1 Year X Five= Lots of Blessings

Next month, my granddaughter, Abbi, will turn 5 years old! It doesn't seem possible, but time waits for no one.
I was thinking back to the time we learned that our granddaughter would arrive in a months time. Our daughter had been on a waiting list to adopt a baby for three years & it seemed it would never happen. But God had just the right time, just the right baby and just the right circumstance all under His control. It was almost a month to the day after we learned that Christie had been chosen to adopt, that Abbi came into the world & changed all our lives forever.

But let me back up a little. As August rolled around in 2006, and our daughter Christie prepared to go back to teaching school, Brenda (Nana) and I had decided we were going to take a two week trip out to Colorado in Sept. to Rocky Mountain National Park. It has always been a dream of mine to be there during the elk rut and to hear the bugling of the bulls as they form their harams for the breeding season. I'm an avid photographer & I had all these plans of getting some awesome photos. I was raring to go! So, we had scheduled our departure date for the 21st of Sept.
The truck was serviced, the travel trailer had been checked out and we were gearing up to pack the trailer and prepare for our fall vacation. Excitement was running high.

Our daughter had started a brand new job at a different school, after spending eight years teaching at another school in our area. On her first day on the job, she received a phone call from the adoption agency asking if she could talk. Since the adoption agency called from time to time, Christie didn't think too much about the call. She replied, "I'm extremely busy, so if it's not REAL important, I'll have to ask that you call back later." The lady on the other end said, "Well, I think it's kind of important. You've been chosen to adopt a baby girl who is due to be born the latter part of September, and we want to connect you and the birthmom as soon as possible!" Christie went into high gear & told the lady to let her get to a secure phone & she would call her right back! So began the change that would take place in our lives.

That evening after keeping the news to herself ALL that LONG day, Christie shared the news with her mom & I. WOW! I can still feel the excitement of the moment we realized that Christie's dream and ours had come true!

Forgotten was the trip to Rocky Mountain National Park! We were about to embark on a MUCH more meaningful journey!I was going to trade the bugles of bull elk for the mews, whimpers & cries of a newborn granddaughter! I could hardly contain my excitement as my heart thundered at the news!

Abigail was born September 25, 2006 and I cannot begin to tell you what an absolutely delightful journey it has been since the moment she entered this world.

As is many times the case, I just wonder how the years have slipped away so quickly. Brenda & I have watched our beautiful daughter as she has taken on the role of parent with a seemingly practiced ease. And we have fulfilled the role of grandparents with great anticipation.

As Abbi's birthday approaches, I am so thankful for these five years of sheer joy that she has brought into our lives. The blessings she has brought are too many to even try to name. But it's with grateful hearts we look back on the five years since our lives were so radically changed by a phone call on an otherwise ordinary day!

Every day we express out love to this beautiful little girl with words, hugs & kisses. It is such a joy to receive hugs & kisses in return, and hear that beautiful little voice say, "I love you, Nana. I love you, Papa."

Pink Pants & Little Red Wagons

Just thinking back to when I was a boy and remembering some of the experiences I had.

There was this guy that started coming to our church. His last name was "Vossler". (I'm not sure of the spelling)

Anyway, he had this pair of pink pants that he wore and he always wore cowboy boots and a western style shirt and a big western belt buckle. He dressed "corny" to say the least.

Lo and behold, my mother came in from shopping one day and had bought me a new pair of pants....and they were SALMON PINK!!!!

Of course my bratty brothers began right away calling me "Vossler"! Whatcha doing, Vossler? Where ya goin Vossler? Are ya gonna wear those pink pants, Vossler? and it was a never ending source of fun for them and humiliation for me. Of course there was NO WAY my mother was gonna let me NOT wear those pink pants! Every time I complained I got the same old song and dance about some little boy somewhere who would love to have a pair of pants like that. I wish I could have found that little sucker! I'd of give him a quarter (if I had one) just to take those pants!

From the very beginning I began to think of a way to get rid of those pants without momma knowing that I did it on purpose!

It so happened that Christmas Day was on Sunday that year and so we were up bright and early to open gifts. We NEVER opened gifts on Christmas Eve, no matter what, so even though it put us in a rush to get ready for church, we had to wait until Christmas morning to open gifts !That year I got a Red Wagon for Christmas!

So, after opening our gifts we were instructed to get ready for church and guess what? Mom had laid out those salmon pink pants! I knew better than to argue with her when the rush was on to get everyone ready for church. So, I dressed in a hurry, and believe it or not I talked mom into letting me ride down the hill "just one time" in my new wagon! The last thing she said when I went out th door was "And you had better NOT get those clothes messed up"!

Luck (or something) had shined on me, as it had rained a day or so earlier and there was still plenty of water and mud around. I took the wagon up the hill a little way and when I looked back down the hill..... THERE IT WAS... a beautiful puddle of muddy water!

Before I could "chicken out" I hopped in that wagon and down the hill I went, aiming for the puddle of mud. Just as I reached the puddle I turned that handle on the wagon and "SPLAT!!" I hit on my knees right center of that mud puddle!! My real intention was to get those pants so dirty that I would have to wear something else to church (it was worth getting my hiny busted) and so at least have a reprieve from the teasing by my bratty brothers.

BUT IT WAS MY DAY!!

Unknown to me there was a rock buried in that mud and one of my knees caught that rock and ripped those ugly pants in such a way that they couldn't be patched!! I went to the house, crying as though I was severely injured. (that rock DID hurt!)My mother was aghast at the condition of my clothes and somewhat concerned about my knee. But not enough to keep her from griping all the way to church and for the rest of the week or so!

It took a long time for my mother to finally get her fill of griping about those "good" pants I had ruined. As they say: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... and I saw NOTHING good about those pants except that they were no longer wearable!!

That put a stop to the "Vossler" jokes and I could take any other teasing my bratty brothers came up with. I was finally free of those "pink" pants!!

Every time I looked at those scrathches on the side of my wagon, I had to smile! To me they just gave that wagon some "character"!

Planting Potatoes & Putting Things In Perspective

Every year I try to plant a garden since we enjoy the fresh veggies and we always try to can or freeze as much as possible for the coming winter.
This year I keep hearing that produce & veggies will be costlier than ever and I have even seen those higher prices at the stores already.

So this year I decided to plant by the signs according to the Farmers Almanac in hopes of harvesting a good crop. I usually just put the seed in the ground & hope for the best.

According to the signs, yesterday was THE day for planting root crops, so I planted potatoes and carrots, the two root crops we usually grow.

I prepared the spot in the garden for the potatoes and planted them and then planted the carrots.

Then it was off to other spring chores of which there are PLENTY!

We then had to pick our granddaughter up at school as the kids got out early, but her mom, who is a school teacher had meetings until later last evening. After we returned home, I went back to doing chores and Ab's and Nana went to the "Playhouse" for some fun.

Each time I would pass close enough for Ab's to see me, she would shout, "Hey Papa! How's your work going?" She was just "itching" for me to tell her she could come with me. But I had so much to do, I decided it was better to let her stay with Nana.

They finally went to the house, so Nana could fix supper. I continued working and when I finally went to the house to wash up, they had already given up on me and had set down to eat. Nana had fixed a wonderful supper of fried deer steaks, mashed potatoes, blackeyed peas, gravy and iced tea! Wow! Was it ever GOOD! Nana is a GREAT cook!

As for putting things in perspective...After we finished eating, I was sitting just trying to relax and drinking one more glass of that cold iced tea. Ab's sidled up to me and said, "Papa, you want to play with me?" I said, "Oh, baby girl, Papa has worked hard all day and I really don't feel like playing." Without missing a beat she said, "Papa, we don't have to play hard..... we can just do something BORING!

I guess that pretty much put things in perspective, huh?

A Pushover?.... Me?.... HA!

Me... a pushover? Ha! I can "NO" and make it stick! I can be tough as nails and hard as steel in my resolve!
It's just..... when my granddaughter, Abigail, looks at me with those liquid brown eyes and that "pout" on those perfect little lips and gets that hint of "I'm about to cry" tremble in her voice....... well, stick a fork in me... I'm DONE!

That's how it came to be that I'll be spending the night with her AT HER HOUSE tonite! When I FINALLY gave in, ;) you should have seen the smile on that little face! I mean, come on... we live SO FAR apart (about fifty feet between our houses) and we only see each other every day! So I couldn't very well say "NO", could I?

The last time I spent the night at her house, she was about three months old. Her mom insisted that I take her bed, she would sleep on the couch and Ab's would be at the OTHER END of the house in her own bedroom. I wanted Ab's to sleep with me, but her momma wouldn't hear of it! Something about starting something we couldn't stop or some such nonsense!!

Well, her monitor was on, so I gave in and went to bed without her. About three a.m. there was this "blood curdling" scream over the monitor!! I jumped out of bed to run down the hall to Abbi's room, only to collide with her mommma who was moving at warp speed in the same direction! We rushed into Abbi's room to find.....................
Abbi... sleeping peacefully on her tummy, her little arms and legs drawn up under her and her little bottom stuck up in the air! Her favorite postion for sleeping!
She was SO sweet, lying there sleeping like a ..... well.... like a BABY!

After watching her sleep for a bit, we returned to our own place to sleep. I didn't sleep much after that and if truth be known, neither did her momma! There were no other hair raising events throughout the nite.

Can I take just a moment to say what a great job her momma is doing in raising her? She is one of the very best momma's I know.

Well, back to the coming event tonite. I get to sleep in Abbi's room tonite! Abbi said so!! She said, "Papa, it's gonna be SO much fun! Just like camping out at the Buffalo River"!!

I could have said, "NO". But why would I?

And....... I'm still no "Pushover!"

Sleddin' the "BIG HILL"!!

With snow on the ground and a couple of new sleds there was no way the "BIG HILL" would escape! This was the year Abbi would conquer it and walk away "The Champion"!

The big hill is every bit of ten-twelve feet in elevation and the ride is probably 20 yards long. But when you are four years old, it could pass for Mt. Everest!!

So today, Abbi, Momma and I set off to the "Big Hill" for some sleddin'! It was the perfect sledding day. Bright sunshine, no wind, temp in the upper 20's. PERFECT!!
It didn't take but a couple of trips down the hill to get the "lane" in good shape!
Each trip would take one of us closer to "Abbi Creek" which flows at the bottom of the "Big Hill"!

Then Abbi says, "Papa, I wanna go down on your back!" Well, why not? And so the double decker sledder's were the first to go in the creek! It was just about an eighteen inch drop into the creek and it was frozen, so, no problem other than Papa's busted lip! Funny! The first thought that entered my mind was.... "I haven't had a busted lip in FOREVER!" Oh well! Small price to pay for the laughter shared with my daughter and granddaughter!

After a few more milder trips down the hill, Abbi said, "Papa, I want to go down sittin' in my sled"! So, she climbed in the disc and I let her go. She turned backward about halfway down and had she been dressed in pink she would have looked just like the Energizer Bunny... cause she just kept going & going & going...

You know how at some point things begin to appear to be happening in slow motion? Well, Abbi's actions seemed to be happening in slow motion! I watched as she started backward over the edge of the creek bank holding on to the sled for dear life and her little eyes just got bigger and bigger and bigger and then the sled tipped up and her eyes disappeared!

While Abbi's actions seemed to be in slow motion her momma saw what was going to happen and went from zero to 60 in two seconds flat! She started by hollering, "Don't go in the creek... don't go in the cr.... SHE'S GOING IN THE CREEK!! With each shout her voice took on a higher pitch and the last sentence was more like a high keening sound!

Christie sprinted down the "BIG HILL" faster than I've EVER seen her move!! Seeing all of this happening at once, I was laughing SO hard I couldn't even move! I knew the creek was frozen and there was no danger to Abbi, and it was one of the funniest things I've ever seen... those eyes getting bigger and bigger and then disappearing behind the sled!!

When I finally did get to them, Abbi was standing up and she looked around with wide eyes and said, "I didn't like THAT"!

Even with the "crash in the creek", she walked away a "conquerer" having taken on the "BIG HILL" and living to tell about it!

My mind went back to when I was a boy. My grandparents house sat up on a hill. I used to lie down and roll down that hill in front of the house when I was a kid and I thought it was a BIG hill! Back about 1986 I went back to where my grandparents house had stood, and as I stood there looking at that BIG hill, I realized it wasn't much higher than I was tall! In my memory from my childhood, that hill had ALWAYS been BIG! Memories are great things to have, but they can sure play tricks on you.

Should the Lord tarry and Abigail grows to be a young woman, I hope she has the chance to someday come back and see the "BIG HILL" she conquered when she was 4 yrs. old. I'm sure she will be amazed at how "BIG" it really is!

For me? I'll never forget sleddin' the BIG HILL with Abbi and her momma!
Ahhh! What memories!

BTW Christie's new nickname is "Thunderbird"!

A million plus germs!!!

My poor sweet ganddaughter! She has JUST finished three rounds of antibiotics to get rid of a LONG round of a snotty nose, drainage and the like. She's been back at school two days this week and already she's got a stuffed up nose, sneezing and I can tell she doesn't feel well just by looking at her little droopy eyes! I HATE it when she feels bad!!
I DID get in some "snuggle time" this afternoon! She is usually too busy to sit still for any length of time.
There are about twenty kids in her class at school, so multiply that by umpteen thousand germs and you've got a hotbed of activity that spells TROUBLE!

Bless her heart! She rarely complains. She just seems to take things in stride. She's not one to whine and moan.

Keep a watch on your little ones, as they can be fine one day and really sick the next.

2's & 3's What You See Is What You Get

Once a month my daughter and I are blessed to be able to watch the 2 and 3 year olds during morning worship hour.
Of course, there is NEVER a dull moment what with all the different personalities and noses to blow and bathroom needs!
But I love that hour spent with those children. Most of them call me Papa because they've heard my granddaughter call me by that name. I don't mind! I'd be proud to be "Papa" to any and all of them.
Today we had 8 in the class. We also had a couple of mom's to stay and help out!

In no particular order, there is Bella... a very petite little girl who is oh so cute! She was the FIRST today, to come and climb up in my lap. She just wanted to sit and watch the others play for a minute or two and then she was down and joining in the play. She came back a little later to be held again.
Wyatt is the only boy who didn't sit on my lap today. He is such a busy little guy and keeps himself entertained.
Then there was Halynn (not sure of the spelling). She is SO cute and just steals my heart! She sat on my lap for just a minute, but mostly wanted my daughter. In fact I heard her tell Christie, "I want you!"
Then there's Luke! I call him Mr. Luke and he just smiles. As soon as Bella climbed in my lap, he decided he wanted to be held too, so he came and held up his arms and I had two on my lap for a while! I don't mind! I'm in my element!I love kids!
Then there is Miss Maddie Moo! The minute she sees me come in she starts working her way around to me. She's not much of a one for being held, but she climbed up in my lap for just a bit. She loves for me to pick at her and she'll hide behind my chair until I ask, "Where's Maddie? I know she's here somewhere." She'll peek around the chair and not say a word. She's adorable!
Today was only the second or third time I have seen Shayla in the class and she surprised me by coming and holding up her arms wanting me to hold her. She has a head full of beautiful curls and beautiful eyes. What a darling!
Lelah Grace and her momma came in and Lelah stuck really close to mom! Lelah is another one that is just adorable.
Last, but not least was Landon! He also surprised ne by coming and climbing up in my lap. He wanted to inspect the ink pen in my pocket! Then he looked at his shirt and said, "No pockets!" We talked about the fact that he didn't have ANY pockets on his shirt or his pants. He'd ask, "You have pockets?" I'd say, "Yep, I've got pockets." He'd point to his shirt and say, "NO pockets!", and then he'd laugh as though that was just really funny! What a cute little guy!

What a privilege to share an hour with these little ones! Each with their own personality and character. Some are busy, some laid back and some very reserved, but they all are precious and special!

Checkin' the Deer Feeder

YEP! It's workin!

My 4 year old granddaughter came in from a birthday party for one of her little friends today, dressed as a butterfly, complete with wings and antenna. Totally CUTE! We talked about the party for a bit and she then decided she wanted Nana & Papa to go for a walk with her. We went outside and she decided we needed to go check the deer feeder to see if there were any deer at it! So, we walked out in the field and Nana showed her where the deer jump the fence to come to the feeder. She decided that Nana should "guard" one side of the trail and I should "guard" the other side of the trail while she, being the "deer hunter", went to check out the feeder! She was SO cute as she walked a little ways and stopped. She looked down and said, "Now that's what I call deer poop!"



She called for me to come to the feeder because she wanted to turn the crank that raises or lowers the feeder. So, I showed her how to do it and she started turning the crank and letting the feeder down. I didn't realize it was time for the feeder to cycle and so it caught us both by surprise when it started throwing out feed! She quickly let go of the crank to draw her arms against her chest and put her head down while the feeder showered us with corn! I grabbed the crank to keep from letting the feeder hit the ground. After it quit spitting out corn she looked up at me with a big grin and said, "WOW! Papa, that was COOL!"



We then went on to see if we could spot the deer who "live in Sherwood Forest"! That's the woods just beyond our property line.



We didn't see any deer, but we found some very interesting logs to balance on and duck underneath and some "tickle grass" which she just HAD to bring home. We looked at the creek which she wanted to wade across "like a deer does" and looked in the "springhouse" which she also thought was "cool".



She finally decided she was getting cold and thought it a good idea to come back to the house.



I cherish these times spent together! She is growing so fast and I know the day is coming when she'll have less time to spend with us, because she'll want to spend more time with her friends. I know that won't happen for a few more years, but .... wasn't it just yesterday that I saw and held her for the first time and she stole my heart away?

The Bully of the Bird World

We usually try to keep a little feed out for the birds during the winter months. It's fun to watch their interaction with one another. Of course, as in the world WE live in, there are those more dominate or should I say DOMINATING than others.

As a general rule, the birds feed and interact with one another without much bickering. The Northern Cardinals can be aggressive toward one another, but they generally leave the other birds alone.

We have one male Cardinal every year (I wonder if it's the SAME one) that is SO absolutely cocky that it's funny. He even tries to intimidate other species, and when they don't pay him any mind, he will hop up on the side of the feeder and raise his topknot as if to say.; "Hey, What's the deal? Don't you know who I am?" The other birds just go about their business of eating. He reminds me of some..... no...no, I'm not going there!

And then there is the most obnoxious, irritating, puffed up bully of all!! The Bluejays! When they fly to the tree adjacent to the feeder, ALL of the other birds vacate the premises! Then the bully sweeps in and begins to GORGE itself on the feed! It's feeding habits are disgusting, like a person who chews with their mouth open or smacks while eating!

I know they have to eat as well as the others, but their ATTITUDE just drives me nuts! I will sometimes wait until they land on the feeder and then JUST BEFORE they start gorging themselves, I'll throw a small pillow or something at the window and scare the daylights out of them! Hee-hee!!

I never have been able to tolerate a BULLY!!

Through a Child's Eyes

I love the innocence of children. It's such fun to listen as they express themselves. And it all depends on how they perceive things, how they hear things and how they relate those things to each event! Even before they are able to talk, they express themselves through expressions and actions. Some friends of ours at church have a little boy named Luke. He has the most expressive eyes I've ever seen in a child. His eyes are a beautiful blue, I call them ice blue, and even before he could talk he always appeared on the verge of just bustin' out talking. His eyes are SO alive! He is a handsome little guy.

Our granddaughter, Abbi, who is four years old, is always coming up with some of the cutest sayings, and it is a result of how she processes information and how she relates one thing to another.

One day when Abbi was three years old, as we were driving down the road, she and Nana were looking at a photo album of Abbi's baby pictures. Abbi looked at one photo and said, "When I was born, I was born in Texas." Nana said, "That's right. You were born in Texas." She turned a page in the book and it showed a photo of Abbi as she lay in the scales to be weighed right after birth. Abbi looked at the photo and said, "Right after I was born they put me in that SKILLET!" I suppose to her, the scales looked something like a skillet! At any rate it sure was cute!

Another time she said, "Nana, you can't touch my arm. Jesus made it, but if you touch it, it WILL break!"

She had finished her breakfast the other morning, but I was still eating. She brought a book and laid it on the table next to me and said; "Papa, you can't touch it!" I wasn't paying much attention to her, so she reaches up her little hand and turns my face to where she can look right in my eyes and with the most serious look on her face, says, "Papa, if you touch it, I'll have to take away your "Diggi" medal!" THAT got my attention, though I had no idea what a "Diggi" medal was. As soon as she turned away I reached out and touched the book. She instantly spun around and with her head down, and looking up at me very sternly, she said: "Papa, if you touch it again I'll have to take away BOTH of your "Diggi" medals!" Of course, to me it was just extremely cute! But to her, the possibility of having one's "Diggi" medals taken away was a sure fire way to make one obey!

I wish I could remember all the cute things she says and does in the course of a day, but there are just too many!

All too soon that childish innocence is lost in this world. I cherish every bit of life I get to glimpse through the eyes of a child, through the eyes of my beautiful granddaughter!