lately…

That darned ol’ cup has been overflowing. I’ve had the delicious gift of…

quality time.

I’ve been so thirsty for it. 

Last month, I went to visit our oldest son and his wife and daughter. It was time laced with lazing about in recliners, good food, long talks, soft sunsets. And even though I grew up in the exact spot that I was now visiting, I still am amazed, and surprised, when I see it through my son’s eyes. While I spent time here, he actually became a man here. It’s very different. I love being a passenger on his ride. It’s kind of like taking in a big, deep breath.

One of my favorite bits of time with them was at a lake near my parent’s home. Mind you, I love being near the water. It can be a reservoir, pond, creek, river, lake, the ocean, or taking a bath in my swanky tub – don’t care, I just love it. The thing is, I always went in the opposite direction of this lake as a teenager. My life was south, and the lake was north; quite frankly, I never even gave it a thought. It was though I was completely unaware that this was in my backyard.

So while I was bombarded with regret of what I didn’t know then, I was flooded with the constant and undeserving grace of what is present: My precious family. 

This baby girl, my granddaughter, who is learning to fish.

My son, who is only at his truest home when he is out away from hustle and bustle and knee deep in some kind of muck, water, or forest.

That photo reminded me of his younger brother (on the right, below) a couple of years ago under a bridge looking for crawdads, looking suspiciously similar.

Genetics, maybe? ;)

It was the night before the birth of their second daughter, and they’re preparing to spend the next several months lakeside. We had to make sure that grandbaby #1 was gonna like it. 

She was like a fearless fish, as were her parents. 

The next day was baby sister’s birth day. It was exciting, fun, unbearable, long, exhausting, exhilarating – all of the things that a birth day is.

At the end of the day, we not only had a new baby girl in the family, but I was assigned my actual, official grandparent name. Hank and I have been waiting until g-baby #1 could talk well enough to name us. 

I love it.

After naps and snacks and waiting and waiting and waiting, it was meeting time.

And now I’m ugly crying. Gah. Stinkin’ sweetness.

I had a couple days left to love on all of my babies, all of my family there, before heading home.

I am filled up for now, riding that sweet high of good, good time with those kids.

I even got to spend my time with my Momma while she baked some of her famous, not-to-be-duplicated rolls.

She even made a how-to video for Hank, since we’ve all been desperately trying to make them like her and he’s the best bread maker in our neck of the woods.

When I came home, happy but tired from a long, long drive across three states, Hank surprised me with a new deck. It’s one we’d planned to add since renovating our home. We added a master bathroom (remember that swanky tub I spoke of earlier?), with a glass door that leads outside under an apple tree. Outside that door, there’s now a deck tucked into the branches of the tree, which makes me feel as though we live in a treehouse.

Otis the Farm Dog approves, as well.

As always, there are more projects. :) Vinca under the apple tree that will show pretty little purple flowers in the spring, and since this photo Hank has built and added a grand, welded railing so we don’t fall to our death down the window well. Ha. 

Yep. Overflowing cup. If you see me with a stupid grin, gimme a high-five. I’m a GiGi, after all.

I’ll leave you with these two pics. They’re why I love my family.

Comments

comments