Birthdays

    Every year since moving to Dawsonville in 2001, we have celebrated our grandchildren's birthdays at the "farm", as they call it. I once remarked to someone that if four acres and a beagle named JoJo constitutes a farm, then we have one. And lest I forget Dan's hard work and God's blessing on it, we have a garden with yummy vegetables.  We have a joint party during the first week of July, Landon's birthday being toward the end of June, and Alicia's being the first week of July. We invite family and friends and have thoroughly enjoyed the festivities but this year, because of low energy and the kids' stating their desires of ChuckECheese for the little one and a friend sleepover for our growing up girl, I, happily, and Grandanny, reluctantly, decided not to do the normal July get-together.

But we did have both of the Lyle "babies" to come for a separate sleepover and we loved and I am sure they did too the opportunity to lavish our attention on treating each one. Alicia chose Ryan's to eat because who can resist those hot rolls with butter, right? And Landon, the home-boy who doesn't have to go anywhere to have a good time, chose MaMa's spaghetti. It is funny that he informed his Mom that mine is better and she uses Ragu "flavored with meat" and so do I!  Just better at the farm, I guess. :)

Alicia just turned ten and that is hard to believe. They really do grow up so fast. Treasure each moment because it seems like yesterday when I first saw that crying at the top of her lungs, beautiful faced girl and it's been a love affair ever since. Her Grandanny and I have enjoyed immensely watching her grow and being a part of her life.  Alicia is a sweet child and she has brought smiles and laughter to us these past ten years. She loves to have her nails done with her "prissy ever since she has been here Mom" (they didn't inherit that from me) but when she comes here, she also likes to shoot her new pink BB gun with her Grandanny. He is amazed at the distance that she can pop the balloons with very little practice. She loves to pile into his truck and go fishing down at our neighbor's lake. We laugh now at the memory of when she was between two and three, Grandanny said it would take him longer to get the gear ready to go than her attention span would allow them to stay. Many times, after unloading the rods and reels, the water bottles, (which MaMa insisted had to go), spreading out a towel, (which MaMa insisted had to go), and finally sitting down, if the fish didn't bite in three minutes, he would hear these words "Grandanny, I am ready to go back to the farm!" Grandanny would quip to her that she reminded him of her MaMa. Either those fish are awaiting my arrival to bite or it is time to go home. After all, you can buy Gorton's at Kroger.


    And , of course, in about ten minutes, I would hear the truck pull up and would think to myself that the rest was way too short. Mark and Amy like to remind us that they would have had to stay longer. I think it was Bill Cosby who observed that his parents were not the same people when the grandchildren arrived. "Oh, you want a quarter, Darling? Well, here's five dollars instead."

Almost five years later, in the same hospital, I watched as our second, a beautiful baby boy, came howling his way into this world. We felt so blessed to be able to enjoy the "frills" of Alicia and now, the "thrills" of a precious male child.  About eight weeks after Landon's arrival, our hearts were frightened when a healthy, calm, and mostly eating and sleeping baby up to now, began to have seizures. Do you know how you remember what you were doing and where you were when traumatic events happened in your life? Well, I remember where I was standing and what I was thinking and praying the morning that Jeff called from ICU and said the doctor used the terminology "potentially life threatening"" prognosis.

Well, you cannot tell from the blog but I just paused for a few minutes and thanked God again that after a couple of months of  a very nervous baby, and that  after many tests were run and much prayers from many people were sent up on our behalf, Landon had no more seizures and is in every way, a typical five year old.
He has more energy in one day than Grandanny and I can muster up in a week, he loves to play with Thomas trains, use his karate moves on his Uncle Mark, beat whoever he's playing at WII Mario Kart, and last week, (I am glad Jeff didn't have his video camera) we both were dinosaurs, he defending his kingdom and I defending mine- only my roar wasn't as loud as his!!

Thanks for listening to my reflections on my grandbabies. I know we can bore others to tears and I promise if you visit that we won't watch home movies but you other grandparent readers know exactly what I am talking about, don't you? Of my many, many blessings, and they are innumerable over the last almost 58 years, I often use these words before I end my prayer time: "Lord Jesus, thank You that You allowed me to be a MaMa before leaving this stage of life here. The relationship has so enriched and taught me and Lord, help me to be the type of MaMa that they will remember firstly that I loved and lived my life for You."  So, Alicia Danielle and Nicholas Landon, I love you more than you can know. In fact, last week, as we dropped you off back to your loving parents, Grandanny asked, "Reckon when they will know how much we love them?"  "If Jesus doesn't return first, Grandanny, in about 45- 50 years when they see theirs."

Quickly, in July, we celebrated another birthday and that of our country, the country that I love. Danny and I even stayed out to 10:30. WOW! We went to Dahlonega and watched the fireworks and at 9:30, I probably sounded like Alicia at the fishing hole , "Dan, how much longer? If I were home, I would have been in bed thirty minutes ago." But at 9:45 until 10:00, we saw the lights light up the sky with the final one being a red, white, and blue smiley-face. "How do they do that, Dan?" Again, I suppose he thought he had inquisitive grandchildren along.  I love my country but am concerned for my country. I was reading in 2 Tim. 3 this morning concerning the perilous times and will probably blog about this soon. Sleeping people need to wake up and hopefully many are.

For the sake of this being too long and losing you and to keep it light for today (I think the approaching day doesn't warrant frivolity), I will close. Know that I pray for my readers and always pray that my words will be clear. I encourage you to be in His Word. It is clear and all-important!!  I could quit writing today and little would be lost but for you to fight and endure in these last days, you and I need to saturate our minds and hearts with His Word.  Praise Him for His proclamation and preservation of the Gospel!

Looking up, Deborah