Family – Page 6 – Valerie's Voice

One Little Box

I was deep cleaning our bedroom closet recently and dusted off “a special box” on the top shelf. I wrote a poem about this box eight years ago. A few details have changed since then…the old Gateway Computer box has been placed inside a slightly larger fabric box for additional room, because now this fabric box contains 41 years of calendars and recorded history. I have shared this poem before, but I’ll share it again.

The original Gateway computer box, inside a larger fabric box.

One Little Box

In the bedroom closet upstairs, tucked away on the top shelf, is a box.

It’s an old Gateway computer box with the Holstein cow pattern, and it’s only about 14” X 18” and 6” deep.

It doesn’t take up much space, this one little box, but, if you open it up, out pops one great, big surprise! Thirty-three years of calendars, thirty-three years of life, thirty-three years of recorded history from one small family. It contains years of appointments, church activities, school and sports activities, vacation schedules, birthdays, anniversaries, deaths, dinners, all kinds of celebrations….

It reminds me of a Jack-In-The-Box. Each year it springs open, I add another calendar, force close the lid as it bursts with memories, and I put it away for safe keeping.

This one little box holds one big treasure.

And it’s amazing how little space this box takes, upstairs, tucked away on the top shelf of the bedroom closet.

The new fabric box that holds the original Gateway box
and additional calendars.

Memorial Day

Flags are gifted to military personnel family’s upon death. My mother had two flags, one from her father and one from my father.

A day set aside to remember and honor people who died while serving in the US Armed Forces.

Herb, my father, in Belgium, Army Air Corp. Photo found in mom’s collection. Although he died at a young age (55) he did come home from WW II.

Home Again

We arrived back to an empty house, after helping our son and his family move out of our home, to Colorado. We miss them.

A few haikus about our trip…

Adventure awaits
To Colorado they move
We will miss them so.

Our own caravan
Three vehicles together
All heading westward.

The view of the beautiful apartment complex where our son and family have settled.

Unload, unpack, rest
Moving is a lot of work
They are settled in.

Hiking in the park
The snow starts gently falling
Spring in the Rockies.

The spring/winter beauty of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Three moose on the move
Catching a glimpse through the trees
Many elk and birds.

A few of the many elk we saw in the park, and in town.

Visiting good friends
Retired and moved away
Fun to reconnect.

The Twin Sisters, a view from Ft. Colins, CO. Photo by Jayne L

The house is quiet
The children have moved away
It feels so empty.

Our last day with the grandchildren before their move to CO.

Arrived!

Our son and his lovely wife and their two adorable children have arrived safely in Minnesota. They are here for the long term…Andrea left her childhood town in Mozambique, Africa. They are beginning a new chapter in their lives, here in the USA. We have prepared a space for them in our home for their transition period. We are so excited this day has finally come. We are grateful.

I’m in a happy place…reading to the grandchildren.

For Zoey

Zoey, our 4-year-old granddaughter, is moving from Africa to the USA soon, with her family. Her mom says she is excited to see snow in Minnesota. Here are a few photos from our recent snowstorm…for Zoey… and Ezra, her 2 1/2-year-old brother. We cannot wait to see you!

I’m always taking pictures of the cardinals in our yard.

The red cardinal on a fresh layer of snow.

The snow covered trees in our front yard.

Snow-covered evergreen boughs out on our deck.

Looking out at the snow from our kitchen window, through a green-glass star.

I have a fun story about an African snowman. Our daughter-in-love is a native of Mozambique, and we knew she had never experienced snow but was curious about snow. Before we left Minnesota, on one visit to Mozambique, I dug through my Christmas boxes and found a packet of “Real Fake Snow” (when water is added to this white powder an instant reaction is a white-snow like mixture). I tucked the packet into my suitcase. One evening, after a very hot day in Mozambique, we opened the packet and mixed up the “real fake snow”. It was fun to watch a snowman being built, in Africa!

Our son looking on with joy as his wife makes her first snowman.

Thanksgiving Revisited

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. It all began Wednesday night at our annual Thanksgiving service at Emmaus Church. We gather for praise and worship along with our traditional “circling around the sanctuary, holding hands and speaking our thanks in prayer together.” Then we head downstairs to the fellowship hall for a pie social! Folks bring pies to share, and everyone eats one or two pieces as they visit.

The next morning Gary and I helped at Northfield’s community meal. Laura Baker Services Association (housing, educational and support services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities) provides a traditional Thanksgiving meal to anyone in the community. No need to sign up, just show up for a delicious meal. This was their 19^th year of arranging this wonderful event. They baked 22 turkeys, and made potatoes, stuffing, gravy, corn, salad, cranberries and pie! Last year we ate dinner at LBSA – this year we volunteered to serve. It was fun.

After we left LBSA we joined a family from church, who had invited us to come for dinner when they found out…at the pie social Wednesday eve…that we would not be with our family Thanksgiving Day. It was a beautiful thing, sitting around the table with old friends and new, sharing a meal together. We were blessed by their kindness, and by being at their family celebration.

The blessings continued as we joined our son and his wife and 1 ½ year old daughter at their home the next day, for another feast. My brother and his wife, their daughter and son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren came also. One grandchild is a baby boy…nine days old. The other is a three year old boy. The two “older” toddlers had fun playing together and exuded a lot of energy.

After our tradition of reading children’s stories, and eating dessert, the others said good-bye, so only our immediate family was left. In the living room, soon before we were going to depart, there was one more blessing. My daughter-in-love explained our granddaughter, Aria, “sets the stage often.” Aria points to the sound bar to have the music start (mom turns it on), then points to the gas fireplace to have it turned on (mom flips the switch), and then Aria starts dancing. What a joy to watch.

It was a special time…this blessed thanksgiving…and our hearts are full.

Now we’re moving into the Christmas season as I start to decorate the house, in anticipation of our other two grandchildren (along with mom and dad) coming over from Africa and living with us for a while. I hope their eyes light up when they see our Christmas tree full of colored lights. We’re so excited.

Veterans Day

Flags are given at military funerals…my mom received two: one for her father and one for my father which she in turn handed down to my brother and me.

As we observe Veterans Day today (actual date- November 11), I am grateful for our service men and women in all walks of the military and honor them today.

I did a quick search on the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day and this is what I learned from Wikipedia:

“Veterans Day is distinct from Memorial day…Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, while Memorial Day honors those who died while in military service.”

Approved!

Today our daughter-in-love was approved for an immigrant visa. This means she can be a permanent resident of the United States. And, this also means our son and his wife and our two grandchildren, ages 4 and 2, will be moving back to the US soon. The process has taken over a year so we are over-the-top excited for this good news.

Praise the Lord!

It Doesn’t Get Easier

Our son, Tim, who lives in Mozambique, managed to arrange a visit to Minnesota after a business meeting he attended in Washington DC. It was a great surprise to learn about this visit. We hadn’t seen him since October of last year.

We had three wonderful days together and nice family time along with our older son, Michael, and his family. We did miss having Tim’s family with us though.

It’s difficult to see your children once a year – and then not all of his family – our daughter-in-love and two grandchildren. Technology helps some these days…we hope our grandchildren recognize us after seeing us on Skype when we see them in person some day…but it’s hard.

So when we took Tim to the airport once again I was sad to say good-bye. After many years you’d think it might get easier, but it does not.

I do cherish the times we have together and hopefully we will get to see the whole family very soon.

Here is a photo our adorable grandchildren who live in Mozambique.

Zoey, soon to be 4 years old and Ezra is 2 years old.

Father’s Day

Father’s day has been bittersweet for me since I was a young adult. My father died from an aneurysm when I was twenty – he was way too young. I still miss him and I wish my husband and sons could have met him.

But when I had my own children, Father’s Day became a sweet celebration. It is special to celebrate my husband, who is a good, kind and loving father to our children.

Photo of our two sons when they were little boys.

And now, our two sons are fathers and we celebrate them!

Happy Father’s Day!

Sing praises to God and to his name!
Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds.
His name is the Lord—
rejoice in his presence!

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
this is God, whose dwelling is holy. Psalm 68: 4-5