Grandchildren

There is something very special about my grandchildren. But then I venture a guess, all grandparents would argue the same thought. "Mine is the best...no mine...," but in the end, they are all special and I am reminded on a daily basis that they are a gift from God. And what a wonderful gift!

What makes them special? First of all I look into their faces and I see a little bit of my own child, their father or mother looking at me and I am reminded of the first day I held them in my arms. Each pregnancy was different and each birth different and each child grew up differently, however the one constant was me. I remained the same; although I must admit I grew up in the eight years I delivered four babies.

I had no parenting skills, no clue as to what was expected of me. My only concern was their safety, maintaining their overall quality of life (food, shelter, etc.), a spiritual upbringing, but most importantly to know they were loved. Because when it all boils down to it, love is all that counts. That's why, in my opinion, you don't have to give birth to love a child. A case in point is my daughter-in-law, the mother of my grandson. Adopted at birth, she was raised by two wonderful loving parents and today is a perfect wife for my son and wonderful mother to her son.

Today, I am privileged to witness three of my children baring the responsibility of being a parent. I am equally proud of them all. Each grandchild is unique and special and yet the same - a part of me. My name to them is Mimi, given to me by the oldest, Paige.

I have four years of pictures of Paige, Daniel and Debbie's daughter. I have been blessed to share in the care of Paige since she was born and will continue to do so while she remains in preschool this year. We have great plans for the park, library, swimming pool and taking care of her new cousin Hayden this summer. She celebrates her birthday tomorrow. Happy Birthday Paige~

Jennifer and Kevin's daughter Alexandra Anne Swing, or Lexi or Little Lexi Lou Lou just celebrated her first birthday a month ago today. I don't get to see her as much because she lives in Charlotte, NC, but thanks to cell phones, Skype and frequent trips by her parents to Chattanooga, I'm keeping up with her life. Although tiny, Lexi is a burst of energy who has her mother's nose and smile and her daddy's dimples. She started daycare this week and got her first "big girl" haircut~

The newest member of our family is Hayden Vaughn Shartle, Jason and Laura's son. Born three months ago, he is already three pounds lighter than Lexi! He is not fat - just big and probably in six to nine months clothes by now. So far his eyes have remained a deep blue, like his grandfather Mark's. He has his father's widow peak and long eyelashes and his mothers nose, lips and chin. He is precious and loves giving out wonderful smiles to us all. This summer he will be staying with me along with Paige two days a week while his parents are at work. How lucky and blessed I am! Hayden is sometimes called Junior, not because he is a Junior, but because Jason nick-named him that while Laura was carrying him. Paige picked up on it and it might just stick. Welcome to the world Junior (a.k.a. Hayden)~

I don't get a chance too often to take pictures of me with all three of the grandchildren, but when I do I treasure them. I repeat, each is unique and each is special, but the one constant is the love I have for them. I thank God for gift of my grandchildren and the opportunities I have to share in their lives both in person and long-distant.

EVERY DAY IS A GREAT DAY!