Thanksgiving All Together

Our extended family has to split every other year and do the in-law thing at Thanksgiving.  This was our year for everyone to be together at G&G's and we were happy about it knowing we had a new baby to celebrate as well as being grateful that we are all still here, healthy, minds intact (ha), continuing to enjoy life.  Thank You, God.

 So in a nutshell...

Noisy (5 kids under 9 years old)

G&G's new house...perfect for these big family celebrations

Wonderful smells from the kitchen

Perfectly-browned turkey, Grandmother's dressing, Mom's sweet potato souffle, rolls, green beans, cole slaw, a three-layer Paula Deen cake (cranberry filling, orange icing, spice cake), Oreo bites, pumpkin pie.

Passing the baby around

Taking lots of pictures

Talking and talking
Singing "Lean on Me" and hearing piano solos and duets from the nieces and nephews

A wonderful five hours later...going home stuffed.

I love this one with Landon and "Great" Grandpapa

Trish and Chris...happy to have time off but were still practicing songs for a wedding for the weekend

Landon could be saying "please don't eat me"...Stephen threatens to do that with little "trolls".

Chubby babies are beautiful!

My husband does a mean turkey and prides himself in it.

With "Great" uncle Joe....Landon likes to pose for pics

This has got to be my favorite pic with "Great" Aunt Vicki

Maddie found some of her cousins' toys

Sitting around, taking a break...Erin's looking beautiful as always these days

I love this pic taken by my niece

Sweet Madison

My nephew, Matthew...so cute in his glasses

My niece and nephew, Belinda and Evan. They sang a duet together...amazing talent!

And last, but not least, the "life" of the party always....son-in-law Brad

A Funny Book for "Memies"

I was cleaning my shelves yesterday in an effort to get my mind off the"office withdrawal" that I was going through.  I'm not accustomed to being off work for a solid week and it's a little weird.  So I decided I'd do something constructive with my free time.

 I found a book someone had given me a few years ago before Maddie was born.  It's called Funny, You Don't Look Like a Grandmother by Lois Wyse.  I read it in a few hours and got some laughs from it since now I'm an experienced grandmother of two...(well, only 20 months of experience but it counts).
Here are a few bits of wisdom I picked up:

 1.  "A mother becomes a true grandmother the day she stops noticing the terrible things her children do because she is so enchanted with the wonderful things her grandchildren do."  (Not that MY children ever do anything terrible but it is nice to switch the focus!)

2.  When you find out the grandchild is on the way, you will not be asked what to name the baby....you will be asked what you will name yourself for the baby!  (I agonized over this a good deal and came up with "Grandmommy"...which has become "Memie".  Love it!)

 3.  What do you give a grandmother?  Not gift certificates but handmade pictures signed by the "artist", latest photo of the most precious grandchild, a weed or flower picked by the MPG, telephone call by the MPG, etc. ( I do look forward to those pictures, cards, cookies, etc, made for me by Maddie and Landon, the MPG ever).

 4.  The difference between parents and grandparents is that grandparents can afford to break the rules because we don't make them.  (Like Dr.Pepper and chips for lunch?)

 5.  "Grandmotherhood does not give us the right to speak without thinking, but only the right to think without speaking." (Hmm...I admit I'm still working on this one.)

 6.  Being a grandmother just means having a good time! (self-explanatory and worth the dose of ibuprofen later in the day)

Adventures in Babysitting

Our "adventures" aren't exactly wild and woolly but they did make today pass quickly!  Our gbabies' parents wanted to see the new Harry Potter movie today so we agreed to "sit".  I mean, really. That word makes no sense.  When you have a 20-month-old toddler who is as cute, active, energetic and smart as Madison, you do not sit. You chase, you grab, you haul the little redhead up on your hip, you trick her into eating, keep her from coloring the coffee table all while trying to give equal time to the two-month-old baby boy.

I have to admit that I enjoy being a grandmommy who spoils.  For lunch, I got her to eat a little White Castle burger (with onions!!) and she was just sooo thirsty that I had to give her some Coke.  She didn't want that ol' healthful apple juice or milk.  She also ate a doughnut for dessert.  I'm trying to teach her some of my own obsessions!  We spent time reading, coloring, playing outside in the leaves, watching squirrels, picking up sticks, and sitting outside on the steps watching the ah-panes go by way up in the sky.  Maddie's two new favorite words now are "ME" and "NO".  Everything and everybody belongs to her therefore the constant "me".  She is not using the "NO" in a disobedient way yet...she just very politely says it as the answer to almost every question.

Little Landon is a chunk to say the least and therefore all we worried about him today was whether he would take a bottle while mommy was away for 4 hours.  I did succeed.  But it was quite hilarious.  That child cried, coughed, spit, choked, gagged, and made terrible faces as I tortured him with that bottle.  He wanted the "real" thing, if you know what I mean! But we finally did have success...baby happy and smiling and cooing and me relaxed and not worried about a baby meltdown while waiting on the mama.

A few moments of actual baby-"sitting"!

This is what Landon looked like when I tried to force the bottle. (I got this pic from Erin)

Happy boy when he has a full tummy.

This girl has some serious entertainment and distractions!

   

So back home to the quiet house of the empty-nesters.  It's quiet, yes, a little boring, yes. I've taken the Motrin I need after hauling babies around.  But I am so privileged to have two healthy, sweet grandchildren that I can see whenever I like.  I am feeling "Thanksgiving" to my Lord tonight.

Like Apples of Gold

What power words have!  Power to make you want to get up the next morning and do the very best you can at your job for days and months on end.  Power to make you think of your own words and how they affect others and how they might encourage or discourage someone.

I dislike job evaluation reviews but I had mine today and I must say my boss knows how to encourage and lift spirits! Looking forward to work tomorrow.  I'm thankful to the Lord for the much-needed kindness of those words.

Now I need to watch my own.

November Saturday

The husband is on call all weekend so the day started at 4:30 a.m. with that loud obnoxious ringtone. Up at 8:00, leaving him asleep waiting on the next call.  I got industrious and started cleaning...bathrooms, kitchen floor, laundry, dusting....dusting?? I never do that.  Read the paper, read a book. Went to Kohl's and bought a shirt and a sweater along with a hundred other women escaping the constant football game noise on television.  Back home and actually cooked supper...I opened a jar of spaghetti sauce.  Poor husband. He is the real cook around here.  Ready for a busy day tomorrow...trying to figure out what to wear to my grandson's dedication at church.  Then for my job evaluation on Monday.  Will it be...."You're the best ever" or "Tell me your goals for next year"? Oh well, I'll be ready to tell my goals, one of which is to be such a good assistant that if he has to let me go he'd be really bummed about it.
Random pics:

With great-grandpapa

She's in the "no clothes please" stage.

Funny girl!

Such a happy cheerleader.

Making the best of a car ride.

Season of Gratitude

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.  ~Thornton Wilder

I love that quote.  We have to be conscious daily then of all we have.  Not the material things but our "treasure in heaven"...and treasures from heaven!

SUCH AS....

My Salvation in Christ

My Family's Love

Wonderful Music

Beautiful Grandbabies

A Warm House

Delicious and Healthful Food

....and Desserts :)

A Supportive Church

Friends Who Make Me Laugh

...Who Listen and Do Not Judge

...Who Pray for Me

"Give thanks
With a grateful heart
Give thanks
To the Holy One
Give thanks

For He's given 

Jesus Christ, His Son
And now let the weak say

I am strong
Let the poor say
I am rich
Because of what
The Lord has done for us

Give Thanks!"

Wednesday Business

Wednesdays...sometimes they do me in, sometimes revive me, make me happy, make me exhausted. Driving early...6:30 a.m. to work in the dark and rain. And next week I'll be driving home in the dark because of time change. Not looking forward to that.  But I have a job, a job that I love, so I'm thankful.  Maybe with the election going the way it did, there will be more optimism about things and the economy will improve. Let's pray so.

So into work, no one there. Just me and quiet halls. I like it that way...I can think and pray and get stuff done.  Then people come and off we go....getting ready for choir and orchestra which involves over 100 people. Getting ready for Sunday worship which affects 1000 or more people.  I pray for my boss as he sits and plans worship for 3 weeks from now.  It's amazing how the music fits the day even 3 weeks ahead. He prays...and plans accordingly.

Then to lunch. We are a close staff and celebrate birthdays regularly.  Today we celebrated four at the Cheesecake Factory.  Four very different and necessary people.  Our resident comedian, our very talented pianist, our amazing soloist, and our busy orchestra director/IT man who couldn't come because he had to fix the email server at church. We laughed a lot and ate too much.

Enjoying each other's company away from work!

Back to work, setting up for all the different choirs meeting in the afternoon and evening, answering phones, putting in prayer request cards, running errands, setting up appointments, returning emails, and putting words in screens for Christmas concerts.  Taking a break to eat some Godiva chocolate cheesecake! That was nice. Then on to choir rehearsal. Singing pretty much non-stop for an hour and a half....and loving it.  Out the door at 8 and home by 8:40.  Warm, cozy robe, sipping some ginger ale, ready for bed.  Up and at a more leisurely day tomorrow. 

October Gave a Party

"October gave a party;

The leaves by hundreds came-

The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,

And leaves of every name.

The Sunshine spread a carpet,

And everything was grand,

Miss Weather led the dancing,

Professor Wind the band."

- George Cooper, October's Party

"The stillness of October gold went out like beauty from a face"~ Robinson

"Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn." ~Lawrence

What a beautiful fall it has turned out to be.  Around here, the leaves have turned early...we don't usually have this much color for another couple of weeks.  Hard to believe that Monday is November and Thanksgiving will be here before we know it.

Hope everyone has a happy Saturday!

Life Savors

I remember a short little feature in a ladies' magazine called "Life Savors". I can't remember who wrote it but I loved reading it every month when I was growing up.  Here are a few of my own life savors!

Bright orange leaves against an October blue sky

Green!

October decorations like these

Reading a good book on the front porch on a Saturday afternoon

Ocean sunsets

Mountain paths

Beautiful Views

Mountain Sunsets

Reflecting Lakes

Spinning Our Wheels (or Why Did We Leave the House?)

The high point of today was hearing my name for the first time from Maddie...knowing she was really talking about me! "Mehmee" is her version of "grandmommy". That's fine! I'll take it.

So we had modest plans for today. We would go to Target and buy some fall/winter clothes for Maddie. And then go to Kohl's and look at the Christmas dresses. Because they are stocked!! I got to the house about 10:00. Erin had to nurse the baby, we had to change several diapers, Erin had to take a shower, nurse again, change another diaper, change clothes on two babies, finally walked out the door. We loaded up two in carseats. We backed out of the garage. Yeah!

We were feeling so successful and ready to be out shopping in this beautiful fall weather.Uh...never mind. Landon cried loudly before we even got out of the driveway. You see, he didn't finish his brunch earlier. And that boy doesn't cry that often...and he IS wasting away at almost 12 pounds and 5 weeks old with big ol' linebacker arms. So a nursing session took place in the car while Maddie had fun playing outside for a few minutes. Back in the car, off we went. Made it to Arby's and had a somewhat calm lunch. Baby slept and Maddie enjoyed a half of a chicken strip and a few fries dipped in ranch and backwashing in her cup of sweet tea. On to Target.

By the time we'd gotten the 19-month-old in the cart we'd heard the words "all done" at least 20 times. Within 10 minutes of looking at clothes Maddie had dresses on the floor and hoodies on her arm after we let he down to keep her quiet. Then the meltdown happened. Crying jag, whatever you want to call it. Back to the car we went and decided to drive to another area to shop and let her take a nap on the way. 25 minutes later we were sitting in another Target parking lot, child snoozing, baby grunting and ready to eat lunch. So another nursing session in the car. Maddie woke up during it and said "all done". While sitting in my lap waiting on the boy to finish she managed to hit all the buttons on the steering wheel, turn the windshield wipers on and the radio up. So FINALLY we manage to get into Target and this time we took the double stroller, hoping that would make things smoother and keep both babies happier.

We did the fastest shopping ever, even found some good stuff but by the end of the half hour we had both babies in our arms pushing an empty double stroller. HA! Babies 2, Adults 0! Final score. We went home in relief almost 4 hours after we left.
But we WILL try again next week. It can only get better. Right?

Such a sweet face!

Big boy at 5 weeks!

Grace-Filled Weekend

She loves her drinkies!

Just getting plumper and more alert!

We do have fun at the park...watching her have fun!

I love October blue skies!

 

Grace is "unmerited or undeserved favor".  It is mercy, privilege, kindness, and clemency.  At least that's the definition in the Merriam-Webster dictionary.  I feel each of these on these beautiful weekends with family.  I treasure these times with all my heart.  I don't know how long they'll last and I don't want to take them for granted.  God has given me grace. He has given me love and family and salvation and this beautiful world. He's also given me abilities and emotions and the free will to do right or wrong.  My head knows what's right but sometimes my heart chooses wrong.  A constant struggle. But His grace still blesses me with this wonderful life.  Okay, enough of that...

 We had a sunny, windy day at a local park with the children yesterday.  Maddie loved the playground and the walking trail.  Someone was flying a huge colorful fabric kite.  Children and mothers were playing and chatting and runners were on the wooded trails.  A beautiful day all around.

 Today was spent in laundry, cleaning, vacuuming, etc, at home.  Then off to a birthday dinner for my sister-in-law.  She's only 45. Baby! Ha.  We went to my parents' house and had homemade lasagna, french bread, salad, cake and ice cream.  We had a nice long leisurely afternoon and evening with my visiting sister and her family from Alabama.  Five children under age 9 make for a nice noisy time.  We passed the 4-week-old around and listened to his grunty, stretching sounds and changed diapers and drank sweet tea and talked about owls!  My dad photographed a three-feet-tall owl in a tree in their yard this week.  Unbelievably big....wonder how old the fellow is?  Anyway, Maddie couldn't get over it. She said "owl" hundreds of times and kept pointing outside.  She wanted to see him for herself.  We did finally hear him as we left this evening. It was dark and quiet on the driveway.  We heard his "hoot, hoo, hoot" and she listened quietly with eyes big and serious.

Lovely days. Becoming more and more precious to me. Thank You, Lord, for Your grace gift.
 

Baby boy slept through the noise and wind at the park.

Wonderful playground!

A Surprisingly Special Day

I have to admit that I woke up this morning not really wanting to get out of bed.  The day ahead didn't excite me any.  I was just feeling down like we all get every once in a while.  It has been a tough week within our church family and in my own spiritual life as I fight a battle that has crept up on me gradually.  Some days I win and some days I lose.  I haven't felt very well either and I've worked long hours all week.  Just a pity-party kind of day!  Well, the Lord had some surprises for me to help me count my blessings and see what's really important in my life.

I rolled out of bed and almost immediately received a call from my daughter. They wanted us to babysit Maddie while they visited a young friend named Ben.  Ben is 14 and was hit in the temple by a line drive Monday evening while pitching.  In amazing speed, his name was put out everywhere on the internet from Facebook to blogs and through our church and community for prayer for his recovery. He was in very serious condition with a fractured skull and bleeding in his brain.  He was taken quickly to our excellent children's hospital here and was in surgery that evening.  The doctors left him in an induced coma all week for his protection as the swelling in his brain slowly went down.  Finally on Friday, after a very gradual waking-up he was talking and responding and, though he is struggling for words, he is doing well.  Today he recognized my son-in-law and daughter and other dear friends and had everyone around him crying as he showed he was still the same Ben even after such a terrible injury.  Ben is one of the best young men I know coming from one of the best families I know.  His family is dedicated to the Lord and loves Him and His church.  We are so thankful for Ben's life and we know God spared him for great things in the future.

Ben with my newborn grandson just a few weeks ago before the accident

My daughter and son-in-law wanted to visit Ben now that he's out of ICU so we agreed to babysit Maddie.  What a beautiful fall day after all.  That little girl just lights up my life and mood!   We took off  to lunch and to shop.  What fun grandparenting is! haha.  We got Maddie her own cup of  coke at Burger King and she ate fries with ketchup...or rather she sucked off the ketchup and ate a little bit of the fries.  She ate lettuce and bread also which made us feel like we'd provided her with a wonderfully nutritious meal.  Umhmmm.
Then on to shop.  We got to do what we wanted with no bossy, picky parents around.  Got her a fun shirt with a fuzzy cat on it, bought her a little mini-football, basketball, and soccer ball and 2 puzzles.  We loved the privilege of changing a huge blow-out diaper in the front seat of my car!  But most of all, just loved showing that cute redhead off to anybody who'd look our way.  She kept yelling at me to get my attention. I think Grandmommy is pronounced "MEH-NOO" in her language.  She was a happy girl and fell asleep on the way home.  When she got up from her nap we gave her lots of cookies...as many as she wanted....and waited for the parents to come get her. I'm sure they appreciated the coke and cookies in her system.  Fun for us, stinks for them!

Spoiled by her grandparents...just too much fun!

Now we have just seen a wonderful UGA victory (about time), had a nice supper and enjoying this cool evening with the windows open.  I'm ready for a good day at church tomorrow. I pray for a "fresh word from God" as we like to say in church.  I really do look forward to worship. Thanks to the Lord for a day in which I'm reminded to be appreciative of good health and safety for my family and the joy He gives us in our children and grandchildren.  No more pity-party!

Song for the "Middle Years"

 The Middle

by Bebo Norman

It's as if You could find me anywhere

That I could go to try to hide my thoughts from You

But just like some runaway I'm leaving here

With half a mind that hopes of getting caught

So we can just drive home in the dark where we'll let our feelings fly

They'll cut like shame to break me down again

Until there's nothing left but for me to tell You I'm sorry

But I don't wanna go home now

Stuck here in the middle alone now

Everybody's singing their song now

But I'm still reeling

I'm not trying to 
run away from this beautiful life I've been given 

I'm not looking for freedom

Maybe just a little meaning here in the middle

It's as if there's a world uncovered by the break of day all these miles away 

but

for a better view

Of what's left in the aftermath of all these years

It's just so hard to know who I am in You

So I don't wanna go home now

Stuck here in the middle alone now

Everybody's singing their song now

But I'm not ready for this

I'm not trying to run away from this 
beautiful life I've been given

I'm not looking for freedom. 

Maybe just a little meaning here in the middle

Alright, everybody says I'll be alright

Everybody says it's a good fight 

I'm not seeing it now

All I know is I swear this

It feels a little more like a secret

And I don't know if I should just keep it to myself 

but my Love, my Love...

You Never Let Go

I have not knowingly walked through the "valley of the shadow of death".  Perhaps I have and God protected me from harm as I went on my way totally ignorant of danger.  That probably did happen many times when we lived overseas as missionaries.  He was watching over every step.

And I do not really feel that I've experienced many "storms" in my life. There have been little thundershowers, days and days of dreary rain and discouragement.  I think of a "storm" in someone's life as a terrible event or tragedy. A death in the family, financial ruin, kids going down the wrong road, etc.  Maybe even a crisis in faith.  

The song "You Never Let Go" has been on my mind quite a bit lately.  Our minister of music at church has quite the gift of selecting songs that become valuable and meaningful to us as a choir and to members of our congregation.  The songs always seem to touch someone at a time when they need to hear a word from the Lord, of encouragement, of hope, of forgiveness.  We sang this song recently in our service and I loved the tune and the harmony and the joy in it but was not paying much attention to the actual words til just this week.

YOU never let go through the calm and through the storm.  Could a storm also mean a "besetting" sin?  Besetting means "constantly present and attacking".   I am going through that storm at the moment and have been for weeks now.  I won't go into the details of  it except to say that I struggle against it daily.  Some days I defeat it with God's help. Other days I am defeated because my eyes were not where they should have been...on Jesus.  Many people might not consider a "besetting sin" as a storm but it takes away from my daily should-be, would-be tranquil and victorious life.  Therefore, it is a storm in my life.  But He never lets go...He waits patiently, holding on to me until I'm willing to give Him the problem back after I've taken it on my shoulders AGAIN.  There will be victory over it....a day at a time.

You Never Let Go (Matt Redman)

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

Your perfect love is casting out fear

And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life

I won't turn back

I know you are near

And I will fear no evil

For my God is with me

And if my God is with me

Whom then shall I fear?

Whom then shall I fear?

(Chorus:)

Oh no, You never let go

Through the calm and through the storm

Oh no, You never let go

In every high and every low

Oh no, You never let go

Lord, You never let go of me

 ¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart"  Hebrews 12:1-3