Special Find

I just had to show a picture of the memory books I found in Denver at Barnes and Noble. You may have seen something similar before, but I found these to be very special and relatively inexpensive. These are hard back books for grandchildren from their grandmother or grandfather. I was drawn to them when I started reading the prompts the grandparent is to respond. However, I do have a dilemma with the books. Maybe you have a suggestion to handle this situation. I have already received some suggestions, but I can't see anyway around this, but to do one for each grandchild. Now, I am soon to have five grandchildren, and if you do the math on the books...one from grandpa and one from me for each child ....that is basically writing and scrap booking 10 books. My original thought was to do one for my oldest grandson who is old enough to really appreciate what will be written. I thought David should do one too. Okay, I can hear the bemoaning of partiality and unfairness. Of course both of our adult children would want each of their children to have one. Katie suggested one book from each of us to include all of the grandkids in one family, i.e. - one for Rudy's children and one for her children. The grandkids would not stand for that one...I can hear it...why didn't I get one. Anyway you look at it , much time and love will be involved. I suggested David do one for the oldest in Katie's family and I do one for the oldest in Rudy's family and pass it down...again, not fair. It is designed to be individualized. David said, " do one and use it for a guide to do something similar for each one". I think the books are too nice not to use the exact book...they are well done, and hard backed. Okay, we are probably just going to be busy and will be ordering more books. And, how many grandchildren do you think I may end up having?? Gee, this is looking overwhelming, but I believe it will be something to preserve memories of our life that will be cherished for years to come....do I live in a dream world? They really may not see the value of it today, but someday they will.....long after I have forgotten everything they wanted to know.

Now about the prompts - some of them go like this: Why did you decide to write this book for me? What's my heritage? How did you feel when I was born? Tell me about my great grandparents. Tell me about your grandparents. When you were a little girl - where did you live? What was your family life like? Who's the first president you remember? What were you like in high school? What was going on in the world? How did you meet my grandfather? And much, much more. There are many pages for pictures and comments. All of the book will make you stop and reflect on your life and maybe help your grandchild learn about your life in a way they may never be able to....maybe answer some questions that they may wonder about long after your gone.

This is the kind of thing I like to do and I am anxious to get started. Let me know what you think? Do I just have too much time on my hands? Don't think so. Have I inspired you to leave some memories for your grandchildren? I hope so.

Layout Changes

I guess you can see that I have changed the look again. I get tired of the same old layout. These changes are easier said than done. It takes a while to get it just like you think you want it. I hope you enjoy a new view.

Slide Show Removed

Sorry, I felt like I had to remove the slide show. As it advanced down the page, the music would still play along with the Amazing Grace song....very annoying if you don't know how or want to go to the trouble to chase both songs down to mute them. I tried to edit and remove the music, but the site where I created the slide show would not except my password. I may try another one in a few days. I love both of those songs, but not simultaneous.

"Busyness"

Okay, I have been jumping from one project to another tonight. I felt inspired and started more than one thing. I should be in bed, but I wanted to post a few pictures tonight too.

Last week, David and I went to "The Mile High City" of Denver, Colorado. David attended the National Cattlemen's Summer Conference while I rested, read a couple of books, and walked the downtown mall streets. I wanted to post a few interesting pictures from there. Actually, I took these pictures when I went this time last year and they became lost in a mix of my computer pictures. I took this one with my zoom on from across the street of the guys watching the girl pass bye. I thought it was so funny...she must have felt someone starring and glanced back to see who was watching. I was just trying to get a picture of the guy playing the guitar and this is what I captured. There are street people everywhere....you never know what they will be wearing or what they will be doing. There are many shelters/housing for the homeless in Denver.
The remaining pictures are just shots I took up and down the streets of the buildings (so tall, and many of them), and the flowers were just beautiful.
This was a quiet moment on the street, but there are usually people walking on both sides of the street at a fast pace-going in all directions. The one time I tried to cross the street like everyone else...going when the stop lights flashed, "don't walk".........I darn near got ran down by a car...literally, they came faster when they saw me. Now, I just stand and wait like a "tourist".

This is just a small sample of the tall buildings...it is almost overwhelming to look at all of them in such a few short blocks. If you have not seen them before, you can't get the true perception of how tall they really are.

Lazy Days of Summer

It was not all fun and games for the grandkids this summer. Gracie really wanted to help bottle the calves and Katie was glad to have the help. Wish you could see the white cowgirl boots she is wearing....she came prepared.

They were really good helpers.
The farming pictures were a few weeks back. The boys love being around the tractors.
Just a little instruction from Grandpa here. Josh listens intensely.

I don't know where the phrase "Lazy Days of Summer" originated, but today I was able to have one. I had my endoscopic procedure done this morning. Thank goodness, they did not find anything serious....just some gastric reflux and the need to dilate the esophagus a little, along with a couple of polyps biopsied. Back to the "lazy" part. I have slept ALL afternoon. This is not something I EVER do....it was wonderful rest.

Now that I am awake, I have been checking blogs, viewing a DVD of Gillan singing at our church, and scanning over the many pictures I have taken. All of which are some of my favorite things to do. I found some more pictures of the grandkids I meant to post earlier...posted above.

I think I can go sleep some more. I will return.

More Fun

Gillan, Gracie, Josh, and Shadow on the new Play set - Shadow loves to be with the kids. She will join them on the trampoline, play set, or with what ever they are doing. Andrew was off in the sandbox when this was taken.
Andrew loves Dixie...look no saddle or bridle....gentle pony.
Gillan is doing great with his singing and guitar. He sang and played in our church Sunday.
Gracie has a new bass guitar and is learning. She looks like an old pro here. Talented kids, huh?
Andrew drove the wheels off of this little car at Mona & David's 4th of July celebration.

Summer Fun with Grandkids

These are just a few of the pictures of things going on last week with the grandkids. We celebrated grandpa's birthday early since we were all here.
Josh was kicked back in the pool.
Andrew will try anything, at least once!Gillan and Gracie are excellent swimmers.
There they go....where is Josh?

Part 3: A Call To Missions

This is Ivy (my new friend) on the left with me and a young teen who attended the "festival" in Chihuahua. Notice the splint on the boy's hand...this young guy was brought to our area because he injured his hand with a football, but apparently he had some incident at home previously and the football caused further trauma. He had pain, bruising and swelling. The doctor saw him briefly at the clinic and then had me wrap it. This was our one and only "nursing care" experience on the trip. I was feeling pretty good about getting some help for the boy, but in a very short time noticed he had taken it off to go swimming. The boy took up with us, more so with Ivy. She played ball with him and they just connected and became very good friends.
Now, I really want to focus on Taylor....if you remember from the first post...the 25 year old Occupational Therapist in the pink shirt... is just an amazing young lady. She has been given amazing gifts and talents. She sings, plays the guitar, and has written a song (maybe more, I don't know). Taylor is great with children and all of the people she encountered in Mexico loved her. When she was in Mexico doing her O.T. internship, she financially and physically helped with building a room on for Martin', who is the young man paralyzed from polio. This girl just saw a need, stepped out on faith and contributed most of her life savings to help him. How many of us would do that?? There is so much more to this story, but it is just too much to try to relate here.
Above, Taylor is leading the children in a song with hand motions.
I just want to relate a final word about Taylor. She has a true heart for missions. It is her burning passion to be able to move to Mexico as a missionary. She learned some of the language when she was there the first time. She shared with me that she was not really able to speak much when she returned home to Texas. She felt that she lost what little she learned during that stay. When she returned to Mexico with us, the Spanish just flowed from her. Folks, that can only be a "God thing"...I couldn't seem to grasp and retain a single word of the language.

Taylor has much to do to accomplish the call she has to Mexico. She will be required to be licensed in the U.S. and Mexico, and have insurance in both places. She visited with a lady while there who encouraged her to go through the International Mission Board. I know that God will honor this call and find a way for her to serve and fill her heart's desire. Please keep Taylor on your prayer list. I will update if and when I know more. Thank you Taylor for blessing our hearts while we were there with you.

Part 2: Mission Trip to Mexico

As usual, I have the "cart before the horse" here. I started my story below and then added pictures which posted above my story... and I can't seem to get the blog to copy and paste the information. Anyway, the pictures below are only a small glimpse of the job presented to us while in Mexico. Read on and you "might" understand what I am talking about.




Sorry it has taken so long....I hope you have not stopped checking the blog. Briefly about my activities in Mexico..... Ivy, a nurse from Texas and I worked several hours in the attic above the medical clinic in Aldama. Remember I said it was very hot in Mexico? I was told it was about 110 degrees, but I didn't ever see a thermometer. Anyway, it was hotter in the attic, but the doctor at the clinic needed massive amounts of donated medical supplies/equipment sorted in groups of like kind. It was an overwhelming request, but we did the best we could. Being the Type A personality I am.........I wanted micro-organization/labeling/inventory lists, etc.....Ha! Not possible and the doctor did not have those expectations. He just needed the items grouped.

Ivy and I wanted to be part of the Vacation Bible School activities with the rest of the group too, so we did not miss a session and we were needed. The medical supplies were sorted as time and the heat would allow.

I am going to close here and begin a new post in order to get things in order. Thanks for hanging with me.

Mexico Mission Trip-OH MY!

I had a few inquiries about why I have not posted about the trip yet. Just tired really, but I have also been trying to collect my thoughts. The trip was long and hot! I did not come home with a call to foreign missions, but I learned a great deal about the Mexican people. The children were beautiful, fun, and loving. I found the families to be very loving and caring people, as well.

The greatest impact of the trip for me is the young lady pictured above in the the pink shirt. I could write a book about her. Our group picked her up in Weatherford, Texas. Taylor is 25 years old and a fairly new graduate in the profession of Occupational Therapy. She has passed all of her exams and is to be licensed soon. Taylor did an internship in OT in Mexico for 4-5 months starting last January. It was there that she fell in love with the people. When she learned that we were going to Mexico, she drove 2 1/2 hours to meet us for the ride down.

These pictures speak a thousand words. The young man pictured in the two pictures above had polio as a young child and is paralyzed. His two brothers pictured below take care of him. They have been living in a small, one room house, and all three sleeping in the same bed. The brothers work and come home to turn their brother during the day. There is not even room to get him out of bed....no wheel chair, no bathroom or kitchen....NOTHING!

One of the brothers cut some cactus...you can see it in Taylor's hand and in the background....the yard of the new addition to their home. The cactus was a gift to all of us in gratitude for the whole group coming to visit. And, yes I did eat raw cactus twice.......it was really good! No, we didn't get the chicken. I am going to leave you hanging here with this story and continue later.....I know you can hardly stand it, but it will be worth the wait.

Here are some of the cute little girls we taught in Vacation Bible School. They called it a "festival" there, but you know it as VBS. To be continued.....