Grandma Lannoo visits

We were all very blessed to have my dear, 86 year old grandmother here for a little over a week. It was sad to see her go back home.
                  She is so very grateful for all the ways our family shows her love; making her tea, helping her with her 'stockings', cooking her extra special meals that she doesn't get at home, showing her our scrapbooks, and spending time with her.

          The discussions we have with her are lively and interesting and vary from herbs to history to Christianity to her childhood. We all learn new things while she is here and she brings many smiles to our day.

Once upon a time, grandma had many children, small and great, all over her lap and beside her for story time. Someone was always bringing her a book, either to read to them, or to see what we were learning or one we knew she'd love. Grandma loves to learn (I can see an inherited trait here), she still loves to learn how to take care of herself naturally. She was reading several herb books while here and wanting to try new things. I hope I still want to learn new things at 86, if the Lord grants me the years.

The highlight of her trip for most of us, was taking Grandma to the zoo. She had never been before in her life. She was exclaiming and thrilled the whole way through. I know the wheel chair ride didn't feel all that good to her, especially the bumpy terrain of some parts, but she was a trooper. I even got her to ride the train and feed the ducks and geese. We wanted to feed the giraffes too, but they weren't interested on this particular day.

I heard a speaker at the homeschool convention in Indianapolis in the spring of this year. The thing that stood out to me the most was, not to let the years pass in our childrens lives without having them learn, really learn, who their parents and grandparents are and were. Ask questions...lots of questions and learn living history.

                                                  My grandmother lived through the depression. Such neat stories she has told us. My dad went to school in an old one room school house.

       Don't let the important things of each day crowd out the relationships and the memories that make our lives richer and deeper.

Thank you Grandma, we love you!