generations

i don't know how i would have gotten through this past week without my mama.
While Neil was gone, she took many, many steps on my behalf,
she drove whoever needed driving,
she did laundry, sweeping & dishes...
Mollen slept with her & with her tiny pummeling feet, gave Granny an awesome abs workout.
Gagey gave her a work out by making numerous trips to the potty.
Charter had the pleasure of beating her at wii.
The big girls stayed up way too late playing scrabble, dutch blitz and racko.
& of course, Ephraim was perfect...
Granny listened to Charter read bible stories, Mollen read Dick and Jane, Peyton read her "Things with Wings" novel. She took them in pairs, or solo for outings & they each came home clutching treasure.
She brought her ice cream maker & made home made ice cream every day - & when the kids kept commenting how much they *luuuuuved* it - she announced she was leaving it when she went home.
All in all, her days here were proclaimed a roaring success.
Y'know, i won't be able to pay my mom back for this trip.
She's not looking on collecting either.
She's building into the next generation, knowing that the bricks she lays will make our family stronger. She knows that any kindness meted out will bear fruit in the generations to come, & that even though she won't get paid back - her grandchildren and great-grandchildren will have the opportunities to build into their future generations too.
& so we, as mama's will wipe our little one's mouths - knowing they will wipe the dear little faces of our grandchildren in years to come. We will teach them to love and serve their Father - knowing that they will need this foundation to pass on this precious relationship to our great-grandchildren. We will continue to serve one another in love - knowing that this good thing - will not be without impact.