Empty Nest or Great Memories

Empty rooms. Quiet house. Empty nest?

Megan and her 3 sweet ones have been in Mississippi this week with Rod. Ashlie and the boys are in Colorado with Cody for the next 6 weeks. Melissa is in Bolivia, South America on her mission trip having a fabulous time and won't be home for 2 more weeks. Yes... my house is quiet. Very quiet. Too quiet.

I usually have one or more of the girls and some or all of the grandbabies there off and on during the course of the week. It's been strangely quiet this week. No sticky fingerprints on my glasstop table. No sippy cups being found under couches or beds. No "thomas the train' toothbrushes playing their song. No tiny little clothes in the laundry room. No sweet little voices calling out for Nana.

My mom warned me about these days. After the birth of my first daughter in 1985, I can remember my mom saying, "Cherish these times, Beth. They grown up way too fast." I heard her, but not sure that I listened. I can still recall looking forward to the next milestone in her life. I couldn't wait until she slept all night. Then I couldn't wait until she could reach for toys. Hold her head up. Sit alone. Crawl. Talk. Walk. And the list goes on. I didn't realize at the time that I was in essence wishing her babyhood away! It was so exciting to see her grow and go from stage to stage. It didn't really dawn on me that as each stage passed, it was gone forever.

Fast forward to November 23, 2002. That is the day that I entered into the fabulous world of 'nanahood'. Oh, what a joyful day in my life! My precious firstborn had become a mother and I began to see babyhood in a whole new light. I knew firsthand how fast time really flies. I knew firsthand that each day of a baby's life is truly a miracle. I knew firsthand that these times needed to be cherished. I knew firsthand that each stage needed to be enjoyed and treasured to the fullest. I knew how quickly motherhood had evolved into nanahood.

My rooms are still empty for now. But my heart is so full. Full of love for my girls. Full of love for my grandbabies. Full of love for my husband. Full of love for my sweet Savior. Full of wonderful, precious memories of my sweet girls. Wonderful memories of Jimbo and I spending time with our girls so that they could have those memories. Full of memories that we are now making with our grandbabies.

Oh, yes.... Empty nest. But only empty of the tangible. The intangible lives on in my heart forever.

In His Grip,
Beth

Making Memories

Just thought I'd post a few pics of what my 2 oldest grandyoungin's and I did Saturday. I had purchased a gingerbread snowman kit and we tackled it with full force. (of course, I thought it was an actual gingerbread man until Mikaela informed me otherwise!) I think Eli ate more frosting than he put on his snowman and he used a TON of sprinkles. He also took one last lick off of the bottom of the snowman before I dunked him and his sister in the tub. Mikaela had a great time also, but her long hair kept getting in the frosting so needless to say, she had a much needed hair washin' when I put them in the bathtub. We had tons of fun and that's all that matters. Price of gingerbread kit - $7.00. Making memories with my sweet grandbabies - priceless.

Loving my Jesus,

Beth

Christmas memories

My precious girls - Melissa, Ashlie, Megan 2008

My sweet babies Christmas 1993

My sweet babies Christmas 1994

I love the Christmas season and I love the memories that are stored in my heart from when I was a little girl all the way up until now. When my 3 girls were growing up, my husband and I focused on creating memories for them. It was important to us that when they grew up and left home (which at the time seemed AGES away) they would be able to remember and relive, with fondness, the time they spent in our home. Those years have passed much too quickly and there are times when I wish we could go back and just have a "do-over" if you know what I mean.

Things started to change for us when Christmas 2002 rolled around. It was no longer just the 5 of us, but we had a new granddaughter in the mix. What a glorious addition to the family and what joy that precious little bundle brought to our household. But the Christmases of the past were forever changed. By the next year, there were only 4 of us around the tree on Christmas morning. Our oldest daughter, Megan, was at her own home with her husband and daughter beginning the process of making her own memories. By the time Christmas 2006 came around my youngest daughter, Ashlie,was newly married and beginning her own traditions in her own home, so we were a little family of 3 around our tree that year. Christmas morning is now very different than in the past. Our daughter Melissa, who is now 22, wants to sleep late on Christmas morning and the anticipation and excitement of it all just isn't the same. I don't have any little ones at home. I don't have 3 sweet little girls waking me up early to see what's under the tree. I don't have toys to put together Christmas Eve night after the girls have gone to bed. But I still have my memories.

When I asked my girls to tell me some things that really stood out in their minds about their childhood Christmases, not one of them mentioned anything about gifts and what they did or didn't get. Here were their memories:

1. Decorating the tree Thanksgiving weekend (until this year!)
2. Listening to Christmas music while we decorated the tree.
3. Drinking hot cocoa (made from a mix) while decorating. Melissa wanted to know one year "How else would you make it?"
4. Shaking the presents and trying to guess what was in the packages.
5. Opening 1 gift on Christmas Eve (always pajamas to wear that night).

6. Baking Christmas cookies with sprinkles and lots of icing.
7. Homemade cinnamon rolls Christmas morning.
8. Me always having to pour that first cup of coffee before we began opening gifts.
9. Their daddy handing out gifts one at a time. (We all had to watch each person open each gift...)
10. Reading the Christmas story out of Luke.
11. Having "ice-skating" contests in the living room in front of the tree while we listened to Christmas music. Poor Ashlie always had to win the bronze medal, because she was the baby and didn't care...
12. Laughing, fun, togetherness.

I miss those days, but I am proud of the young women that my girls have become. I am glad that through the Grace of my Lord, He equipped me and my husband to hand down to them the most precious gift of all. We taught our children from very early on about Jesus. We taught them the Word. We went to church as a family. We loved them. We cherished our times (good and not so good) together. We gave them roots.

So, even though there are no more "ice-skating" contests in front of the tree, no little girls begging to open "just one more present" before Christmas, no more happy squeals Christmas morning, I look forward to this time of year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior. There is nothing that can bring us any more joy than Jesus. He is the greatest gift. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is truly the reason for the season. May I always keep my eyes on Him.

"For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." (Luke 2:11,12)

In His Redemptive Grace,

Beth