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Grandma

Who lives on in you?

Growing up, my sisters and I often spent the summers at my grandparent’s house on the Lake of the Ozarks.   Those summers are some of my most cherished memories of my childhood.  Grandma and Grandpa taught us to fish.  Grandpa taught us to clean the fish and then Grandma taught us how to fry it up just right.  We’d waterski, banana boat, cross the lake just to go to the candy store, and at the end of the day, while singing at the top of our lungs, we’d “bathe” in the lake off the dock, shampoo and all.

Grandma and Grandpa’s house was where it was at. 

Looking back now as an adult, it’s a treasured gift to have such full memories of life with them both.  Especially Grandma.  She nurtured and loved us with everything she had.  I was just one of her many grandkids, but you could have never convinced …

by Crystal Gornto Girl's Night Out Inspirational Women Love In Action Love in Family Loving Others The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
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More than this “busy” life we’re living

In each season of life, I find myself fighting the story in my brain that says, “But no, really.  This next season is going to be calmer.  More peaceful.  There will be more free time and rest.”  I fight it because I’ve now lived long enough to know better, life is not magically going to slow down on its own.  It only takes one glance at the folks in the season of life ahead of me to realize, that next season might even be busier.  I also fight it, because I want to flip that script from “there will be” to:

“I am making choices that lead to . . . more calm, more peace, more free time, and more rest.”

With these boys of mine quickly becoming teenagers – I do realize that there is a moment coming, not too far away, when my time spent mothering will significantly decrease.  That’s …

by Crystal Gornto Inspirational Women Love In Action Love in Family Loving Others Loving Yourself Priorities Purpose The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
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Capturing moments

Last night, we got a chance to celebrate my only living Grandma on her 89th birthday. And when I say “we” I mean 24 of us! What a privilege it was.  It was an extra special night because it was her birthday, of course, but mostly because in this season of life, getting that many people to press pause on our busy lives all at the same time, to celebrate anything, is quite a feat.  It wasn’t an elaborate feast or fancy cake (the only “Master Chef” in this house is still in training), and it didn’t matter.  What mattered is that we gathered to honor Grandma and her beautiful life.

And we took pictures!

It’s sort of a running joke in our family that a moment doesn’t really “happen” unless we get a picture of it.  That was especially funny last night as we were really wanting to make sure we …

by Crystal Gornto Inspirational Women Love in Family Motherhood Priorities The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
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It’s not about money, it’s about love

Over the weekend, we had an extended family meeting with my local sisters, all of our kids, my parents, my grandmother, my sister Michelle, and her family who joined us via Facetime.  My parents have been saving for many years to take all of us on a trip of a lifetime together.  This year, all twenty one of us will be making our way across the Atlantic together on a pilgrimage of sorts to visit Israel, where the story of our faith is rooted.  It’s a humbling legacy gift, birthed from a dream, built on much sacrifice and hard work.

It’s an experience that will live on in our family for generations to come.

Before our first meeting to discuss our trip plans, we got a note from my parents saying that my Grandma Hyde wanted to attend the meeting because she had “a gift of a lifetime” to share with us.  …

by Crystal Gornto Girl's Night Out Inspirational Women Love in Family Motherhood Priorities The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
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Dance with Grandma

It’s not often you get to dance until your face and hair is wet with sweat, together with your Grandma and kids.  But we got a chance to do that at my niece’s wedding earlier this month.  Well, Grandma didn’t exactly dance, but she was there with us cheering us all on.

This is Jewell, my Grandma Hyde. 

She’s my mother’s mom and my last living grandparent.  She lives in Missouri, so we don’t get to see her very often.  But I have many memories with her over all the years.  When I was in college, she lived in South Carolina and was my nearest relative.  Kim and I would drive to her house for breaks like Easter or spring break, when it was too far to drive home.  Grandma would always have her famous deviled eggs ready for us and all the other good and salty things.  (Grandpa bought the Breyer’s …

by Crystal Gornto Inspirational Words Love In Action Love in Family Loving Others The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
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Memories of the people will survive all the stuff

My sister Kim sent this pic to my family last night with a text that said, “Found this picture this morning and brought back such sweet memories of driving after Christmas service to Grandma’s house!”   If you’re not in our family, I’m sure it just looks like an old photograph with some very odd hairstyles on display.

But to our family, this picture brings back a million memories.

That was our rescue poodle named Promise.  He was ours for over 10 years.  In our house full of girls, his fingernails were always painted red, poor guy.  That Raggedy Ann doll I’m holding was my treasure, apparently all the way into my early teen years.  She was a handmade, one of a kind, that I saved up all my money to buy at Silver Dollar City.  (I still have her to this day) Those are all my sisters and I have troves of colorful …

by Crystal Gornto Love In Action Love in Family The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
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