Finally!

First, my computer has been acting up. I haven't been able to get on the internet.
Then, Jerry gets that fixed, and my keyboard has decided not to work.
It has been a bit discouraging, so tonight I decided to borrow Jerry's computer.
It's catch up time.
Christian is growing and growing. He has started to grow into some of his newborn clothes.
He is developing a personality.
He is such a sweet baby. He rarely cries. Of course that is probably because every time he squeaks, somebody picks him up. New babies are fun to spoil.
He is taking 4 ounces of formula every 3-4 hours.
His little arms and legs are filling out.
Tish is doing very well. She has lost all of her baby belly and is finding that her clothes that fit her prior to her pregnancy are just a little loose now.
She is a great Mom and takes excellent care of her tiny son.

Jerry starts his new job Monday. His first love has always been law enforcement and now he is getting the chance to get back into it. I am excited for him. He has lost a lot of weight and has a real problem keeping his pants up lately. We will have to invest in some new clothes soon.

Geri Alice is also a big news item. She is expecting her first child in August or September. She and Brian are leaving for California in March and are planning to get married in Vegas on their way out there. She is planning on returning to Texas before the baby is born and settling down somewhere near the rest of her family.

Krysta and Cotton are having a bit of a rough time right now. He just had surgery on his shoulder and is recuperating at home.
My heart goes out to them, Jerry and I know well the difficulties of raising small children on a limited income and the worry of trying to make ends meet. We are praying for them nightly. We would like to be able to help financially but we too are struggling to keep our heads above water.

Aaron is doing well, he misses all of us and wants to come home and meet all the new members of the family. Hopefully, he will be able to visit while the babies are still small enough to fit in one of his big ole hands. What a picture that would be, Christian in one hand and Samuel in the other. I remember my Daddy and my Grandpa Allison having those same big hands.

Speaking of grandparents, on my way home fom work last night there was a program on the radio, where people were calling in and telling stories of how their grandparents had influenced them. That really brought up whole lot of sweet memories for me.
I think the most influential person in my childhood was my Mom. She taught me perserverance and patience. She showed an amazing dept of strength throughout all of the trials she experienced during my growing up years. She also taught me that love for your husband is so much more than just saying the words.

Now, about my grandparents. My Grandma Woodard is still with us and lives next door to my Mom. She is an absolute fountain of Faith in the Lord. She lives every day as close to Him as she can get. From her, I have learned that Faith and Prayer are continuous needs in our lives. That the Lord is ever present and hears us.
I was 9 years old when my Grandpa Woodard died. I am sure that my memories of him are clouded somewhat by the imagination and fancy of a child. But they are my memories, and I chose to keep them intact, just as they are. From him, I remember laughter. I learned to be myself with him. He expected nothing more and nothing less. He made me feel special and unconditionally loved. A favorite memory is the little spider monkey that he somehow aquired. The monkey's name was Sam. I remember Mom making a little quilt and embroidering his name on it. Grandpa was pretty fond of his little friend.
My Grandma Allison was a quiet and ever patient presence in our lives. She was not a very attractive woman but I saw her as beautiful. She had hair so long she could sit on it and would let me brush it. She did everything the old fashioned way. She raised her own chickens and fried them up for Sunday dinner. That takes some patience. She canned her own vegetables and made biscuits from scratch. She had a quilting frame and pieced together her own quilts and made doll clothes for me on a treadle sewing machine while I sat at her feet and pumped the foot peddle.
Grandma Allison taught me the beauty inside oneself and the satisfaction of creating wonders, like fig preserves, with your own two hands. Grandma Allison died when I was 6 years old. The lessons she taught remain in my heart always.
My Grandpa Allison, oh my, what can I say about him. I saw him as a giant. He was over 6 feet tall. Not at all obese but definately large. He taught me the miracle of holding a newly hatched baby chick in your hand and let me touch the unbelievable softness of their yellow feathers.
He taught me the wonderful feeling of power, when you feel as if nothing can touch you. That is what it felt like to me as a small girl sitting astride one of his cutting horses, bareback. As a matter of fact, I was so convinced of my own strength and power, I talked him onto letting go of the lead and that old mare took off running down the highway with a terrified 6 year old on her back. I held on to her mane and when she quit running, Grandpa caught up to us and praised me for holding on so tight. He knew how to make me feel powerful (and how to give my poor Mom a heart attack). His death when I was 9 along with the death of my Grandpa Woodard was a very traumatic event in my life.

From all of my grandparents, I learned very important life lessons. I learned how to be myself, how to love unconditionally, how to have Faith in the Lord, patience, and the beauty in the simple.
I have learned that there is satisfaction in completing a task with your own two hands and that the old ways are not so out-dated or useless as we modern people would like to believe.
I choose in my life to slow down just a little bit and enjoy my life. Spend every moment I can with those I love.

Thank you all for your patience, if you made it all the way through this long blog.
Thank you, Mom. For giving me the opportunity to learn from each of my Grandparents.