Grandma's Euology

I lost one of the most treasured people in my life this past fall. Grandma Bessie, as she was known to just about everyone, was 93 - almost 94 - when she passed away this last September. I had the honor of trying to speak at her funeral service, which was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. She lived with us from the time I was 8 years old. She was my great Grandma, and was she ever "great"... Looking back after a few months, I can see how even in her death, she worked magic in the souls of her family.

Who was Grandma Bessie?

In the early days, she was a care giver: she would leave snacks for after school-homemade pudding in fancy glass bowls or snickers candy bars cut perfectly into portions; then, as we grew older, she would smuggle laundry for certain teenage girls who were supposed todo their own; next, she became daycare provider to our children, and began entertaining a whole other generation with her stories and humor.

She was a teacher; she taught us about history-her history and our own. Most people here have heard her stories of what school lunches were like during the depression, how sleigh rides took them to school in the really bad snow, how to get home from school after the teacher locks you in and leaves you, and how kids really did walk miles to school up hill, in the sun, rain and snow.

We learned about the games they played on the farm, the chores they had, and the family that shared it all. We heard fishing stories, pool hall and gas station stories, as well as war stories, like the time she helped smuggle a puppy to a young German prisoner of war for his birthday. There was the dog wit rabies, the wife with the frying pan, and the big strong husband who had to have his wife gut a deer for him.

She was fun with a great sense of humor. She told jokes, made faces, taught us covered wagon and card games, and played practical jokes - ask the son-in-law who was trapped in the chicken coop... She loved to play canasta, and claimed she never cheated. She was always up for games or adventure.

She was strong - she may have been little and generally quiet - but she was a force to be reckoned with if you crossed her family. Just ask the boyfriend who saw the wrong side of the broom, the grandson who was too stubborn to go to the doctor, or the husband who had one too many drinks.

She was a model of Faith. She faced tragedy, and buried not only her parents and her husband, but her daughter and then her grandchildren, yet she had contant Faith through it all. She rarely had a bad word to say, and when she did you know you deserved it.

She had more stories and life experience than any of us could imagine. She lived through the horse-and-buggy and depression era, working day after day on thefarm. She witnessed the emergence of the car and ran a gas station. She worked in a facotry. She was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, and even a great, and great-great grandmother. She was a source of inspiration for us all. People think that we took care of her, but she was the one who took care of us all these years. When I consider all the role models one could have, I would choose none other than her.

Summer Slacker...

I guess I've been a blogger slacker this summer. I wrapped up working the old job at the end of July and have been off since then... But it is amazing what I found to fill all that free time, as it has been an incredibly busy summer. However, the kids are now back to school, fall sports (that would be football, volleyball and soccer for us) are in full swing, and I start my new job today. Just waiting for the IT person to show up at our house to hook up the new computer.

Let's see... In July we traveled to the U.P. for our first family camping trip in a few years. It was amazing. The weather was beautiful, the company was great, and we had a wonderful time. Below are just a few pics...

The campground had an indoor pool, that was perfect for the one rainy day that we had on the trip...

Visiting Mackinac Island, near Arch Rock for this family shot.

Canoeing down the Tahquanemon River....

My three kiddos... Robby on the left, Jessi sitting in the middle, and Jason exploring out on the edge on the right.... This was in the Pictured Rock National Park/Shoreline.

After vacation and wrapping up work for one company, it was full swing in the football volunteer duties. We had over 350 kids sign up this year between flag, cheer and football. I ordered all new uniforms and spent lots of time sorting, assigning and handing them out. My next big "gig" was volunteering to help coach - as the highly unpaid assistant - for the 7th grade volleyball team. I am loving it though, even though it's only 1 week in, but so far - so good. It will be a chore to balance her volleyball and soccer with his football, and still do the youth football for the 3rd - 8th grade teams, but I can't think of much else I'd rather be doing... other than it would give me more time to train and run.

After running the 1/2 marathon in May, I did one 5k at the end of May, and a 10k a couple weeks ago. This coming weekend I have a 10 mile run, and then in October is another half. But for the most part, my training to a vacation just like my job did.... back on track though.

I also finished my bachelor's degree!! So glad, so very very glad, to be done with school. There is a reason that most college students are in their 20's and not their 30's with three kids and a job.... whew.

So there is the "short" recap of my summer!

Life Is Meant To Be Lived...

"Some people measure their lives in pulse rates and sit-ups.
Far better to measure yoursin licks of ice cream,
well-told jokes, mad dashes to be first in the water, belly laughs...

And, when you die, it won't be an erratic shift in your heartrate,
it will be an overdose of mirth, fun poisoning, death by laughter."
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Things happen so quickly in life. I just received a prayer request from my instructor, her little sister has cancer, and it sounds like it has spread rapidly. My cousins just lost their grandmother. Another friend lost his father. On the news you see all the horrors of car wrecks, killings, crimes, etc... And all of a sudden I just want to stop, take a step back...

Life is hard. Life is tough. We work at work, we work at school, we work at staying healthy - being fit and eating right, we work at teaching our kids right from wrong, and we work at making ourselves a better person. But when all of a sudden you realize that tragedy could be around the bend, work seems less important. Life should be lived, and we all have to work, but we all need to take time to work on enjoying the work that we do. Work on enjoying the two minutes that our six year old wants to ramble about pokemon; enjoy the ten minute drive home with our teenagers while you have them secluded in a vehicle and they "must" answer all questions including the too often forgotten "how was your day"; enjoy the few moments of alone time with our husband; and enjoy the beauty in the world around us that we rush past, speed through, ignore, forget and too often take for granted.

Living life means a lot of things to a lot of different people. But me, I want to live my life with no regrets. I don't want to regret not making paper airplanes instead of reading my book; and, I don't want to regret watching the sunrise and set and feeling that loss of "where did this day go?" I want to live my life before some unknown tragedy hits. I don't want to wait until time is too precious. Time is too precious now, we just need to stop and realize it more often. I want to remember the silly, precious, seemingly unimportant moments in life. I want to look back and remember laughing at nothing with the most important people in my life. I want to look back and know that I didn't waste a moment worrying about what to do next, but just took the leap to walk outside and throw a ball around, plant a tree, ride bikes, run through the sprinkler,  pick dandelions, and dance in the kitchen. Those are the briefest, yet most memorable times, and we must take advantage of them when they are given to us.

The easiest sentiment... Live, Laugh, Love. But really, really do it, with all you are go out and Live each moment, Laugh whenever you can, and Love not just your family and friends, but the world and the life that you have been blessed with.  

Success in Childrearing...

OK, so I'm not of the "age" yet where I can say I'm "good" at this. Can one ever say, "I was a complete and utter success at everything involved in child rearing..." I doubt it. I look at some of the best moms I know and I know they have "things" they might change, I know I do. And in those times of wondering could I screw this up anymore (usually when they are fighting, dinner is burning and homework is again being done at 8:00 at night..) you suddenly are hit with the revelation of revelations, "wow, they really do listen to what I say."

The other day was one of those days when I realized that, by golly, I must be doing "something" right. I decided this when I realized that my three year old had just "out-witted" me with my own wisdom. On the way to school, while asking me about what everyone was doing that day and what we were doing when we got home, he asked if I would play with him that night. Now, playing with my children is something I love to do; however, I also know better than to promise him to devoted and uninterrupted playtime, since by the time I get home do dinner, go through homework and everything, the play time seems to get cut short. And, I knew that night was one of those nights (which does little for your self-esteem as a mother to realize that you have to choose dinner vs. play or homework vs. play, etc...).

Anyway, while telling him that mommy really wanted to play and if we got home and ate all our dinner really quick and mommy would play with him while we helped the older kids with homework, he (the ever so wise 3 year old) tells me in this matter of fact tone. "I know you will play with me mommy, because it's nice to play with others, and God likes it when we are nice to each other." Hmmm... yes God, I will play tonight, we may eat frozen dinner or fast food, but my three year old will have a play mate to "be nice to him" tonight, because yes God, I know you like it when we are "nice to each other."