Spring has sprung

Finally......spring seems to be here. It has been a cold and dark winter. It is so great to have daylight till 8PM and wake up to sunshine. I feel like a new person the past few days. i am walking with my friend Helen almost daily and getting out with friends several times a week. I find myself getting the housework done better. The goal for the new week or two is to get the garden set up and started. Caroline and I will do that together.

I really had a wonderful time with Sofia today going to MOA and going through American Girl store. This is what she most wanted to do. She looks at the magazine all the time from what her Mom says. I did get her a couple of things. She knew she wanted food for "Ruthie" What she wanted was the lunch basket Ruthie uses for her school lunch. It has carrots, celery, apple, cookie and sandwich. Of course I could have stopped there but Ruthie needed a pack with school which has the multiplication tables, pencils, crayons a notebook, report card.

I am putting on the pictures of the first four AG beds and the quilts that my friend Caroline made for them. I still have 4 left to deliver and will photo them as well. Thats it for now.

Himself

I have been pondering the wonderful song written in the early 1900's by A.B. Simpson.
"Once it was the blessing, Now it is the Lord; Once it was the feeling, Now it is His Word; Once His gift i wanted, Now the Giver own; Once i sought for healing, Now Himself alone.
Once was painful trying, Now is perfect trust; Once a half salvation, Now the uttermost! Once wa ceaseless holding, Now He holds me fast; Once was constant drifting, Now my anchor's cast.
Once was busy planning, Now is trustful prayer; Once was anxious caring, Now He has the care; Once was what I wanted, Now what Jesus says; Once was constant asking Now is ceaseless praise.
Once it was my working, His it hence shall be; Once I tried to use Him, Now He uses me; Once the power I wanted, Now the Mighty one; Once for self I labored, Now for Him alone.
Once I hoped in Jesus Now I know He's mine; Once my lamps were dying, Now they brightly shine"

It is a testament to the ongoing work of Christ through the years and centuries. It is so true to me the "Jesus never changes"
Life and lifestyle changes but the word and work of the Lord is unchanging.

Lent

Wow! i just read the blogs of my eldest daughter and neice. Though we are all in different "denominations" the root of our faith in Jesus Christ and the cross shines through and I am blessed by these two and their prospective on the lenten season. i have grown up to focus on the cross and never gave much thought to actual lenten season as it was a time to "just give something up" and I didn't get how this was increasing faith. I think and see it different after reading the blessed thoughts on it from Mel and Jessie.It is truly a time to refocus on our faith. I started reading through the gospels after the first of the year and aim to finish by Easter. I am also reading Leith Anderson's book "Jesus" to go along with it. May my resolve to serve and live more fully for Him be accomplished. I appreciate having each morning to pray, ponder, and read the word. I am in awe of God's grace and work in our children and neices and nephews. Thank you Lord!!

Madeline's birthday extravaganza

Wow!! What a fabulous birthday weekend. Madeline came to Minnesota for her 8th birthday. She had fun many different ways.
1. We saw a play "Gralufalo" at the Childrens theater to start.
2.We sled down our "hills' in the back yard.
3.We did the swim park at the hotel Radisson. Yes, I went down what was dubbed the family friendly ride on a raft with Shel, Mady and Raley. Never again. I just kept remembering the gal said that the law of gravity was such that I would not fall off if I held on!!
4. We spent a day at MOA/American Girl. Lunch at the AG Bistro with Auntie Non.
5. Afternoon of Rides at the Nick Park at MOA with Wolfe cousins.
6. Overnight with Raley at the hotel with us ( this is when we did the swim park). I totally handled going around the river area on a tube. In the end did get hair wet ( hair color no no)
7. Movie in the room with Shel, Non, Mady and me. We saw High school musical 3.
8. Ice skating at Centennial Lakes. Rented skates for Mady, Shel and Non. Mady had never been in the tundra of our winters and what a thrill it was for her that we had 3 inches before she left. She totally enjoyed the snow.

The Goo

Highlight of the day is our little fashionable, loveable,thumbsucking, bunny hugging, color orange favoring, Gracie Goo. My precious had an unfortunate accident outside with sister Sarah. She broke her arm. It was broken in such a way they had to sedate her a little to get it back in place. She wanted, of course, an orange cast but settled for red. Sister, Sarah was in the garage with a sharpee as they were carrying her in and was already signing it( Sarah is for another blog). She has a learning curve getting to handle the weight of it and has to have help with most things but as her MOM wrote a moment ago she (I suspect with the help of Sarah) was able to get a fashioable look for the morning play. She is one of my precious and Gma does not like to see her have to go through this. The good thing, as she gets a few days behind her, is that it is a status symbol at this age. Her cousin, Isabelle, was trying to break her finger yesterday so she could go to the hospital but that is another blog note from Melanie. No one in the immediate family has had a break so it is quite the novelty. Anyway, it underscores the need to be ever vigilant in prayer for each of the children and grandchildren. I love you Gracie!!!

Happy Birthday John Michael!

Today is John Michaels birthday.He is 5 years old. My dear, loving, sequential, predictable boy. This is the only recent picture and he is playing tetris intently. What can I say? He is my transformer loving, lego building, Thomas the train savy, handheld video loving and generally an all around happy boy who loves his family. He manages to stay his boyish self despite being surrounded with every feminine toy possible. He sees the boyish side of it all. He is so happy to be in cubbies this year and learning all the Bible verses and teachings that his sister has been learning. He is always aware of sharing with the sisters. I love my 5 year old dear boy. The only thing as grandma I am not sure of is if he sees the need to be a motorycle guy as his forefathers. That will be up to them to instill (: GMA

Sunshine

Sunshine in the sunroom. What a special treat. I can get my sun vitamin D today. It has been too cold to think or write. I have been in a funk. A new day and sunshine does the trick. We went to a funeral of a very elderly family friend of Jerry's yesterday. She was 99 years old and you could say quite poor her whole life. But....she was sunshine to everyone around her. To listen to her grandchildren and great grandchildren talk and reminise was a real blessing. Her cup was always over half full. When her sister and her where put in the same nursing home and each in wheelchairs they were visiting one morning and her sister says "I am unpset with the food and care here" Esther says " well I think it is a wonderful place, if you are not happy you need to go upstairs and pack and leave" Well, of course, neither could leave, but it underscored her positive nature and contentment with what was.
A life well lived in areas that are the most important. The "village" she left behind is a real testament to her life. The gospel message was clearly presented and the example of her faith made it all the more real.