• Packing for Dallas…

    April 17, 2013 / 12 Comments

    It has been almost five months since I have seen my two sons and their families…not since Thanksgiving.  I miss them!  On Saturday morning, I am flying to Dallas for a week-long-visit with my youngest and his sweet family.  My now nineteen-month-old granddaughter has changed so much since November!  I see photos of her.  I have brief visits with her on Facetime…but nothing compares to a visit in person.  She is absolutly adorable with her big blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair – just like her dad’s.  I can’t wait to see her!  And spend lots of time coloring together (she loves to color) and going for walks and playing.  The first couple of times that I went to visit, we “toured” Dallas, but to be honest, I just want grandbaby time!  I’m sure Dallas is lovely, but Dallas cannot compete with a nineteen-month-old granddaughter!

    Chicago Bulls’ fans at a Bulls game in Dallas! She’s clapping!

    So, my carry-on suitcase is packed with all the blankets & the quilt that I have made for her.  There’s a sweet vintage book by my favorite illustrator, the late Eloise Wilkin.  I look forward to reading it to her.  I’m taking a tape measure and several patterns to show her sweet mom.  I want to make some little dresses but I don’t have a clue what pattern size to make at this time.  So, I will take measurements and hurry home to make them before she grows a whole lot more.

    There’s also a soft, sweet baby doll complete with her blankie and bottle.  (I took her out of her box.  She’s a “My First Nursery” Middleton doll.  I will pack her in soft tissue paper and place her in the middle between blankets.)  I also want to look for a couple of toddler coloring books when I am, hopefully, out & about tomorrow.  (Today it has stormed all day long…complete with pouring rain, loud thunder and bolts of lightning.)  Then I should be all packed!

    What’s that?  Where are my clothes?!  Uh…good question.  Guess I should pack those next!

    Both graduates of IU, they’re definitely Hoosier fans!

     

    And I get to meet my new granddog, Bernie!

    See you soon…

  • A windy Sunday afternoon…

    April 13, 2013 / 6 Comments

    I enjoy having my daughter and her family over for lunch after church on Sundays every other Sunday or so (although tomorrow I’m going over there!).  It’s a bit of an endeavor in that my sweet son-in-love and my oldest grandson must trek down to my basement storeroom and bring up two extra dining chairs, but they don’t seem to mind.  My daughter and her youngest two children were with me when I chose the dining furniture and my young granddaughter informed me that “it had to be able to seat all of us”!  This round table has a hidden leaf which comes out to convert the table into an oval.  There is plenty of room for all of us!

    The last Sunday they were over was Easter and it was such fun.  My daughter brought their Easter baskets and we hid the colorful filled baskets for them to find before lunch inside the apartment.  The apartment is only 1200 sq. feet but we still managed to hide them successfully.  The three youngest grandchildren stay behind with me for several hours after their Mom and Dad return home.  Their older brother usually has to study so he returns home as well.

    That afternoon, we worked on art projects with my granddaughter’s new fairy design set.  They love exploring the apartment and found my old costume jewelry and other “treasures”.  My 9 year old granddaughter fell in love with my Mother’s locket…her maternal great-grandmother.  She wanted my photo in it and we found one that fit.  I know that she will take good care of it.  Now, she wears my photo around her neck!  My 13 year old granddaughter found some treasures that she wanted to take home with her as well.  It amazes me that, at this young age, they realize that sentimental treasures aren’t always about monetary value.

    Later, we decided to go for a walk but realized that their coats were in their car which was now at their home!  We improvised and they all wore one of mine – including my 4 year old grandson…which was a funny sight!  We headed out for our walk and, too late, realized that it was so cold and WINDY!  No one, including me, had a hat on and how I wished for one.  We walked down to the park next to the the nearby elementary school.  They played for a while on the jungle gym, then we headed back to my apartment for warm apple cider and a snack before I drove them home.

    I love that, the very next morning, my daughter said that my nine year old granddaughter asked when she “could see Grandmom again”!

    Chilly and WINDY Sunday afternoon and we were walking to a nearby park. They’re all wearing one of my jackets…including my 4 year old grandson! 😉

     

  • Memories of Bill…

    April 10, 2013 / 9 Comments

    December 1, 1943 –  April 10, 2006

    We are souls living in bodies.  Our bodies grow old, but our souls never die.  Seven years ago, you went to Heaven.  While you are no longer on this earth, your spirit lingers on in the lives of our three amazing children.  You would be so proud of them.  They are strong, loving, successful.  They are giving and devoted spouses.   They are loving, remarkable, wonderful parents.

    They are happy.

    Our grandchildren are treasures.  I tell them about you often.  I tell them “Granddad stories”.   I wish you could have lived long enough to have met the youngest ones.  They will hear Granddad stories too.  I see so much of you in our children and, now, in the grandchildren.  No doubt, they will have your drive and your competitive streak.  They are all athletic like you.  They’re artistic like both of us.  You would love hearing them play the piano and the violin.

    Our grandchildren are incredible blessings and bring me such joy.

    From time to time, I do see a mischievous grin on their faces and I know just where that came from…

    Love always,

    Dianne

    Matching shirts in the early seventies…
    Our two older children…fifteen & a half months apart.  Joyful, busy days for a young Mom and Dad.  Here they are coloring before bedtime in our son’s “cowboy & Indian” room…
     
    late eighties at Vanderbilt University…our little cowboy grew up
    Glacier National Park and a week of backpacking…

     

    Daddy and Daddy’s girl

     

    Graduation day…Mississippi College
    Wearing her Dad’s Heroes shirt…

     

    Our youngest little bundle of forever joy…

     

    Taking a break from playing frisbee by the street lights…

    Graduation day at Indiana University…

    Our firstborn grandchild helping Granddad paint…

    Granddad talking to our daughter’s oldest two children…
    Granddad and our firstborn grandchild. At Scott and Amy’s wedding in Memphis…

     

    Granddad holding our daughter’s daughter…

     

    2004…Granddad holding our daughter’s baby girl.

     

    Granddad holding our firstborn’s firstborn…

    Playing doll clothes with our older son’s firstborn on a visit to Memphis.

     

    Granddad and our older son’s baby girl…they had been playing doll clothes and dolls in the floor with Granddad. We celebrated her second birthday that week.

     

    GrandDad, Great-Grandmom, our older son and his daughters…

     

    My three sisters and Bill on a visit when we lived in Terre Haute, Indiana. Sad to think that three of them are now in Heaven. My sister (second from right) and I remain behind on this earth…

     

    (L to R) Penny (Bill’s sister), Bobbie (Bill’s late Mom) and Bill. This was taken on one of their fun visits to Terre Haute.
    A fun photo taken at Silver Dollar City in Missouri.
    This is actually my favorite pic of the two of us…

  • Hide and seek…

    March 1, 2013 / 4 Comments

    When it’s cold and windy outside with a blanket of deep white covering the ground, one must be creative…especially when playing with grandchildren inside.  One must also have a very good sense of humor!  😉

    It is a challenge trying to win at “hide and seek” when Kiana (the Hungarian Vizla) is a dead-give-away!

    Me (whispering):   “Go away, Kiana!!!  I’m trying to hide!”

    Kiana:  Slurp.  Slurp.  Kiss.  Kiss.  “Aw, Grandmom, let me in here with you!”

      My eight year old granddaughter:  “Found you, Grandmom!  *laughter*  You’re too big to fit in the cathedral room (the tent under the table…evidently, the sun shines through the different colors of blankets and looks like stained glass)!  Your bottom sticks out!” 

    At this point, my daughter and I cracked up in laughter!

    Actually, I think it was Kiana’s bottom that was sticking out from the tent!  😉

     

  • The prayers of a four year old…

    February 28, 2013 / 6 Comments

    At my daughter’s house before each meal, they hold hands and each person prays.  If you have never heard the prayers of a four year old, you have missed an amazing moment.  They are so totally real.  Completely open and honest.  There is no “filter” in the mind of a four year old – the filter that you and I have developed over the years.  So, he tells God just how he feels and what he thinks.  He asks for something in the simplest language possible.  I confess sometimes it is hard not to break out in the joy of laughter.  I don’t though.  I just sneek a peek at this precious child and my daughter trying not to laugh, squeeze my daughter’s hand and we both fight it.

    Our Heavenly Father must love it when a child prays, and I promise you that a child has His undivided attention.  I can also promise you that God has a sense of humor.  Don’t doubt it for a moment!

    Just a few excerpts from the prayers of my precious four year old grandson:

    Dear Lord (Lord sounds very Southern here – like Law-ward – I love it),

    Thank you so much for today.

    I got to go to school today.  I was the star.  I brought snacks.

    We couldn’t play on the playground because there was too much snow!

    Thank you for swim lessons and that my swim lessons went well.  (He has heard the expression about something “going well” from his older siblings.)

    Thank you that no one crashed in the race today (Daytona)!

    Please help my lego league to go well.  (His big brother and sister are in the lego league but he thinks he is too.)

    Thank you for the football game on television where you go up and down with the ball.

    Thank you for my mommy, daddy, sisters, brother and my grandmommy (and then he goes on to thank God for each one of our birthdays individually!)

    Thank you that grandmommy got to come over to play with me today.

    Please let Kiana (the dog) feel better soon.

    Please let me stay in this group.  (He meant family, of course, and that one just about broke everybody up!  I think he probably heard the word “group” at preschool).

    The photo above was taken over three years ago on the night they arrived home from Ethiopia with my grandson.  They were instructed by the adoption agency that for the first few weeks, only his Mom and Dad were to hold him to promote bonding.  So, as soon as he would fall asleep, my daughter would hand him to me.  I’d talk softly to him as he slept.  We were bonding even though he was asleep!  Now, of course, we are totally bonded.  He loves his Grandmommy and I love him…

  • Kindred spirits…

    February 27, 2013 / 4 Comments

    The past few months have been a challenge.  I’ve been through enough changes in my life that I scored quite high on the “stress level” meter.  I have fought to remain positive but, as you already know, that is sometimes beyond our reach.  When I first arrived in the Midwest six months ago, I spent two months living with my daughter and her precious family (my grandchildren thought they’d hit the jackpot!).  My belongings were stored floor to ceiling in her garage.  Not one word of complaint from her or my son-in-love, an amazing young man.

    When the worst of the depression hit months ago, I spent four days in an out-patient “depression class” which lasted all day long.  (Remember I was a Psych nurse for ten years and believe in getting help when needed!) When my grandchildren asked where I went early each morning, my daughter simply said “she’s going to a depression class”.  Each night at dinner, I had tales about who had joined the class that day (no names or details of course).  One day, a beautiful young Sandra Bullock-look-alike joined the class.  The next day it was Al Pacino’s double!  On my last day, Dennis Hopper showed up (nevermind he had died by then).  There was laughter at the dinner table and my grandchildren were so happy that Grandmom “graduated first in her class from depression school”!  Their words – not mine!  Mainly, they were glad I was home again during the day.

    When the time came for me to move into my own apartment/condo, my grandchildren weren’t so sure they wanted to part with me.  Thankfully, I’m only 14 minutes from them if I hit all the green lights just so.  They love coming over here.  They are my little kindred spirits.  They can read me like a book.  Especially my eight year old granddaughter.  She searches my face for signs that I am fine.  I may think that I am hiding tears or sadness from them, but they are not to be fooled.  Thankfully, there are very few tears now and even though they don’t realize it – they remind me, once again, that I am strong.  I am thankful for my daughter who is the biggest kindred spirit of all.  I am thankful for the closeness and the memories we are making.

    Spending time playing with grandchildren is the very best therapy in the world.  Anytime I am at my daughter’s or they are here, there is an abundance of laughter.  Laughter releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkiller, and makes anyone feel good…

    candle