The Proper Care and Feeding....of Grandma

One of the reasons I wanted to be back in SD was so I could help my beautiful sister with Grandma. It has been a job that is both enjoyable and frustrating at the same time. Grandma has changed over the years and it has been an adjustment learning to love this grandma.

One can hardly blame her. Life has not been easy for her. Losing a husband and two daughters to lung diseases is horrible. Helping care for your oldest daughter who is battling a losing battle with a lung disease is a bit cruel.

I have found it is especially easy to blow off Grandma when things get busy; like back to school time. But God had so burdened my heart with a conviction to make the effort; to love and care for her; to show her that the God she loves is a God who forgives and who loves (even noisy upstairs neighbors).

A glimpse inside

I always look forward to the 20 week ultrasound when I am pregnant. I love getting a sneak peak at what God is knitting together in my womb. Most of the ultrasound process is measurements and pictures of anatomy but at the end comes the profile. Baby 3 was not the most cooperative patient at Monday's ultrasound. Baby kept moving and kicking and wiggling so the tech was having a hard time getting what she needed. Baby was also turned facing my back which makes the profile near impossible. But, at the very end, Baby turned around and this mama shed a few tears at the sight of that precious profile. The pic is not great but you get the idea.

John's First Ride

Chris had predicted that by the end of summer John would be riding a two wheel bike.

He was right.

I predicted that while John might be capable of riding a two wheel bike he lacks the concentration to do so.

I was also right.

What do I have?

There are way too many things we love about living in South Dakota to list on this blog but one of them is the awe my boys have for the world around them. Each time we drive to Grandma's or to Sioux Falls or anywhere the boy's marvel at the tractors and the growing things in the fields. They love to ask, "What do I have?" They are so curious about what is growing out their windows. Elijah has gotten very good at telling the difference between corn and beans and John is very good at telling us whether the tractor is a John Deere or not.

It also amazes them to no end that Auntie Sara has a garden and that we get to eat what grows out of it. The other night, as we munched garden lettuce and the first green pepper, Elijah was so impressed that we were eating food grown right down the street.

It just makes me smile.

Top Ten from Black Hills visit

10. New lunch boxes with many treats thanks to Grandma Donna

9. Swimming in the warm pool with all of our friends

8. Learning to use our rock fist with Sky Collide

7. Taco Bell gives out toys?!

6. Many rocks thrown into Spearfish Creek

5. Putting feet into the very very cold Spearfish Creek with new friends Lily and

Louis

4. 4-wheeler rides with Daddy

3. Tractor rides with Grandpa

2. Elijah lost his first tooth!

1. Learning how to dig into the word of God with all our little friends at FCA Camp VBS while Mommy finished a book, did Bible study and got coffee with the moms!