Day 6 was Sunday so we all went to church together. It was quite a chore for a grandma who is used to just getting herself ready for church on Sunday to get all the clothes ironed, hair done, find the right shoes to go with the right kid, and get all faces scrubbed til they were bright and sunny and presentable. It was Fast Sunday so we all fasted. Even Peirce and Sydney participated. They ate a very abreviated breakfast as it pretty hard for someone so young to go without food. We discussed what is done with the fast offerings and how we are encouraged to be generous with our offerings. We all made it through the morning but were all very ready for lunch when we got home. It was a wonderful Sunday morning.
In the afternoon, we wrote letters to missionaries who are serving in the family, one for Adam and one for Dusty. The grandkids from Sparwood also wrote to missionaries that are serving from their ward.
Late in the afternoon, we went out to the airport and saw some of the Airshow. We sat on the grass beside the airport terminal and they proved to be pretty good seats. Both Jordan and Peirce decided they want to be pilots when they grow up. Jordan was especially taken with a big beautiful gold colored jet. He watched with great interest as the pilot warmed it up and took off to do some aerobatics in the sky. He was most impressive. We also saw the Snow Birds perform. They are amazing.
When we got home, we did some baking. The kids had brought their favorite recipes and we made some of them. Now that is an interesting experience for a compulsive grandmother who worries that her kitchen is getting messed up but we all made it through with little or no complications.
Everyone slept well that night too.
Day Seven
On Monday we went to the Heritage Festival at the Enmax Centre.
It was a pretty amazing show. There were booths representing several different cultures evident in Lethbridge. (Hugarian, Polish, Japanese, Phillipino, African, Vietnamese, Chinese, etc.) There were also food booths where we purchased our lunch, sampling different cultures. Then the program with dancing and presentations from many different cultures were amazing. We had a discussion as to why the people from these many different countries came to Canada and we came to the conclusion that most of them came in their search for freedom. The kids were most impressed with a display at the Vietnamese booth. There was a picture of a man who had spent 15 years in prison for peacefully criticizing the government policies on religion and advocating for greater respect for human rights. In November of 2000 he gained global and official attention when members of the Committee for Religious Freedom visited Nguyen Van Ly in his billages during President Clinton's visit to Vietnam but he was sentenced again in October 2001 to 15 years in prison for activities linked to the defence for free speech. The court appearance was televised in Vietnam with foreign reporters allowed to attend. During the trial he tried to shout an unauthorized, dissident remark. He was held silent by the security officer behind him.
After the Heritage Festival, we came home and worked on family trees for each grandchild. We also did some more baking at that time.
On Day 8, we made cookie dough to take to the residents at Extendicare. Grandma's Auxiliary often makes cookies for them but the workers there have asked that we don't bake the dough and bring it to them so they can bake them in the centre. The smell of the baking cookies is good therapy for the residents. They love the smell and come out of their rooms more willingly to interact with everyone else there. The kids were quite amazed to see all the people who are in wheel chairs and incapacitated to every degree imaginable. It was a good experience for them and the residents love to see children. It makes their day.
By the time we got home from Extendicare, parents started arriving to pick up their kids. It was a great time. Grandma is amazed that she made it through it all but we plan another one for next year. Gaylene and Duane suggested that we also have a winter Grandma's Camp. They suggested that it could work kind of like the winter and summer olympics. I think for now we will just have summer events.
It was a wonderful experience for Gayle and me. We love our grandchildren so much and it was a good time for sharing and caring, and learning about each other. We hope to be making memories for our grandchildren and that their hearts will be turned to their parents, grandparents, and other ancestors. We also hope that we were successful in solidifying the good teachings that they receive every day from their parents.
I will post photos of the hightlights of these days.
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