As most of you know, I am in Phoenix, caring for grandkids while Jodi and Eric just brought Noah Michael into the world last Thursday. While Noah is just the most precious little blessing, this has been a huge reminder that I am not 40 anymore. Caring for a 2 yr old and a 10 yr old, much less a 33 yr old and a 39 year old, has also proven to be very…well, proven to be most tiring. Fun, but tiring.

As I am cooking away, which I love to do, I sometimes look around and see laying on the floor a pair of little underwear laying there because Caleb (the 2 yr old, not the 39 yr old) has run to the potty, but just takes off the underwear as soon as he realizes he needs to go. I have washed exactly 137 tommy tippy cups in 5 days, emptied trash cans every other hour (from the non-stop soiled diapers from the newborn and the 2 yr old.) Before Randy came to help me over the weekend, I was leaving the hospital the day Noah was born when Caleb decided he wouldn’t get out of the elevator, so here I am with a armful of balloons, 2 stuffed doggies, my purse, bag of extra clothes and “treats” for Caleb all the while trying to drag Caleb out of the elevator. People waiting to get on the elevator just stand there watching me to see how I am going to manage this. Jaden is already out and the doors begin to close when Caleb proceeds to scream, saying “no, I don’t want to go, I want my dad” and me, trying to sound so sweet and trying to bribe him out of the elevator, so the people wouldn’t think I was a child molester or kidnapper. Jaden finally grabbed one arm and me the other and we proceed to drag him out with him sitting on his bottom, screaming all the way.

The next day, Randy has arrived and we decided we need to go to Walmart to buy a few things when, Randy decides to leave Caleb and I at the check out counter while he goes and looks for a pair of sunglasses. I get all the groceries on the belt to check out and Caleb immediately yells, “”Nana, I have to go potty, NOW”…well, I cannot leave all my groceries on the belt, don’t have the energy to start back over and with no Randy in sight, I begin to plead and bribe Caleb if he can wait I will buy him any candy he wants. Finally Randy shows up and I throw Caleb at him and yell, take him potty now. Randy runs with Caleb to the bathroom, only to return him to me in a minute, saying that the men’s restroom is closed for cleaning, so I take him and run to the ladies bathroom……We get to the “minivan”, yes, we said, minivan, (for those of you who know Randy, you know this is quite a trick getting him to drive a minivan while we have the grandkids), and Randy says that the glasses he just bought are already scratched so he is going to go back in and exchange them. I try to catch Caleb to put him in the car seat when he decides that he thinks it is fun running around the inside of the van. So, I proceed to climb in and head to the back of the 3 seat van to retreive this precious little darling. Now if you can imagine a little old lady trying to catch a 2 yr old inside a mini van while he is climbing over all the seats trying to get away from you, you get the picture.

We got home, finally and Jaden announces that he is hungry. I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t cook anything. Besides dealing with over 100 degree weather and the 2 year old, I talked Randy into going to get us Taco Bell. I don’t think I have to tell you that we have doubled up on our viatamins since being here and am sleeping extremely well every night.  With Jodi and Eric and the new little Noah home now, it has been such a sweet time of seeing my daugher be a new mother once again. We actually had about 4 hours, just she, Noah and I, one afternoon at the hospital while Eric and Randy took the other two boys. What a sweet memory. Yes, it is worth all the dirty dishes, dirty diapers and dirty chothes, to see your kids become parents again. Not only does it bring back many sweet memories, but in the process of these two weeks, we will be taking home some new memories that we will cherish for years to come. Thank you Jodi and Eric for this new little blessing and thank you Lord for your protection and the gift of Noah. He has already won our hearts.

It is Good Friday. As I sit here and think about what God, in all His Glory, did for us so that we might live victoriously forever, it amazes me that Sunday, we will celebrate a Risen Savior who truly is in the world today. Last night, our Bible Study group had a meal together, reading scripture of what Christ did and why He came to earth. He came to bring salvation to all who believe and that the Father would be glorified. It brought to my mind that I needed to think more of my life and what I am doing that glorifies the Father. Would He be glorified by the life I live daily? Would TV shows, movies I watch, attitudes that I have…..would these bring Him glory or grief?

This Sunday, as we attend worship services, let’s reflect on not only what Christ has done for us, but what we are doing for Him?

Last night, as we gathered around with friends who have become so precious to us, reading of the Passover meal and sharing bread together in remembrance of 2000 years ago, I couldn’t help but wonder what Jesus and His Disciples were thinking. As we were there sharing prayer requests and the bond of friendship and love, because of Jesus Christ, it made me wonder what it would have been like to have dinner with Jesus, sitting, sharing, and encouraging each other in their faith. Praise God, because of the Resurrection, we will find out one day what it will be like to sit around the table and have dinner with our Savior……..Easter Blessings to each one of you, new friends, old friends and family, each of who we love so much!