Playing Grandma

Mike and Kylie celebrated their 4th wedding anniversary this past week by going on a wonderful cruise together. That meant that Del and I got to babysit Preston. Del took off Monday and Tuesday from work, and then I had Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off and we both watched him today, Saturday, until the kids got home.
What a blast. We had the best time with that sweet little boy. He is a genius...a freakin genius. His favorite thing to do is be outside, of course...day in and day out. Playing in the back yard, with the ducks, on the playset, with the grass, the dirt, everything available to him. And he can play for hours, which we did.
In the house, he loves to watch movies, read books, help Aunt Chica pack up all her clothes, take apart and put back together a ball point pen...for literally 48 minutes!!! What 18 month old child does that??? Play games, take a bath and just hang out.
With Papa being there today, he went on a bike ride, a wagon ride to the park, played on the swing, the ladder and slide...and sobbed when he had to get off to go home. He is literally 100 mph until he goes down to bed, but wakes up with his running shoes on.
And such a good boy too. Eats well, sleeps well, plays well and obeys very well. He was a pure pleasure to be with and love for four days.
I'm the happiest "Nana" around!!!

Finding Waldo

The pictures make sense when you know the story.
Mike and Kylie left today for a 5 day cruise for their 4th anniversary and so Del and I have made arrangements to do the babysitting this week. Del took off today and tomorrow and then I took off Wednesday and Thursday and Friday is my regular day off...so, we have it all covered. Del went over early this morning so he could be there when Preston woke up and wouldn't miss his momma too much if 'Papa' was there.
The day was filled with walks, movies, playing and learning the A, B, C's. After Prestons nap, Del brought Preston over to our house at about 4:30 so Del could have dinner and have Preston eat over here. I got off at 6:00 and came right home to spend some time with them both before they had to go back to put Preston to bed. But when I got home, Lexi and Jordan had taken Preston and Lacey for a walk to the local elementary school so I had to wait about another 30 minutes before they got home to see Preston.
Del had mentioned that even though they couldn't find Laceys leash and collar, Preston still wanted Lacey to go, so I imagined Jordan and Lexi had their hands full. And when I saw them walking towards the house, Jordan put Preston down and I watched as Preston ran down the street to me. It was adorable. Jordan was tired, finding it hard to manage both Lacey and Preston off leashes...bahaha... We spent the next 45 minutes or so, feeding Preston, making smoothies and then packing him up for Del to take him home to go to bed.
After they left, I helped Lexi do up some dishes before I started to get out my Bosch to make up a cake for work tomorrow. I found one of the beaters but began searching for the second one without much success. I went through drawer after drawer, cupboard after cupboard, through the dishwasher twice and then did it all over again. What the heck?? How could I lose ONE beater??? Lexi joined in the search...Jordan heard our frustrations and so he joined in the search too. After about 20 minutes, we finally figured out, Preston must have taken it somewhere. he had been known to hide a few things before...not intentionally, of course, but lost none the less. So, we started searching with 'where would Preston have put this?' in our minds. He had been in bathrooms, bedrooms and all over the house. Then Jordan looked in the newly dumped garbage can and exclaimed...'I found it!' Not my beater, but...Lacey's leash. (first picture) Our first discovery. Jordan called Del and told him about our find and then casually mentioned the beater. I watched Jordan as he walked into the t.v. room while talking to Del and then exclaim, 'Yep. it's here!' (2nd picture). Preston had put it on the bookshelf next to some pictures. We laughed and laughed.....
I made the cake and got things cleaned up in the kitchen before deciding I was going to blog this cute little story about Preston when Lacey came up to me hinting it was time to feed her. I had noticed her bowl was empty, so I went to her bag of food to scoop out some food into her bowl, when low and behold...ta da...third picture. My cell phone. REALLY??? He had hidden Kathryn's phone in there once, but I didn't even know he had taken mine!!!! I wouldn't have found it until?...well, when I did.
It has had me giggling all night, every time I think of that sweet little boy going from place to place in this house putting things in places we would never think to look for things he has hidden. It has been better than any possible Easter egg hunt we would have had yesterday...
Makes me question...WHAT ELSE WILL I FIND OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS?????

Then What Should I Pack???

A year ago, my response to 'You can't take it with you' would have been, 'Then I don't want to go.' But of course, I do. I just have to re think my priorities and desires.
So I can't take my earthly treasures???
Then what WILL I take???
Whatever it is, it has to fit between my two ears and inside my heart. That's not a lot of space, so I better make it worth the effort of learning.
The Lord has blessed each of us with talents..I've thought a lot about what He wants me doing with those talents because at some point, He is going to ask me what I've done with them and how I can use them to help build his kingdom.
Am I wasting them away? Am I learning all I can in the areas of service, intelligence and God-like qualities that I will be able to help build my own kingdom in the next life??
Thank heavens I am married to Del!! But I'm not going to be able to hold on to his shirt tails forever....at some point, the Lord is going to expect me to step up and start using some of the 'smarts' he's given ME, not Del.
So, it's time to start 'packing' my eternal suitcases...filling them with what I CAN take....
compassion, humor, warmth, testimony, love for children, music, missionary work, love of the scriptures, desire for all things good, open communication with the Father and his Son, an obedient heart, clear mind, healthy body, hard work ethics, service and righteous desires.
Of course, the list continues and the process is eternal...But I figure the process has started and I hopefully have some time to work on all of it with the remaining years the Lord will keep me here on earth. I'm not ready to go and He's certainly not ready for me yet, so I get to continue enjoying the 'learning of all things eternal' so that when the time DOES come, I will be ready, with suitcases packed full of what I can contribute to the building of His eternal kingdom.
And hopefully, those same eternal truths will assist both Del and me in the building of our own eternal world. It will be then, that I am truly grateful Del is my companion as his love of building will be most useful and his desire for exactness will be most appreciated.
Remind me though, to pack a measuring tape, pencil and patience.
Del is, after all, a perfectionist.
Thankfully, we'll have all eternity to work on it.
Right?

Now, It's Personal

It's raining today.
Thunder and lightening and a slow, steady drizzle.
It's Easter Sunday and I am grateful for this past year.
Because of this past year, I am able to understand His death, resurrection and atonement differently...
NOW, it's personal. And I sorrow for the pain that was my portion to bare.
And I'm sorry....really and truly sorry.
But grateful. Eternally grateful.
Happy Easter.

Lunch with 'OLD' Friends

I was the youngest one there.
I am now a member of the 'Empty Nester' group for Family Home Evening.
I am now invited to the birthday luncheons for these sweet ladies.
I visit teach one of these ladies WITH another one of these ladies.
And although I am the youngest in the group, I have to realize, I am getting old.
Realized....
Ouch.

Saturday is a Special Day...

I worked this morning while Del and Lexi went to the temple and Jordan had something else.
Then I came home to find that Del and Jordan had gone to purchase a new lawn mower as our one of 15 years or so, went KA-PUT!!!!
They spent the next...what? hour or so trying to actually read the directions and put this lawn mower together. I had to get a picture to prove that they really can work well together. Of course, I have not included any dialogue under the photos because there were a few impatient words passed from one to the other, but overall, the end result was a beautifully manicured lawn and yard.
And then tonight, we enjoyed our first Packard family get together of the year...or, I should say, the first that we have attended. I have been a little 'Packard gun shy' lately...We have some very strong, opinionated and out spoken family sometimes and I've been trying to really live a very peaceful and calm life. I tend to get a little 'over zealous' in some of my conversations when I get with the rest of them, so tonight, when I felt that starting, our family quietly slipped out and left a little earlier than the rest. We are quite the judgemental family...hard to realize and listen to. I fall into the trap VERY easily when I'm with them. I don't want to be that way anymore though.
But it was still fun, introducing Lexi to everyone. She was adorable and I was very proud of her for holding her own. A little overwhelming the amount of people...and not everyone was even there.
It was nice to take some pictures though of everyone.
Great family.

'I Just Can't Say That'

There's a proper word for a female dog.
It's used by Veterinarians, breeders and vet techs.
It's used in my office.
But it's also used by foul mouthed, vulgar teenagers and angry people who have no respect for women. I've been called one before...and on occasion, I have rudely called a woman the name also. Not recently, mind you, but too recent to be appropriate.
In the past month, our office has been involved in the breeding, or results of breeding female dogs for the benefit of selling the offspring....so the word has been flying around the office as if it were the halls of the local high school! And I cringe. This has been the first time that I have EVER heard the word used in a 'professional' setting...an 'appropriate' setting. And it's used A LOT...frequently - between doctors - with clients - between techs- and with breeders.
But I can't say it. I get all tongue tied and stumble all over the word. I've never heard or said the word without it being done in anger. For some reason, being angry seems to justify the using of the word 'in vain'. Now, how does THAT make sense???!!!
In my conversation with a breeder yesterday, I was stumbling all over the word. I avoided the word at all cost. The breeder recognized my discomfort and jokingly said, 'It's okay to say it just this once.' Can you imagine being given permission to swear??? I've sworn before - a lot. I'm not proud of it...but I've never really found it a big deal before either...until now.
I quietly replied, 'I just can't say that.'
I guess it's me trying to be more lady-like...more refined...more like...I know who's daughter I am...who's wife I am...who's mother I am...who I am. And I don't swear anymore...in any way, shape or form.