Grandma Camp 2012

I proved to myself this year that you don't have to work on preparing Grandma Camp the entire year! It has been a year of big changes for me. My husband retired nine months ago as in he is home everyday! That is a big adjustment to a 30 plus year stay at home wife and mom. It has been one year since my mother-in-law was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and already seven months since she moved into our home full time. My youngest adult child moved back home a year ago too. So, my year of transition from being a stay at home wife and empty nester with a full time working husband has evolved into a full nest, added responsibilities in caring for my mother in law, little privacy, little alone time, thermostat challenges, TV remote sacrifices, and probably the hardest hit being far less time for my personal creativity time to bring me the joy that it once did.

Needless to say Grandma Camp was pulled together very differently this year and I did not began my camp with the 100% over the top organization that I usually do. But, guess what? If needed you can pull Grandma Camp together in two days and it seems everyone still has just as much fun!

Sadly, this year four of my grandchildren were unable to attend. Oh, how I missed them. So this year I had just six little campers and all boys! Another big change is that we moved the camp to the mountains this year!  My adult children graciously HELPED me pull grandma camp off this time.  We all (parents and kids) headed to our mountain cabin for the Memorial Day weekend.  We extended our stay to include grandma camp. The kids were okay with mom and dad being there but they were very concerned about where they would be during grandma camp and where they were going to sleep to no intrude on our special time together. Traditionally, it is no parents allowed. Seems to be a tradition the kids really like!

To kick off the camp we all (as in parents and grands) headed into town for a pizza lunch and arcade games.

Following lunch the moms and dads stayed in town for the

day to play and Papa and I loaded up our campers and headed

back to the cabin for Grandma Camp!

We had six campers between the ages of 2-11.

Once we arrived back to the cabin we all worked together

to set up the tables and chairs we needed.

Our first activity was talking about keeping a journal.

I then gave them each a camp journal to

record when and where our camp was, who was there, what we did,

how they felt, and their favorite things about grandma camp.

They were given time following each activity to

write or color in their camp journals.

Next up.... Since slacking grandma didn't get personalized

water bottle labels created before camp the kids made their own.

Each child was given a strip of card stock that would

cover the store bought label with a 1/2" overlap.

Each child decorated their labels using colored pencils

and they wrote their names on them. Papa used clear packing

tape (with the kids help) to attach the labels and to waterproof them

 to their camp issued water bottles.

Funny thing....

No one seemed to notice that Grandma Camp

had been pulled together in just two days!

What's next on the agenda?

Invention Crafts and Santa

My three grandsons came over the other evening just because it had been too long since getting to hang out at grandma's house. The effects of another generation moving into our home last month and the extra time and energy it has taken for Papa and I has trickled it's way down to the younger three generations of our family. Everyone involved has had to make some sacrifices.

Once we felt great-grandma was settled into her new home here I was just as anxious as the boys were to just hang out together in my home. They had invention crafts on their mind when they arrived. While the special tub where I store the invention craft supplies had been moved to make room for great-grandma the tub itself was just as the boys were used to. It was filled with all kind of inspiring objects!

My table was quickly filled with supplies and the invention lab was once again open for business. The youngest wanted to build a rocket. Not just any rocket but a rocket for Santa to get to and from the North Pole.

I asked about the reindeers and he said that they 

could ride on the outside of the rocket!

He was very tickled at just how well the finished 

rocket sleigh soared through the long hallways.

His older brother who has mastered the hot glue gun

invented a working crane.

It had a pulley system, moving parts, and a magnet

that picked up metal objects.

Great-grandma interacted very well with the boys while they were here. When the boys left (sooner than they really wished) I was very happy to hear great-grandma say; "That was really fun!"

Three Generations Under One Roof

It's true. I now have three generations living in my home. Our empty nest has filled back up. We have one  twenty-something, two fifty-something, and one seventy-something sharing our home. Very often, a fourth generation (great-grandma's (my mother-in-law) and grandma's (me) grandchildren) are here too.

Great-grandma and our oldest granddaughter

Great-grandma, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter decided to tackle putting up the Christmas tree on their own while I captured the special moment with my camera.

Once the tree was up we all worked together to hang the hundreds of ornaments we have collected over our 36 year marriage. Papa completed the tree by placing the star on the top.

Oh yes, we do have a full time grand-doggie

living here too!

Happy Trails and Beyond, Blog Give-away

I have been given the absolute pleasure to review this 2-DVD Collector's Edition of Dale Evans: Beyond the Happy Trails gift set and to host a holiday give-away for one lucky person to win their very own copy!

If you grew up in the 1930s, 1940s, or 1950s you know that Roy Rogers and Dale Evans were an every Saturday attraction on the movie screen or television. When I popped the first DVD in my mind was flooded with feel good memories of the theme song, just how beautiful Dale was, how very handsome Roy Rogers was, Roy's horse Trigger, their dog Bullet, and the wholesome entertainment that Dale and Roy brought to us.

This Roy Rogers' 100th Birthday Celebration Commemorative 2-DVD Collector's Edition shares the influence that Dale and Roy had on American culture. Their children, grandchildren, co-workers in the business, and friends share their personal memories and knowledge of Dale and Roy's professional career, their personal lives, and all of the charitable things they did to give back.

I was very touched by the love and admiration of Dale's son from a previous marriage. He looks to probably be in his late 70's in this documentary. His love and respect for his mother is undeniable. This documentary on Dale Evans' life, her 51 year marriage to Roy Rogers, their tragic losses, and their work with special-needs children are all very inspiring.  I learned many new and interesting facts about Roy and Dale that I had never heard before.

This 2-DVD  collection also includes two full-length, fully-restored, and uncut feature films, along with two television shows. This is a must see for anyone over 60 and it would make a wonderful introduction to the values and characters of Roy and Dale to all those who are under 60.

As I was watching the dvd's I couldn't help but think just how much my parents who are in their 80's would enjoy this feel-good documentary and the special features that are included. Dale Evans: "Beyond the Happy Trails" would make a lovely gift for your older loved ones!

For more information or to view a free trailer go to www.royanddale.com

If you would like to win a copy of Dale Evans: Beyond the Happy Trails ($24.95 value) for yourself or to give it as a gift please leave a comment on this post for a chance to win. One lucky commenter will be randomly chosen on BLACK FRIDAY!
( Friday, November 25, 2011)        Good luck.

The Almighty Dollar

Being a retired grandma and Papa certainly has its perks. We are able to attend the day time school functions with our grands, have lunch with them on occasion, help with the carpool if we so choose, and enjoy their school breaks with them without having to negotiate the time off.

Along with some wonderful retirement perks there are always a few nagging questions. Did we prepare well enough? Will our nest egg be enough? Should we be sitting on our nest egg or investing it? Do we know enough to make good financial decisions?

With today's technology there is information to help make informed financial decisions right at our fingertips. Do I want to tackle the financial market? Is Online Trading for me? How about an 

Online Broker? What about Stock Trading? Are my investments protected?  What is the difference between tax free and tax deferred? It can all be so confusing. 

My husband has always managed the finances in our marriage so much of the financial world is foreign to me. I recently came across an investment glossary online. I think the glossary is a good place for me to start. If I ever find myself in foreign financial waters alone for one reason or another it would be a real lifesaver to speak the language!

While peace of mind comes with having plenty of the almighty dollars saved and invested for retirement it is those we love, those we love spending our retirement years with, those who call us mom and dad, and grandma and papa that we deem our most prized investments and our priceless eternal  treasures!

When Memories Hurt

Here at Grandma's Little Pearls I am all about creating happy and fun memories for my grandchildren and family. I recently realized how vital and far reaching our love and support can be during the good times and during the times when bad things happen to the little ones we love.

A couple of weeks ago I witnessed how deep and long lasting memories and feelings can be. Our memories and the feelings they bring can be very good and positive when they come from a place of happiness and security. What I witnessed though was deep heartbreak in my ninety-one year old father when his memory took him back over eight decades to the day he learned that his parents were breaking up.

I did a bit of research on the effects that divorce has on children. The words intensely stressful, pain, guilt, vulnerability, grief, loss, anger, powerlessness, depression, insecurity, alone, violent acting out, anxious, fearful, overburdened, delinquency, distress, and a multitude of behavior problems littered the pages of my research.

Over eighty years ago my grandmother went to my father (an only child) when he was eight years old and said: "Son, I am leaving your father. Do you want to go with me or stay with your father?" Tears ran down my father's face as he shared this memory. I could see that it was coming from a very dark and powerless place. The emotion was as if it had happened yesterday.

My father is now blind but he can still vividly picture that day and the days that followed in his mind. He suffered through years of diminished parenting and a very poor quality of life as he was shuffled from one relative to another following his parents separation.

In today's world with the divorce rate hovering around fifty percent many of our grandchildren will very sadly experience many of the powerful and heart wrenching adult words found in the second paragraph. So, what can we do as grandparents to help?

I am certainly not a professional in this area but I would think that giving our grandchildren a soft place to fall would be a good start. A neutral listening ear and an abundance of a grandma's love would certainly help too. Beyond that, we could become an informed and loving advocate and a voice for the child/children if we see the need.

I like to keep things happy and positive here so I have to end with some very good news!  The very good news is that the happy memories and the feelings of love and security we create with our little grandchildren .... they can endure (as the inner child) for decades too!

Three Generations, One Vacation

My husband and I had just returned from a lovely Alaskan Cruise just a couple of weeks before. We were in our car alone and on our way to church when he said; "I have an idea and I want you to keep an open mind about it." Hmmm. I took a deep breath and I said okay. He then presented his plan for an extended fourth of July weekend.

His idea was a very last minute road trip to San Diego that would be our treat. It would include his 76 year old mother who was just officially diagnosed with Alzheimer's and our soon to be 22 year old daughter who had just unexpectedly jumped back into our empty nest after an emotional break up with her longtime boyfriend.

My first was a very caring and unselfish open minded thought that was all about him; Has he lost his mind? The level headed me; Could this really be a good combination? The frugal I; Should we be spending more money on vacations? Self centered me; My knees and legs (I had been suffering from severe pain in my knees and legs upon sitting too long or walking too long. Both of which were bad matches with a six hour road trip each way and for touring the shops and sites of San Diego.) But, as the women who was on her way to church to worship "He whose path we are to follow" took over after one brief disclaimer. "You will have to tolerate stopping as needed so I can exercise my legs and you need to be prepared for me not to being able to do some things." I then as graciously as I could limped on board with the idea!

After hours and hours online (which killed my knees) to find a very last minute and a perfect hotel suite for our needs, (The young broken hearted did not want to share a room alone with her newly diagnosed grandma.) an afternoon helping grandma pack, and a daughter that went emotionally back and forth hourly on whether she wanted to go or not.....  we were ALL finally on our way.

Our time together wasn't without it's challenges. For one, I did not know how challenging stairs would be to my health condition. The perfect hotel accommodations had a flight of stairs up to our room and another flight within the room that led to a private second bedroom and bath that was for my husband and I! The stairs were killers on my knees.

We had only planned the hotel room. We were going to wing it upon arrival. My husband is great at winging it with the help of his laptop.

As usual, with any family restaurant choices and menu choices were a challenge as were hotel thermostat settings. The TV thankfully was not an issue since we had three of them within our room. My physical condition worsened to terribly swollen and painful legs on day two.

Despite the challenges of the trip it was a really good idea. My mother-in-law who once loved going to the beach shared many beach memories from days long ago. Being there brought those cherished memories to her mind that one day soon will be forgotten.

As I sat there in my very pitiful and painful state, legs elevated, having taken every precaution to not add sunburned to my list of ailments, I found joy in the moments we were sharing where I could as three generations of family.

To add to my little pity party I was really missing 

my daughters hourglass shape that I once had!

I was thankful that my husband was able to have this carefree time 

with his mom and that we had the means to provide it for her.

I especially loved seeing the three generations together.

Without this last minute whopper of an idea

that my husband had I would have never seen nor

captured this beautiful and 

much needed supportive embrace between

 two generations of women.

Sewing Play Food with Mom

I just returned from 5 days of caring for my parents.

This was the project I took along to do with my mom.

My mom is 87 years old and she suffers from dementia.

She can't remember what she did ten minutes ago but

she still remembers how to sew.

Mom has made hundreds of tied quilts over many, many years.

Baby quilts, toddler quilts, lap quilts, twin to kings!

Each one hand tied and hand stitched to finish the edges.

She was also an amazing seamstress making our 

back to school clothing, holiday dresses, and later curtains, 

dust ruffles, and pillows for our homes.

I have provided her sewing machine projects and hand sewing 

projects to do together during her illness. It had been a while since we

 had sewn together and I was thrilled to see how familiar working with 

thread, needles, stitches, and knots was to her.

These simple projects gave us hours of quality time together.

I loved watching her frail hands doing something that 

she once loved to do so much.

While mom probably doesn't remember our time together

or the cute play food that we created there is nothing

that can ever take away the moments we shared

threading, stitching, knotting, cutting, and fussing over

just how cute our projects were!

I love you mom !!!!!!

The Other End of the Spectrum

I talk about and love doing the grandma thing with my ten grandchildren a lot. In addition to being a grandma I am a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a leader, a teacher, an event planner, a neighbor, a friend, and a blogger.

While I am up to my ears in Grandma Camp preparations I am also needed to go spend a week caring for my elderly parents. My mother has Alzheimer's and all of the challenges that brings and my father has lost his sight and he is wheelchair bound.

It is always a challenge to keep my mother's mind and hands busy for 12-13  hours a day. So, I am planning to take along my "Top Secret" Grandma Camp projects. It will be fun to share what I have going on with her. It is going to be extra special for me and my grandchildren for my mother to take part in the hands on preparations of this year's grandma camp.

So, while I am away from base camp (and my computer) the day to day operations of preparing for grandma camp will be a top priority to not just grandma but to great-grandma too! Stay tuned..... there is so much more Top Secret stuff to come.

See you next week,

Grandma Shelley

The Hands of Time

I recently found myself smack dab in the middle of being a part of the sandwich generation. Still a mother and now a daughter of two aging parents who need assistance with everyday life. While my older sister has taken on the brunt of the responsibility by choosing to have my parents add a residence on to her home occasions do arise where my help is needed to give her a break or to take over the care of my parents when she is unable to.

A recent last minute medical emergency in her family resulted in such a need. I found myself in the middle of three generations of family responsibilities.  I had a week long visit from my youngest daughter planned to celebrate her 21st birthday as a family. I would be making the one hour drive to my parents house as my daughter was driving to mine. There was no question that I wanted to be there as a support to my sister and my parents but I also wanted to be home for my daughter.

I was also going to be missing a school grandparents ice cream social that my six year old grandson had invited me to attend.

I made all of the needed arrangements on the home front to make sure that my daughter enjoyed her visit and Papa said that he would take off work to go to the ice cream social. My younger sister offered to cover for me while I came home for the day of my daughters actual birthday so that I could cook the birthday meal and treat that my birthday girl had requested.

El Pollo Fundido, chips, salsa, and guacamole!

My Beautiful Mother

and Grandma to the birthday girl.

(#22 and the youngest of the grandchildren)

I prepped for the birthday meal at my parents place. 

The birthday treat.

Ice Cream Balls with drizzled honey and whipped cream!

Recipe Here

Me and my Girls

Who I wouldn't have without my parents!

So, as the hands of time move forward things change.

My parent's hands worked, served, and led the way for their family.

Today, I am grateful for their continuing example.

Graciously accepting change, the help of others, 

and an enduring love for family.

And one tomorrow, it will be a different time

when my children will find themselves 

in the same place I find myself today.

Sandwiched between the needs of

two generations.

I hope that I will be as gracious and accepting

as those whose time I follow.

The Mile High City

My family has been visiting the mile high city of Prescott, Arizona since I was a girl. The city itself is most often a place to stock up on groceries for weekends at the family cabin in the mountains just out of town.

The original streets of Prescott are lined with vintage houses and the courthouse grounds is the hub for  craft fairs, art shows, classic car shows, cowboy poetry,  concerts, and even nights of square dancing.

The courthouse grounds is a full square block and it is covered in grass, sidewalks, and huge shade trees. The streets and sidewalks are lit with vintage light posts. It is a square block of America where no one is ever in a hurry and time is spent strolling through the retail shops and Whiskey Row. Small family owned restaurants, bakeries, and park benches dot the streets.

It has been a place of timeless beauty. I am sure the trees have grown over the forty plus years but to me they have only gone from big to maybe bigger. I grew up, dated, married, started my family, raised my four children, became a grandma, became an empty nester, and have passed on the love of this mile high city to my own children and grandchildren within the four plus decades.

More important than the city itself is what has brought us to this place. It is a small mountain cabin that sits high on a hill.

The rustic dirt driveway that takes us to the little red cabin on the hill is often rough and challenging to climb. The cabin was built by my father with the help of family.

It is always worth the effort it tote boatloads of food and luggage up the steep flight of redwood stairs to the cabins deck.

The cabin deck is lined with rocking chairs and a big stack of plastic outdoor chairs are added for seating as the number of cabin guests swells. I have many memories of wall to wall family members sharing the cabin together. Twenty-two cousins from my children's generation experienced the wide open arms and hospitality of loving grandparents with each and every visit to the cabin.

Grandma (my mother) had batches and batches of baked goodies ready and waiting for her guests and always a meal on the stove for anyone who arrived hungry.

While the cabin on the hill and the hometown feel of Prescott, Arizona have not changed over the 40 plus years my family has. The toy trucks and the handmade blocks at the cabin have been passed down to the next generation. My generation is now baking the batches of goodies for our own grandchildren. The 22 cousins are now the parents to the new generation of great grands.

Bedtime brings a sea of people both big and little who are scattered throughout the cabin. Most bunk together in the big open loft upstairs. When numbers are huge we even have air mattresses on the kitchen floor. It has always been a place of good food, games, laughter, and quality time spent with family.

My father who recently celebrated his 90th birthday has always said that joy is 50% anticipation and 50% memories. This is so true with the cabin.

My parents are no longer able to go to the cabin that they built for themselves and for their family to visit. They are deeply missed by myself, my children, and my grandchildren. My mother would always stand at the deck railing and wave good-bye until our cars had driven out of site for each and every visitor to the cabin. Her good-byes were just as loving as her open arm hospitality on our arrival. Our family would always honk twice which meant we love you too!

The cabin on the hill has always brought great joy to my family. The anticipation of seeing my parents, my children's grandparents, and our extended family. The delicious oatmeal molasses cookies that my mom baked, home made fudge made by my dad and the dozens and dozens of hand tied quilts that were made by my mother that awaited to be snuggled with at bedtime.

Now, those days are memories for me, my children, and my grandchildren. The joy of the time spent at the cabin with my parents is now found in our treasured memories. When leaving I still picture my mother standing on the deck waving. And, the honk? Yep..... two honks which now says "I miss you being there mom!"

The cabin on the hill is rich in memories for the four generations of my family who have shared time there. It is a place where the cycles of anticipation and memories will abound as the traditions and the history is kept alive for the coming generations of my family. Mile high joy for generations. Now, that is a great legacy. Thanks mom and dad!

Grandmas, Turning Frowns Upside Down

A friend who is also a neighbor is the best. I have been blessed with one such friend. We have exchanged cubes of butter, eggs, shared our fresh baked goodies, went on morning walks together, looked after one another's homes while the other is away, we had dinners out with our husbands, she altered my daughters prom dress, and I watered her plants. Our favors went back and forth and for me there is nothing better than a true trading friend.

As mothers and grandmas we both love our families and we love spending time with them. We both have aging parents and mothers suffering from dementia. One major difference was that I had my family very close by and she was miles, and miles away from hers. A situation that came about because of the real estate down turn in Arizona. She and her husband owned a home near their family and they had a beautiful custom home built as an investment during the peak of the crazy housing market in Arizona. When the custom home near me did not sell because the housing market crashed at a very bad time for their investment they put both of their homes up for sale and decided to live in the one that didn't sell. Lucky for me, she became my neighbor.

She was living in her beautiful home but she was missing the closeness of her family. As her friend, fellow mother and grandmother I totally got that. She is a real estate agent and the house always had a for sale sign in front of it and I know her prayers plead for a buyer. Her prayers were not about getting a return on her financial investment but one of her family unit being reunited. She was noticing a shift in the family unity that the distance between them was creating.

As a friend, when I heard the news that she had found a buyer for  her house I was both happy and sad. I was going to be losing my neighbor who is my friend. While I was so happy for her I knew that our friendship would be changing and that made me sad.

I was looking out the same window I would watch for her to be heading out for our morning walks when I saw the moving truck there. Again I was filled with very mixed emotions.

Just before my friend moved she told me that seeing and hearing of the closeness of my family was something that she yearned for. When she would see me walking down the street to one of my grands birthday parties or hear the laughter and chatter from our back yard bbq's, or see my living room filled with family through my front picture window as she drove by her heart would ache for her own family.

So, for those reasons I am as happy as I can be for my dear friend. But, I still can't help feeling just a tiny bit sad too!

I know that she is going to be one of those friends that time and miles will not matter. Whenever we see one another it will be as though there has been no distance between us. Those kind of friendships are one of the true treasures in life. So for now, I choose to turn my frown upside down and be very, very happy for my friend. 

A Full Decade of Being a Grandma

My oldest grandchild celebrated her tenth birthday this week and that means that I have been a grandma for a full decade! I have become the grandma to ten amazing grandchildren in those ten years. One year we went from two grandchildren to five. Those three grandchildren arrived just three months after the other. The current ages of my grandchildren are ten, almost nine, three that are six, five, four, almost three, two, and just over two months old. The ability that we have to love and bond with each and every grandchild as they become part of our lives is an absolute gift.

On my tenth anniversary of becoming a grandparent this week I was away caring for my elderly parents who are in their late eighties. They are the grandparents to twenty-two adult grandchildren and the great-grandparents of fifty to date. They have been grandparents for over four decades. Their grandchildren are spread across the United States and they are all busy providing for and raising their own families.

While with my parents I found myself thinking of the next decades of being grandma. I had very mixed emotions. The decades to come are unknown territory and very foreign waters to me. I am not quite sure how I will navigate through the teenage, young adult, and the adult years of my grandchildren.

I can only hope that what I am working to build now as a grandma is enough to keep my grandchildren and I  bonded and connected throughout the years of them growing up and me growing older. I find peace in knowing that becoming a grandma ten years ago was also unknown territory and foreign waters. Treading the foreign waters of being a grandma my first decade seemed to come quite naturally. I don't know that I could have possibly found any more joy in the journey.

So for now, I will continue to enjoy each and every moment with my growing grandchildren. I will continue my mission as a grandma to build strong family bonds, to create traditions,  and share in cherished memories that will last a lifetime.

I can only imagine the joy that my one day adult grandchildren will bring me when they reflect on their childhood memories that I had a part in creating for them. So, chin up Grandma Shelley I am quite sure there is much more joy to be found in every decade of the grandma journey!

A Treasured Cookie Jar

This cookie jar goes as far back as I can remember as a child. The original metal lid was painted yellow somewhere along the line. As you can see it has been well used even since the lid was painted many years ago. My mother was great at keeping fresh baked goodies for our family in the kitchen. She was a great cook and she made the best chocolate chip, peanut butter, and molasses oatmeal raisin cookies ever!

My mother never made a small batch of cookies. She would always double or triple the recipe so that everyone could have all they wanted. I loved coming home from school to the freshly baked cookies and cold glasses of milk.

The days of my 85 year old mother baking cookies for us has come to an end. It is something that generations of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren miss dearly. Baking cookies and other favorite family treats was a way that my mother expressed her love for our family.

While clearing my parents home of unneeded items recently I was lucky enough to get my mother's cookie jar to use in my own home. Today I took the time to carefully wash and shine it just like I would have done with any other valuable treasure.

Today I filled the cookie jar with my own batch of homemade cookies. It was a very sweet experience and one that I look forward to doing again for many years. It is and it will always be like having a piece of my mother in my kitchen with me. The cookie jar itself, and the sound of the lid being taken off and put back on triggered some wonderful memories. I thought of how much my mother loves our family and how much we love her. I wondered just how many hours of service she rendered to our family over 65 years by just filling this cookie jar for her family with batches and batches of cookies.

I am as happy as I can be to have my mother's cookie jar. There will NEVER be a time when I will bake cookies and fill the cookie jar for those that I love and not think of my mother, her love for me, my love for her, and her priceless example of mother and grandmother!

A Pair of Very Loved Hands

I would recognize these hands anywhere and one day I will yearn to see them doing what they love to do. These are the hands of my 85 year old mother. On a recent visit to my home I had a project for her to work on to keep her hands and mind busy doing something that she loves and knows well. Together we created the patterns for different sizes of work aprons to fit my nine grandchildren. I cut them all out and she took the drivers seat at the sewing machine. A seat that she would not give up. She spent hours and days at the machine. It triggered many fond memories for her from her decades of sewing for her family.

One memory went back at least sixty years when she spoke of making/sewing my two older brothers button up shirts for school. She taught me a lesson that day of just how long kind words can be remembered. She spoke of being introduced to another mother. The other mother was trying to connect my mother to her children. When the other mother connected her to my brothers she said; "Oh, you are the mother that makes those really nice button up shirts for your boys." My mother beamed with pride as she remembered those words some sixty years later.

The nine aprons my mother completed while she was here do not showcase the perfected sewing skills that she once had but, they are a perfect example of one of the ways that she has demonstrated her love for her family throughout her life. I will love seeing my grandchildren in the aprons that a pair of very loved hands created. I will be sure to take this as an opportunity to remind my grandchildren just how much their great grandma loves them!

Another Generation of Grandparents are In the House

I have my mother and father staying with me this week. They are in their 80's. My mother is in the beginning stages of dementia and my father has lost most of his vision. Due to their health and mobility restrictions we have had to change one of our annual Christmas Traditions.

In years past we have all gone to visit them in their home, taking in dinner or a treat to share as a family, and some sort of activity to do with them. This was a tradition that our family always loved doing as part of our Ho...Ho...Ho...liday Traditions. My parents always looked forward to it just as I and my grown children did.

This year I have brought my parents to my home and each night a different family (of my adult children) comes to spend some time with their grandparents and great grandparents. Last night my oldest daughter and her family brought them a gift basket filled with Hostess Suzie-Q's which is a favorite snack of her grandpa. The basket also included jars of fruit and jams from her recent home canning.

I baked some cinnamon rolls and we all shared a treat as we visited with a very special generation of grandparents. This morning they were anxious to try the new jams. They each chose a different kind and grandma was very pleased with her granddaughters home canning skills!

Creating Grand Memories

Great Grandparents despite age can find things to create memories and build bonds with even their youngest grandchildren. My mother who is 84 is teaching my grandson who is 4 how to play checkers while spending time together at the family summer cabin.