thankful thursday - what i learned in 2015

Today is the last day of 2015 - a time for reflection, of looking back over the year remembering fun times as well as hard times, old friends and those I've just met. It is one of my favorite times of the year.

In no particular order, here are some of the things I learned (or was reminded of) this year:

1.  Grandchildren, aka Sweethearts, are a great, big, humongous blessing. Whether they live in the next room or across the country, invest time in getting to know them. Spend time with them one-on-one, play together, do errands together, just talk with them. Technology makes it easy to stay connected long distance - let them teach you how to use FaceTime, Skype, email, instant messenger and texting; you can teach them your phone number and show them how call or how to send real mail. Their lives will be richer as will yours!

Ben (8), Hannah (1), Christopher (12), Nick (10), Ellie (2) and Lexie (7)

Hannah lives in the same city we do; all the rest live on the East Coast.

2.  Pay attention to the details. Trying to do things on "autopilot" seldom works for long.Whether it's making a new recipe or putting a Lego set together, reading the directions and paying attention to what you're doing always pays off. Make the effort to get it right.

This "sand castle" was my favorite at the World's Best Sand Sculpting Competition in December at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Each contestant was given a pile of 10 tons of sand and 3 days to create their sculpture. This builder was the only one to use ALL of his sand as he meticulously worked to get the angles just right. Although he didn't place, his was my favorite and reminds me to pay attention to the details.

3.  Life is an adventure - embrace it!  Richard and I took off on a drive on a forest road (read: rutted dirt road) in southeast Arizona. We decided to do the drive backwards not realizing that not all the roads were marked on our map nor were the roads themselves well marked. It didn't take too long before we were quite lost and I'm pretty sure we were inches from the Mexico border. Instead of worrying about being lost, we enjoyed the spectacular scenery and saw a part of Arizona we had never seen before. After an hour or so we were able to get back on track and reach our destination. 

Part of this drive was where they filmed the prairie scenes in the musical/movie Oklahoma! It was different from any other area of Arizona I've seen - and breath-takingly beautiful!

4.  The years go by faster and faster - remember to take time to enjoy the moments! It's easy to get caught up in the things we "have to" do until pretty soon we are just moving from event to event without really enjoying anything. This year I spent some time each day doing an activity our oldest daughter and her husband have done with their kids - three good things. The idea is to think of three good things that happened that day - usually it is something seemingly trivial, like getting the closest parking spot at Costco - to help you remember the great moments, even in a "bad day."

Watching a beautiful sunset is sometimes one of my three things. Arizona is, after all, the self-proclaimed sunset capital of the world!

5.  Don't save the candles just for birthdays - use them just because.  It is the perfect ending to a "bad day" and we all have those from time to time. They make any occasion a celebration, even if the celebration is "I made through the day and I'm happy to be home!" 

Candlelight makes even an ordinary dessert look fabulously festive!

I am thankful for the lessons I've learned because they remind me of the many ways God has blessed me and that life is good.

thankful thursday - wise men

I have been reading the biblical Christmas story found in Matthew 2 and Luke 2 everyday the past week or so. I get something new from it every time I read it. The Bible is like that - always fresh and applicable.

I spent some time this week thinking about the wise men, the magi, that traveled hundreds of miles to find the Christ-child. Who sent them? How did they know? Where did they come from? What can I learn from them?

The Bible tells us that "some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 'Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose and we have come to worship him.'" (Mathew 2:1-2 NLT) King Herod was disturbed when the wise men showed up at the palace and called a meeting with the leading priests and teachers of religious law to find out where the Messiah was supposed to be born. They quoted Micah 5:2, saying he would be born in Bethlehem in the land of Judah. (Matthew 2:3-6 NLT) King Herod then met secretly with the wise men, telling them to search for the baby and then come back and tell him where the baby was. (Matthew 2:7-8 NLT) Then "the wise men went on their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh." (Matthew 2:9-11 NLT) "When it was time for them to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod." (Matthew 2:12 NLT)

Although Christmas songs and nativity displays indicate there were three wise men, their number is not mentioned in the Bible. Neither is their homeland specifically. Some theologians speculate that there were probably more than three and that they came from different nations. Perhaps some of them came from Babylon where the Israelites were exiled and that's how they new about the prophecy.

What I do know is that God sent them. He provided the star that was so different from anything else they had ever seen or heard about that they followed it. He ensured they had access to the prophecy - they knew about "the newborn king of the Jews."

The wise men sought the newborn king of the Jews and worshipped him. They recognized his deity. They were filled with joy. And they recognized God's voice and obeyed when He warned them not to return to Herod - they returned home by a different route.

These foreigners, the wise men, recognized the baby Jesus for who he was even though the Jews, the people who were expecting the Messiah, did not.

I am thankful for the magi mentioned in Matthew 2 because they show me the proper response to Jesus - to bow down and worship Him! They persevered as they traveled a great distance, they listened to God and obeyed Him. They were wise men, indeed.

Merry Christmas!

thankful thursday - gifts

When I was a small child, Christmas was all about the gifts... for me. And I wanted "things"... like a ViewMaster slide projector, a new bike or roller skates (the kind with a key!).

I think most kids are like that.

But somewhere along the way to adulthood, I came to appreciate the gifts of Christmas that aren't "things" I can unwrap and hold in my hand. Things I don't have to wait until Christmas morning to have. Things like:

1. Frost on the ground and a chill in the air  - In Arizona there is no guarantee that it won't be warm on Christmas Day but sometime in December we almost always have a "cold spell" where the temperatures dip down into the 30's or 40's with highs in the 50's or 60's. I can hear you people from Minnesota snickering but that's pretty chilly for  the Valley of the Sun. And I relish it!
2. Vehicles accessorized for Christmas - We have all seen them. Cars and trucks with reindeer antlers made out of plastic attached to the roof with a big red nose above the front bumper. Or battery-operated Christmas lights adorning nearly every part of the vehicle - wheels or windows or the outline of the car. We may think they look cheesy but they always make me smile.
3. Shoppers and clerks who are friendlier, smiling and making small talk - It seems that lines are longer everywhere from Thanksgiving to Christmas, not just at mall. But I've noticed that people, both clerks and customers, are a little friendlier. They make eye contact and smile. Most will chat. I went to the post office to mail a package and the line was very long. The woman behind me and I began chatting and before I knew it, 45 minutes had passed and it was my turn at the window where the clerk greeted me with a smile. What a gift!
4. Hearing Christmas music in stores - Most stores play music all the time. Some of it is obnoxious to me and I avoid those stores. Others stores play music I enjoy but it can be distracting. But during the Christmas season, most stores play Christmas music including both secular songs like "Here Comes Santa Claus" and Christian hymns like "Away In a Manger." Some are festive and fun; others remind me what I'm celebrating.
5. God's love in sending us a Savior, the baby Jesus who was born on that first Christmas - I see reminders of Jesus everywhere at Christmastime... candy canes remind me of the shepherds, the first people told of Jesus' birth by the angel. And evergreen Christmas trees remind me of eternal life that Jesus promises to those who put their faith and trust in Him alone. Wreaths on doors remind me of the thorny crown Jesus wore on the cross when He died for our sins and Christmas lights remind me of the star shining bright over the stable where Jesus was born. Giving gifts reminds me of the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh the wise men brought to the baby Jesus.

I am thankful for all these things. Christmas gifts are everywhere... you just have to look for them.

thankful thursday - christmas lights

As a child I always looked forward to that time of year when the Christmas lights on houses in our neighborhood would get flicked on, usually sometime right after Thanksgiving. Back then everyone had the same type of outdoor Christmas lights - the big C-9 bulbs that were strung on your house. Most people just followed their roof line but the "really cool" ones wrapped them around tree trunks and windows.

Fast forward to the 21st century and there are all kinds of different outdoor Christmas lights - C-9 lights, icicle lights in various color schemes, mini lights, rope lights - and all with various options (LED, flashing, cool or warm white, ...). And then there are lighted lawn decorations - Santa, reindeer, candy canes, manger scenes, you name it!

This week as I was driving home and saw houses lit up with Christmas lights,  I was reminded of another Christmas light - one that shone in the sky over two thousand years ago. It was the star that guided the wise men to Bethlehem and stopped over the place where a baby, the newborn king of the Jews, the Messiah was. When the wise men saw the star, they were filled with joy and when they saw Jesus, they bowed down and worshipped him before giving him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. (Matthew 2)

I am thankful for Christmas lights and displays because although many of them are of a secular nature, their brightness reminds me of the star of Bethlehem and the Christ child. 

And that fills me with peace and joy.

thankful thursday - music

Several years ago, a friend of mine introduced me to Lunch Time Theater at the Herberger theater Center in Phoenix. For only $6 you can see a one-act show lasting about 45 minutes. Lunch is available at an extra cost or you can bring your own. Most of the shows are musical in nature and always entertaining.

This week we invited another friend to go with us to see "Fruitcake Follies," a musical review of Christmas. The five women performers were excellent as they sang and tap-danced their way into the Christmas holiday. We heard some familiar favorites as well as some fabulously funny new ones.

After the show was over, the audience was invited to stay for a free performance featuring Opera Joven, a group of young operatic singers from Mexico City. In addition to singing a few opera excerpts, they also fused their operatic voices with traditional Mexican music for a very unique and delightful sound. I couldn't understand the words because of the language barrier but the music was hauntingly beautiful. One of my friends said she got goosebumps listening to them! If you ever have the opportunity to see and hear them, go!

In the car driving home, I listened to Christmas music on the radio (thank you XM Radio for the FREE week!) - traditional Christmas carols as well as popular Christmas songs sung by a variety of artists (jazz, country, pop,...). Pretty soon I was singing along and tapping my fingers on the steering wheel in time to the music.

Then I started thinking about why I listen to music. Scientific studies have shown that listening to music has many benefits for most people including reducing stress and anxiety levels, elevating mood, improving cognitive performance, enhancing blood vessel function and improving sleep quality. While I believe all that is true for me, I think the number one reason I enjoy music is because it is fun!

As we enter into the Christmas season with all its potential stressors (finding the right gifts and wrapping them, holiday cooking and baking, entertaining, ...), I am thankful for the gift of music - for beautiful melodies and for talented performers who share their gift with the world. Besides the many genres of music (rap, hard rock, soft rock, classical, jazz, etc.) we listen to all year long, we get to add a seasonal topic to the mix during this time of year. Singing about the birth of Jesus (O Little Town of Bethlehem, Away in a Manger, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Mary Did You Know, and the list goes on and on) fills my heart with gratitude.  Singing about wanting a hippopotamus for Christmas just makes me giggle. Listening to Garth Brooks sing Belleau Woods or Capital Lights sing His Favorite Christmas Story brings tears to my eyes.

Yep, I am thankful for music.

thankful thursday - thanksgiving

Today, the fourth Thursday in November, is the day Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. We are taught in elementary school that the Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving in 1621 after their first successful corn harvest thanks to a Native American named Squanto. Governor William Bradford organized the celebratory feast to give thanks to God and to thank the Native Americans who had been so instrumental in the Pilgrim's survival that first year. It was a three day celebration that bore little resemblance food-wise to Thanksgiving in 2015 - they feasted on lobster, swan, seal and deer and there was no pumpkin pie.

The next Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1623 after a long drought threatening their crops had ended. This time Governor Bradford called for fasting and thanking God before the feast, a tradition that continued for many years. Thanksgiving celebrations were held somewhat annually from then on.

In 1789 President Washington issued the first proclamation for Thanksgiving by the national government of the United States.  Many presidents issued Thanksgiving proclamations and several states instituted a Thanksgiving holiday but it wasn't until 1863, at the crux of the Civil War, that President Lincoln established a national holiday of Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November. He called for all Americans "to ask God to commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife" and to "heal the wounds of the nation."

Somewhere along the way Thanksgiving has morphed into a gluttonous feast followed by hours of football and preparing for the Black Friday sales (some of which begin on Thanksgiving Day) - a holiday which bears little resemblance to the first 200 or so celebrations.

As a country and as individuals we ALL have much to the thankful for... freedom to celebrate and with a heart of thanksgiving, show gratitude to God,  freedom to pray openly, freedom to gather with family regardless of their religious beliefs, freedom to attend a religious service of our choosing, freedom of fear (living in a safe country).

Sure, there are problems and strife in the world we live in. But just for one day, on Thanksgiving, let's focus on all that we have to be thankful for. I will be coming to the family Thanksgiving table with a grateful heart - thankful for being surrounded by family, for being loved, for the laughter in my life, for having enough.

Happy Thanksgiving!

thankful thursday - diners, drive-ins and dives (#19 and #20)

As you may recall, my sweet hubby is one of Guy Fieri's biggest fans. He loves watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network and incorporates as many of those places as he can into our travels. We recently visited two, one in Arizona and one in southern California.

A friend told us about a place he saw on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives - a BBQ place at a car wash. That's right, you can get your car washed and have lunch or dinner at the same time. Ingenious, right? But how good would the food be? We had to check it out with our friends... and my car was filthy so we drove!

Tom's Thumb Fresh Market is located in north Scottsdale and boasts a gas station, car wash, coffee and pastry bar, wine and artisan gift market as well as a barbecue joint. After handing my car keys over to the car wash guys, we went inside to order lunch. We all ordered something different - mine was the sliced beef brisket sandwich. It was so tender and juicy it practically melted in my mouth! They have a BBQ sauce bar we helped ourselves to - definitely something for every taste bud! After lunch we split a couple of muffins from the pastry bar - also very good.

We strolled through the wine and gift market after lunch - lots of cute gift items, a few of which we couldn't walk away from. After paying for our purchases, we went outside to claim my car. They offer a variety of carwashes ranging in price from $11.99 to $34.99 for a hand wash. I chose a mid-range wash package and my car was clean from top to bottom.

It's too bad Tom's Thumb Fresh Market is so far from us - it could become habit-forming!

The second place we visited is in  southern California. We visited Mamma Cozza's on a recent Disneyland trip - it's about two miles away. It definitely looks a little dive-ish  from the outside but the inside is warm and inviting. It was obvious to us that many of the customers were locals - regulars known by name to the servers.

Our dinner included mouth-watering garlic bread, a relish tray with carrot and celery sticks and cherry peppers, soup or salad, our entree and then a small glass of anisette. The food was delicious and we went back a second night to try a different entree. I had lasagna one night and a special with half ravioli, half spaghetti.

The two DDD restaurants were as different as could be yet both were really yummy. I am thankful for a variety of eating establishments that take pride in the food they serve and in making their customers feel like family. And I am thankful that God gave us taste buds so we can enjoy different flavors and textures.

thankful thursday - veterans

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice (a temporary cease-fire) was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in the First World War, then called the Great War. The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919 officially ending WWI but to the public's eye, November 11th, 1918 was the end of the war and thus became known as Armistice Day, an unofficial holiday celebrated annually on that date beginning in 1919.

In 1926, Congress passed a resolution that the "recurring anniversary of November 11, 1918 should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations" and that the president should issue an annual proclamation calling for the observance of Armistice Day. In 1938, November 11th became a legal federal holiday dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day'. At that time, more than half the states had already instituted their own legal holiday.

After World War II and the Korean War, veterans' service organizations lobbied Congress to amend the 1938 act that made Armistice Day a holiday; they wanted to call the holiday Veteran's Day to honor all veterans of the United States Armed Services. President Eisenhower signed the legislation on June 1, 1954 and November 11th officially became Veteran's Day.

Until 1968 when Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill making several holidays observed on Mondays. (You can read more about that bill in my Memorial Day 2014 post.) But many states disapproved and continued to observe Veteran's Day on November 11th. And the veteran's organizations didn't like changing the day to one that often had no significance and once again lobbied Congress. In 1978, President Ford signed a new law returning Veteran's Day to November 11th. Incidentally, Veteran's Day was the only holiday affected by the Uniform Holidays Act to be returned to its original date.

Yesterday we celebrated Veteran's Day with flags flying and parades. People made speeches. News teams covered many events. An official wreath-laying ceremony was held at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery.

But today, November 12th, it is back to business as usual. There are no more flags flying than is usual. No parades. No news articles.

I am thankful for all the veterans who have served our country so proudly and selflessly. I am thankful for their families who have also sacrificed greatly in ways nonmilitary families can't imagine. And I am thankful for them every single day. Are you?

When you see a veteran, smile and thank them for their service. They are pretty easy to spot - they have special license plates, they stand straight and salute the flag no matter where they are, they often sport caps designating which war they fought in. Sometimes they have limbs missing or are in a wheelchair.

Pray for our veterans and their families every day. And be grateful.

thankful thursday - adventurous friends

Twenty-three years ago, when our youngest daughter was in first grade, she wanted to be a Brownie. And she wanted me to be her leader just like I was the leader for her older sister. The only problem was that realistically I could not be the leader for both girls' troops.

So I did the next best thing. I told the woman in charge of placing girls in troops that I was already a leader and couldn't do another one but I wanted my daughter placed in a troop that would be active, with a leader that was organized and fun. Bribery may have been involved - something about buying her a snow cone at the Fun Run on Friday.

She placed our daughter in Mrs. M's troop. Her daughter was in the same grade as ours and they quickly became friends. Mrs. M and I became friends over time.

At first I offered to help Mrs. M at the meetings so I could see how she ran things, what they did and if she was fun. I admit it... I was checking her out. She came to meetings with a plan, she encouraged the kids as they were learning to read, she was consistent in the behavior she expected - and, I learned, she was a primary teacher by profession. Boy oh boy, was she fun! She made picking up trash on the playground so fun, no one wanted to quit. Kids hung around after the meeting was over, sometimes asking their mom to be late picking them up.

As time went on, I offered to help because Mrs. M was fun to be with and I wanted to get to know her better.  We'd meet for lunch to discuss the next meeting - and then the latest movie we had seen or book we had read. Pretty soon we were sharing stories about our lives and families.

Fast forward a couple of decades. Our daughters have grown up, are married and have professional jobs. Though one lives in California and the other in Arizona, they get together as couples when they can and maintain their friendship long distance.

Mrs. M and I, along with our husbands, are still good friends, as well. They live in California (to be near their daughter and her husband - and because the weather is great!) and we live in Arizona but we get together as often as we can.

We spent a long weekend with them in California a few weeks ago. As usual, Mr. and Mrs. M had planned fun, adventurous things for us to do as well as some time to just relax and "hang out!" Having balance in life is something I learned from them.

Several weeks before we went, Mrs. M asked if we might be interested in going to a concert at the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, California. The performer, Bian Liunian, is one of the world's leading performers on an ancient Chinese instrument, the erhu. It is like a two-stringed fiddle that is usually played with a bow but can also be plucked. This sounded like a fun adventure!

The erhu is on the left and has an amplifying device attached to the bottom. Bian plays over 200 instruments, including the Chinese zither on the right (although another performer played this one at the concert.

The concert was extraordinary!  Some pieces were distinctly Chinese with hauntingly beautiful melodies. Others were classical - the Bach piece he played was exquisite. And still others were as American as apple pie. His rendition of the Eagles' Hotel California was explosive! It was hard to believe he could get that much diversity in sound from just two strings. It wasn't just a fun adventure - it was a wild one!

The next day we went to Legoland right before they closed. That's right, we went right before they closed. Knowing how much I like Lego minifigures, they suggested going then because we could get into the park without paying admission. We saw a small portion of the park and visited the largest Lego Store I've ever seen. It was huge... gigantic... gargantuan... humongous... super-sized! What a fun adventure we had looking for the new Big Bang Theory set - I think I may have whooped with delight when we found it!

We also strolled through the Legoland Hotel. I know some sweethearts who would love to stay there!

Richard, Alex (the M's nephew) and Mr. & Mrs. M

Everything is made of Lego-like pieces. It's awesome!

Behind the front desk of the hotel hangs the largest display of Lego minifigures I've ever seen. The surfer dude on the bike "rides" back and forth across the board. The wheels magnify the minifigs behind them. Everything is awesome at Legoland!

One of my favorite things to do/see in California is the beach. It is relaxing and rejuvenating. Mrs. M packed up some breakfast and we headed to the beach to watch the surfers, listen to the waves and squish our toes in the sand.

We greatly enjoyed nature - the tracks in the sand, the treasures the ocean washed up, the birds and the sand. The M's are doing an unofficial study of pelicans and have determined they most often fly in formations with an uneven number of birds. We corroborated their research.

We had a wonderful time with our adventurous friends - eating, laughing, drinking wine, talking, eating, talking, laughing,... I love that we can maintain our friendship despite the distance and that when we see each other, we pick right up where we left off. 

I am thankful for friends that love adventure and laughing. And I am thankful that God orchestrated our friendship long ago when our daughter was put in Mrs. M's Brownie troop and then He wove our experiences as friends together into a beautiful tapestry. I don't believe friendships are the result of chance meetings; they are ordained appointments.

thankful thursday - teaching an old dog new tricks

My friend, Dawn, invited me to go to Las Vegas with her for a few days. I was hesitant because I really DO NOT like Las Vegas... it's loud and smoky and people are rude and it's a town of excess. She was confident she could change my mind. I thought she had her work cut out for her. But I agreed to go.

I learned six things from Dawn:

1. Go outside! Walk up and down the Strip in the morning. - it's less crowded and, in our case, cooler then. We walked from our first hotel, Circus Circus, at the north end of the Strip all the way to The Cosmopolitan on our first day. We saw interesting graffiti, an area fenced off for construction with beautifully painted signs depicting what was coming, a statue commemorating Siegfried and Roy along with a star in the sidewalk, noticed the futuristic-looking buildings on the back side of the Strip while we were waiting for a tram and we talked with construction workers, tourists and a police officer. It was like being in any other city with large buildings!

 2. Experience the Resorts - they are much more than just casinos. We walked through every resort we passed by. I usually avoid the inside of the resorts because I don't like the uber-loud, smoky (although that was better than I remembered thanks to newer filtration systems) casinos. I didn't realize there are LOTS of things to see inside. 

At the Bellagio, I would have missed gorgeous hanging umbrellas (upper right) and several extraordinary Chihuly pieces, the largest one hanging from the ceiling in the lobby (lower left). The Conservatory, an inside park, has a glass ceiling that lets in natural light. They decorate it seasonally - the fall decor was beautiful. It's open 24/7 and people stroll through it all the time.  It was a quiet place to relax and enjoy the whimsical displays.

Somewhere in the Bellagio (I'm pretty sure the resort spans at least 3 time zones!) is the world's largest chocolate fountain - it's just over 26 feet tall and circulates two tons of white, medium and dark chocolate. Ahhhhmazing!! And in the same store is the life-sized chocolate skeleton - it took two people about 70 hours to make it using a little over 143 pounds of white and dark chocolate. Immmmpressive!!

The Venetian and her sister-resort, Palazzo, are equally spectacular. We watched gondolas filled with people glide through the underground canals while gondoliers serenaded them. One guy sounded just like Ol' Blue Eyes himself! Incidentally, Frank Sinatra was one of Las Vegas' pioneer entertainers performing there frequently throughout the 1950's and 1960's. We walked through some very high-end stores and sampled expensive perfumes. The courtyard that connects the two is decorated seasonally and is very peaceful, especially the waterfall. We chatted with an Hispanic women who works in housekeeping  - she told us she likes to take her break near the waterfall because it's restful and quiet - or at least that's what I think she said since her English was about as good as our Spanish. The living statue (top left) was fun to watch - he sometimes startled people by moving!   

 3.  Improvise when plans change. We had booked a Food Tour that fizzled and the guide never showed up. Fortunately the booking company was great and refunded our money quickly. Since we had some "extra" time, we sat in the Chandelier Bar at The Cosmopolitan and had their signature drink, a Pink Cosmo. It was my first - and pretty tasty!

4.  Do something new. Dawn has been to Las Vegas several times as have I and neither of us had been to the Neon Museum just past downtown. The visitor's center is housed in the old  La Concha Motel lobby while the "Boneyard" with over 150 neon signs (seven are restored) from the Strip is outside. Our tour guide was very knowledgable and explained the history behind the old neon signs as well as the history of Las Vegas. I highly recommend both the museum and the tour.

5.  Spend a little time outside in nature - it will rejuvenate you! I had no idea there was a nature trail on the grounds of the Flamingo.  As we strolled along the trail we stopped to watch the fish and turtles in the pond, marvel at the beautiful flowers and hummingbirds and, of course, see the real, live flamingos! It was quiet and green with birds chirping - very easy to forget the big city on the other side of the building.  

 6.  See the lights of the Strip and the Bellagio Fountains at night - it never gets old! The neon lights of the Strip come to life after dark. What looked like an ordinary tall building by daylight is transformed into a shimmering, glowing piece of architecture at night. And the fountains at the Bellagio at night are every bit as fun as World of Color at Disneyland! The choreography of music and "water dancing" is fabulous! They run approximately every half hour during the day and every 15 minutes at night. Like many people, we stuck around and watched more than once. In between the shows we observed street performers and people in costumes - something for everyone!

At the end of our trip, I had to admit that I had a great time and found a lot to appreciate about Las Vegas. As we got ready to leave the other "City That Never Sleeps," Dawn and I talked about things we would like to see and do on our next trip there!

I am thankful for friends like Dawn who are willing to share their love of a place or for a thing with me. And that God gave me a teachable spirit. The two fit together like a hand in a glove.

thankful thursday - a first-world problem

Here is my first-world problem: I have had four brand new washing machines in the last seven years.

The first three were shiny, electronically-controlled models with lots of bells and whistles. They weren't top of the line models but they were "energy efficient" (using little water),  flashed numbers to count down to the end of the cycle, magically rebalanced when a load went out of balance and "sang" a sweet melody when the load was done.

So what went wrong?

The first one, a front-loader, lasted five years before the retailer we purchased it from finally bought it back under their "Lemon Warranty." (I'm glad we purchased the extended warranty!) It leaked fluid from the bottom and made greasy spots on the clothes that then required rewashing. It was replaced with a different highly-rated top-loader that lasted four days. It spun the clothes at 2 revolutions per second so clothes were more than just drippy wet. The retailer picked it up and allowed us to choose a different machine. The third washing machine was a top-loader (original highly-rated brand) that lasted 24 months before also being bought back under the "Lemon Warranty." It went out of balance ALL THE TIME. Even when doing a very small load of delicates. The machine would try to "rebalance" itself by adding water and agitating, sometimes for hours. I would have to pull the soaking wet clothes from the washer and carefully redistribute them. The final straw was when it went out of balance doing a "tub clean" with only water, no clothes.

We researched washing machines each time we replaced one. Sadly, although they were highly rated when we bought them, Consumer Reports later said they had problems. After choosing three lemons, I think I finally hit the jackpot with the fourth one.

I decided that the electronically-controlled machines had too many problems and looked for a mechanically-controlled machine that gave me more control. You know, the old-fashioned kind where you select the load size, the water temperature and then turn the dial to start it. It doesn't flash numbers at me. Or sing a song to tell me when the load is done. It has a full-size agitator, takes half the time to wash clothes and I can select how much water it uses.

It's only been two days but I am in love!

Yeah, I had a "Laundry Party!"

I am thankful for many things. As I was doing laundry with my new machine the past two days, I thought about people in third-world countries that hand-carry polluted river water to wash their few clothes with or scrub them on a rock on the river bank. I thought about homeless people right here in America who wash out their clothes in public restrooms. I am thankful for clean water any time I want it. And for the laundry room in my house. And for clothes to wash. And for my new washing machine (and the reputable retailer that fixes or replaces their product).

thankful thursday - highway humor

We have logged A LOT of miles driving around the country in general and the state of Arizona in particular. One of our favorite things to do while driving is to look for unusual things.

It might be a billboard or sign. Sometimes it's a building. We've seen some pretty unusual looking people dressed in all kinds of costumes. Occasionally we see interesting "vehicle decor," especially around holidays.

Having driven this stretch of road a gazillion times, I thought we had seen ALL the unusual sights on I-10 between Phoenix and southern California.

I was mistaken.

We got off the freeway to grab some lunch and when we were getting back on, pulled up behind this truck in the lane to the on-ramp. I couldn't believe what I thought I saw from my view directly behind the truck so I convinced Richard to go around him. Sure enough... he was hauling a TOY ATV!!!

We laughed so hard! All the tension and frustration from driving all morning, inconsiderate drivers and road construction melted away. 

I am thankful for things that make a tedious task more fun, for the gift of laughter and for a big rig driver who was man enough to haul a child's toy on his big rig, no matter how ridiculous it looked.

thankful thursday - family adventures

Our oldest daughter, son-in-law and their five kids (collectively known as the Albaecks) came out to visit us this summer. They live in North Carolina and this was their first trip back here in six years. While they were here, our youngest daughter, her husband and their daughter (who live nearby and are collectively known as the Gaubs) came over often to visit. Our normally very quiet house was suddenly filled with lots of laughter, kids playing, kids crying, toys that make "noise" and adults talking. And it was heavenly!

We had lots of thing to celebrate - the first time the boys met their cousin, the end of another successful school year, the beginning of summer vacation, and THREE college graduations. Jacob got his Bachelor's, Jennifer got her Master's and Janne got her Ph.D. ALL this year! I am thankful our kids know and appreciate the value of education and learning.

The cake was deeeeee-licious! Christopher made the topper =)

The kids wanted to swim several times a day... every single day. The older four have become little fishes in the water and like to splash and dive! The younger ones mostly like to float in their inflatables. I laughed so hard when I heard Jennifer telling her kids to not splash so hard, they were getting the windows wet. I distinctly remember her telling me, as a child, that she wouldn't care about the windows getting wet when her kids were in the pool. Fast forward a couple of decades and now she cares and I don't! I am thankful, though, for parents who teach their kids to be respectful of others.

The kids were in the pool so much the bottoms of the their toes got scraped up - hence, the sox!

As most of you know, we LOVE Disneyland and go as often as we can. We took our daughters when they were growing up. And now they take their kids. So it was only natural that we ALL (six adults, four older kids and two stroller kids!) went to Disneyland for a few days. The boys were excited about Carsland (they had not been yet) and the girls were excited about everything Frozen. No one was disappointed! I am thankful our family likes Disneyland like we do - or at least comes with us when we go!

We celebrated Disneyland's 60th birthday and Ellie and Hannah's first time at Disneyland!  

We had lots of time to just hang out and be together. They kids played and watched movies. The adults talked - there is never a shortage of things to talk about! We ate some of our favorite foods. Remember all the manicotti I made earlier and put in the freezer? It did not go to waste! We also went shopping, had gelato (a few times!), went to a couple movies and went out to eat. It was a nice vacation for all of us. I am thankful for family that enjoys being together.

We all agreed it's fun to just hang out and be together!

All too soon it was time for the Albaecks to start their road trip back home. We went to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon with them before saying good-by. I am thankful for beauty all around me - in my family and in nature.

You can see Richard, Christopher and Lexie at the view point in the lower right corner. They look tiny compared to the immenseness of the Grand Canyon!

There are, indeed, many things to be thankful for when family is around. What a wonderful blessing it is to have family!

thankful thursday - babies

Babies are a precious bundle of joy - a special gift from God. We were blessed with two babies who, as babies do, grew up. And now they have babies of their own. While most of our sweethearts (aka grandchildren) are past the baby stage, we still have two who are under two years which, in my opinion, still gives them baby status.

Ellie will be two in November. Each day that passes she is a little less "baby" and a smidge more "little girl." I love watching her become more independent as she explores her world. She makes me laugh and brings great joy into the lives of her whole family.

Hannah will be one in November - she and Ellie are almost exactly a year apart. She is nearly as big physically as her cousin thanks to her daddy's "tall genes" but still has a cute squishy baby face. Sometimes she wants nothing more than to explore what's around her and other times she wants to be held and snuggled, something I don't mind doing at all!

Ellie lives in North Carolina and Hannah lives in Arizona so they don't see each other often. Fortunately, they both have parents who believe family relationships are important and have been committed to getting together as often as possible which realistically means about once a year or so. Although they have only seen each other twice, I think they know they are related! 

Someone once asked me what my favorite age of children was - and I was stumped. I love them all and all for different reasons. I love the wonder and brand-newness that babies bring. They make you smile for no reason - even babies you don't know!

I am thankful for the babies in my life. And for the "little people" and "older people" they eventually grow into! 

thankful thursday - changing seasons

Yesterday (September 23rd) marked the arrival of fall. In many parts of the world leaves are changing color, there is a chill in the air and pumpkin-flavored/scented everything has arrived.

Alas, two of those three things are not true in the desert southwest. Trees are still green and will be until January when they turn brown and fall off. The only chill in the air is in over-air conditioned buildings. Outside, temperatures remain in the high nineties. Pumpkin lattes, pastries, candles and more are in plentiful supply, however.

Even though we in the desert southwest don't experience fall in the traditional sense, I am thankful for the changing seasons. It reminds me that God is a God of order, not chaos. One season follows the next in an orderly cyclical progression.

And I can still experience the wonder of fall color, albeit vicariously, when my friends post photos of trees with brilliant orange foliage. I just don't need a sweater to do it!

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven." 

Ecclesiastes 3:1

thankful thursday - palm trees and partly cloudy skies

Have you ever had a really busy month? The kind where one thing consumes almost all your time and energy? I think we all have those times. And this past month was one of mine.

I coordinated a women's retreat at our church. Lists and timelines were my new BFF's as they helped  me stay organized and on track. Things that could be done early were done early. But the week or two (or three!) before a big event is always hectic. Our head count shifted up and down several times. Food needed to be ordered. Additional name tags were made. Centerpieces needed to be put together. For every item I crossed off my list, two more replaced it. Or so it seemed.

While I was tired, I was not frazzled or ready to pull my hair out over the busyness. It is just the way it is with events. And I knew that God would use every bit of it - both in ways I would see and in things I would have no knowledge of.

The retreat was last weekend and was, at least by my reckoning, a success. The women (including me) were refreshed and renewed, the church body strengthened and God was glorified.

And this week I was oh so glad to have nothing pressing  to do. To have time to sit on my patio and enjoy the palm trees shaking in the breeze and the partly cloudy sky while I drank my coffee and thanked God for all He showed me during the process and at retreat. And for the time of rest.

Palm trees and partly cloudy skies.  It sounds like a country western song, doesn't it? Or it would if you added a pick-up truck and a dog...

thankful thursday - peeps

It all started innocently enough. Someone said, "We should bring our BB guns up here next time for some target practice!" and someone else jokingly added, "Yeah, we could shoot Peeps!" And the next thing we knew, an annual Peep shooting contest was born.

We held our 5th Annual Peep Shooting Contest last weekend (Labor Day weekend) in Payson, Arizona at the home of our friends. Another couple joined us and collectively, we are known as MR. KLUD.

The contest is always guys vs. gals. Scores were not as high this year for several reasons: 1) we changed from just hitting a Peep to the Peep having to fall off the board, 2) the deck was redone and we shot from farther away, and 3) we lowered the point values on some of the Peeps.

And for the third year, the guys won.

We always string a couple of Peeps and hang them in a tree - moving targets are harder to hit and worth waaaay more points! Though we are all competitive, it really is just a fun thing to do. 

Most of the Peeps disintegrate (we purposely let them dry out a bit!) or break into pieces. But occasionally you get a clean shot!

I am thankful that we have friends who enjoy doing silly things as much as we do. And who take time to help each other, not just win at all costs. And that Peeps are 75-90% off the day after Easter!

thankful thursday - coffee cups

Have you ever had a favorite coffee cup? The one you use every single day because it fits your hand just right... and it holds just the right amount of coffee... and it has a memory or story behind it?

I had such a coffee cup. In fact, I had two identical ones. I got them at Starbucks shortly after we arrived in Maryland for our year-long stay in 2010. The kitchen in our "fully furnished" apartment had coffee cups but they were small and uncomfortable in my hand. I was at Starbucks for a "virtual coffee date" with Claudia, my long-time friend ("old friend" just sounds wrong!) from Arizona, when I spotted the perfect coffee cups. They were tall so the coffee stayed hotter and had pretty blue, green and brown foliage on them. They reminded me of Claudia every time I used them.

After we returned home from Maryland in 2011, they continued to be my favorite, go-to coffee cups. Several years later one of them broke but it was okay because I still had one absolutely perfect coffee cup.

Until earlier this year when I broke the second perfect coffee cup.

I was sad and pretty sure that finding the perfect coffee cup only happens once in a very long while. I randomly used my other cups and they were okay. Just not perfect.

About a week after the demise of my favorite coffee cup, another long-time friend, Anne, gave me my birthday gift. It was a beautiful coffee cup... but could it replace my old favorite? Anne had no knowledge of my breaking the other cup, she just thought it was pretty and that I would like it. She found it at a cute gift store we went to together one time.

The second morning I used the cup I realized it could be my new favorite coffee cup! It's taller and narrower at the bottom than most cups, keeping my coffee the perfect temperature. I love hummingbirds so I loved the design from the very beginning. But the longer I looked at the cup, the more I realized the design was about energy, something Anne has a lot of! 

Several months have elapsed since I received the new coffee cup. It has, indeed, become my new favorite! That doesn't mean I loved the other one any less; it's just that they are different.

Kind of like friends.

And while I am thankful I have a new perfect coffee cup, I am more thankful for my friends, without whom the coffee cups would just be cups.

thankful thursday - beauty amidst the beast

This summer we visited the Watts Towers in south central Los Angeles. I have been to the LA area numerous times and had never heard of these towers until our 10-year old grandson, Nick, found them in a travel book and wanted to see them.

While I hadn't heard of the Watts Towers, I do remember the Watts Riots of 1965. During the DUI arrest of an African-American woman by a white California Highway Patrolman, the already strained relationship between the community and the police exploded and the crowd became violent which ignited a large-scale riot in the community of Watts. For six days rioters overturned and burned cars and damaged property. The National Guard was mobilized and curfews were established to restore order. Thirty-four people died, over a thousand were injured and nearly four thousand were arrested. An investigation showed that the Watts neighborhood residents had a long-standing discontentment with substandard schools, inadequate housing and unemployment which officials believed were the real reasons for the riots. Ironically, nothing was ever done to correct those situations.

But back to the Watts Towers. They are located on a residential street in the community of Watts. As we exited the freeway and drove to the address of the towers, the neighborhood... declined... and became scarier-looking. The actual street the towers are located on has several small homes with beautifully maintained yards and friendly people - all African-American. And in the distance, we could hear gun fire. It was one of the very few times I've been aware of my skin color.

Since we had just missed the last tour (blame the LA traffic! ;-)), we spent some time in the visitor's center when we got there. They have a short movie and an interesting civil rights museum.

We thought the towers on the dead tree were pretty interesting!

The towers are just a short walk from the Visitor's Center and are surrounded by a wire fence. We couldn't go in the fenced area (it was after the tour time) but could see quite well through the fence.

From a distance they don't look all that special.

The Watts Towers, which are really nine major sculptures constructed of structural steel and covered with mortar, are the work of one man - Simon Rodia. He was born around 1875 in Rivottoli, Italy. His family immigrated to the U.S. in the 1890's and settled in Pennsylvania where Rodia worked in the coal mines. He later ventured west, working along the way in rock quarries, logging and railroad camps, as a construction worker and sometimes as a tile setter.

In 1921, he purchased the triangular lot at 1765 East 107th Street in Los Angeles. The neighborhood was a thriving working-class community of a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds. Later, WWII changed the demographics as his Japanese neighbors were sent to internment camps and their homes bought up for cheap housing for labor and defense industries. The end of the war brought high unemployment and poverty to the largely unskilled, black neighborhood.  

As soon as he moved in to his new house in the early 1920's, Rodia immediately began constructing his masterpiece which he called "Nuestro Pueblo" - Spanish for "our town." Working by himself, without machine equipment, scaffolding, bolts, rivets, welds or even drawing board designs he built his towers using his own creativity, tile setter's tools, and a window washer's belt.

His day job was construction but on his off-time Rodia was an artist adorning his towers with an elaborate mosaic of broken glass, sea shells, rocks,broken pieces of mirror, generic pottery, tile, marble and ceramics. He was the original "up-cycler" creating something new out of discarded, unwanted items.

The three tallest towers are 55-feet tall, 97-feet 10-inches tall and 99-feet 6-inches tall. These towers all contain a large center column extending from the base to the top. Remember that he built these without scaffolding, using a window-washer's belt to hold his tools as he climbed up the tower. He tied his reinforcements together with wire and then painstakingly wrapped them with steel mesh before covering them with his special mortar mixture and quickly adding the mosaic pieces. 

It was fun to look for familiar objects (the green 7-Up bottles, sea shells, a broken tea cup) in the mosaic along the wall and arches. His initials (SR) and address number (1765) are embedded in the mosaic every so often, like an artist signing his masterpiece.

Do you think it sounds a little rickety? The City of Los Angeles thought so and in 1957 issued an order to remove the towers calling them "unsafe." However, a 10,000-pound pressure stress test in 1959 proved the towers were safe and could withstand a force equal to that of an 80 mph wind. It wasn't until the Northridge earthquake in 1994 that the towers were damaged and then repaired.

In 1955, Rodia gave the deed to his home (and the towers) to his neighbor and moved to Martinez, California to be near his family. He died there in 1965. In 1959, while the City of Los Angeles was trying to tear the towers down, William Cartwright and Nicholas King bought the property and formed the Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts. In 1963, the Watts Towers were designated a Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Monument and in 1975, the Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts deeded the property to the City of Los Angeles. In 1977, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and in 1990, was designated a National Historic Landmark.

I cannot imagine climbing to the top of those towers without being attached to a safety harness or having scaffolding to stand on! 

So what am I thankful for? Several things, actually. First, that one man wanted to beautify his "not so posh" neighborhood and created an artistic masterpiece everyone, regardless of economic status, could enjoy. It was something that united the neighborhood rather than causing more divisiveness. Remember the Watts Riots? Despite the violence and destruction in Watts, the Towers were untouched. Secondly, that even 60 years later, the Towers have inspired others in the neighborhood to beautify their yards, to create their own "masterpieces." Walking down the street we admired beautiful rose gardens, intricately paved walkways, a beautiful "up-cycled" bird bath, ivy-covered arches. And it all started with one person. And lastly, that the Towers bring more affluent people into this mostly poverty-stricken neighborhood. It's easy to stay in your own neighborhood and pretend that poverty and brokenness don't exist in your town. 

But the truth is they exist everywhere. And so does beauty.

thankful thursday - beauty & the heat

Living in the desert southwest, we are used to prolonged periods of extreme heat that would fry much of the rest of the country. While it is true that ours is "a dry heat," what that really means is that nearly every drop of moisture is sucked out of just about every living thing.

(Death Valley National Park, August 2014)

The hottest day on record in Phoenix, Arizona was June 26, 1990 when the mercury reached 122 degrees Fahrenheit. I could feel my lips cracking and skin drying out when I walked outside to get the mail. Asphalt became sticky, adhering to the soles of shoes. It was miserable. But fortunately, it is rarely that hot.

We had a heat wave this past week with the highest temperature reaching 117 degrees Fahrenheit last Friday. The sun is blazingly bright as it reflects off sidewalks, pools, light poles, cars and other metallic objects in the summertime making it seem even hotter. 

So what is there to be thankful for?

I am thankful that even in the scorching heat of summer, God has given us plants with beautiful flowers that are both heat-resistant and require little water. 

They are a feast for the birds and insects that drink their sweet nectar as well as a welcome respite for our eyes (and minds!) from the dazzlingly brilliant sun. We feel a good ten degrees cooler just looking at them - and more than that if there is a breeze (something else to be thankful for in the summertime!

thankful thursday - random acts of kindness

Earlier this week a storm hit our neighborhood bringing rain and strong winds. Our big black trash can, full of trash, was on the curb waiting for trash pick-up when the wind blew it over while I was out doing errands. I arrived home in time to see my "older" neighbor, a man with mobility disabilities, right my trash can and ensure the lid was closed. He didn't know if I was home or not - he just took care of it so my trash would get picked up. What a blessing that random act of kindness was to me!

According to several online sources, the phrase "random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty" first appeared in our culture in the early 1980's and has been attributed to various people. But I think the concept began much, much earlier in history.

The Bible tells us we are to "be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:32). It also says "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8). And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Some Bible scholars make a distinction between "random" acts of of kindness and those that are "intentional" with the implication that, as Christians, ours should be intentional. Hmmm.

I think they can be both.

Intentional is defined as "something done with intent (the act of determining mentally upon some action)" and random is defined as "unpredictable." As Christians, being kind should be intentional. But the actual act of kindness as well as the situation is often random. I could give money to the homeless person I encounter on the street, or buy him a meal or give him my coat or direct him to a shelter or pray with him. My neighbor could have righted my trash can (as he did) or called me to let me know it had blown over or, because of his mobility issues, he could have asked another neighbor to remedy the situation. All of these would demonstrate kindness but which one you do is random.

Maybe the more important thing is to be looking for opportunities to demonstrate kindness - randomly and intentionally.

thankful thursday - one at a time

We have six grandchildren, five of whom live across the country from us. We are blessed to be able to see them three or maybe four times a year. Most often we fly to North Carolina and visit them because it's easier with school schedules and less expensive for two people to travel than it is for seven.

But when each grandchild turns ten, they get to come to our house by themselves for two weeks. It's become a rite of passage separating the little kids from the big kids. It's something they look forward to for years - as do we. And this summer it was Nick's turn to come.

Nick came out to Arizona with his whole family in a cross-country road trip. The rest of the family left from Flagstaff to go back home but Nick stayed with us and we did a little more sight-seeing in the high country.

We went to Meteor Crater - it was MUCH larger than Nick thought it would be! Then we enjoyed the view out this fabulous "window!"

We also spent a weekend exploring southern Arizona. Nick was surprised to learn that Arizona has both cool pine forests and scorching deserts.

Our first stop was the top of Mount Lemmon where the ski lift was a big hit. We stopped at some of the hoodoos and other rock formations as we drove down the mountain. The next day we stopped at the Titan Missile Museum where Nick got to turn the key to "launch" the missile. Then we drove through Saguaro National Park on our way back to the valley. Nick's favorite cactus is the prickly pear although he was intrigued with the saguaro skeletons.

While we were out traveling we introduced Nick to the wonderful world of geocaching. He caught on very quickly and talked Grandpa into giving him his old GPS so he could geocache at home! 

Before Nick left Arizona, he used his GPS to find a geocache near our house all by himself - well, I drove to the site but he told me which way to go and then he found it. He was soooo excited to put his own username in the log!

Nick likes breakfast... a lot! He learned to make pancakes at his great-grandma's house in California and wanted to practice while he was here. And then he wanted to learn to make waffles. But Nick also likes to experiment so we added cinnamon chips... or chocolate syrup and cocoa... or bacon. Every day was a new adventure! I think he may be a chef one day!

His favorite creation was a chocolate waffle topped with red velvet ice cream, chocolate syrup and a cherry on top. I was out of whipped cream or he would have had that on it, too! He got pretty good at making Mickey pancakes and thinks I should buy a Mickey waffle iron for the next time he comes to visit. Sadly, he had never had Jell-o Jigglers so we made Minion ones - which he proclaimed good and fun.

Some days we worked on projects. 

Nick wanted to learn how to crochet. He is left-handed and I am right-handed. Although he is left-handed (and I am not), he learned pretty quickly how to make a chain and then braid them into a friendship bracelet. 

We got a kit for making bouncy balls. He loved making them and then explaining how they were made from polymers and other geeky stuff. Another day he wanted to put blue food coloring on a piece of watermelon to see if it would turn purple. It did not.

And other days we went out to do errands or something more fun.

Movies are a great way to escape the heat! While we were at Chick-fil-A for lunch one day, Nick arranged a kitchen tour for the following week. It was really very interesting (and clean!) and they feed you! We got ice cream cones since our tour was in the afternoon - and Nick got a stuffed cow!

And, of course, almost every day we went swimming!

Snorkeling was great fun but Nick REALLY liked talking through his snorkel! He quickly learned to hold his breath when Grandpa flipped him!

We had a lot of fun. I laughed a lot!

And I learned a lot about Nick. He is interested in current events. We had a long and involved discussion in the pool one day about illegal immigration. He has a soft heart and cares about God's creatures. A bird hit the living room window and fell to the kool deck, dead. Nick was very concerned about the bird and his family. Nick doesn't like to be alone but can work or play independently without interacting with someone. And he still isn't too old for a big hug and a smooch!

Before we knew it, it was time for Nick to go home. The house was once again quiet (not necessarily a good thing!) and I didn't have to go grocery shopping every other day (growing boys eat a LOT!). And I missed the ten-year old conversation and doing things on the spur of the moment. I am thankful we have the opportunity to hang out with our grandchildren one-on-one and really get to know them. And I am thankful they want to come visit us!