Family Ties

I wish I'd planned ahead a little bit but instead I'm winging it this week with the A-Z Blog Challenge letters. C'est la vie. Also, story of my life when it comes to blogging. 

F is for Family Ties

Hubs and I both are one of four children in our respective birth families which means our girls have lots of aunts and uncles who have loved and encouraged them all their lives. They have special and unique relationships with each one and all the aunts claim to be the favorite. They are. 

Daughter1 has two darling boys of her own now, who are not only adored by their immediate grandparents and aunts and uncles, but also by all the many greats who loved their mama and daddy before them. 

Dear Grandboys, 

Your extended family is big and loud, full of many words and more than a few opinions. They think they're hilarious and they kind of are. They are spread across many cities and states and thanks to the US Army you're a million miles away from all of them right now. 

These people who think you hung the moon and would dare anyone to disagree, are different in very many ways, yet completely united in their love for you. In fact they might argue over who loves you most and every single one will say it doesn't matter what any of the others say, they love you best. 

For the record-Nana loves you best. Carry on. 

It is a beautiful thing to be loved well. To have a sense of belonging from the moment you're born. To know your successes will be celebrated and your moods understood or at least tolerated. To know there's a whole team of people rooting for you, praying for you, ready to hold your hand when your hand needs holding. 

When you are four and when you're forty four. 

We hate that you, our big little mancub, at three years of age has to wear a mask to preschool. We love the twinkle in your eyes behind the mask. 

We hate that baby 'Max' has gone from squishy newborn to a walking talking 18-month old little man in the blink of an eye. We love that he's healthy, all smiles, and will spontaneously hug his mom around the neck whenever he feels like it. 

We hate that we aren't there to rock you to sleep, stack all the blocks, and read all the books again and again and again. We are grateful every single day God gave you a mother and father who do all the things, and who share all the moments with us they can possibly share using all the technology we love to hate. 

We hate that we can't sit at the table and share a meal in person. We love that you love your noodles, your rice, and your Bibimbap, and that you like to say it too. 

We hate that you are 7000 miles away but we love to see pictures of you on the far side of the world. To know that even though you're very young you are learning so much. That these experiences are shaping your family in ways it needs to be shaped.  

That God has a distinct plan for your lives and this is part of His plan. 

We hate all the moments we have missed. We know too that you boys are burrowed so deeply into the hearts of all who love you that we're together even when we're apart. 

That's the miracle called family.

"What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family." 

Mother Teresa

Easter Weekend With Our Peeps

It seems like I'm always a little behind here every year at the start of these A-Z challenges. So much going on and I hate feeling like I'm playing catch up but I'm playing catch up. 

E is for Easter

Hubs and I spent Easter weekend with the newlyweds. Who live many miles away. It's a long drive, definitely do-able in a single day but not as enjoyable as breaking it up a little. We had to drop the dog off at the trainer's house Wednesday so decided to go ahead and get on the road with an overnight stop close to halfway in the town of Staunton Virginia. 

We've traveled up and down I-81 in our married life more than the average person. More than most long haul truckers I bet, because my family lived north and hubs family lived south, then we lived north and our kids lived south, now we live south and one of our daughters lives north so you get the idea.

The Shenandoah Valley which lies along this corridor is one of the most beautiful places in America. Besides all the natural beauty an enormous amount of our nation's history occurred right along the interstate. 

Except of course there was no interstate when Stonewall, Ulysses, and Robert E. roamed this valley.  

We've lived in both Richmond and Annapolis so have seen quite a bit of the Maryland/DC/Virginia sights, but we'd never visited New Market Battlefield. Since it lies just north of Staunton we planned a visit there for Thursday morning. 

It was cold. 
I might utter that phrase a few more times before the weekend is over. 

The museum here is so well done and it's always remarkable to walk where soldiers walked. After the battlefield and museum visit we had lunch at a little spot in New Market called Southern Kitchen, and it was so good. We miss NJ diners, but this place definitely had that feel. 

We were back in the car mid-afternoon to finish our drive to the Keystone State. I have family in the southern end of this state, but we were headed further north. State College for you Penn State fans. 

We live in Clemson country and I was wishing I had my bright orange fleece with the tiger paw on it to wear around town because a) it would have been fun and b) it was cold. I say that, but my son-in-law pretty much went without a coat the whole weekend so it's all in what you're used to. Here's how I looked all day Friday-

A married lady but still her Daddy's girl-

We arrived just in time for dinner Thursday evening. Just to give you a heads up, it looks like all we did was eat and drink but I promise it was not. It does seem that's what I photographed though. 

Hubs and his son-in-law are kindred spirits when it comes to the grill, and my son-in-law grilled us some of his famous oysters to start. They were delish. Daughter2 made a lovely charcuterie board and we relaxed and caught up Thursday evening. 

Friday we did the touristy thing because hey, technically we're tourists. We got to see Daughter2's school (5 minutes from her house so whoohoo!) then we drove into downtown to see the campus the town is essentially built around. 

                 

We did a bit of walking, masked because it's the town law here...

                 

...and we stood next to the lion but you should know we were saying Go Tigers! the whole time. 

                   

We had lunch at a well known eatery then made a stop at the Arboretum for a walk around the grounds. 

It's a lovely space and while many plants and shrubs are still sleeping it will be beautiful in another month. Still a great place for a walk and we really enjoyed that. I for sure was congratulating myself for remembering to pack a hat, scarf, and gloves amen. 

               

On Saturday we headed out to see the countryside with a couple of local wineries as scheduled breaks

               

But first, lunch at a brewery. The landscape here is gorgeous, lots of green grassy farmland, and not a lot of traffic unless you're down by the uni. 

We had booked a tasting at Mount Nittany Winery, nestled on a lovely piece of property with seating beside the pond. It was a beautiful sunny day, but when the wind blew brrr. 

Please note me in my winter jacket and son-in-law in his shirtsleeves. 

We ended the afternoon with one more tasting, a 'wine and peep' pairing at University Wine Company. Kudos to whoever came up with the idea because let's be honest...I was mostly here for the peeps. 

                  

I recommend the hot tamale. 

              

We woke up to the cutest little Easter baskets on Sunday morning, courtesy of Daughter2. We did not attend church in person Easter morning because the church they've been going to is not in person currently. Interesting how different things are in different parts of the country. 

                   

The night before Easter the men prepped and started a brisket on the smoker so while it was doing it's thing we took the dogs for a walk in a nearby park. 

             

The Pennsylvania Military Park in nearby Boalsburg PA, and did I mention it was an absolutely gorgeous day? I finally was down to just a fleece, but we saw a couple of people in shorts and t-shirts. I'm telling you your blood gets thinner when you leave the snowy north for the sunny southland. 

             

There's a military museum here but it was closed, so we just wandered the grounds on this most beautiful of Easters. 

Lunch/dinner was fabulous and the brisket a success-

The best part of my day-weekend-life was sitting beside my girl in the sunny sunshine of her own back yard, grateful for the wife she has become, feeling happy I taught her to cook-ha!...

               

...and soaking up every ounce of joy a grown up daughter brings. 

Hot Diggety Dog!

We've had a busy fun few days which means I haven't spent a lot of time planning my A-Z blog challenge posts. I asked my daughter what I should write about for today's letter, something that would tie in with my theme, and she said I couldn't write about grandparenting, grandchildren, or grand things without talking about the 'grand' dogs. 

D is for Dogs

And we do think ours are pretty grand. I love dogs but am not someone who refers to them as people. Although, quite often they do act so much like humans you can forget they're not. 

If you read here regularly you know we currently have custody of our daughter1's dog while she and her family are living in South Korea. Does she know we're not giving him back? I guess she does now-ha! The dog hubs absolutely positively did not want is now his best friend and closest companion. 

A magnet stuck to his side from sun up to sun down. Where hubs goes he goes including the daily bluebird feeding, the dock, the boat, the mailbox, the front yard, the back yard, the patio, the porch, Lowes (his favorite) and waiting not so patiently just outside the shower door, the screened porch door, the garage door, any door where hubs is on the other side. 

The little brown dog is obedient, well-behaved (unless you're popping popcorn then all bets are off), always ready to go where you're going, and needs an excessive and steady stream of belly rubs-exercise-and attention. Hubs obliges because he is a man who should always have a dog even when he says he will never have another dog because you love them too much and lose them too soon. 

This is one of the lessons dogs teach us. 

There is a cost to loving with your whole heart, but the reward is worth the cost. 

We spent the Easter weekend with our other 'granddogs'. One being the sweetest dog we've ever known and the other, her new best friend even though she might not admit it...

The little guy who will keep her young, who thinks he's boss, and who jumps like the very best player in the NBA, who was abandoned by someone but loved and cared for by my son-in-law. 

Dogs are a lot of work. They need feeding and walking, and owning a dog means you can't just jump in the car and road trip spur of the moment because you need to consider the dog. Who will care for the dog and will they care the way you care?

We think the joys of owning a dog far outweigh the aggravations. Dogs love without reservation. They throw a party every time you walk through the door even if they saw you five minutes ago. They teach you patience, but they also know instinctively when you need them to snuggle up beside you because you've had a bad day or you're having a bad moment. 

Dogs fill empty spaces in your home and heart you didn't even know were there. 

And while life would likely be less trouble, it would also be far less grand without our little brown dog and his 'cousins'. 

Small Grand Things

True story...I rarely blog on Saturdays. But since Saturday posting is required in the A-Z Blog Challenge I'm going to do what I've done the past few years and use Saturdays for list making. The only rule is that the list must go along with the letter of the day, and this year I'm going with small things I think are pretty grand. I like to keep these lists to 20 because that's a nice round number. 

I invite you to make your own list because there's nothing quite like intentionally thinking about the little things you love and appreciate to brighten your mood and sometimes even your entire week. Here we go-

C is for Capturing Blessings Small And Grand 

cute shoes

clementines

casting my cares on Him

Christmas

considerate people

charcuterie trays shared with friends

compelling stories

a clean house

my whole crew round the table

cookies fresh from the oven

civility

celebrations

courageous people

changing seasons

calm waters, both the literal and the figurative 

chats with my daughters

cotton candy clouds

coffee on the porch

non-complainers

a nap on the couch

Wishing you all a joyous Easter weekend...He Lives! 

Winds Will Blow

Blogging these days feels tricky. While we like to say everyone is entitled to their opinion it doesn’t actually feel like everyone is entitled to their opinion. At least not opinions that run contrary to the strange new world in which we live.

I like my space here and I especially like the tone. I like that people feel welcome here because they are. Sometimes people who know me in real life ask me to write about current events and I mostly decline because the world is already too noisy and I don't want to add to it. There are exceptions and I guess today might be one of those. 

When I started thinking about my A-Z challenge posts I knew I wanted to write both for and about my grandchildren, and the first thing that popped into my head was today’s letter. Which seemed obvious...

B is for Boys

And then I had all these second thoughts because it feels like we’re off the cliff and falling fast when it comes to talking anything gender. It feels impossible not to stir people up even when you’re not trying to stir people up. 

For the record I am never one to stir people up.  

At the same time, things are happening today that I find confusing, and the speed with which they're happening is truly alarming.  

I raised daughters. And now I have grandsons. When daughter1 announced 'It's A Boy' I remember a huge smile spreading across my face and only feeling a teensy bit panicked on the inside. A boy? What do I do with a boy? Girls are what I know. Tea parties and hair ribbons. American Girl Dolls and lots and lots of words and emotion spilling out and over everywhere. 

I know that's all completely un-pc to say in 2021, but in our house it was also very true. 

I want to write this down. I want my girls and my grands to know they should always hold up what the world is saying next to what God has said, and when those two things don't line up go with God. I know there are very many people today who don't believe in God, don't believe the Bible is full of truth and for our benefit, who don't accept or don't want to accept it holds the answer to every single question the universe might ask, but I do. 

I believe He made us deliberately and, by grand and glorious design, to be different. Somehow we've come to see this as a bad thing, something that needs correcting, when in fact I would say it's a truly marvelous thing. 

Why do we suddenly want the human race to be homogenous? 

I'm not quite sure how we got here, to a place where it's become necessary to completely change our vocabulary, to identify what you think you are, and if you don't watch out. Is our gender really based on what we declare it to be in words, in how we feel in various seasons of our life? Or is it based in how we're made? In the literal fiber of our being...our chromosomes and DNA? 

I have tremendous compassion for young people struggling with truly hard stuff, for children making decisions that will alter their futures in ways they don't even know and can't begin to see or understand. For the pressures and anxiety social media brings into their lives. And I feel so deeply for parents trying to navigate these very sensitive issues with their hurting children. I would also say it helps no one to deny or ignore the most basic science there is. 

Am I a girl or a boy? 

Intricately and with purpose woven into each one of us before we draw our first breath.  

"For You formed my inward parts; 
You knitted me together in my mother's womb." Psalm 139:13

Sometimes when I blog I imagine my little grandboys all grown up, maybe picking up my blog book and reading what Nana thought about the world in which she lived. I imagine when another 20 years go by, the world they live in as adults will look quite differently than it does today. I want them to know that no matter what man can conceive or be deceived by, God is still and ever the One who spoke the very universe into existence. 

"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; 
male and female He created them." Genesis 1:27 

I pray every day for my grandsons parents. I pray God grants them wisdom, humor, grace, and patience as they raise these tiny humans into full grown men. I pray they embrace the privilege of parenting in every season, that they never shrink back from having hard conversations, leading by example, and pointing their children to the truth. 

I pray too for these darling boys who love their trains and their planes and wrestling each other to the ground. I pray they grow to be men of courage and conviction. Tender hearted and slow to anger. Strong, generous, and compassionate. 

To be who God created them to be.
Men who stand firm in their faith when the winds of this world blow. 

A is for Ain't Life Grand

No foolin'. Today marks the start of the April A-Z Blog Challenge hosted by a number of different folks, but you'll find the 411 and sign up details over on Blogging From A-Z.  

I try to participate in this writing challenge every April because I like the discipline and the format both. That is, blog every day except for Sundays in the month of April, one letter a day which conveniently works out to 26 posts, on any topic or no topic at all. 

I like a topic. And mine is very general this year, but I do have some thoughts and I'm going to make it work. 

Life is grand. 

That will of course mean lots of posts about grandparenting, but also lots of posts about things I want my grandchildren to know. They might be toddlers but they do read here. Ha! 

There are things I want to tell them about the world and our place in it that flow more naturally for me in writing. Plus, I'm pretty much the queen of random when it comes to blogging, and I like to leave myself room for tangents. 

Which brings me to today. 

Day 1 and the letter A..one last wedding post to wrap up the best day ever. 

A is for Ain't Life Grand

Yes. Yes it is.  

Daughter2 got married in January and I've been recapping the day in words and pictures. I have my blog printed and bound into a book which is partly why I've posted so many photos. Also I love them so there's that. 

I'm going with a few random beauties that didn't make the recap posts, but that I want saved here on the blog. Away we go-

Can you share too many little detail shots? 

I think not. 

We have the loveliest photos of the invitation suite but the addresses would need blurring and it would ruin the look so I'll share a snippet instead...

A moment with my mini is always a favorite...

Veils that float and love in the air...

Happy and relaxed because I've got you babe...

Girls by your side through thick and thin...

Maybe even since the second grade....

And their mommas too...

photo credit: TDiphone

Old friends- new friends-tried and true friends...

photo credit: CSmithiphone

Officially family and the originals too...

Happy feet...

Happy life..

Old love, long love...

Real love, young love...

Growing deep love-

"...bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." 

1 Corinthians 13:7-8