My Grandkids

This is Isaac. He is April & Adam’s first born and is six years old. He blesses my life with his loving ways, often saying to me, “I love you so much Grammie!” He loves to snuggle, read books and tell stories. He’s very independent and is very much a people person. He prayed with me for about 3 years to sell our house so we could move to Wausau and be together whenever we wanted to.  He’s my buddy. Isaac told me before we moved to Wausau that, he was going to put tape on both of our houses so we’d always have to be stuck together. If he ever moves away, I don’t think I’ll ever be happy again. We are joined at the hip and Isaac is someone I need to be with. It’s amazing to me how much a body can love a child. He is my joy.

This is Hudson. He’s April & Adam’s second son and is 4 years old.  He is very sweet and loving and he is such a sweet heart. I love to hear him say, “I love you Drammie!” One of his favorite things to do is play with Trio Blocks, though playing with my smart phone is a close second. He amazes me with his understanding of computer games. I count it a privilege every time he comes over and sits on my lap because it’s his way of showing his love for me. I could squeeze him all day and never get enough of his sweetness. This past year I feel I have tattooed him on my heart! He’s so much like his Papa, calm, relaxed and taking life in in an easy, matter of fact manner. I call him my precious because my life would not be complete without him in it. He definitely lives in my heart.

This is Myles, the youngest of April’s kids. He is 6 months old. I had the privilege of being in the room while he was born as I was with her other two children. He’s such a sweet child, ready with a cute smile and very cuddly – which is a good thing to this Grammie! Myles has a tint of red in his hair which his daddy says is a sign of his Welsh heritage. I am thankful that I am given the blessing of being able to watch these boys grow up and to be a part of their day-to-day life. I would put this blessing at the top of my list of the top 10 things in my life that I can’t live without.

Here is my little Mackenzie. She’s 5 years old. Isn’t she a cutie? Mackenzie belongs to Marissa and Mark, Marissa’s first husband. She’s growing up so fast! Last time she came to visit us, she was so much fun! She has a huge vocabulary and is so very smart. She’s really into Dora Explorer and I think she looks like her too! She especially likes to play with Papa by hiding under a blanket and jumping out and “scaring” us.  We just love it when we can visit with her, which isn’t as often as I would like!

 This is Jacob; he’s Marissa’s 7 year old step-son. Since he lives in Virginia we don’t get to see him much.  He enjoys playing with his sister, Mackenzie. I’ll never forget the first time I realized I had a new grandson – and he was four years old already – what a fabulous gift. He’s a sweet boy. I had a good time playing Legos with him when he came to visit.  I’m hoping that when he gets a little older he can come to visit us so we can have some time to really get to know him. I really enjoy talking with him because he’s so personable.

Here is our grandson, Matthew. He is Marissa and Paul’s son. Matthew completes Marissa’s yours, mine and ours family. He is now 2 years old and is such a character! He laughs with such a cute giggle that you can’t help laughing with him. He loves to plan with his brother, Ryan, and watch cartoons on tv. He is so cute when he sits down on the couch and plays with Marissa’s smart phone. It’s amazing to see how quickly and easily little kids take to electronics.

Ryan is Marissa’s youngest and is 15 months old. His favorite person is his uncle Jacob, and loves playing with his brothers Matthew and Jake. He has the cutest smile and is very personable. When we were out visiting him and his family in December, I was very glad to be able to get to know him since the last time I saw him was when he was first born. He came a little early, so even though I left a day earlier than planned, I was still a day late in getting to Virginia for his birth. Fortunately I was able to spend his first two weeks with him. I wish I could spend more time with them all!

This is Mecaih, Mollie and Jason’s first born. I’ve not been able to meet him yet, but hope to in the near future. It’s hard when your grandkids are so far away.  Marissa was able to be present during his birth and sent me pictures. Thanks so much, Marissa! I am anxious to meet you Mecaih!

Our latest blessing is Alice Jane, born to Levi and Sarah a couple of months ago. We were able to visit with them in March – what a fun time to see them all and hold our new granddaughter for the first time! She is very precious! Jillian and Taylor set us there and we had a grand family reunion. Of course, I took my camera and got a to of pictures of this new addition to our family. I don’t think I’ll ever take for granted the ability to be close to my grandkids and be able to watch them grow up. Alice is a true gift.

Grandparenting is glorious!

I had no idea how much of an impact these little ones would make in my life. They occupy my thoughts and have enlarged my heart. It’s so hard to explain how much a grandchild can change your life – it’s something you must experience to fully understand. My days are filled with thoughts of them: wondering how they are, what they’re doing, if they’re OK, what new thing they’ve learned, etc. When we are not together, my heart aches to hold them again.  It’s like God gave a little piece of heaven to me that in a real way shows me how He loves. They are a way to know God better, to know who He is. Have you ever just wanted to glimpse Heaven and experience just a moment of what it would be like living there? Have Grandkids.