Look what happened last night

 Just a little pre-graduating gathering for our DIL Amy....

Not everyday a Mom of 7 and a Grandma of 7, graduates from college.

It was not an easy road, all that studying while doing everything else she does. Yet, she was at the top of her class!

Amy just got accepted into nursing school. She begins in January. Onward and upward!

I've said all along, Amy would make an excellent nurse!

She's always had the people skills, and in two more years she will have that diploma too!

PS. May 19, 1973 has always been a very special day to me. The day I met Bill, my first husband. Exactly 50 years later, on the same night, our Amy graduates from college. 

Betty and Gaynor

 My Mom's best friend Betty from back in the day, is in her 90s now.

She had been living in her own home, 

the very home her husband built shortly after they got married.

But she broke her femur bone, and life got a lot harder. 

Betty misses all "the girls" who use to care for her in her home.

But she says they all come to visit her. 

Even the one who was afraid of the dark and would wake up Betty when she fell asleep because she was scared to be alone.

She's been to a few facilities since her accident, 

but she seems to like this one the best.

It's a nice home in a very quaint neighborhood.

Four other women besides Betty. 

One is 105. The other three also went to Betty and Mom's high school, Roosevelt. 

She sits by that window each day at 3pm to watch "the avalanche of Moms" who walk by to get their kids from Cole Elementary nearby.

Betty loves to bake and the caregivers let her make brownies. 

She stirs them from her wheel chair. 

She use to cook for "the girls" in her home from her walker. 

She's a sweetheart.

No wonder Mom loved her so.

She said growing up she lived in a shack with her parents and sister.

So when a boy would give her a ride home 

from school she would give my Mom's address. 

Then after the boy left, my Grandpa Earl would drive Betty home.

I always knew my Grandpa was a kind soul.

Today Betty told us about one of her grandsons who is an artist.

When I got home I looked him up on Facebook and discovered my 

niece Carly was on his friends list.

So I texted Carly in Hawaii to ask how she knows him.

So there you have it. 

While Mom and Betty kept their regular lunch dates through the 

years, little did they know their grandkids knew each other. 

I think Betty and Gaynor were more like sisters. 

It's all about paying attention

 With all their bags packed and ready to go....

...the last day McKay and McKenna were here was a Sunday, 

So we got to watch their zoom church with them. 

One of the speakers said growing up she heard her Dad say this often:  

"If there is any genius, it's being aware of what you're doing." 

I thought back to 1999 when Den and I were planning to get married.  He said he wanted to have a home without sarcasm. 

I remember my first thought was, really, is that even possible? 

I did a blog post about about it here, 11 years after that decision.

(The comments left on that post were particularly interesting.)

Makes me wonder, 

What else should I pay attention to that I could be doing differently?

Ever since Den took over folding all the laundry three years ago, he has evolved with it.

He now folds our washcloths like this:

They don't fall over now as they are more balanced.

Sometimes it's the little things.

Sometimes it's the big things.

Their passions!

 I asked Scarlett (9), Annie (7), and Jack (3) what they are passionate about. Cousin Violet (12) joins in.

My favorite part is the very end!