PART 2 - Days in the life of a grandpa -

Birthdays in June -

The next day was our family birthday party for the June birthdays.
As our four married kids have started to have children and our "big
family" has gradually grown, we have had to adjust our birthday
celebrations.  We used to all get together to celebrate each
person's birthday, but now with five couples (counting Beth and me)
and eleven grandchildren, we gather once a month to celebrate any
birthdays for that month together.  There are four in June (one of
the best and most heavily-populated months in our family tree!)

Beth had arranged one of her "Grandma's tea parties" to coincide
with the June birthday celebration.  Because Beth's was one of the
June birthdays, Daren and Jenna had the party at their house
instead of here at our house where the parties usually are. 

We had wonderful hours of games and music and pictures and gifts
and cards and cake, and a huge amazing barbequed roast of pork
that Daren did on their barbeque for us all. 

Yesterday I finally downloaded my camera, a couple of weeks later,
and put the 116 pictures into a slideshow that I can share with
each of our four families.  Beth and I enjoyed watching it last
night. 

Friday of that same week we had Matthew (18 months) for some of
the afternoon and the evening.  Our daughter Mandy lives
next-door in the other side of the duplex, with her husband Don
and their three boys.  Ezra is 12, and Jacob is 11.  Matthew is
just half-way between his first and second birthdays.  He is a
strong, determined little guy. 

That had been arranged for a while.  But more last minute, Daren
& Jenna had something on, and we ended up having the three girls
here again too. 

Around bedtime Beth took Evie (seven months) with her next-door to
put Matthew to bed at his house.  It helps when one of your four
children and her family live right next-door in the other side of
a duplex!

I got Amanda (6) and Christie (3) ready for bed again, just like
the previous Monday.  Only this time I tucked them both into bed
in our room.  We leaned back against the headboard and enjoyed
two stories, prayer, and singing them each their "special song
that Grandpa made up for you just because I love you". Then I
put on a tape of special music that we all enjoy....

What a precious few moments, to relax with two little
granddaughters snuggled up beside you, one on each side, happy
and content while they take in a story Grandpa is reading to
them.... 

This time Amanda as well as Christie went to sleep easily and
peacefully, with no overwhelming loneliness or missing Mommy
and Daddy too much.

That was on the Friday night. 

It was two days later that things started really getting busy. 

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