I spent the weekend in Springfield, and what a weekend!
There are so many wonderful blessings that come with being a grandma. Getting to visit. Getting to watch them grow. Getting to be part of their little lives.
And, as hard as it seems sometimes, getting to go home.
That last one probably deserves its own blog post.
A Weekend With the Whole Family
Unlike some of my other visits, my 93-year-old Dad and his wife, my wonderful stepmom, joined us this time. They are every bit as besotted with Sophia as the rest of us, so I was thrilled at the thought of having them there for all the fun.
I’m fortunate that technology makes it possible for me to be part of Sophia’s life even from three hours away. Three hours isn’t exactly across the country, but it still takes some planning to make these weekends happen. There’s the rearranging of schedules, the packing, the sleeping on a couch instead of my own bed, the running around after a toddler, and, of course, the three-hour drive there and back.
All of that can put a little wear-and-tear mileage on this almost-58-year-old body.
And yet, I do it over and over again.
Why?
Because seeing that little face, hearing all her baby babble and listening to what are clearly very important opinions are worth every mile.
Every single one.
Coffee, Dessert and a Pumpkin Patch
Shelby and I arrived on Friday and had a delicious dinner. True to our family’s form, we followed it with coffee and dessert.
I’m not sure if this is an Italian thing, a family thing, or simply a we like to eat thing, but this is what we do whenever we gather for dinner.
We eat.
We talk.
We have something sweet.
And we drink delicious coffee.
Honestly, I see no reason to mess with tradition.
Saturday, we found a pumpkin patch.
Pumpkin Creek Farms in Sherman, Illinois, is a wonderful, low-cost place to bring the family. There’s plenty for kids to do without feeling like you’ve just taken out a small loan to entertain them.
There are farm animals to feed and pet, swings, slides, small rides that aren’t quite carnival rides, tractor pulls, and just good old-fashioned outdoor fall fun.
And, of course, there are pumpkins.
At the end of it all, we took advantage of their food offerings, too. We settled on coffee, hot apple cider, and warm apple cider donuts.
So good.
Sophia even got her own little cup of apple cider served in a plastic pumpkin that was just her size.
Naturally, this was adorable.
Of course, I took pictures.
And Then There Was Sophia
The rest of the weekend was filled with family, food, church, and, of course, Sophia.
Honestly, I love every time I get to see that little girl.
She runs.
She crosses her arms.
She has entire conversations with you in her own language, and I’m pretty sure she expects us to understand every word.
She’s learning sign language, and I loved watching those tiny hands make tiny signs as she let us know exactly what was on her mind.
But what I loved most about this weekend was seeing my Dad and stepmom with her.
They dote on her.
Papa and Nonna.
Those are their names to her, and they absolutely love every minute of being those people in her life.
At one point, after Sophia gave hugs to my stepmom, she launched herself into my Dad’s unsuspecting arms. Thank God he was sitting. And then she gave him the hug of his dreams.
I wish I could have bottled up that moment.
How Quickly Life Changes
I know these times are precious, and I thank God for every single minute of them.
Because life changes more quickly than we realize. It feels like only yesterday that I was watching my own littles run around a pumpkin patch, trying to see who could lift the biggest pumpkin. And now?
They’re grown women with lives and families of their own.
A new generation has entered the picture.
I’d like to say Sophia quietly and gently entered the picture, but she is neither quiet nor still.
She has arrived. And boy, does she have a lot to say.
This Is Joy
Lately, I seem to spend a lot of time trying to figure out what God wants from me and from my life.
I evaluate and reevaluate what joy looks like at this stage of my life. I think about whether I’m seeking it in the right places. I wonder if I’m missing something. I wonder if I’m still doing what I’m supposed to be doing.
And sometimes, if I’m being completely honest, I wonder if I’m still worth being included in moments like these.
But God has been reminding me that moments like these aren’t interruptions to my life. They are my life.
This is joy.
This is peace.
This is provision.
Maybe that’s something I’ve been learning for a while now. I wrote about it in What If Ordinary Is Holy?, and I’m beginning to think I need the reminder more often than I’d like to admit.
This is what God has given me right now.
And while I sometimes feel like I’m standing on the edge of a precipice, looking into a completely new season of life, God keeps reminding me not to rush toward whatever comes next.
Just stay.
Sit.
Look around.
Pay attention.
Enjoy what I’ve already been given. Because maybe I don’t need to have the next season all figured out yet. Maybe I just need to be present in this one. Maybe the answer isn’t always found in figuring out what’s next. Maybe sometimes it’s found in recognizing what’s already here.
A 93-year-old Papa holding his great-granddaughter and a Nonna getting hugs from the little girl who adores her.
Two grown daughters who still want their mom around.
A pumpkin patch.
Coffee.
Warm apple cider donuts.
Tiny hands making tiny signs.
And a whole lot of laughter.
These are the beautifully ordinary moments made not so ordinary, in the grand scheme of life.
Maybe they’re the blessings I’ve been praying for without realizing I was already standing in the middle of them. I’ve written before about learning to recognize God’s goodness in the ordinary moments of life, and this weekend felt like another little reminder of that. Sometimes joy really is found right where we are.
So I’m going to try to stay a little longer.
Sit a little quieter.
Look a little closer.
And enjoy what God has placed right in front of me.
Because this?
This is joy.
