JustaKrusen/ Mrsjustakrusen

As I continue the reflecting on our weekend with the kids last week, and how they helped us out by doing some projects, I am going to direct this first part to the boys. Grandpa had some tasks he wanted to “hire out” , some tasks that the boys definitely wanted to help with, and also they were given free reign to the actual end result.

So as Briella and I were on part one of our mission, the guys were home on their projects. First, every year Mark and I put out a lawn ornaments here and there, and this year it was the boys who were in charge. The only instructions were that the lawn ornaments needed to be placed anywhere but where grandpa mows.

So they gathered from the garage the gnomes of all sizes, some animals, a mushroom, and wheeled them all out; they were on their mission number one.

When Briella and I got back home, it was really neat to see how the guys had decided to arrange every thing. BUT that wasn’t the only part of the project.

They also helped with the deck. They carried out the raised garden beds and table and umbrella from the garage and brought them up on the deck. They brought out the chairs and really fixed up the deck very nicely. Both of these projects the boys were able to do with a lot more enthusiasm and energy then seeing us do them .

Than came the afternoon baseball game. Yep, the Yankees were playing, and the boys are interested in baseball, so we planned a baseball special event. The guys were in the living room, in various “bleachers” watching the game. Briella was the “waitress” ( alias food vendor) and went to the “bleachers ” to take each persons order. She was very thorough, and got their drink and food orders to a tee. The menu included tater tots, cheese burger sliders ( with or without onion) , Hoffman hot dog, meat sauce, and drink. She took down specifically what each person wanted and then the preparation was underway.

In the end the baseball fans were fed,( ha ha even though there were a few comments on how slow the service wa Briella and I ate at the table and a full day of “projects” completed.

We ended our day with some running in the yard, blowing dandelions and making wishes, warm baths or showers and time together, what a perfect time.

So as I end this , I find comfort in the time spent with the kids last week.

Life is so busy, and times like these are treasures, moments that last in our hearts and memories. I once again was a reminder how very precious life is, every single second we have , we need to appreciate whatever is before us. As I look back at the weekend, and at my life, I am feeling thankful that Mark loves to share his days with me, whether we are chasing sunsets, playing yahtzee, playing a card game, chilling watching some evening TV, having the kids over, traveling, or just being…. to have someone who accepts me, no matter what, that is such a blessing.

Until later, Mrs Justa alias Cindy

Recently we had a special weekend with the grandkids. For part of the weekend, we split into two groups. Mark was doing one on one time with the boys and Briella and I went on a journey. Mark and I both had some projects we wanted to “hire” out, things that were neat to watch be done, and see the creativity and thought process of the grandchildren and not us, and in the meantime a way for the kids to take on some tasks for hire.

My journey with Briella started with a trip to a cemetery about 20 minutes away. The task was she was to take a major role in adding flowers to my parent’s grave. We had no idea what cleaning, scrubbing, or weeding would be required, but whatever was needed she was the girl for the job.

When we got there, Briella had some flowers that she was in charge of designing and how to put them around the headstone. We talked about the plans and stopped at the dollar store for a scrub brush and cleaning spray, and then we were off on our mission number one.

When we got there she was so precious, so intent on making the arrangement look welcoming, loving, and special. I let her lay the flowers out and decide just how they should be.

As she was placing them she read the headstone, the dates of birth and death, and their names, and asked some questions about them. She asked about my mom and dad, and what were they like. It was truly one of those times memories are made of.

It was cool talking to her and watching her as she created the final arrangement.

And once she had them just right, they looked beautiful, she made sure they did not cover their names, yet accented their special lives.

We had such a nice talk, and as we were getting ready to leave, we spoke about other headstones there. She started reading names and checked to see if the family had written things on the headstone other than names. She was amazed at the dates, some back in the 17 and 18 hundreds. Some had so many children’s names on them, some with just one or two names on them.

As she read some and we talked about the different headstones, she said so profoundly, ” Gramma these are really all our relatives!” We are all related in a way, aren’t we? ” As I thought about it, if we look back at Adam and Eve, well I guess we are in some way we are all brothers and sisters, we are all family.

We drove through slowly, we saw a headstone with a crane on it, another with memories of the wars people fought in, wars that are mentioned in history books, but seeing a stone and a name and the war they partook in, it made it kind of 3 dimensional.

Our trip, my goal for her task, was meant to be one on a positive note, one that we could share time, no doom and gloom at all, just a way for us to pretty up the place my parents are. And it became so much more than that, as we explored and pondered what people were like, what they did. She was so prophetic so gentle, so innocent, so loving.

Through the mind of a young girl, we had such a memorable time.

Until later, Mrs Justa alias Cindy