Family celebrations

This past week has been a quick one as we begin to wind down the summer. The higlight has been the time we had my cousin's daughter with us. Hannah is 10, and she and Maren are two peas in a pod! When we first reconnected two years ago at Disneyland, we were amazed at their immediate bond and how much alike they are. The girls have emailed and talked across the miles between Edwardsville, Illinois, and Tustin, California, to maintain their relationship. I'm sure it helps that we spent a week together last summer!





We have been so blessed to have spend this time with Hannah, building memories at the water park, movies, City Museum, and just playing with the kitten. All of us will remember this time together. We'll remember Bongo clothes from the trailer at the movie theater because Hannah thought they were awesome and she thought it would be cool to have a photo with Maren in new Bongo outfits. (Thanks to their grandmas, her wish came true!)





Our time with Hannah at our house culminated with a party - a 60th Anniversary party in Springfield, IL, for my great aunt and uncle. Many relatives who I really don't know where there. I see them every few years, but I don't have a relationship with them. My husband and kids were great - they ate and talked to the people they knew, but they didn't mingle with those outside the circle. We heard the usual strains of, "Those boys are getting so tall!" and "You have grown so much since I last saw you!" They engaged when necessary then retreated to the comfort of their seats and full plates.





The anniversary party was special because the kids were with their cousins and family. They saw their grandma have a great time mingling with her cousins. They saw their cousin scoop icing off the decorated anniversary cake with a toy ice cream scoop - not Hannah! But I hope they remember that sometimes life isn't about us. We could have had time with the more immediate family going to the lake or the pool, but this day was about celebrating 60 years of marriage!





60 years is a long time, and Aunt Marie and Uncle Keith were the stars. My uncle commented that he didn't think he'd make it to the party since he had two heart attacks in the week before the party! It was truly a celebration, and they had a great time with their family and friends.





Relationships take time and energy to keep them alive. I pray that my kids will take the time to talk with their cousins and get together so they continue the bond they have started. And I pray that they will remember that life isn't always about them, that it is good for them to rejoice with others, to help others, to play a supporting role from time to time. There is always something to be learned or enjoyed when we look for it. Being a friend or family member isn't about having everyone look at us. It's about enjoying life together and considering the feelings of those we love.





It will be interesting to see what they each remember from this weekend when we bring it up at a cousin's wedding 15 years from now. I am confident that it will be that they were with their family, at a 60th anniversary party - from there, it's anyone's guess!

Summer days - finding time for the right food

Summer days are... Different for each of us! I couldn't wait for summer so our schedule would relax and our evenings wouldn't be so rushed. We could lounge at the pool, then head off to ballgames. Well, this summer hasn't been so peaceful. The kids are older, which means we have more to fill our days. And they really don't care about my schedule, so I've got to be disciplined.

But holding a schedule is difficult for me during the summer. Sure the bills are paid and the house is relatively clean, but I'm not on my game. There is a hole in my life, and it's time with God. Or as the kids learned at camp, it's TAWG. (Time Alone With God)

I have found TAWG to be critical in getting through my day - Bible study and prayer are the foundations of keeping my life together. Summer changes that because the kids are home and I feel guilty taking time from them. But I shouldn't. Summer changes that because we are still busy and there is more laundry, more meals, and more mess. But it shouldn't take away my time with God. Summer changes that because my husband and I are busy, passing by each other and maybe sitting in the car on the way to a ball game, and he takes a phone call and I lower the volume of the radio. But this shouldn't be.

So I am asking God to forgive me for my wrong priorities. I need him to be my portion everyday, not just when it's convenient to my schedule. It's fun how God works in our hearts every time we open the Bible. Today when I read about "working for food that doesn't spoil," I knew he was speaking to me. My work is to be glorifying God through my prayers and actions. Sure, I am to take care of my children and our material items, but God is to be number one. And my husband #2. Oh, that doesn't sound good! My husband is to be my second priority, not the person I give my leftovers to because he'll take them. :)

So let's work together and find our time with God every day and work for food that doesn't spoil, for water that will forever quench our thirst. But I do need an iced tea - it's nearly 100 degrees today!