A Grateful Groovy Grandma!

Pretty sure my grandkids are the cutest, smartest, best behaved, and generally most perfect children in the entire world. Only problem is that they live 1600 miles away. I was very fortunate to have them close by until two years ago, when their Daddy (my oldest son) felt like he was supposed to join the Army. "WHAT!!!??? With three kids, a wonderful wife, and a nice home you want to do what!!??" His wife and I were certain this was just a "phase" he was going through, but then he challenged her to pray about it, and once she got the same answer they were gone. It is pretty hard to argue with "It is what the Lord wants us to do", but I don't have to like it, right?! :-) I guess it is only fair, since my husband and I moved out of state with our little family...darn it.

I always thought with four children we would have at least a dozen grandbabies, but life hasn't gone exactly as planned for any of our kids.

Our oldest daughter, Jen, is a gorgeous, wonderful, and talented woman that hasn't found her sweetheart yet. In fact, right now she is living back at home (something she SWORE she would NEVER do!) while she is completing her last semester getting her Master's Degree in social work. Amazing what we will stoop to when life happens and we don't want to take out any more student loans! Parenting adult children is a topic for another post...especially ones that live under your roof.

Landon and Haley never planned on joining the military, but after a very successful business teaching real estate investing, the downturn in the nation's economy hit their family very hard. After a couple of years of financial challenges, he got the impression to join the Army. I was blessed to have lots of time with their three adorable kids before they moved and I miss them all terribly. They just announced that they are expecting baby number four in July. I am excited, but it will be so hard not to be there for this baby's birth!

Michelle is our youngest daughter and was so thrilled to marry her best friend a year and a half ago. I actually introduced her to her husband, so when they got engaged after just two weeks I couldn't say much. In fact, I say that I fell in love with Dallin first. Michelle was 27 when she got married and waited a long time to find the right one. Since she had been single for longer than planned, she felt certain that the Lord would bless her with children right away, but so far no babies. In fact, both of them have been diagnosed with some fertility issues. It is hard to watch your kids struggle and feel so unable to make it all better.

Our youngest son, Kyle, is married to his wonderful wife KaeDee. She works full time putting him through school. They have been married for over four years and have been trying to have a baby for over two. It was difficult for them to find out last year that she has a condition that will make it difficult to conceive, but they have decided to do foster care with the hopes of adopting. They have finished the required classes and just have some of the last steps to complete before they get children. They will be wonderful foster parents but realize these children will have difficult backgrounds, and that the goal with fostering is reuniting them with their parents.

So not only am I a GROOVY GRANDMA, I am becoming an expert at it from lots of different sides.

Being a Grandma is the thing I love the most! I get to be a grandmother to far away grandchildren. I get to be a grandmother to foster grandchildren. I am waiting to find out how my daughters will get their children - could be natural, could be multiples from fertility treatments, could be step children, could be in vitro babies, could be adopted. Whatever way we are able to get our grandkids, this much I know -

I will LOVE these little people with all of my heart.

And because I am so cool (just ask my kids about the things they had to endure during their teenage years with me embarrassing them in front of their friends)...

I will always be their GROOVY GRANDMA! 

PS My grandchildren also have an amazing Grandpa that I am so blessed to be married to. More about my awesome husband, Rafael, to come. I think he's pretty groovy too!