This afternoon I attended the funeral of one of my Grandmother's older sisters. I enjoyed seeing family I haven't seen in a very long time, some of whom I did not recognize! I also enjoyed listening to everyone speak of their memories of Aunt Joyce. I did not see my mother's extended family very often. I enjoyed the times we did see each other. One of my most prominent memories of getting together with my Grandmother's family was laughter. She and her sisters loved to laugh. It was fun to make them laugh as well.
Growing up they did not have an easy life. 5 girls - Audrey, Gloria, Joyce, Sidney, Janice (my grandmother), 1 boy - Reginald. Their Mom died of cancer at age 33, leaving three young children and a husband who was in the military. Their Grandmother raised them. They all spoke very highly of her. Life was still difficult for them. Reginald died in his early teens from a seizure. Despite not always being together, the 5 girls kept in touch. Audrey died when I was very young. Gloria when I was a teenager. Now Joyce.
Their lives were not always easy. But, they kept on laughing. That is what I will always remember about Aunt Joyce.
(I last saw Aunt Joyce at the Ladies Tea hosted by Grace Fellowship Church. That's a story for another day.)
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
The Crazy Family
Every family has a "Crazy" Family group. When all the siblings, their spouses and children, get together. There is always one family that walks in and it's like adding 20 extra people, no matter the size of the crazy family.
My family has been designated the "Crazy" Family out of my siblings. We have the oldest, and the most, kids so far in my family. They are a bit loud sometimes. I don't believe my kids are too crazy. They don't jump on or off furniture. They don't break things, maybe once or twice this has happened they try to be careful around other people's things. They aren't disrespectful or rude. I believe we received this title simply b/c we have the most kids, so of course we generate the most noise. 2/3 other grandchildren are under 1yo, so they can't be too crazy yet.
My only hope, someone else either has more kids (doubtful) or their kids grow crazier than mine!
My family has been designated the "Crazy" Family out of my siblings. We have the oldest, and the most, kids so far in my family. They are a bit loud sometimes. I don't believe my kids are too crazy. They don't jump on or off furniture. They don't break things, maybe once or twice this has happened they try to be careful around other people's things. They aren't disrespectful or rude. I believe we received this title simply b/c we have the most kids, so of course we generate the most noise. 2/3 other grandchildren are under 1yo, so they can't be too crazy yet.
My only hope, someone else either has more kids (doubtful) or their kids grow crazier than mine!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Bonfires and Road Signs
We spent the afternoon and evening at my parent's house. What a great time to relax and enjoy my family. My brother and his family where visiting, so it was even nicer. The kids were excellent. Well, as excellent they can be at their age. We ended the evening with a bonfire and sing-a-long. A nice end to the summer as everyone starts to prepare for going back to school in the next few weeks.
On the way home Elizabeth was very chatty. She likes to talk in the car. Probably because that is the only time she has that Mommy can't escape or be distracted very much by the other kids. She asks some tough questions, about everything.
She's been noticing the road signs recently. I did not realize just how many road signs and reflectors there are along the roads. I think she pointed out almost every single one of them. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, a road sign is worth at least a thousand when you explain what they mean to a five year old. Often you use more, since you have to go into all the back detail about driving!
Her best question tonight: She pointed out a sign that meant a signal ahead. She asked what it was for. I explained it to her. She then asked, "But why do they need a sign for it when we can see it from here?" Many different answers popped into my head. I went with the simplest. That perhaps a tree branch had obscured the stop light from farther back, so they put up the sign and then at a later date cut the tree branch down.
I was greatly surprised by all the road signs used. I've often complained that there aren't enough road signs, at times. If I looked hard enough, I could see that there are plenty of road signs with all the information I need to traverse the various highways.
It made me stop and think about my life. Life is sometimes depicted as a road. I always ask for more road signs. God has plans for my life. I'd like to know what they are. I often complain that there are not enough road signs and that the ones there need to be clearer. Maybe I'm looking at things wrong. God doesn't give us a specific map to our destination. He does provide road signs along the way. They are plentiful, if I pay attention. And they also give me all the information I need, maybe not all I want, to travel the correct pathway.
On the way home Elizabeth was very chatty. She likes to talk in the car. Probably because that is the only time she has that Mommy can't escape or be distracted very much by the other kids. She asks some tough questions, about everything.
She's been noticing the road signs recently. I did not realize just how many road signs and reflectors there are along the roads. I think she pointed out almost every single one of them. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, a road sign is worth at least a thousand when you explain what they mean to a five year old. Often you use more, since you have to go into all the back detail about driving!
Her best question tonight: She pointed out a sign that meant a signal ahead. She asked what it was for. I explained it to her. She then asked, "But why do they need a sign for it when we can see it from here?" Many different answers popped into my head. I went with the simplest. That perhaps a tree branch had obscured the stop light from farther back, so they put up the sign and then at a later date cut the tree branch down.
I was greatly surprised by all the road signs used. I've often complained that there aren't enough road signs, at times. If I looked hard enough, I could see that there are plenty of road signs with all the information I need to traverse the various highways.
It made me stop and think about my life. Life is sometimes depicted as a road. I always ask for more road signs. God has plans for my life. I'd like to know what they are. I often complain that there are not enough road signs and that the ones there need to be clearer. Maybe I'm looking at things wrong. God doesn't give us a specific map to our destination. He does provide road signs along the way. They are plentiful, if I pay attention. And they also give me all the information I need, maybe not all I want, to travel the correct pathway.
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