This beautiful floral arrangement from my firstborn was delivered yesterday.
I love the colors and all the different flowers in it.
It reminds me of years ago, when all three of my children were young.
Almost every year…
they would plant flowers in the front flower bed for me for Mother’s Day.
I loved it: the flowers…and the effort.
Somewhere, there is a photo of the three of them…
bent over the flower bed, laughing and planting flowers together.
Sweet Memories…
My daughter and her two youngest surprised me this morning with a beautiful delivery…an early Mother’s Day present from her and her family and her “baby brother” and his sweet wife and daughter! As she kept carrying everything up the stairs to my apartment, I was amazed and ever so grateful! A beautiful wicker settee, wonderful outdoor pillows, two lovely ferns, tons of gorgeous flowers and hummingbird nectar and an angel hummingbird feeder sculpted by one of my very favorites: Jim Shore!
I will look for a small companion table and a side chair to go with this delightful setting, along with two small, cheap tables to hold the ferns. It is so exciting!
I swept the porch (including the popcorn that I had fed MamaBird who is sitting on her nest above the porch lamp) and it is looking great! I have told MamaBird to hurry up and hatch those eggs so she and the little fledglings can be on their way! I want to curl up on the settee with the sweet pillows and read a good book in peace…
Note: If you recall, I wrote about my “porch dreams” here. My daughter had already purchased everything when I wrote that but, at the time, I was sick with a bad cold and contagious and they couldn’t come over. She said that she worried that I would have preferred two rockers but, to be honest, this settee is a better idea by far! I love it all!!!
I arrived in the Dallas-Fort Worth airport on April 20th after an uneventful two hour direct flight from Des Moines (the best kind of flight). My son, his sweet wife and my beautiful nineteen month old granddaughter were there to meet me. I had not seen them since Thanksgiving and the changes in my granddaughter were apparent. Children grow so fast!
The week flew by. We took advantage of the time and crammed a lot into it! There was a block party that first weekend with grilled hot dogs, music and all the goodies. There was also a blow-up-jump-tent which my granddaughter loved! Unfortunately, once too many “really big kids” got in, it was time for her to get out according to her protective dad and I agreed! She wasn’t too happy about getting out though.
Over the week, there was lots of time to: go to library preschool story hour, play together, visit a park (which she loved), go out to eat a few times, enjoy my daughter-in-love’s great cooking, play with my granddog Bernie (who, we decided, is a Jack-Chi…1/2 Jack Russell 1/2 Chihauhau), read books to my granddaughter, shop at Ikea, shop at a terrific book store, babysit & give them a night out, visit an Etsy Crafts Fair and watch my son’s great morning television show which I cannot see here in Iowa. It was also fun seeing the large home they will be moving into at the end of May. Their family will be expanding in August when my new little granddaughter arrives. They will love all that extra space in the new house which includes a wonderful playroom!
All too soon, seven days passed and it was time to drive me to the airport. My granddaughter fell asleep on the way there. I reached over and kissed her lightly goodbye, not wanting to awaken her. It was sad to leave them. My son and daughter-in-love emailed to say that it was sad when she woke up – wondering where Grandmommy was and reaching over for me. Of course, I cried when I heard that. I miss her so much already.
I’ve said before, that in a perfect world, all my children and grandchildren would be no more than two hours from me. Apparently, according to my son, I have given them “roots and wings”. I’m glad for that but, evidently, that meants that they are to be scattered, living happily ever after…fulfilling their destinies.
…but I still miss them all.
I love her adorable profile and her windblown hair! She has lots of barrettes but doesn’t like to keep them in her hair!
Above: crunching her munchies and watching Bernie play with the other little dogs at the dogpark!
She wasn’t too sure that she wanted to slide, so her Mom took her on her lap.
It has been almost five months since I have seen my two sons and their families…not since Thanksgiving. I miss them! On Saturday morning, I am flying to Dallas for a week-long-visit with my youngest and his sweet family. My now nineteen-month-old granddaughter has changed so much since November! I see photos of her. I have brief visits with her on Facetime…but nothing compares to a visit in person. She is absolutly adorable with her big blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair – just like her dad’s. I can’t wait to see her! And spend lots of time coloring together (she loves to color) and going for walks and playing. The first couple of times that I went to visit, we “toured” Dallas, but to be honest, I just want grandbaby time! I’m sure Dallas is lovely, but Dallas cannot compete with a nineteen-month-old granddaughter!
So, my carry-on suitcase is packed with all the blankets & the quilt that I have made for her. There’s a sweet vintage book by my favorite illustrator, the late Eloise Wilkin. I look forward to reading it to her. I’m taking a tape measure and several patterns to show her sweet mom. I want to make some little dresses but I don’t have a clue what pattern size to make at this time. So, I will take measurements and hurry home to make them before she grows a whole lot more.
There’s also a soft, sweet baby doll complete with her blankie and bottle. (I took her out of her box. She’s a “My First Nursery” Middleton doll. I will pack her in soft tissue paper and place her in the middle between blankets.) I also want to look for a couple of toddler coloring books when I am, hopefully, out & about tomorrow. (Today it has stormed all day long…complete with pouring rain, loud thunder and bolts of lightning.) Then I should be all packed!
What’s that? Where are my clothes?! Uh…good question. Guess I should pack those next!
See you soon…
I enjoy having my daughter and her family over for lunch after church on Sundays every other Sunday or so (although tomorrow I’m going over there!). It’s a bit of an endeavor in that my sweet son-in-love and my oldest grandson must trek down to my basement storeroom and bring up two extra dining chairs, but they don’t seem to mind. My daughter and her youngest two children were with me when I chose the dining furniture and my young granddaughter informed me that “it had to be able to seat all of us”! This round table has a hidden leaf which comes out to convert the table into an oval. There is plenty of room for all of us!
The last Sunday they were over was Easter and it was such fun. My daughter brought their Easter baskets and we hid the colorful filled baskets for them to find before lunch inside the apartment. The apartment is only 1200 sq. feet but we still managed to hide them successfully. The three youngest grandchildren stay behind with me for several hours after their Mom and Dad return home. Their older brother usually has to study so he returns home as well.
That afternoon, we worked on art projects with my granddaughter’s new fairy design set. They love exploring the apartment and found my old costume jewelry and other “treasures”. My 9 year old granddaughter fell in love with my Mother’s locket…her maternal great-grandmother. She wanted my photo in it and we found one that fit. I know that she will take good care of it. Now, she wears my photo around her neck! My 13 year old granddaughter found some treasures that she wanted to take home with her as well. It amazes me that, at this young age, they realize that sentimental treasures aren’t always about monetary value.
Later, we decided to go for a walk but realized that their coats were in their car which was now at their home! We improvised and they all wore one of mine – including my 4 year old grandson…which was a funny sight! We headed out for our walk and, too late, realized that it was so cold and WINDY! No one, including me, had a hat on and how I wished for one. We walked down to the park next to the the nearby elementary school. They played for a while on the jungle gym, then we headed back to my apartment for warm apple cider and a snack before I drove them home.
I love that, the very next morning, my daughter said that my nine year old granddaughter asked when she “could see Grandmom again”!
December 1, 1943 – April 10, 2006
We are souls living in bodies. Our bodies grow old, but our souls never die. Seven years ago, you went to Heaven. While you are no longer on this earth, your spirit lingers on in the lives of our three amazing children. You would be so proud of them. They are strong, loving, successful. They are giving and devoted spouses. They are loving, remarkable, wonderful parents.
They are happy.
Our grandchildren are treasures. I tell them about you often. I tell them “Granddad stories”. I wish you could have lived long enough to have met the youngest ones. They will hear Granddad stories too. I see so much of you in our children and, now, in the grandchildren. No doubt, they will have your drive and your competitive streak. They are all athletic like you. They’re artistic like both of us. You would love hearing them play the piano and the violin.
Our grandchildren are incredible blessings and bring me such joy.
From time to time, I do see a mischievous grin on their faces and I know just where that came from…
Love always,
Dianne
Graduation day at Indiana University…
Our firstborn grandchild helping Granddad paint…
Granddad holding our firstborn’s firstborn…
