Life always seems to be so busy. When I was a child, there was always something more to do. I never managed to accomplish everything I wanted to do. One summer, after I got the reading bug, I read all the chapter books in the local library children's section. Some I liked and reread. Most were not particularly memorable and I ignored them. (This worried my parents so much that we went to summer camp every summer after this one.) This was not quite all I did that summer as I rode my bike to the library every day. At least I got some exercise, although my eyes were quite blurry by the end of each day with so much reading. This actually helped the term I took three history courses in college. That was a lot of reading every day.
As I grew older, other things were added to my days. Piano lessons, dance lessons, practicing, and eventually school sports all took a fair amount of time on top of the homework assignments.
Some people think things will ease off after they get out of school, but that really never happens. If you are truly living your life, there are always activities. Some of these are social. Some are family. Some relate to work. Some are for recreation. It is easy to over-schedule ourselves and our families. If we make informed choices, the busyness is manageable.
I read a number of blogs that help me keep my focus on simplifying the busyness in my life. I have cut back on some recreational choices so as to free up time for family choices. Right now, we are in a stage in life where we want to participate as grandparents. When we were both working, that was difficult. We often had to sacrifice grandparent responsibilities to work requirements. Now, we have fewer conflicts of that sort. I am grateful that I have more choice about which family activities I can join than I had when I was working full time. I look forward to this new season in our lives.
If you find too many sacrifices required, perhaps you need to assess what you are committing to that creates these conflicts. At times, we have few choices. At others, we have many more options. We can always choose, we just cannot always choose the consequences of those choices. I am grateful for the current options I have around me that allow me to choose the family more often.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Monday, November 17, 2014
Monday, October 13, 2014
Family visits in October
I missed posting my blog last week because we left early Monday morning and I didn't have a chance. We spent a week visiting friends and family. We spent the first part of the day traveling, then visited with family in Nevada. The camera remained in the bag.
The next day, we headed up to Utah where more visits occurred. On Wednesday, we went to the rec center for swimming (without camera) while the Pro played golf with his friends.
On Thursday, we had a picnic at Murray Park. What a great park.
After the park, we visited another great-grandmother in the family and collected canned peaches, picked grapes, pumpkins, and a few tomatoes and apples. Here we have three of the four generations.
On Friday, we went to Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point. As indicated by the name, they have lots of farm animals and produce gardens. This was fun because they had reframed the experience as a visit to Oz. In the pony ride below, one of the white horses has paint behind the saddle-it is the horse of a different color.
They had painted the sidewalk and lawn to create a yellow brick road. They had poppies along the yellow brick road before the emerald city-which is the pony ride. You can see the green wrapped around the posts in the pictures above. They had a wagon with the Professor Marvel logo from the movie. The area that normally houses a jail and dance hall is now labeled as belonging in Munchkinland. It was all very well done and very cute.
We could not skip a ride in a wagon behind two very large draft horses. It took us around the outside of Farm Country.
Farm country helps kids understand where food really comes from including an interactive exhibit from soil to table. For people unused to gardening, it probably helps teach children about how food is produced. There were lots of people there with little kids.
When we returned, we had a party to go to-an 80's themed party. Mostly, that meant hair in off-center pony tails for our girls.
When I lived in Worcester, I attended church in the Worcester Ward. Many of the people who were my daughters peers have moved to Utah, as she has. Many of the earlier generation have done so as well. One of the younger ones hosted the party at his home to create a Worcester Ward Reunion only it took place in Bountiful Utah. It was fun to reconnect with lots of old friends. I was in the ward from 1993 to 1999. The host's parents are also celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. They still live in Worcester, but they set up the party to coincide with a visit to Utah so we could all reconnect. This was also a family visit, just a different sort of family, our church family.
It was a fun week which allowed us to visit all of our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Now that the Pro is working only part time, we have more freedom to be with the family and look forward to many more such trips.
The next day, we headed up to Utah where more visits occurred. On Wednesday, we went to the rec center for swimming (without camera) while the Pro played golf with his friends.
On Thursday, we had a picnic at Murray Park. What a great park.
After the park, we visited another great-grandmother in the family and collected canned peaches, picked grapes, pumpkins, and a few tomatoes and apples. Here we have three of the four generations.
On Friday, we went to Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point. As indicated by the name, they have lots of farm animals and produce gardens. This was fun because they had reframed the experience as a visit to Oz. In the pony ride below, one of the white horses has paint behind the saddle-it is the horse of a different color.
We could not skip a ride in a wagon behind two very large draft horses. It took us around the outside of Farm Country.
Farm country helps kids understand where food really comes from including an interactive exhibit from soil to table. For people unused to gardening, it probably helps teach children about how food is produced. There were lots of people there with little kids.
When we returned, we had a party to go to-an 80's themed party. Mostly, that meant hair in off-center pony tails for our girls.
It was a fun week which allowed us to visit all of our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Now that the Pro is working only part time, we have more freedom to be with the family and look forward to many more such trips.
Monday, June 23, 2014
Don't let time run out
The Pro and I spent Saturday afternoon with his sons. We don't get together with them very often, but always have a wonderful time. We had lunch and spent some time visiting.
My cousin and I are planning a family reunion for next June. Our last major one was five years ago, although we had a slightly smaller one last year to celebrate her mother's 99th birthday.
I am attending a funeral service in a little while. My friend's sister, who was her best friend, died after a long illness. At least they lived in the same town and could visit together often. I love my own sisters, but they both live in California while I am in Arizona. That means I do not see them as often as I might like. The same is true of my daughter and step-daughter. We are all separated by distance.
I missed Dad on Father's Day since he's been gone for a while. At least we still have Mom.
I have been doing a lot of family history detective work and located the families of the Pro's grandmothers.
Through Facebook, I am connected to friends from long ago as well as family and more recent friends. I love seeing what is going on in their lives.
What all this has brought to mind for me is the need for us to take advantage of the time we have. Many of us get so busy with our lives that we assume those who are important will always be there. We don't think about how it might be that they are there only in memory.
I am grateful I have the time and technology to digitize a lot of our memories. It is almost like spending time with those who are gone, as well as renewing acquaintance with those still here. I am grateful for social media, like Facebook, which allows us to stay connected even when separated by distance.
Do not let time run out-stay connected with your family and friends while you still can.
My cousin and I are planning a family reunion for next June. Our last major one was five years ago, although we had a slightly smaller one last year to celebrate her mother's 99th birthday.
I am attending a funeral service in a little while. My friend's sister, who was her best friend, died after a long illness. At least they lived in the same town and could visit together often. I love my own sisters, but they both live in California while I am in Arizona. That means I do not see them as often as I might like. The same is true of my daughter and step-daughter. We are all separated by distance.
I missed Dad on Father's Day since he's been gone for a while. At least we still have Mom.
I have been doing a lot of family history detective work and located the families of the Pro's grandmothers.
Through Facebook, I am connected to friends from long ago as well as family and more recent friends. I love seeing what is going on in their lives.
What all this has brought to mind for me is the need for us to take advantage of the time we have. Many of us get so busy with our lives that we assume those who are important will always be there. We don't think about how it might be that they are there only in memory.
I am grateful I have the time and technology to digitize a lot of our memories. It is almost like spending time with those who are gone, as well as renewing acquaintance with those still here. I am grateful for social media, like Facebook, which allows us to stay connected even when separated by distance.
Do not let time run out-stay connected with your family and friends while you still can.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Family gatherings
We have a lot of family visits planned over the next month. I am so excited to see everyone. I will share some pictures from each over the next few weeks.
First, my Aunt Helen is turning 100 this month and we are attending a birthday party with her to celebrate. That means a trip to California where I get to see my mom, both of my sisters, and a few other family members. I have not seen some of them since Thanksgiving except for a video call at Christmas. The others I haven't seen in a much longer time. Some I saw at a party last summer. For others, it has been many years. The weather forecast is mostly nice, so this should be fun.
Then my daughter and her family come to stay for just over a week. We get to play with the grand-kids. I will hand over a bunch of DVDs, some clothes, and some food storage. We love having them visit. Haven't been with them since Thanksgiving either. The Pro wants to be sure that we have some activities planned so we don't sit around watching tv, although I think we'll want to watch some of the DVDs. I think we have lots planned, so it should be fine.
The day they leave, some of my step-daughter's family comes. The grandson wants some time with the Pro to polish his golf game since he is now on the high school golf team. The granddaughter who just delivered the Pro's namesake should be coming too, so we get to see the baby. We spent Christmas with them, so it hasn't been quite as long. They should be here about a week.
I think family time together is important. It is how we build traditions. It is how we strengthen bonds. It is how we show support for one another. It is often how we are able to give new moms a break to rejuvenate. It is how we show love.
When I was young, we visited one aunt and uncle in Seattle and another in Arizona. We visited some cousins on a farm in Oregon when I was quite small. I don't remember many details except trying to milk a cow and bare feet in the dirt. These visits helped us develop deeper relationships that still endure.
Both of my grandmothers had the family over for Christmas activities, one on the eve, the other on the day. My mom's mom always had us over for Thanksgiving until we started camping every year. I loved those family get-togethers. The food was good and the relationships even better.
My sister and one uncle have birthdays around July 4. Mom's mom had a birthday get-together almost every year. This means my sister never had a birthday party. It was always a family celebration. However, she always got fireworks on her birthday. My mom graciously saved sparklers so I could have those for my birthday in January until I was old enough to understand that they weren't for my sister but for the country. Still, it was fun to do sparklers in the middle of winter.
Family gatherings are much harder when the family is spread out. I raised my daughter in New England, so I saw may family once or twice each year. We tried very hard to participate in my in-laws gatherings so my daughter would be connected to those cousins. Now that she lives in the west, she sees less of them. However, none of us are very close physically. We make up for the space with phone and video calls. That doesn't make up for the missed hugs though.
First, my Aunt Helen is turning 100 this month and we are attending a birthday party with her to celebrate. That means a trip to California where I get to see my mom, both of my sisters, and a few other family members. I have not seen some of them since Thanksgiving except for a video call at Christmas. The others I haven't seen in a much longer time. Some I saw at a party last summer. For others, it has been many years. The weather forecast is mostly nice, so this should be fun.
Then my daughter and her family come to stay for just over a week. We get to play with the grand-kids. I will hand over a bunch of DVDs, some clothes, and some food storage. We love having them visit. Haven't been with them since Thanksgiving either. The Pro wants to be sure that we have some activities planned so we don't sit around watching tv, although I think we'll want to watch some of the DVDs. I think we have lots planned, so it should be fine.
The day they leave, some of my step-daughter's family comes. The grandson wants some time with the Pro to polish his golf game since he is now on the high school golf team. The granddaughter who just delivered the Pro's namesake should be coming too, so we get to see the baby. We spent Christmas with them, so it hasn't been quite as long. They should be here about a week.
I think family time together is important. It is how we build traditions. It is how we strengthen bonds. It is how we show support for one another. It is often how we are able to give new moms a break to rejuvenate. It is how we show love.
When I was young, we visited one aunt and uncle in Seattle and another in Arizona. We visited some cousins on a farm in Oregon when I was quite small. I don't remember many details except trying to milk a cow and bare feet in the dirt. These visits helped us develop deeper relationships that still endure.
Both of my grandmothers had the family over for Christmas activities, one on the eve, the other on the day. My mom's mom always had us over for Thanksgiving until we started camping every year. I loved those family get-togethers. The food was good and the relationships even better.
My sister and one uncle have birthdays around July 4. Mom's mom had a birthday get-together almost every year. This means my sister never had a birthday party. It was always a family celebration. However, she always got fireworks on her birthday. My mom graciously saved sparklers so I could have those for my birthday in January until I was old enough to understand that they weren't for my sister but for the country. Still, it was fun to do sparklers in the middle of winter.
Family gatherings are much harder when the family is spread out. I raised my daughter in New England, so I saw may family once or twice each year. We tried very hard to participate in my in-laws gatherings so my daughter would be connected to those cousins. Now that she lives in the west, she sees less of them. However, none of us are very close physically. We make up for the space with phone and video calls. That doesn't make up for the missed hugs though.
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