting at the park about 1:10pm.  The kids all played together. JaciAnna and Conner D were part of a "bike safety" class that was going on along with Foley fun days.  When they had the drawing...
Jordyn won a training wheel princess bike.
JaciAnna won a bike helmet
Conner D won a movie pass
NolaJean won a bike helmet.
They all had their pictures taken with the local police, it was a fun start to a over the top fun day!
Chris and K unloaded the grill and fired up the coals...
Curt arrived in time after working all morning...
Emily thought someone should go and wake Cassidy up to come and eat with us.  I thought it would be a nice chance to bond with the little ones, so Nola Jean, Jordyn Noel and I walked the path to their house.  I wish I would have had a secret camcorder to capture all of it on film.  It was a walk blessed by God.  The two little ones held hands and stopped to look at the water, with keeping a safe distance they talked about it together and walked on.  Next they found flowers (dandelion heads ready to seed) and let them blow in the wind.  Nola fell and skinned her knee, we needed to tend to that by the park bench before we could walk further.  It took a little TLC from Jordyn before things got good enough that we could continue.  As we walked they saw more flowers including the neighbors beautiful phlox and larkspur.  They stopped to smell them and then they heard the cardinal, singing it seemed to each of them... the robins and finches joined in the chorus.  At the house they picked up some much needed items, a play dog holder, play dog, cat and a ball... let's see... that should do, they will take turns trading treasures as we walk back to the park.
The walk back to the park is just as amazing to them - and grandma is amazed and so thank-ful that God gave me this time just to be...
When we got back to the park dinner was ready.
We had: hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken salad, egg salad, bean salsa, chips, okra, asparagus, deviled eggs, salad and chasta or water.
Everyone ate a nice meal together and then on to play for awhile.
After play everyone walked (or drove) back to Chris and Emily's to have cake and open presents.
LIndsey bought each of the birthday kids a cake (made by her friend amanda)
Conner D had a monsters U cake.
Nola Jean had a star cake.
We didn't have candles but we sang happy birthday and ate delicious cake.
It was about 8:00 when everyone headed for home...
Lindsey and Cassey off to Blaine...
Grams, Lila, Jeff and I off to Arlington...
Curt off to do a little fishing...
Lacey and K stayed the night in Foley.
and so it was,
a grand birthday party and such!

June 2nd, 2013 - A beautiful, very fine day.

THE BEST BAPTISM FOOD EVER

CASSANDRA GRACE 4 months

It was a beautiful day in church.  Cassandra Grace was "officially" dedicated to the Lord in front of friends, family and church family.  It appears as though the little tyke likes Pastor Wayne... she let him walk her all around the church as Jeff sang "Another Child to Hold". 
Grammie Pammie had spent Thursday night, Friday night and Saturday morning cleaning the house for a "house showing" at 11:00 on Saturday morning. Well, we never had the showing but the house was clean.  Even with a clean house, no one came here - we all met at the church.

Lindsey, Josh and our Cassie Grace arrived first - Lindsey came early so she could practice with Praise Team.  Our Pastor is leaving and taking his wife with... she has been the leader of  our praise team.  Lindsey was in the very first "forming" of the United Methodist Praise Team.  I can't remember the first time they sang for church but I know it was before we had two services.  It was Lindsey, Jeff, Mary, and Jan played the organ.  It wasn't long after this that I had went to practice with Lindsey.  I told her if she would give of her time to sing and be at practice that I would give up my time and be there with her.  Mary saw me sitting in the back of the church and said "you need to sing with us" - that is how it all began way back in approx 2000.  Lindsey and I have sang together through her high school years.  She has also continued to sing with us when she is home.  It was so nice that she could praise with us one last time.
Jim, Juliee, Jenna, Gramma Dorius arrived next and helped get everything ready to go in the kitchen.
LIndsey and I practiced, Jim and Josh took care of Cassie and along came everyone else...
Emily, Chris, JaciAnna (wearing purple because that is Lindsey's favorite color) Conner and Jordyn.
Lindsey, Josh, Cassandra Grace
Jim, Juliee, Jenna
Lacey, K and NolaJean
Robin, Al, Brittaney, Dylan and Jack
Carol (Dew was with us in prayer)
Gramma Dorius and Jeff
Curt and myself.
If I were to choose people I want to gather with... well, this was it!  
After church we gathered in the fellowship hall and had "the best baptism food ever".  It included...
cheesy turkey, beef, and buns
cold salad that was out of this world (from Blaine~!)
lettuce salad
veggie tray and dip
chips, salsa (missy's incredable edible salsa) and bean salsa
mexican poppers with gravy
a water cooler with ice, lemon, lime and orange slices....
it was so pretty and the napkins had lemon and lime slices on them too!
There were cupcakes and peanut butter balls...
the fellowship was grand!
Chris and K took the little ones to the "green park" and we all enjoyed talking and loving each other as we cleaned up the kitchen and made more memories.

Thank You Lord for bringing this group of people together for such a special day!
Thank you to all who came to share with us the love of family!!