Aging is an art

This weekend I had the privilege to spend time with my grandparents.  I hadn't been able to get back there in 18 months and the minute I pulled in their driveway  I remembered why I shouldn't let so much time go between visits.  My grams and gramps(sans walker) were waiting for me and my Elaina just like they did when I was a child, looking out the door.  A tear came to my eye realizing how fast time ages you when you are in your 80's and your health starts to get the best of you.  Gramps shed a tear when he saw Elaina and I. I gave him a great big hug to say I'm so glad I got to see you again.  Now grams hasn't changed much but I can see by the way she carries herself that her aches and pains have gotten a little worse not that she would ever really complain. I enjoyed my chats with her and listening to her frustrations as well:(

We started off the night with Beef Tenderloin filets that I picked up from Costco(my favorite store).  Gramps has to watch his sodium content and can't have potassium so grams soaked are potatoes for 4 hours so that the potassium would bleed out of it.  I slow grilled the filets and made a salad for grams, Elaina, and I. Gramps gets to just have ice berg lettuce since he can't have Vitamin K as well. Talk about a labor of love that my grams gives to my gramps.  She has to watch everything that goes into gramps mouth and she doesn't typically eat anything that he can't have.  The exception being the yummy salad with all the fixings i made that night.  I bought all of my vegetables from Whole Foods(my other favorite store) except the Butter lettuce(Costco).

The next day I took grams for a little get of the house outing since she doesn't like to drive. We ran to Cedar Rapids to Wal Mart to get her laundry detergent for the whole winter and some other things for dinner. We were only gone for about an hour and 15 so that gramps wouldn't worry.  On Sunday morning we got up and went to church. To this day she loves to show off her family and how proud she is of them.  I love to watch grams pray. She has prayed the same since I was a little girl, those hands make me smile just thinking about them. They tell a story that I only wish I knew more about.

Aging truly is an art..after watching my grams take care of my gramps while dealing with her own aches and pain. As a mother, I realize it takes a village to raise my children but as a grandchild I realized it also takes a village to make sure your grands don't get lost in the business of living.  It is our responsibility to help by checking in once in awhile and taking the load off by sending care packages, visiting and getting them out of the house, and just being present in their lives.  If you have aging parents and grandparents take time to check in.  It will benefit you as much as it benefits them and it also is a very important teaching tool in raising empathetic children.

Have a blessed day and make time for a phone call or a letter, sooner than later!

B still and know:)

My cousin Amanda showed me how to take a regular photo and turn it into art work and I'm in love.  I took this photo of Brandon while we were in North Carolina and I love it. It speaks volumes about my B man. He plays so hard all day long but when it's time for down time he does it best.  Ever since he was little he has been a busy busy B as we called him but when it was time to relax he always knew he needed it.  I love that about him.  He really cherishes all that comes with a day.  In this picture they had played hard all day and then all of the a sudden I looked over and he was pulling a chair up to the water's edge.  He just sat there almost like he was trying to make time stand still.  He would do something similar even when he was just crawling. He would go like a maniac and then all of a sudden he would grab his blue dog and watch a little t.v. just to be still. 

Thanks Amanda for the tip. I am going to take my photo's from our trip to Hawaii last year and North Carolina and turn them into art thanks to you.  LOVE IT!

Little bit of this and a little bit of that

I love fall and all the changes that happen, kids start a new year, new teacher,new classmates and new sports. I love making things with apples that make my home smell yummy and I just love the crisp air that comes with a beautiful fall day.

We headed out to the pumpkin patch for the kids day off  from school last week. The kids had so much fun on all that there is to do out there.  We took a picnic lunch and were able to have a picnic right there on a picnic table we found:)   Nate had school that day so he missed out, which I'm pretty sure he didn't mind doing. This was our first trip out there without him and I missed him...

Nate just finished up his football season which he really enjoyed.  He played running back and strong side linebacker.  He also was on kick return team.  I love watching him play a sport he really enjoys playing(to bad he can't find one that he doesn't love :) Now he's on to basketball,the games start next weekend right after his fall break, he loves this stuff! Elaina will finish volleyball which will make her a little sad since she loves it. She started out being a setter but now she thinks she really likes to hit! She is really starting to get her footwork down. She will  head right into Ice Skating for the winter, she has such balance it amazes me.  Brandon has a couple more flag football games and he has earned the quarterback slot which he loves. He loves making good passes and handing the ball of to his buddies.He will start wrestling at the end of this month.  He is so excited to try his new tricks Brad has taught him.  He will be dual sporting like his brother since baseball will start in December for him!  Ella is just enjoying being an active 3 year old. She won't start anything until next fall, thank heavens:)

Have a great weekend and take time to enjoy the little things, it's going to be a beautiful fall weekend. 


Blessings!

Brad and uncle Ryan going over the plays

Brandon taking the hike from Owen Shotkoski

Brayden my nephew

Nate going in for the touchdown!

Touchdown!!!!

They thought this pumpkin was huge!

You're Amazing Just The Way You Are!

This past weekend we celebrated Elaina's 10th Birthday. She turned 10 in late July but that's when everyone is busy so we waited.  We started the night off at Create in Elkhorn where she and her friends made tie dye tshirts and ate pizza. I really enjoyed watching them create their shirts.  They took so much time on them and they really did turn out great! Then I surprised her with a Hotel themed sleepover.  She thought her party ended at Create! It was so much fun to pamper them.  They signed in in my makeshift lobby placed their suitcases in the Super Suite Brad and I concocted and then came to the restaurant for cupcakes and punch served in wine glasses.  They were given the menu for the morning breakfast which was served on Elaina's grandma's China.  They danced and danced that night out in our building.  I truly am blessed with the best daughter a mom could ask for:) She has such an amazing spirit. She is always making sure all of her friends are ok.  She always finds good.  She is an amazing sister, always taking care of her siblings.  Ella worships her.