When we purchased our acreage thirty years ago, we prayed that our family would utilize every square inch of our yard and home. We particularly hoped the indoor pool would capture our children’s hearts and they would invite their friends here to swim and play. Over the years the pool has served as a baptismal for our church, we have hosted countless family pool parties, celebrated birthdays, church youth nights and many adult fellowships. On one memorable occasion, we had fifty students come for a youth group pool party. At one point all fifty decided to jump into the pool at the same time. The ensuing displacement of water caused a tsunami that rolled into my living room and out again. I shrugged my shoulders and decided not to panic and thought, “I will just go with the flow…literally!”

Our adult children still live close to us, and our home continues to be filled with the laughter and splashing in our pool of my kids with their friends, all their friend’s kids, and of course regular visits with our grandchildren. Summer camp outs in our yard, with young families in tents is a welcome treat. The grandchildren have swim lessons and pool parties with their friends here now.

We welcomed our seventh grandbaby into our family on February 1st. One look at our darling Luca and I was in love for the 7th time! I cherish cuddling him every chance I get. I try to memorize his newborn face because that stage goes by in the blink of an eye!

My oldest grandson turned thirteen this week. What did I just say? I blinked and thirteen years were gone just like that! I agreed to hosting his birthday pool party with ten of his friends last Saturday. I am happy to say there were no tsunamis but a good displacement of water nonetheless. The boys spent most of their time bonking each other over the head with the pool toys, doing massive belly flops and creating an impressive whirl pool while they all chased each other in one direction in the pool. A few boys, including my grandson, thought it a good idea to run outside in +2 C temperature and roll in the snow in our yard and then jump into the pool again to warm up. All good fun.

After their swim, the boys ravenously consumed eight large pizzas, drank several litres of pop, and wolfed down bags of chips. It was epic.

I spent several hours the next day mopping up floors, squeegeeing water spots off windows and vacuuming potato chip crumbs out of furniture. “All worth it,” I sighed, remembering the laughter and frivolity the day before. I give thanks to God for blessing me with a home my kids and grandchildren love to come to.

That said, I can’t imagine Luca turning thirteen…

Blink.