Getting to know the Grands

In the last few weeks I've been able to interact and get to know my grandchildren again. I've found some unique traits and traits they all share. I love how their personalities are becoming their very own and how they figure out problems and come up with their unique solutions.

Oliver the man who like to explore

Corina and Grandpa

Grandpa usually wins but explains each step

Tell her how the game works and Corina will think it through

Caleb and Jayson thoughtful and helpful

Full of energy and a no quit attitude

Everyone is moving to different cities and homes. So all the grands are watching their belongings get packed up into boxes. When moving, parents need more babysitting then normal, so as Nona I have more one-on-one time for each of the grandchildren. It was so nice of Debbie to invite Kelsi, Jayson, Caleb and I over to her mothers house to play.  Matthew and Debbie will stay with her mother (Laurie Henderson) until they find a home close to the hospital where Matthew will be working.  I was able to see all my grandchildren together for the first time. It was fantastic to watch them play and interact together. Diving off couches and pillows, putting up forts and finding caves in the boxes and stacked furniture. They had a really grand time playing on the swing-set outside.  What a lot of joy!

My heart is full to overflowing to know these precious souls

The Last Activity Day

Opening Activity

Started out with each child having his own bag of cereal that he/she would use to play "Don't Eat Pete"

Set up Activity

Zip Zap Zoop A game to play while the Treasure hunt was being set up. Zip to the person next to you, Zap to reverse, Zoop to start on the another side of the circle

Treasure Hunt

Getting the first clue

Finding and interpreting clues

It's the race to the next clue

So much fun!

Clue in the kitchen

Crowd of investigators

Finding the treasures

New Activity - The Art of Co-operation

Explanation of Activity

Without touching the bottle, all hold and bring it to another place

With a rubber band and ribbons bring bottle down the row

Then set it down upright

For some reason the girls were much better at this activity

Even though they had more people they seem to be able to talk and execute an operation together

Even the under eights were able to co-ordinate and get the job done!

Last Activity

The last activity of the day was to write affirmation of everyone on a paper, or drawing a picture about them. This activity didn't go over very well...maybe too many people, maybe not enough ideas of words.....I'm not sure. It is much easier to have them put together a scripture story - which is what I would have done if I'd stayed on

So I just left my testimony with all the children and also left a piece of my heart in the Quirrino First ward.

Primary longings

The caveat to this post is that I'm not sure how to spell names and even if I've gotten them right - but in my mind I know who each child is!
I miss walking into church and getting Nephiah's hugs. I miss her brother Kobe considered look before he gives me a hug. I miss Shoti's exuberance and Anya's smile as he sits down next to Jeffrey. I miss Angelo coming up to sit and chat with Jeffrey. I miss Chiyo's personal notes and hug and LJ's long hugs. I miss watching Cedric come up with a considered question for Jeffrey in Sharing Time and Grant's thoughtful answers. I miss Chichum's quick access of any scripture and Chloe's chatter and smile with MDale's laugh. I miss Adam thoughtfulness and his sister Angela's quiet smile and answer. I miss Sweet's sidelong glance with a shy smile and Alex's shouting, "Hi Sister Adams!" on a crowded lane. I miss the calculations of a future engineer with Yushin and his sidekick Jaden. I finally figured out who was James and who was Joshua and then I can't see them anymore. I know Isabel has gone on vacation to the Province and wonder if she will be back. Does Mattie stick around for Sharing Time? Is Russell and Neptali on their chair or under it? Kitty's grandson - ah name escapes me, he always does well in his talks and what is the name of his sidekick - he is not shy but thoughtful, Sister Coco's daughter is shy and adorable and every once in awhile will talk on her own. Does Paulo come to class? Is Adam Ledesma happy and healthy? We have birthdays just a day apart (and a few decades).  There were so many new investigators and children who came in and out. I wonder how they are faring and how life is?

I really miss Activity Day and watching the children run around, exploring experiments, then listening to scripture stories. I miss their questions and amazing observations. They will all go on in life but I will remember them as they were in this moment.

Sharing Time

Trying to jump at the same time - some pictures are better than others - what is the name of the boy in the blue stripes?

Good times........

Transitions

Everyone in our family is in a state of transition this year. Jeffrey and I are trying to figure out normal again. No alarm for 6 am office start, no due dates or projects to finish.
When we flew to Utah a few days after arriving in California, I talked to Rachel my youngest daughter and she is beginning another semester of school with new roommates and deciding where her life should go. We talked to Michael and Julia who are expecting a little girl to arrive in August. Talk about changing your life! A first baby is always  life changing. They are both in school and figuring out how to graduate expiditiously.
After being back in California for a few days we flew to North Carolina to watch Matthew graduate after four years of medical school. Big move from the East Coast over to the West Coast with Debbie and the children flying and Matthew and Jeffrey driving for three days in a moving van. Matthew took the last leg into California by himself. Saying goodbye to all their friends, colleges and the beautiful gardens, hiking trails and roads of North Carolina to begin all over again in Sacramento, California.
I flew back early (though I got stuck in Chicago for four hours) so I could take care of Jayson and Caleb while Nate and Kelsi traveled up to Redding and signed for their new home, painted rooms, and picked out appliances to be dropped off next week. They are expecting a little girl in August also and going to three small children is going to be a big transition too!
Last night I talked with Andrew about his plans to buy a new home. He asked if he could live with us for a few months to save on rent so he could buy a home. He has all kinds of ideas of how his life will change this year.
And then there is Rebekah making one of the biggest transitions in life, she is getting married next month to Michael McGoveran! We are so happy for her and making plans to house all who are coming for her celebration. Life is good, really good. But normal? What is normal?
Sorting out and packing boxes, living out of suitcases and dreaming up ideas to entertain children is my normal for now. Keeping track of wedding plans and airport schedules is taking priority. Will I be transitioned by July?

Rachel's hug

At Zuppa's with Michael and Julia

   

Blowing the dandelion North Carolina

Soon to be one more armful in August

Rebekah and Andrew

Michael and Rebekah

Puppy love

Andrew and his nephew Caleb

Dinner is generally around 5:30 or 6 pm and then Caleb and Jayson run around, get ready for bed and talk with everyone around. Andrew generally gets home later and always has this friend who jumps up with him. Andrew asked Caleb if he was here for him or the food and Caleb replies, "Food."
It is nice to know where the friendship starts!

Feeding Caleb his dinner - is it better off of his uncle's plate?

Details, how did that work?

Reading through the Book of Mormon, I am in Ether again. And again I find more questions about trivial things that I haven't found answers to.

How do you carry honey bees for long distances without invoking their fury or causing them to die? They wouldn't be running around gathering pollen, so how would you take the fragile honeycomb and keep the bees alive?

I really loved seeing a youtube demonstration on how a barge "tight like a dish" could travel and survive through the water. Here is one possibility for your thoughts: Jared's barge.
I really like how the debris is floated off through the water as that question had come to my mind also.

But the big question is how you would fit all the families, the food for a year or so and all the animals on eight barges that are the length of a tree? How big was that tree? How do you care for animals and humans in a tight spaces? How did they keep track of each other on the water? How long were they underwater? What would make the barge stay upright? What glued the light-weight wood together "as tight as a dish"?

I've been traveling on a few planes in the last few weeks, some long trips and some short trips so the idea of being in a cramped space with lots of people rises the questions higher in my mind. Add in animals, bees (did they bring the fish too?) and maintenance/packing problems all come to my mind. Much less how they all stayed cheerful and sane. Were any babies born throughout the trip?

The fact is, I'm still wondering why Jared asked his brother if the Lord would "drive them out" of the land to a better place - It looks like they were looking to go to a promised land so why is he asking if the Lord is driving them out? Maybe there is some nuances of words I'm missing. More probably the story is just not long enough.  Teachers always skip right to the light part - which is amazing, wonderful and insightful - but sometimes I'd like to know a little more of the technical details.

To post or not to post

Wow! How did time travel so fast that it is now a week into May? Where did the rest of April go? Days just seem to click away while I'm not looking. As of this minute, Jeffrey and I are now connected with new phones so we can talk with our family and friends - but looking back I can't figure out what else I did today.......well Jayson is really smart and he and I did do a 300 piece puzzle the last two days.......life is just not the same as when we had to get to an office by 6 am.

This is not an official engagement picture, just one I took when the family went out to dinner together

I'm not sure as a mom what I can announce or not announce but it is official that Rebekah and Michael McGoveran are engaged and will be married on the 20th of June! Mike is a really great man who is a creative chef in his spare time. Right now he is going to school again. I have a lot of respect for a man who goes back to school after years of being out of regular school. Rebekah is working herself up and up in her career field. Such a lovely daughter!

Looking back over the week......so many people to love!
After arriving in Provo, Jeffrey and I talked with his mom and then we had a great dinner with my sister-in-law Janice and her family. Jeffrey and I caught up on their lives and new family members and told them a little about our life in the Philippines. Janice went to the Manila mission and I can tell the boundaries have changed tremendously since she has been there.

Janice and our mother-in-law Beverly Adams

Meeting Sister Baysa on Temple Square

The next day we went to Salt Lake to report back to the Office of General Counsel. Before we got there we visited Temple Square so we could meet a new missionary in the field, Sister Baysa pronounced "Bi-sa" (just in case you run into her!!!)  She has been a missionary for just a couple of weeks and is really a wonderful spiritual girl with lots of love to give.

Temple Square with missionaries

Sister Baysa's companion came from Thailand and has been in California before her mission. It was such a pleasure to see them!

Next we went to see Susie and the rest of the family in Ogden

Ok, now the pictures of the week won't unload from the iPad.........due to factory settings, user error, what!!?
This whole technology is such a blessing and such FRUSTRATION!
I should be so very grateful I can call on a phone now. But having spent hours on a treadmill of leads and instructions.......I still don't have my pictures.......not smiling.

Fine......I'll post the first of the week........I'll get a young person to help me figure out the rest..........then I'll probably get back to you later.......if I don't stomp something......