An Exchange of Sunshine

It's different this week, but last week and the one before that were a seemingly never-ending succession of rainy day after rainy day.  It was chilly, damp (of course), and very, very gray--not the easiest weather for keeping active kids happily occupied and also not the easiest weather for keeping one's spirit, already a little low because of postpartum hormones, up!  We had one day--last Wednesday--in which the rain stopped and the sun tentatively peeked out; and that's the day I carried Benjamin outside, laid him in a bushel basket, and snapped some quick pictures of him to use for this month's blog header.  But other than that reprieve, the rain lingered on and on.

Normally I don't mind rain; and very often I'm quite grateful for it, knowing how much this area needs it for the agricultural interests around here (including our own garden!).  But during this particular rainy spell, I found myself wanting to do little more than curl up in a cozy spot and hibernate until the rain stopped.  Last Friday morning, however, we needed to get out of the house and do something to break the monotony of overcast days, so that's exactly what we did.

What better place to do that than in the Alzheimer's unit where my mother now lives??  :)

We didn't have any huge plans for how to fill our time there; but Josiah, David, and Tobin took their piano books so they could play for their grandma (and other residents came around to listen, too), and Moriah took a stuffed puppy and a stroller and a soft, pink ball, and Shav took a notebook for drawing and his two arms for hugging, and I took Benjamin so I could carry him around and show him to the residents (who were, as you can imagine, all enchanted with him!), and we were all set. :)  I anticipated that our lively crew of young 'uns would bring the sunshine to the sometimes bored, sometimes lonely residents; but as always happens when we pour ourselves out for others, we found ourselves being filled up to the brim with sunshine given us by the residents and staff of the nursing home.  It's wonderful how that kind of exchange works!  :)

Moriah's ability to throw and catch is on about the same level as the residents' ability.

No Major League talent here!  But fun nonetheless.  :)

The concert begins...

Shav is clearly enjoying the company of his two grandmas!  :)

We didn't see Lola, one of our favorite residents, at first...

...but once we spotted her...

...Moriah and Shav quickly ran to her and hugged her.  :)

Another great treat that day was seeing Doris, a friend of ours for many years; she now lives in a different part of the Home.

At one point, Benjamin was a little fussy so Josiah held him while I snapped a few more pictures.  :)

We took Grandma Fisher and Doris to see Grandma Huffman's room; they both liked it very much.

Every time Grandma Fisher has come to visit in recent years, these three ladies have gotten together.  A lot has changed since they last saw each other; but it's wonderful to know that even if two of them are now in a nursing home, they can still meet up and enjoy their time together!

As we left the Home that day, my heart was lightened and my mood was definitely brighter.  I can only hope we left behind as much sunshine as we took home with us!  :)