I never did feel I lead a normal life, being a mother with 4 kids, married to a fire captain and working alongside him as a fire fighter for 6 years. There were many times we spent hours and even days in the engine running one call after another and not slowing down. We relied on our friends and neighbors to help watch our kids.
Marcus, in the first picture also ran calls with us for a few months. My daughter Lisa, in the last picture ran with us as an explorer. Sonya (in the middle) never wanted anything to do with the firedepartment (lol) but we respected her decision on that matter.
My kids and their famillies are all spread out now. Marcus lives 2 hours from me and I get to see him and my grandkids every 3 months or so. Sonya lives in El Passo, Texas. We manage to make a drive down there twice a year to visit with them on two week vacations.
Lisa and her kids live way up in the boonies in Oregon and we rarely get to visit them. So this is another reason I am not your typical grandma. My grandkids live away from me and I don't get to visit them as I'd like to.
I compensate for this by knitting and crocheting socks, hats and gloves for them. To me, this is like sending them a hug and there truly is a whole lot of love going into the items I knit for them.