LOVE IT!

Listening your twelve and seven year old daughters giggle in their bedroom for more than an hour on a Sunday afternoon is a beautiful thing!! I adore when it's obvious they love each other! (because some days it's hard to tell)

Attitude Adjustment

As a child, I assumed that adults were finished, complete. Not a well thought out notion, but one that I nevertheless held. Thus, despite my forty plus years, the continual need for change and growth in my adult life is still a bit of a jolt (dumb, but true!).

Take housework for example. Here's my reality. It's been a major responsibility of mine for over 26 years, but I've don't like it, nor do I do it very well. My focus is on finishing so I can get on with the good parts of life. More often than I care to admit, I simply ignore much of the work and do the "fun" stuff.

It dawned on me a few months ago that this is a pitiful way to spend my life, dreading a major part of it. I firmly believe in the scriptural phrase: "men are that they might have joy". Hence, it follows that, because serving my family in this way is important, there is joy to be found in the actual doing of housework, not merely in the being done with it!

With this realization, I determined to change my attitude. It's been a two steps forward, one (or two) back kind of process. But gradually, I find myself occasionally enjoying tasks like emptying the dishwasher, folding a basket of laundry or sweeping the floor.

Did you catch that? I didn't say, not minding it too much (something I've experienced frequently), but literally enjoying the process of the previously viewed as mind-numbing tasks that are required in a home. I'm not there yet. But the progress sure feels good!

Sweet!

Warning. This is a grandma post.

David*, Jess and EMILY came to visit a week and a half ago. (Sooo happy to see David and Jess, but ecstatic to see the grandbaby!) We snapped a few pictures, a portion of which must be shared.

Are they a cute family, or what?

Yup, she's in my arms in this picture. I'm trying to make the mental and physical memory of it keep because it's going to have to last me a while.

Dean has always taught our kids to sing, "with parents kind of weird". No "kind and dear" around our place. David is carrying on the tradition, labeling this picture accordingly when he shared it.

Here's the whole crew. Nothing better!

Uncle Michael

One very contented grandma.

Jess is an adorable mommy! Does my heart good.

Cute Daddy, David. Auntie Abbie!

Aunt Shanna!

Hanging out with Grandpa.

You almost forget until you hold a little one again. The innocence and beauty. The joy at a smile. The tug at your heart-strings with every wide-eyed gaze, each pouty face, each cry and coo. FYI, when the grandbaby is your own, the cool factor increases exponentially.

They're back home now, thankfully, sending us pictures and videos faithfully. We've added a whole passel of new pictures to our screen saver slide show, all Emily, all the time. Love the pictures, but you can't snuggle them...sigh.

One more because I simply cannot get enough of this face!

*It was because of this woman's blog that I started using "code" names here. She changed to correct first names quite some time ago. As code names can be cumbersome and somewhat annoying, and as I can see no reason why not, real first names shall be used on this blog hence forth (but no last names or specific locations).