What's in a name?

When Mike and I found out we were going to be grandparents, I was immediately on the hunt for the perfect names for this child to call us. I was not going to be Granny and Papa. I know it worked good for my mom and dad when I had my children, but I was not going to be called the traditional. I tried out some real winner names to my children and they vetoed them all.

Now let me digress a little. When Amanda was born, I was so picky about what she was allowed to eat. I did not allow her to even have a sucker from the bank. I know, I know, I was just being stupid. I admit it. Anyway, one night I had a dream that Amanda was having a little girl (we did not know the sex of the baby at this point) and someone was wanting to give her a sucker to eat. She was being like her mother and said no, then I said "it's not a sucker, it's a lollipop", and in my dream I immediately knew that was the name for us. Lolli and Pop. I woke early the next morning and was eager to share with Amanda what I had come up with for our names. I think I called her at 7:00. She was not impressed at that hour, but later called back to tell me she loved the names. So that is how we became Lolli and Pop. After Karis was born, I soon realized that it didn't really matter what she called me as long as she called me.

So there you have it. How we came to be.

Summers are for beaches

I have the good fortune of having a best friend who owns a condo in Destin. I was able to spend two weeks in Florida this summer with her. One week was with kids and one week was without kids. Both were alot of fun. The second trip I took Karis and Brayden with me and she took her little boy (who they are adopting). We had such a great time. I know, you are wanting to know why Lucy didn't get to go. If you don't have the answer to this, then you have never traveled in the car with her for more than 10 minutes. She is our little princess, but she has a way to go before I or anyone travels to Florida with her.

Brayden wanted me to catch him a fish. I can't catch a fish when I am fishing, so why would he think that I am capable to catching one in the ocean? Well, his sister came through for him. She took her little net in the ocean and came back with a fish. Go figure. She is his hero for sure.

Karis was such a trooper and allowed us to cover her in sand. Brayden thought this was so much fun. They were both so sweet on the trip and I am looking forward to next years trip to the beach. As my mom use to say to me when she had the kids...we're just making memories. Love you Karis and Brayden. Goodbye to summer 2010.

My hero

Eleven years ago tonight, my biggest hero left this world and was instantly in the presence of Jesus. After this many years my heart still aches for her. I would love to be able to tell her that I understand that grandmother's love now. She would be so proud of all her grandchildren. I often tell Amanda that I just wish she could see me as a grandmother.

She was a jewel to our family, but more than that, she was loved by all her peers and the people she worked with. She was still working full time at school. She never slowed down.

The Friday that she died she had taken the day off of school so she could have a yard sale. She stood up at the end of the day to straighten a table and fell over with a massive heart attack. She never suffered and died doing what she loved most.

Please don't neglect to love on your moms. Their time here with us is never long enough. I anticipate heaven in a different way because of her. She was and still is my hero.

Karis goes to Kindergarten

Where have the years gone. It just seems like yesterday that I was sending her mom off to school. I sure don't remember it being this hard when I sent her. Maybe that was because as a mom I knew that was the thing to do, but you see, since that time I have become a grandmother and all the rules have changed. My life forever changed for the better on Oct.4, 2004. The sun shone a little brighter, the moon was much crisper, and life in general had a new meaning.

I'm still saddened that my mom is not here with me to see me experience this thing called grandparenthood. She would relish in the moment of watching me experience what she had tried to explain to me for many years. The joy and beauty that comes with this new found position is unexplainable unless you have experienced it.

Anyway, enough for the mush and on with Karis' first week of kindergarten. Today she brought home a sack with memories of her first week of school.

This is a tracing of her hand with a kiss on it so that if we are missing her we can think of her blowing us a kiss and it will make us feel better.

A picture of her puzzle piece handprint.

A picture of the things she loves to do at school.

Karis, I want you to know that Pop, your uncles and I love you more that life itself. We look forward to watching you grow up, but most of all, I pray for the time that you realize, just like your mama did, that you have a need for Jesus in your heart. I pray for this daily and hope you reach this point at a young age. I heard a saying a few years ago that really made me put things in perspective. It went like this, "If you can put a earthly price tag on something then it has no eternal value." Sweet girl, I promise you there is not a price tag that could ever be put on you. You are more valuable to us than all this world.

We love you.