Simply Grand!

"Grandparents and grandchildren are God's gift to each other."–Unknown

Can you identify with that statement?  I know I can—on two counts.

First, I was richly blessed to be a grandchild of grandparents whose love knew no bounds.

Then, just over two years ago, I became a grandparent, and that statement took on a whole new meaning.

I had the privilege of being in the delivery room with my daughter and her husband the day my granddaughter was born. 

And though I must admit, it was quite difficult at times for me to watch my baby in so much pain as she was bringing her baby into the world...

having been a part of that process made little Lana Lexie a very special part of my life, from day one.

Hours after her birth, when I saw my son hold his newborn niece in his arms for the first time, my heart welled up with even more emotion.

There was my firstborn child holding my first grandchild.

How could that be?

Was it not just yesterday that he was the tiny baby being held?!

That Thanksgiving, embracing the precious new life who was now a part of our family, gave us each even more reason to be grateful.

And having a healthy grandbaby was the best Christmas present I could have received that year.

Now here we are, two years later!

It's hard to believe that so much time has passed since Lana's birth.

It makes me even more thankful for the minutes, hours, days I've spent with her thus far, storing up precious memories like—

Poppy teaching her to pull herself up by his strong, but gentle hands, when she was only a few months old...

and the contented look I often noted, on both of their faces, as he lovingly rocked her on his lap.

I remember the joy of watching my baby introduce her baby to her very first snow—though Lana was none too impressed that first year.

It was quite a different story just a year later!

And then there are the delightful memories of seeing her little eyes light up as she played in water—in the wading pool at Poppy and Grammy's, at nine months old...

and in the bathtub, a few months later, as she splashed around with her rubber ducky.

Two years of gazing into the big blue eyes on that sweet, angelic face...

and experiencing life once more...

through the adventurous spirit of an innocent, young child have filled me with such immeasurable joy—

truly, more than I could ever have imagined possible.

A few months ago, as I stood beside my handsome son and my precious granddaughter—now two years old—I was reminded of how blessed I have been over the years—first by my children and now by this child.

Children surely are a gift of the Lord—Psalm 127:3.

And there is no doubt in my mind that this child has put the "grand" in "grandma" for me!