Ok. My blogs are starting to read like my journal! I start out "cracking a joke" about how I really blew my goal of "writing everyday, or every week or -fill in the blank". Then describe in detail the reason or excuse for my neglect! Then swear I'll never do it again, as long as I live (or until next time!!)

And THEN . . . I get going on what reeeeealllly inspired or motivated me to pick it up again. By now, my hand is cramped, I am droopy eyed, and floppy headed, and my shoulders are in vice grips of pain!! And thus the cycle has begun again and I only get about half way done, or only a small part of what I really wanted to share, before I lose all feeling in my body and forget half of what I really wanted to share anyway, and quit!!

So what was it I wanted to say???? My shoulders are screaming at me-- hold on-- let me do some shoulder shrugging exercises --ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Much better. For the moment.



Ok, onward and forward.



Well, since the last time I wrote, (was it last year?? Nah, only a month or two ago!!) I found out my next grandbaby is going to be another boy!!! Yippee!!!
That is thrilling!!
I can't wait to be Grandma (or Grammy, or nana, or popey or got any good ideas??) to little Sam, Pacer, Dexter, Ahijah?????? (I know, I know, Ash, Ahijah is not in the running!! Even if it IS a family name and a bible one at that!!!).
Do you know what that means for me to be a grandma? Well, let me tell you . . . see I have a daughter, Ashley. She is married to Mark, and they did the business and now Ash has a baby inside her and. . . . ok. My lame attempt at a bit of humor. (It's late! ).
No but really - besides the fact that it automatically dates me, what it means to me is that the buck has passed! We will have successfully moved on or up the progression chart of life! We have stood up against the wall with a yardstick, and the mark has been made, and in review have grown an inch or two in this thing we call life!
I know this happened when Miles was born last December. But without him here with us as a constant reminder, it's a lot easier to pretend that we have not moved into the next realm of parenthood. But with this little guy!! Well, bring it on, is all I have to say!
I have mixed emotions about it all. My kids are grown up. My baby leaves for his mission in a month and 4 days. My second youngest will be home from his mission a couple of weeks after that. And who knows how long he will be at home with us? But honestly, grown kids at home is really like having roommates who don't pay their share, more than children (I'm not knocking it, just stating facts!)
But a baby??!! A little person?!!!! Wonderful, beautiful, needy, adorable baby!! And one that I don't have to get up with in the middle of the night, breastfeed, or discipline (too much!)! How awesome is that??? They take out all the worst parts of parenthood for grandparents and add a dose of spoiling and waala!- Paradise!!!
Yes, I am excited to pass the buck of parenthood to the next generation!! I will enjoy this new place to be! And Ashley and Mark, and all my other kids down the road when you are parents - if you see me chuckling under my breath once in awhile- don't be offended. Or annoyed. Or hurt. Remember the old saying - "I'm laughing WITH you, not AT you"!!
Nah. Just kidding. I'm laughing AT you!!! It's my way of saying, "Been there, done that!" "There is justice in this world!", "You really DON"T know everything"!!!
Going deeper, I'm also saying, "Stay with it!", "I understand!", "this too will pass, and then we will laugh together!!", and "I am so happy and proud of you"!

LIFE!! Onward and upward we climb! (Doesn't it just make you want to break into the "the circle of life" song from Lion King?)
Acuna Matata!!!