27 Uninterrupted Hours

We spent 27 uninterrupted hours with our two oldest grandchildren yesterday. As we drove from their house to ours, we stopped for an ice cream cone. It was important to begin the afternoon well! We played hard, made crafts, read books, watched silly movies, went to three parks, had a picnic, took the canoe out on the lake, and enjoyed a wonderful time together. We invited their parents and baby sister over for dinner so they could go home with them. We didn't want to take them back home. (sad face) People always talk about creating memories for children, something that is very important but memories are also essential for grandparents and we thoroughly reveled in making some new ones! Such bliss!

Gracie Blue Ketchum

It has been a year since I have written a word on this page! I have lots of excuses... I went back to teaching full time, junior high language arts - that should get me a pass! I've taken 2 post grad classes, just signed up for the third and will take one more in the fall. I'll be so glad when that's done! I baby sit my beautiful grandchildren every free moment I have - they are already 7 (almost 8!), 4 and 1 year old. Time is flying for me... but something happened today, something wonderful. A new voice sang into the world. Her name is Grace Blue and this evening, June 24th, she was born to my son and daughter-in-law, Brian and Erin. She weighs a hefty 8.5 pounds and is 20" long. We don't have wimpy babies in our family! She will be a force in the world and we are thrilled to have her. We get to be with her for 10 days starting Monday... can't wait! Welcome to your family Gracie B! We love you!

Additional Blessing

My husband and I have had an amazing year. We moved back to the Northwest and have had the opportunity to be near family for the first time in over 25 years. A week ago, we welcomed our new granddaughter, Sierra, into the family. What a blessing to watch the continuity of family and to have the opportunity to make a significant impact on the lives of our incredible grandchildren. We worked hard at raising our sons. We were purposeful, involved, and did our best to let them know that they were thoroughly loved for who they were as individuals, not for who they might become. We are thrilled with the men they have grown up to be and as our older son delights in fatherhood, we are blessed to see what a difference he makes in the lives of his children. We weren't perfect as parents, still aren't, and neither are our boys but we love them so much and we are totally proud of them. Each has chosen a life partner and we dearly love our girls too! We are so blessed. How can we contain such blessing? I guess we don't. Our joy spills over and hopefully encourages someone else in some small way. Tomorrow I get to babysit. I love it! It'll be crazy, non-stop activity and I may be exhausted when mom and dad come home but I'll be smiling, just grinning from ear to ear, because of the amazing privilege to share an additional blessing.... a new little girl. What joy, what wealth, what blessing.

My Grandson Prayed

Our kids came over tonight, rather spur of the moment. It was Kayla's ballet night; they needed to go to the grocery store or eat out. Eating out had greater appeal and they called us to go along. We thought it would be more fun at our house than a restaurant, especially for the grandkids. So they picked up KFC and combined their dinner with our dinner and we sat down at the table, held hands, and three year old Colton prayed. He prayed for our family, he thanked God for the day (in detail), for his food, for having fun, for..... everything. It was amazing! We had never really heard Colton pray before and it was thoughtful, organized, and long! That means he's been paying attention when his dad and mother pray. That means he knows the One he's addressing. That means he's comfortable, talking to Jesus in front of other people. That means he's done this before, many times before. I'm still processing the entire experience. My heart is so full that it aches a bit. I am so blessed. I never adequately imagined what it would be like to experience this continuity of family, of our Christian family. The beauty of it surpasses my words so I'm just going to sit here and enjoy my full, achey heart and I'm going to thank the Lord for the joy I received today because my grandson prayed.

Deep Cleaning

We have an air duct cleaning company here today, cleaning the heat vents, furnace, cold air returns, dryer vent and sanitizing everything. The process involves huge hoses and compressors, lots of noise and quite a bit of cash! We generally keep a clean house but my husband has been changing the furnace filters every month and they keep coming out filthy. We decided we needed to get into the places we couldn't see and clean them out too. And that requires specialists. Life is like that. On the surface our lives appear clean, proper, socially acceptable but deep inside the recesses of our minds and hearts, filth can be hiding. Sometimes it's small stuff, like molds and mildews - like a critical spirit - small stuff but deadly! We need to cleanse our hearts and lives by engaging the Specialist, God Himself and following Romans 12 verses 1 and 2: "So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." (The Message) Once we let God "deep clean" our lives, everything is changed. We will respond differently to people; we will love more freely and accept others without judging them. Isn't it good to know that your life can be really clean, from the inside out? Plus the peace that will come is unsurpassed by anything in this world. It's time to clean house!

My Granddaughter is a Reader!

We babysat the grandchildren tonight and after a few hours of rambunctious play, a movie, bathtime, and the struggle into pjs, it was time for books. We brought two books from home to read to the little ones. Terry went with Colton and I went with Kayla. I set the Christmas book before her and told her that this was really a special story. She begged me to let her read it. I told her that it was a big kid's book and I thought it would be too hard but she wanted to try... and she read... she went on and on... reading page after page. I was dumbfounded; my chin about hit the floor. I've taught school off and on for 30 years and I wasn't ready for this. I had heard Kayla read about 3 weeks ago, and what she did tonight, the incredible progress, was astounding! I was so proud of her. My heart just wanted to burst. Later, as she was preparing her chocolate milk (the final stall tactic before bed) I knelt before her and very seriously told her how proud I was of her and what she could do. The book she read tonight was not a first grader's book. I could tell she was pleased with the compliment but was it enough? I want her to know that she is entering a new world of discovery, beauty, and enlightenment. I want her to know that I think she is amazing for what she has accomplished in such a short time. She is so serious about reading. Her little forehead wrinkles up as she plows through the pages. And she loves it! Oh Lord God, bring teachers into this child's life who will lift her, encourage her, and affirm her abilities. For this little girl, barely six years old, is a true reader and merits the encouragement!

Retreat

My husband and I just returned from a long weekend of complete retreat! We headed to Bainbridge Island via highway 3. It was a gorgeous weekend. One of the highlights was watching an eagle arrive for breakfast each morning. He'd swoop in on the bay and grab a fish from the water then perch on the top of a huge fir and eat. The first morning, an eaglet joined him... although pops wasn't very good about sharing! We also spent several hours at the Bloedel Reserve, an amazing acreage dedicated to personal restoration through nature. Being true to their mission, they even limit the number of people allowed into the reserve, maintaining the sense of tranquility and oneness with the beautiful outdoors. It helped that the sun was shining every minute and that we left the computer at home! I think if I'd relaxed any more, I would have quit breathing. What beauty. And all of this was a gift from our son and daughter-in-law. They are teaching us about taking time to retreat and reconnect. I think I'm a quick study for this life-lesson! I'm ready to go again, anytime! What blessing...