Erasing Evidence
How long does it take to
erase evidence of a year of grandchildren in your home? Going from a total of 7
grandchildren throughout the year living with you to none is quite an adjustment! But what fun it was!! Our home and our hearts
were full. When I skype with these guys
(and girls), I can’t believe I had that houseful of extreme cuteness and
sweetness in my home!!
Now, a couple months later, I’m still cleaning up and putting away. Our attic has a “Street area” and a “Jake’s
area” full of things that they couldn’t take with them. The process is sad because you feel like you’re
packing away memories with it. Although
the memories will never completely fade!!
Not only did we have these 7 live with us for awhile, we were able to see our remaining two grandchildren in Ireland! Even as I speak of the things I miss, I am thankful God has made a way
for them to be where He wants them to be! But these memories are in honor of that wonderful year.
I miss Rees telling me of his
outdoor adventures and seeing him build a birdhouse with his dad. He liked to help me cook and did a good job!
It was amazing to watch
Hadassah and Titus grow up so quickly within that first year! I loved their special smiles they gave me
that lit up the room!!
I loved seeing Misha sitting on her Papa’s lap
while he read her stories!
I loved seeing Andrew fishing
in the pond with the boys and catching fish for our dinner. And Andrew pulling the wagon behind the lawn
mower full of boys and neighbor kids!
Swimming in the pond was so
much more fun to watch and do with all you grandkids around! I loved watching and counting the bobbing
heads!
Justice learned to ride his
bike at our house!
Do you think if I would have left
the pile of child size shoes/boots by the back door, it would have made it
easier??
Rees and Josiah loved
building amazing things with blocks, legos…and showing them off to Nana and
Papa!
The downstairs bathroom door
was covered with fingerprints. I told
Mikah to leave them there and put a sticky note by them saying, “In memory of a
visit from Amos and Justice….” J
Not sure I can survive
without finding my toiletry items in my dirty laundry bin in the basement….memories
of Justice having fun throwing things down the laundry shoot!
Do I have to pick up EVERY
plastic dinosaur and matchbox car I find in the sofa cushions and under the
piano??? Who will return them to those places?
Who’s going to read all those
children’s books on the shelves??
Did I really have to repaint
the basement stairs and cover up all those scuff marks?? And the bathroom floor?
What to do about all these
booster seats and carseats???
Where exactly am I supposed
to put all these little boy’s stray socks???
Do you want them shipped, Morgan??
If I store them, will you bring the matches back in a couple years and
the next ones wear them? J
This big box of school books
that arrived after you left…..sitting in the guest room closet.
The swingset sits unused….
Who says, “Yay for Nana!!” at
the supper table when I do the cooking??
Where’s the rambunctious boys
keeping us up late at night?
What about the hearty
greetings and hugs when I come home?
And the “Can I go with you” when I head to work or the store??
My homemade playdoh is dried
up…..should I really make more?
Then there’s their parents! How can we say how much they were a blessing…the
ladies with their cooking shopping and cleaning. They were great companions around the house! Andrew and Jake helped with ‘car’ maintenance
questions and lended a hand to Don on home maintenance. Don enjoyed talking theology with the
guys. Both couples were such a blessing
to our church family, strengthening the body of Christ! I had to keep reminding myself that just
because they were such a great help here didn’t mean they were supposed to
stay! The same reason they were a great
help was the reason why they were called to go!! Christ in them, the hope of glory.
I praise the Lord for all the memories of this
last year. Now it’s time for all of us to
move on and wrestle with the next set of challenges God lays before us. No, all the memories won’t be erased. Some are vibrant and occur to me frequently,
and some lay hidden only to arise upon occasion when bumped loose by something
I see or hear. The year was a gift from
God and I will treasure it all!
