The Simple Things

We enjoyed a visit from my Dad (Grandpa) last weekend and we all had such a good time! Hannah and I got to take him out on a special Daddy daughter date to Paradise Bakery where we had fun sharing our hearts, talking and laughing. I am so thankful for a man like my Dad. He means the world to me and I love him so much! <3 Hannah , David and Anayah came over and Hannah brought her special spinach crust pan pizza to share with us which was absolutley amazing! I have to say she is the best deep dish pizza maker around! ;) I made a yogurt cheesecake which actually to my surprise was pretty good! We figured since it was 80 percent less fat than regular cheesecake than we could have 3 pieces instead of one! After dinner Dad helped the kids carve a pumpkin that he had bought them. I loved watching the joy on their faces as they watched the master carver at work! Silas loved taking the seeds out of the pumpkin while Mireya and Jude looked on with disgust! As I sat and watched them laughing, asking questions and talking with their Grandpa, I told my Dad how special these memories would be to them. I remember as a child loving all the simple things that my Grandparents and mt parents did for me and with me. I remember my Grandpas LeFevre's jelly bean jar that he kept in his office. Every time we went to visit him, he would bring us the jar and let us pick out a jelly bean! I loved all the stories he would tell as we would all climb up onto his lap, and I loved his laugh, the twinkle in his eye and his smile. My Grandma LeFevre would always shower us with love and give us apple juice and let us watch cartoons. We loved her knick knack shelf, and would always ask to stand on a chair and very carefully hold each piece. Every time I drink apple juice I think of her.
My Grandma figgs would always rock us in her little pink rocker..sometime 3 of us at a time and sing songs like "Home on the Range" and" Take me out to the ball game" Every night when she would lay out our sleeping bags on the floor and after the last light was turned out we would all sit up at the same time and say "Grandma, we are hungry!" She knew we would ask every night, but she would patiently turn the lights on and make us all a piece of bread and butter! We would always pack lunches for my Uncles and Grandpa and take them to the shop since they owned a wrecking yard..yeah we were junk yard kids and couldn't have been happier! My Grandpa always ahd a smile and a twinkle in his eyes..his hands were always dirty and he always smelled like grease. He would always threaten to "thump us all", but there was never a sweeter guy around! Every time we showed him anything or told him about something he would reply with "I'll be darned!" I remember him giving us rides in his little airplane and in his yellow pick up truck.
I always thought I was special because I was blessed with 3 sets of Grandparents since my birth Mom passed away when I was little.
My Grandpa and Grandma Frymyer always had a special place in my heart also..I loved eating vanilla icecream with chocolate syrup at night with my Grandpa and watching tv with him. I loved his chuckle and how when he would laugh his eyes would dissappear. He seemed like a tough man, but Hannah and I always saw his tender, loving side. I miss him so much...I remember loving all the crafty things Grandma Frymyer would make for us. She was very talented with sewing and woodworking and would always bring us gifts. She also is missed and was very loved.
I could go on and on about my Grandparents...so many special memories. We even adopted a Grandma who was a wonderful German lady that we adored who had a sheep farm in Ohio. Her name was Mrs. Lutterus and what a fun time we always shared with her. We loved to go and help her in her garden, have tea time, play with the baby lambs, and help feed the sheep. She always made the most delicious feasts and to this day no-one can make meatballs like I remember her making!

Of all the memories I can recount with my Grandparents and of my childhood I remember the simple things the most. We loved our Christmas presents but the huge refrigerator boxes were the best! We had a big farm in Ohio with a huge hill on our property..so..we would get in the box and roll down the hill! We had hours of fun with what we called "summer sledding!" I loved walking through our hay fields, playing on the huge hay bales, swimming in our creeks, building forts, swinging on our big tree swing, catching lightning bugs, reading Christmas storied together as a family and taking long summer walks. I remember the smell of my Mom's fresh homemade bread when we came in frozen cold out of the snow, milking goats, gathering eggs, and most of all all the time we spent together as a family. Family movie night every Friday night was a BIG deal. We would spread a blanket out on the living room floor and eat popcorn, apples, crackers and cheese! Sure, I remember the trips to Dollywood, to the ocean, Sea World, Cedar Point ect. but those aren't the things that stand out. I think we need to remember as parents that the "BIG exciting things and opportunities may be fun and wonderful, but they aren't the most important. Tears come to my eyes when I talk to my children and they tell me that family time and their family is what is most important to them. We started a "Thankfulness tree" today where the kids and I made a big tree trunk out of poster board and colored it brown. I cut out a bunch of fall colored construction paper leaves and told the kids that each day of November we would each write one thing we were thankful for and pin it on the tree. Mireya wrote "My Family" and Silas wrote "Jesus" Jude wasn't quite as deep as he wanted me to write his "badge" which is just a little plastic badge for his shirt that says Sheriff on it. :)
I pray that through life I always remember what really matters. Through the pressures of life and keeping up with everything and making sure our kids have the "best" opportunities, experiences and adventures, let's not forget the small things and the things that will leave a lasting mark and impression on their lives.

 So next time we think that our kids would love going to California Adventure land rather that digging in the mud and laughing with us..maybe we should take a step back and think again. Let's not discredit the specail times of cuddling, playing, reading, laughing and playing in the dirt. I want to make the most of these precious days making memories with my children. I want to look back and know that we took advantage of every day making it as special and memorable as we can, and just loving the simple things in life.

oops, having problems getting my pictures where I want them for some reason!