Another New Grandson

20! That sounds like alot when you say it but my grandchildren aren't really numbered I never think of them in that way. Each is as different as peanuts and pecans. All nuts but individuals. This week I have spent with Mitchell, Jody, Joshua, Lucas, Jacob and a bit with baby Adam Joseph. All different, some challenging, sweet and adorable. Joshua has grown up to be the boy Mitch knew he could. He is truthful, responsible, sweet and quite nice actually. Lucas has stepped into Josh's role as tormentor, tease, and bit untruthful, but is still as tender and sweet as they come. Jacob is two - Dad always has loved 2 year olds and this child is the perfect example of why. No Terrible Twos here. Today we're doing laundry. Funny how no matter what time of life you are there is always laundry. I remember my mother-in-law washing tons of it for me and now it's my turn. I've always hated laundry but compared to dirty diapers laundry isn't so bad. Embrace the cloth, soap. Enjoy the freshness! I'm just one of the nuts.

My Mom

Mellonee walked across the living room at the cabin and I did a double take because she walks just like my mom. She always says I look just like Grandmama but I have never seen it so much as that day. I think my mom, Mary Aurelia Kinard, had a pretty hard life as I look back on it. She was born in 1925, shortly before the great depression. Her father was a geologist who did alot of work dealing with oil wells.Her parents divorced early in her life which always causes loyalty issues. She was a very sickly child. She had Diptheria which nearly took her life, Rheumatic fever which weakened a heart valve, Trench Mouth which cost her her teeth at a very early age. Her mother was a realtor and she told me once that it was either feast or famine at their house. I have a set of keys that I got from my Grandma Mary Alice Wox Kinard that fit in the various houses that she worked on. Mary grew up in a time of great financial difficulty and her frugal nature lasted most of her life. When I cleaned out her house after her death I found a little box marked "junque" and it was but even that she couldn't bear to throw away in case she might need it in the future. I remember her doing bills and always tucking a couple of bills into envelopes for emergencies. She made and made over many prom dresses for me. Some she bought at thrift stores and totally created something new and beautiful from very little. Once she took an orange brocade that she had purchased to make my dad Pajamas and made me a beautiful dress for a church function. I do think her life was hard and some of that hardness rubbed off on her. She was married to an unfaithful alcholic but always taught me to respect my father because he was my father. Sometimes she was hard on me but I am so grateful she taught me so many things that I use all the time. When I look at my oldest daughter I sometimes think this is who my mother would be if she had had the Gospel of Jesus Christ in her life. And when I see my mother next she will.

We are having another little girl.

Breea called Tuesday to tell us she and Brian are having a sweet little girl. I whooped it up out of excitement. When I got off the phone the boys (Mason Matthew, Jace, Braden, and Tyler) wanted to know why I was so excited it was a little girl. Hm, I thought about it and realized I would have been just as excited if it had been a boy. But I do think that it will be fun for Breea and Abby to both have girls at the same time. Maybe they will have as much fun together as these five boys have had this week. Today Matthew survived a run in with the barbed wire and was very impressed that gramma could make a butterfly bandage, thus saving him from getting stitches. I put ice on it and he was pretty tough. He made more fuss about the sniffles than a 1/2 inch pretty deep gash in his knee that left blood dripping to his ankle. Braden passed his swim test today, Jace passed Monday cause he was leaving Tues. Tyler shocked the level 2 teacher when he did the crawl, including breathing. Mason treaded water for 5 minutes, and did a pretty good job on the butterfly. I was busy trying to get photos of all of them and didn't actually see Matthew but I think he will also pass. I will have to make cookies for all their wonderful teachers.