Eat My Bubbles !

This summer has been a big time for swimming on the swim team for our family. We have six grandchildren on the McDowell Mariners Swim Team. Caleb, Joshua, Rahlee ,Ian, Jade and Chloe. For two months parents, grandparents and children participate on a daily basis in practicing and going to swim meets- swim meets at home and swim meets in other towns in our Mountain Swim League. It takes effort and is a time consuming sport, but the benefits outweigh the work and time. All the kids have had a great time associating with other kids and sharing the experience with them. They have all improved in their swimming strokes and speed and have a sport that will always be theirs. Lasting relationships have been formed and sharing this sport with Mom and Dad, Poppy and Grammy will always be remembered.
A bonus this summer has been that Adam and Aimee, as sister and brother, have been the coaches for the team. It has been so nice to see them working together. Both of them were on the Mariners Swim Team many years ago and now their kids are part of the team.

Many years ago, Poppy and Grammy were participants as parents so it was just natural that we wanted to be part of our grandkids team again. All the kids have learned to be really good swimmers this summer and improve all their strokes and times. But this was Chloe's first year and she did not know how to swim at all when she came to the first practice. She struggled and worked so hard to learn the freestyle stroke. Before long, she was swimming with much more ease. She was so proud of herself and never gave up even though it was a struggle at times. She still has improvement to make, but by the end of the two months she was swimming all the strokes and jumping off the block instead of the side of the pool. I can't help but think that her self-esteem has been given a big boost by her accomplishment. We are proud of each of the grandkids- Caleb, Josh, Rahlee, Ian, Jade and Chloe. "Eat my bubbles"

Joy, Joy, Joy!

I was reading an article by Anne Perry in the Meridian Magazine, early this morning. My writing today is a quote from that article.

" Life itself is one endless blessing that I have not really earned yet. I have one opportunity after another to do something good, make something, taste of what is beautiful, delicious, funny, wise, in all ways precious. I have simply to look out of the window to see the light on the water, countless flowers in the garden. I can listen to music, I can hear the wind in the grass, I can taste raspberries, crusty bread, I can smell clean linen, fresh rain, cut grass. Best of all, I can wake up tomorrow and start again, try harder, use this gift of time to do something good. I can be kinder, I can forgive and seek to be forgiven. I can manage pain or disappointment with more faith, and less self-centeredness.
Altogether I have another chance to make myself into what I really want to be, and that is to include helping others make themselves into what they want to be.
God holds a hand out to help us – not a foot out to trip us up. I think sometimes we forget that. There are no tricks in the fine print. Man is that he might have joy."

If I could only keep this in mind each and every day of my life. How much more happy and joyful would I be and how much more joyful would my family be. I have a decoration above my bathroom sink. It is really a Christmas decoration I bought at Christmastime. When I redecorated my bathroom I put it above the mirror because it does reflect what I want to be and what I want my home to be. "Joy, Joy, Joy". I need to look at it more often and remember this

quote by Anne Perry.

Ezekiel's Blessing

"The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. " Ezekiel in the Old Testament
My grandson, Bryan, had this verse on his "My Space" page. I was struck by the application of it to how Briggs and I are feeling lately. We are in no way "righteous" but we do try to do good most of the time. Life has such great burdens to bear and it is sometimes those who are closest to you that cause you the trouble. That is what makes it so much harder. You love all your family and when one member becomes a serious worry in your life, you can in no way reject them or step away like you could if it was an acquaintance, friend or some stranger. You are tied to your family members for eternity and their welefare will always be a concern to you no matter what they might do. The verse says, "Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children." As we deal with the aftermath of our daughter's accident and all the situations leading up to it, along with nursing her back to health, we have to have the attitude that we are her keeper and the finder of her lost soul. Patience in this process is needed and necessary and that is what is so hard to have. If it were not for scriptures like these and the knowledge of the Gospel, I think that it would be so much harder.
In the meantime, we look forward to her recovery, and the blessing of some happy times ahead.
Maybe not immediately, but soon. I hope!

Continuing Life-Miracles

It has been a long, long time since I started this blog and wrote here last. March, after Emma was born in Arizona, was the last post. I guess I was busy after getting home from Arizona and I was back to slow dial up internet again. It takes my desire to use the computer away. We still do not have DSL even though Verizon has brought it as close as 1.7 miles down the road. My friend Amy, that lives there has it. She must be on the very edge of the end of where it reaches. I just have to be very patient and one day it will be here, like a thief in the night. Like Walmart came here one day, and Lowes. They were almost deemed to be miracles. DSL for our family will be a miracle too. But, we have had many wonderful, REAL miracles in the last few months and so we have no need to complain. Our twins, Aiden and Andrew are growing big. They are 15 and 13 pounds now. What a miracle considering their very early birth and many complications. Another miracle is that Jennie and Takeshi have been able to move to Indiana, from Japan. A miralce of a job and easy transformation from Japan has brought them much happiness. Lindsay and Chris have been up there this summer, spending lots of time with their mom. Another miracle happened on Mother's Day when my sister and her husband and daughter were preserved in a very bad auto accident. The outcome could have been worse, but now they are continuing their recovery one day at at time and the outlook is good. Our most recent miracle happened the other day. On Monday, July 21, Allison was in a very bad auto accident here in Marion. She was not driving, but the driver lost control and they went off the road and hit a tree.

After being cut out of the car by EMS, she was flown to the hospital in Asheville and is now recuperating from her injuries. She has a rod in her leg, pins in her pelvis and a broken arm, along with other various stitches and bruises. But, she is alive and we are all thankful for that.

Briggs and I are taking care of the kids and taking them to see her in the hospital. Hopefully she will be out soon and knitting back together. So..... we do not have DSL yet but we have some things that are even better. Thanks and praise to the Lord for his blessings.

Not Forgetting Emma

To keep current with writing my thoughts on the different things that are happening in our family, I want to write a little bit about our newest family member, Emma Elizabeth. Of course I went to Arizona early because we thought she would come early. Katie obeyed the requests of her doctor and stayed on bedrest, while I helped out with Ellie and the house work. The good thing about it all was I got to know Ellie very well. I hope she has not forgotten me since I left.

Katie came off bedrest and we started to go out more and enjoyed each other as mom and daughter. I was certain that Emma would come by the time that I changed my plane ticket which was 10 days later than my first return time. We waited and waited but as luck would have it, Katie's body was not ready to give birth yet. I had to leave and so I did. Two days after I came home, little Emma made her debut. I did not get to see her born or hold her in my arms or be a help to Ellie and Katie after the birth. I regret that very much. But, being with Ellie and Katie for the 7 weeks I was there was worth it all. We will see Emma when she comes in June and I look forward to that. Katie keeps us informed about Emma's progress and how Ellie is reacting to having a little sister. Now we have three new little babies in our family. Aiden, Andrew and Emma makes three.