Family Updates--and a Big Announcement

Yes, a big part of the reason I come to the States twice a year is to see my family.  I had not originally planned to do this, but it was strongly recommended to me by a pastor with whom I had worked and who knew me, and my kids/grandkids well. I'm glad I took his advice.  I anticipate that in the future, my trips to Omaha will become fewer, as my grandsons become older.  I long for the day they are old enough for  THEM to visit ME, and the opportunity to show them first hand my life and work.  For now, though, I travel.

When I travel back in September, though, it will be an especially exciting time for our family.  My only daughter is getting married October 10 to a wonderful young man.  Brian is everything I would have wished for her to find in a husband, and I am so excited to have him as my soon-to-be son-in-love.  (My kids the best taste is spouses!)

Amid all the fund raising activities of this past trip, I managed to squeeze in a fair amount of time with my grandsons.  It was strange this time--I didn't see too much of my own kids.  Jeremy was traveling a lot for his job, the bank that Mikayla works for recently bought some other banks and she was working long hours as they were merging computer systems (or some such thing--I really don't understand what it is she does exactly!), and Joel is working evenings as the night auditor at the Fairfield Inn by the new stadium downtown, and sleeps most of the day!  Jon is still in San Diego, and I am anxious to see him at Mikayla's wedding.  I think I actually spent the most time with my daughter-in-love, chatting at the island in her kitchen!  Thanks, Lindy, for keeping me up on life in Omaha and what's going on with everybody!

Soccer games are required activities for visiting grandmas
I have to admit, they are much more fun now that Zach is getting older
and he and his teammates have better skills

The Zach and Nate, though at school during the day, had plenty of time amid their sport practices and play dates, however, to spend with grandma.  There is nothing sweeter in the whole world to me than, when Nate hears my voice, he comes running from wherever he is in the house and jumps into my arms.  This is probably going to have to change, soon, since he is now big enough to almost knock me over.  I love it while it lasts, though.

I got to celebrate Zach's birthday with him on April 23.  His mom even took him out of school early and we went out to the Bookworm bookstore to buy his birthday present.  Zach's fascinated with maps and geography these days, and he picked out a pop up children's atlas for his birthday present.  This went with him wherever we went for the remainder of the time I was there.  In his words, "This is the best birthday present anyone ever got me!"

We ended the night at the Panda House restaurant, sharing a plate of orange chicken.  Somehow this has gotten to be one of his favorite foods, and it's kind of a tradition that we go there to eat it each birthday.  It was so good to spend time just visiting with him, and I am awed by what a wonderful young man he is growing into.

One of Nate's favorite places to go is Barnes and Knoble bookstore.  He has a love of trains, and they have a big set there for kids to play with, so that's kind of become a regular grandma date place for us.  It was such fun to chat with him about anything and everything.  It's hard to believe that just a year ago he needed intensive speech therapy after having the frenula (the little piece of skin under your tongue) clipped.  He is never quiet!  Even when he sleeps he mumbles and trashes around, which I quickly discovered when we had a sleep over.

The one thing that grieved me when I moved to Guatemala was missing my children and grandchildren.  Would it be different if I lived in Omaha?  I'm sure it would.  I would be more directly involved in the daily goings-on of their lives.  Their lives have moved on without me, and I'm proud of who they are and how they manage life.  It's hard, though, not being right there.

I am so grateful that they include me when I am back, and am more than pleased that the boys like to spend time with me.  Zach told his parents at one point, "You guys need to go on a vacation.  Then we can have grandma to ourselves!"  Yep, I'm ready when they are!