life lately with the GRANDS! making memories in MAY!
- Jun 4
- 8 min read
Thursday, June 4, 2026
Welcome Back to Our Grand Lives!
The older we get,
the more we appreciate the truth in those words!
These days, we can't always tell you exactly what happened
on a particular Tuesday in May,
or sometimes even what day of the week it currently is!
(Oh, the joys of retirement!)
But we can tell you about the moments that made us smile!
As we turn the calendar on the month of May,
we’re reminded of the magic and mayhem that filled our days
with lots of memory making moments from beginning to end!
Join us as we revisit some of the memorable milestones and meaningful moments that made this month one to remember.
Here’s a recap from our month of May!
Our last day of Sunday School was at the beginning of May.
Our director decided that “pie-ing” the Sunday School teachers
would be a great way to end the year!
(But maybe not the best way to recruit teachers for next year?? Hmmm!)
We could opt out, but this wasn’t my first “pie-ing”!
Let me tell you, second graders take their “pie-ing” seriously!!
After I got home and cleaned up,
Hubby and I headed up to our favorite Minnesota resort
- Grand View Lodge -
to relax for a week while the rates are cheaper and the crowds are smaller!
Hubby had a surprise for me this year!
On Thursday our kids and grandchildren showed up to spend a long Mother's Day weekend with us! We moved to a larger cabin and Daughter A and DIL M were in charge of all the food!
What a treat! What a Hubby!
We played in the sand by the lake, we explored the playground, we went swimming and the guys even snuck in a few holes of golf!
One of the best parts of the trip
happened after Little D and Little P went to bed each night.
We got to spend the evenings relaxing and catching up with our adult kids!
We stayed up way too late!
Priceless memories!
If you read my April Life Lately recap,
you might remember that my father-in-law had put his house on the market…
It sold quickly!
This meant that the siblings spent the majority of May cleaning, sorting and packing up the house he and my MIL built in 1968. I took on the job of cleaning out the 28 stuffed photo albums they had accumulated and I spent my time sorting the photos into stacks for each family.
It was fun to get a peek into my hubby’s childhood!
Look at this gem I found!
This is the gas station my FIL owned when he was a young father!.
This home and all the photos hold SO many memories!
Minneapolis is known for its Art-A-Whirl weekend in May!
Local artists showcase their wares and local bands play all over the city.
My DIL’s band Maria and the Coins put on a great show!
Our whole family showed up to support the band!!
Now it’s the end of May
and time for my sweet Little D to graduate from preschool!
I have loved watching her grow this year
and I know this little one is ready for kindergarten next fall!!
Her graduation program was so well done, and even my husband said he felt a little teary through it.
At the program, each student shared their dream for their future.
Little D wants to be a teacher when she grows up.
Since I’m the only teacher in my extended family, I say
“that’s my girl”!
Fly high, Little One! The world is yours!
May began with a few birthdays in our world!
We made a trip to Wisconsin to celebrate this cutie who was turning two!
I created this poster on Canva with the different faces of two-year-old Little P!
I ordered a laminated copy (12 x 18) for less than $6.00!
It was a fun alternative to a birthday card and now hangs in her room!
There was a birthday celebration for her during the first weekend in May!
Sister love!
Daughter J and I joined her MIL at a Mahjong & Moms event the next day!
Mahjong and mimosas! A fun combo!
I was too busy trying to figure things out, so I only took these two photos!!
We all left intrigued and definitely wanting to learn more!
Hubby and Daughter A headed back to Minnesota after the weekend
But - yipee - I was able to stay with my girls
while our SIL traveled most of that week!
Our birthday celebration continued….
Little P officially turned two mid-week so, of course, we needed another cake!
A Donut Cake for breakfast this time!
Yummy birthday memories!
We spent the week playing in the mud kitchen their daddy had built,
taking peeks at the baby robins in a nearby tree
and playing outdoors!!
I was able to join Little L for a morning at preschool
and was also able to attend her preschool picnic one night!
The other highlight of our week together
was when I was able to celebrate my baby’s big day with her!
Daughter J's birthday took place two days after Little P's!
The Littles and I decorated!
Then we had sushi (the grown-ups), mac-and-cheese (the Littles)
and birthday brownies (everyone) to celebrate!
We packed a lot of memory-making into our week together!
When I returned home, it was time to say good-bye to this faithful friend…
Does anyone else grieve the loss of a really good vehicle?
She’s treated me so well over the years.
Sadly though, she was starting to leak oil and Hubby was worried about her future.
So, while I was gone, he bought us a new vehicle
and we picked it up when I returned!
I do seem to have “a look” when it comes to cars! LOL!
My husband knows me well!
While I am loving my new wheels, I sure hope my good ol' pal
landed with a nice family who will treat her well!
We also started helping our youngest, Daughter A, move into her new place! She’s spent the last three years living with a childhood friend and she’s ready to venture out on her own!
Very exciting!
For those of you wondering,
our remodeling projects did continue in May!
The workers are still here on occasion finishing up punch list items
as we’re waiting for a few windows to arrive and be installed!
Look for more updated photos next month!
Meanwhile, we headed to the lake for Memorial Day weekend! Daughter A, my brothers and their wives and our niece and nephew and their families joined us, too! We had a full - and fun - house!
The weekend started out chilly and a bit wet,
but blankets and a bonfire made us all feel cozy!
By Sunday and Monday it felt like summer was in the air!
Summer’s maiden voyage!
Kicking off another season of memory-making at the lake!
Our month ended with a weekend visit from our Wisconsin crew!
The Littles discovered their mommy’s and auntie’s Polly Pocket collection
Such treasures!
We helped Daughter A move her big ticket items to her new place
and enjoyed a bit of cousin time on the deck, too!
Thanks for the memories, May!
We made some fun memories in May
at Our Grand Lives, too!
We had 7 new posts this past month!
Our first post of the month was
In that post, we celebrated the spring season with flower-filled fun
designed especially for the Littles in your lives!
Life Lately was our next post
and we took a look at the antics and adventures that filled our days!
Soon after, came our This & That post!
We kicked off a new series, one we’ll add to seasonally!
We featured ideas that we’ve only shared on our social media sites this past spring!
With spring in full swing, our next post, Way to Go, Graduate! was timely!
We had fun sharing our GRAND ideas
for turning a gift of cash into a memorable graduation surprise!
May’s Story of the Month was highlighted in our next post,
We wrapped up this year’s series with this classic story
that reflects growth, change and new beginnings!
We got ready to welcome summer with our next post,
We reshared our version of this ooey gooey campfire treat!
Then, we highlighted a few of our favorite ways to enjoy family time,
all while gathered around a summer campfire!
Our final post of May, focused on
We put our own GRAND spin on an exciting milestone for many…
Check out our ideas for ways to support and encourage these Littles this summer
as they - and their parents - get ready for it all.
We’re always keeping busy over on
We’d love it if you stopped by - or even followed us - there!
A month of making memories… Thank you, May!
Thanks so much for indulging us on our monthly trip down memory lane!
It’s always a blessing when you stop by
and take the time to visit our world!
THANK YOU!
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Special THANKS for reading, commenting, and/or emailing!
We always welcome your thoughts!
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we’d be most grateful if you share our site with them!
THANKS, AGAIN!
The month of May may have come and gone, but the memories we made will stay with us for years to come! Whether big or small, planned or unexpected, these are the moments that enrich our days and fill our hearts!
Looking back, we’re grateful for the many blessings that May brought our way
and the memories that continue to remind us of God’s goodness…
Some of life’s sweetest moments aren’t necessarily the ones we plan for!
Rather, they’re the ones God places gently in our path each day!
A family gathering, a milestone celebrated
or an ordinary afternoon made memorable
simply because it was shared with those we love!
💗 We are delighted to join the following link up parties and blog hops! 💗
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THURSDAY
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Pie-ing the Sunday school teachers sounds like a fun end to the year. hehehe and that is great news that your father-in-laws house sold quickly! How wonderful to see all those old photos! Aww! The celebration for Little D is just adorable!
Happy birthday to Little P and your daughter J! I love the doughnut cake. It looks like a good month for you all.
What lovely memories for May! It looks like you all had a great time. Thank you for sharing them with us.
Steph@CrazyLittleLovebirds
Such a beautiful family! You are very lucky!
What a great month! I can't believe his house sold already. Wow. The doughnut cake for breakfast is darling. Thank you for sharing this with us at the Will Blog for Comments #85 linkup. Looking forward to seeing what you'll share at #86, which opens Monday morning. Wishing you a great week to come.
Both of my girls have mud kitchens in their yard and they are so much fun. My younger daughter had her kids paint rocks to look like food and they turned out so great. She bought the rocks so they were smooth. Really really cute. I'll try to get a picture from her. I agree spending time with adult children while their children sleep is so special. I love mah jong and play every week. I (along with two other women) taught thirty neighbors to play so we have a good pool of players in our neighborhood now. My biggest tip is to play : ) When you first learn you need to play a lot.