Fun-Fall-Family Photos

Not much is new around here other than we're enjoying the beautiful fall temps and changing colors here in Michigan. I was determined not to let September pass by without a blog post so here it is... a collection of fall photos of our three beautiful grandchildren - Collin, Madelyn, and Claire. First on Thursday we got some pictures of Claire at home, then Saturday was such a great day, I met Meg and the kids at Heritage Park for some more family photos. I've enjoyed looking at them over and over and over again!

Here's to fall and the upcoming holidays. These three certainly add to the joy of our lives!

Fran

Yesterday we lost a legend, at least in our family. Frances Theresa Butkovich McGuire, born March 12, 1917 and died August 13, 2012, on my 58th birthday.

I first met Fran in 1973 so we go back 39 years - WOW! We lovingly called her "Francie" but later learned she did not like that so we started calling her "Fran" (more sophisticated I suppose) or "Gran Fran" which was my personal favorite. She was a lady who loved to laugh, she was fiesty, spunky, energetic, hard-working, fiercely independent, and even a bit of a stinker at times. She was loved by her two boys, Don and Gary, her grandchildren Megan, Michael, Ryan and she dearly loved her first granddaughter, Heather, who sadly died at the young age of 3. We find it fitting that she will be buried close to Heather which was one of her final wishes. Of late, what made her smile the most was her three great grandchildren - Collin (5), Madelyn (3), and Claire (6 mos.). Bringing someone in her 90's together with little ones was an interesting mix. But we're glad she was able to enjoy them in the waning years of her life.

People often commented on how nice she always looked. She made sure she had on a nice outfit with all the right accessories and loved nothing more than a good hand-me-down. I remember seeing things in her closet that had been in mine 20 years ago! She let go of very little.

We are thankful for the many years of good  health she enjoyed. It wasn't until the last few years that her mind began slipping and then she was felled with a terminal illness that took her in just 2 1/2 short weeks. I saw my husband at her side caring for her every need with deep devotion, sometimes more than once in a day, along with our daughter just about every day after the diagnosis. I saw our son and his family visit when they could and then waste no time making an 8 hour drive down from the Upper Peninsula to be by her side within half an hour of her last breath. Megan commented she was waiting for him to arrive. We sensed that and it is now a sweet family memory we will treasure forever. When the going is tough, that's when you see the true measure of a person, what they're all about when it matters most. Little gestures, soft words, tear-stained faces. We are there to wipe away one another's tears and then do what we can to see even the slightest smile crease their face in the midst of great sadness.

It should not go without mention that Fran was not only loved by us but also by many nieces and nephews whom she dearly loved. As many who can will be traveling down to pay their final respects to their "Auntie Bea." She was the youngest of 12 children and she lived longer than any of them, although most of them, remarkably, lived well into their 80's and early 90's. The spunk in her took it's time leaving. We miss her already but we say thank you to God for her life, and now her death. 

Precious Lord, lead me home...

Until we meet again.

Father's Day, Love, and Time

Happy Father's Day Gary! You are a wonderful husband and father of our two kids. 


I heard some advice given to a young father who was seeking words of wisdom from a wise, Godly father and grandfather. He said LOVE is spelled T.I.M.E. The time you spend with your kids translates into love and this view of quality time vs. quantity time just doesn't cut it. There is no substitute for time.


In our family, we were fortunate that the teaching profession allowed Gary to have time and time was something that he freely, willingly, and lovingly gave. Time after school, meal time, time on the weekends, out for dinner Fridays, time during holiday vacations, and more time during the summer. Something for which teachers forever and a day have taken criticism for but it certainly worked for us! I'm thankful for a father in the home whose biggest investment into our children was his time. Time answering questions, time giving advice, time joking around and playing, and time taking them to church and teaching them about God. 


Then the time came too quickly when they were off on their own and you hoped and prayed that the things you taught them would stick and make a difference in who they are, the choices they would make, the direction they would go in life, and the values they would take with them. You watch them branch out, they spend time with friends, they meet someone special, and they fall in love. Then, just like with you, that is the only one they really wanted to spend their time with. They marry, they have children. Then... they come back because they want to spend time. They want their children to spend time and you realize better now than before that these years are fleeting too and the best thing you can give to your grandchildren is your time. Time to answer questions, time to play, time to wear yourself out with them. Because they will grow quickly and the only thing you care about is that every last one of them will want to return. To spend time. Because they have learned through the years that TIME is spelled L.O.V.E.


Happy Father's Day to the man I consider the greatest father in the world and Happy First Father's Day to our son... you're off to an awesome start!... and to our son-in-law who measures very high on the scale when it comes to being Daddy. We love you all!


We celebrated father's day over two days - first on Saturday in Huntington Woods with Michael, Andi, & Claire. Then again this afternoon with Meg, Collin, & Madelyn. So thankful for every last one of you!!!

Birthday and Mother's Day Celebration

Today we combined Gary's birthday celebration with Mother's Day. I will confess, I enjoy receiving gifts, but admire my husband when he says the only thing he wanted was a Blonde Alpine torte and all three grandkids to help him blow out the candles. We delivered. We had our kids, grandkids, and mothers all over and really enjoyed our afternoon together....

 

These two moms celebrated their first mother's day today:

I wish days like this were less hectic and lasted longer. Would have loved a picture of me with my two but that's the way we roll these days. Here's to another year for Gary and to all the wonderful mothers in our family!!!

GVSU Weekend

Two weekends ago we visited Grand Valley State University to watch our nephew Stephen play two double-headers against Wayne State University. They split the four games, each team winning one on Saturday and one on Sunday. It was fun to watch this slugger in action as a college senior. He has grown up fast!!!

On top of being a great baseball player, he is such a great guy! We are struck but not surprised by his poise, humility, leadership - just a quality individual. He comes from good stock.

Here he is with his folks and biggest fans. He credits his dad with nudging him in his decision to attend Grand Valley, learning once again that Father Knows Best! I know his mom was in on it too, maybe just more behind the scenes. That's where she flourishes.

It was "Senior Day" and Steve was recognized along with the other seniors (total of 13, I believe) for his overall accomplishments which are many. So proud of him. 

Here he is in action...

Jannie was visiting from NH and Ed & Sheryle came from IN so it turned into somewhat of a family reunion for those of us who could make it. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

Here is mom with her crew. Can you spell H.A.P.P.Y.!!!

McPhails

Sportsmen's row

Our hero, everyone wanted their picture taken with this Laker!

Here's (and cheers) to #5. Thanks for giving us something to get excited about 

and a good reason to get together!

P.S. We learned this week that Stephen was voted team MVP by his coaches. Again, no surprise, but we are so happy and proud!

P.S.S. Just learned today that Steve was named Great Lakes Interscholastic Athletic Conference Player of the Year!!! The well-deserved accolades just keep on a comin!!!

A day with Claire

We got to spend last Friday with this little bean. It made us very happy.

It was her mommy's first day back to work following maternity leave so we tried to soften the blow by staying home with her. I don't know who enjoyed it more, grammy or papa. I know papa got lots of smiles which kept him smiling into the night. Auntie Meg and cousin Madelyn stopped by in the afternoon while Collin was in school. Madelyn & Claire are bound to have some fun together in the years to come! 

 

Thanks Claire for spending the day with us. We loved having you sweet pea!

Prayer and Miracles

I think I wrote about this before but today the message bears repeating, that prayer changes things. I believe it with all my heart but there are those times, like today, that I can do nothing but stand in awe of the magnitude of the power and presence of God.
I have learned not to question, God why? I don't question His many blessings and I don't question other things either. Rather I choose to trust and believe He is sovereign, in control of every detail and aspect of life - yesterday, today, and forever.
I don't think of myself as a worrier, although sometimes it visits. I just try not to let it move in. My daughter considers herself a worrier and battles downright fear at times. We've talked about it, she knows it's irrational and hates it. Something happened today that she can look back on and cling to, a miracle from the very hand of God. There is simply no other way to explain it. Two days ago, after attending the funeral of a former youth pastor, (who in our finite minds died too young, leaving behind a wife, 5 children, and a church family) she was gripped with irrational fear concerning her two most precious gifts from God. She cried out to God, asking Him to watch over and protect them both from the things she had absolutely no control over, acknowledging they belonged to Him before they belonged to her. Then this morning Collin asked if he could go outside to play in the spot where he and his sister played the other day while mom was inside praying and crying out to God... He was told 'no' by both mom and dad, to wait until it warmed up some. Shortly after, he hollered from the kitchen after watching a huge tree fall on the exact spot where they sat playing days before. A tree so huge I cannot even look at the photo because the thought of it is so upsetting. At the same time, I rejoice and thank God for answering our prayers each day for their safety and protection. Prayers that easily can become routine but now are vital and alive.
As I tried to digest it all, my mind drifted back to a day 9 years ago when I received a frantic telephone call from my sister whose 4 children were struck in their vehicle on the expressway by a woman who had been drinking and rammed into them at a high speed, completely totaling the car. Thank God, none of them were injured. Their mom was a state away preparing for a family funeral and the kids were on their way when this happened. Any mother would fall apart at this but my words to her then came back to me tonight almost verbatim. I said, "don't think about what might have been, just thank God for what is, your children are fine and you must focus on that." I repeated those words to myself tonight and my unsettled heart was quieted.
Fear is a place I don't want to visit or live. So as I rest my head this night, I will pour my heart out to God in thanksgiving. I will thank him that my precious grandkids are safe this night. I will thank him, again, that my precious nieces and nephews were kept safe on that expressway 9 years ago. I will thank him for all the times in between that I know about and even the things I know not. I will thank him that my words in prayer don't fall on deaf ears but are taken to the very throne of grace and heard by the one who is an ever present help in our time of need, the one who goes before us, watches over us, hems us in behind and before, the only one who knows the end from the beginning. He wrote the story and I trust Him.

I acknowledge these words to be true for me and my family and say with David,

"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in - behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain."  Psalm 139:1-6