Random Thoughts And A Sweet Moment In Time~

It is so interesting to see how our lives unfold. These past couple of months have been especially rewarding with visits from Children and Grandchildren. It is fun to observe your children and grandchildren as they interrelate with one another. Parenting in today's era is not an easy task but I marvel at how skilled my children really are at providing teaching moments for their children.
The children of today seems so advanced in comparison with when I was raising children. Most of the younger children learn how to read before they start kindergarten. I also find that my grandchildren are great thinkers. They love to create and it's so much fun to see how their talents are progressing.
This year we were able to have more one on ones with our grandchildren. Usual there is just a lot of group activity but with smaller groups of our grandchildren we can spend more time getting to know them better. We have such a large posterity that it is difficult to have close relationships with them because most live out of state.  I have been trying to figure out a way of gaining a closer interrelationship with them all.  I have had many thoughts such as weekly letters to one child at a time. It would take almost a year to just write one letter to each of them. I do try to write messages on their birthday cards. We do talk on the phone occasionally. We Skype with our families; but not often and it isn't a one on one time. With the technology of today we do have more ways to communicate. Sometimes, I can communicate with them on emails, through blogs and etc. However, I have a number of grandchildren that are not old enough to use the computer and other technology. I do have a blog site just for my grandchildren and that has been fun to do. Still it isn't that one on one that I would love it to be. If any of you have some suggestions on what you do to draw closer to your grandchildren; please leave me a comment.

I have found it very challenging this summer to find time to do other activities that I would like to do. Time just seems to fly by and I don't get much accomplished on a day to day basis. I have several projects that I would like to complete but I haven't been able to find the minutes needed to even work on them. It seems like each day brings some kind of a challenge that prevents me from completing my to do list. Perhaps now I am taking too much time smelling the roses. I need to find balance in my life. I think that re-evaluating my timing issues is a good thing to do in September. I need an every 6 month re-thinking what is really important to accomplish in my life.

Right now I am on a time crunch because I am trying to complete  my Aunt Della's History. I must have it completed by September 19th; because she will turn 100 years old on that day. I didn't  really know her very well growing up or through the years until we moved to Salt Lake City, 8 years ago.  I find her so amazing. She is still so alert and her memory is so good. I have really enjoyed our time together. She is such a joy to be around. She has a younger sister, my Aunt Alene who will turn 93 years old in December. She also has a very sharp mind and actually enjoys going in on face book. She has spent many years doing genealogy and family history work. Through the years I have had many opportunities to be around her; she too has brought great joy to me. I love them both so much. They have enriched my life in many ways.

Aunt Della and Aunt Alene

My husband and I are continuing to serve on an Inner City Mission. This has been a growing experience for us. We have learned many things about the struggles of those in poverty. I find that we had such a limited view of what it means to be in poverty or to be homeless. I don't think we could have imagined how prevalent it is in our society and in this area. Almost, all of those we work with ask for food first. We who are so comfortable and have never felt the gnawing pain of hunger are so deeply blessed. There are so many out there who need the basic essentials of life; food, a roof over their heads and etc. There are so many young single mother's out there with children to feed and most of them in our area of assignment only make minimum  wage; which is not sufficient for raising children. It is true also that most of them at sometime in their lives have suffered abuse. Many of them have mental illness problems. You would think in the United States that we would take better care of our own; but that isn't happening. Our church has wonderful resources to help many of these people become more self-reliant. However, they struggle to do so because they can't really relate to having a middle class life. Many have been in poverty for generations. Some of course, have a sense of entitlement so that is also a difficult situation. We do have a deep love for those we serve even though our success rate in lifting them out of their poor circumstances isn't very high. We are grateful to have had this experience.

As I am writing these thoughts I have a sense of wonderment at how deeply blessed I  really am. I have a lovely family, a very dear husband and a deep love for my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ. I, like all of us have trials, and difficulties that we must go through but if we are reading this right now or spending time with technology then we aren't in poverty; we are blessed.

Well here was my random thoughts for the night.
May you feel the joy of our Savior's love and the enjoy the sweet moments with those you love.
Here is a minute of joy that I had this week with one of my grandchildren. Sariah, age 15 is extremely talented on the piano and I know she is going to be a wonderful pianist. She didn't bring her piano books so this was by memory. Enjoy, Here is Sariah at the piano.