And so . . . until September

Jesse, Nana & Cookie

Last Tuesday evening everyone was invited over to our house! Jesse and Diana and the kids had a busy day packing, running errands, and visiting people -- but I figured they would need to eat dinner sometime and maybe they could squeeze eating in with a brief visit to the homestead.

I had intended to cook a yummie meal, but due to some sad circumstances at work, I had to be there until later in the afternoon -- so I hoped pizza would work -- who doesn't like pizza? I invited Nana and Roy; we wanted to be sure that Jesse was able to meet Cookie, and Nana wanted to see Jesse too while he was in Grand Rapids. I had thought Cookie was a veteran, but as the story goes, he went in for his physical (WWII), and it was at a time when tuberculosis was pretty prevalent; they thought they saw something on his lungs (on x-ray) and instead of enlisting him, they committed him to a treatment facility for six months! And he didn't even have TB!

Dylan and Jesse Nana & Roy lookin' good together
Matthew enjoying his breadsticks

We had a good time sharing this last supper . . .

(Emma's face? She's not so sure about having Nana & Roy

at Grandma's house!)

It was fun to hear Jesse talk about his training and life in the Army.

And then the little kids played with Thomas and the trains, but we didn't have much time to play before it was time for them to go . . .

Boppa tells Emma that she will see lots and lots of BIG TRAINS on her way to Texas. He told her to especially watch for them as they go through St. Louis. There will be big bridges with lots of trains underneath!

She listens very carefully, but is not too sure about this long trip to Texas . . .

This is Boppa's model train night, so he has some folk to meet on the other side of town
Saying good-bye is sad . . .

Wednesday Jesse had car repairs to tend to. Diana had a ton of stuff to do and I was stuck again at work all day. Thursday was a much the same. The Army was coming to pack up the trailer. I had worked all day and then Dylan and I had to finish up some shopping in preparation for his leaving on a ministry trip early Saturday morning. It was 7:15 in the evening before I got home, wanting desperately to see Jesse and family one last time. I called around and found them at Diana's parents, where they were going to spend the night. I asked if I could come for just an hour.

Look how happy Chris is!

Chris has been in Head Start all year.
I guess his teacher, Miss Heather, would start each day with this question:
"Is it a thumbs up day or a thumbs down day?"
and each little one would signal with a thumbs up or down.
Diana says that these four months Jesse has been away,
Chris has responded each day with a thumbs down.
When Miss Heather asked Chris this week, he gave her a big
THUMBS UP!
Chris and Jesse roughhousing

Here is Emma seeing how pretty she can look for grandma's camera

All of the kids like having their picture shot and then seeing it immediately after.
They especially like the game we play of making wierd and funny faces, grandma taking the picture, and then seeing how the picture turned out. We usually end up laughing hysterically.
(I'd show you the pictures, but they turned out really grotesque --
the kids tend to get too close to the camera when they are making their faces
and then the flash distorts the picture . . . )



Emma and Jesse share a hug
Emma did not want to be hung upside down like Christopher!



It's time for Grandma to get her hugs too
Matthew and Grandma -- I know, you can't see me but I am there
(it was a really bad picture of me so crop, crop, crop!)


Emma lost her first tooth today!
It seems like it was just last week when she cut her first tooth!
Diana had it in a plastic bag all ready to put under her pillow.
I wonder what kind of Tooth Fairy my grandchildren will have?
Their dad had one that left little notes for him along with a surprise . . .

Can I have one last hug Matthew?

Emma and Chris play ball inside the house!

They are very enthusiastic about it!

WOW! Emma! Look how high you jump!

Look at that form!

Friday morning this little family leaves for El Paso, Texas -- last I checked, that is about 1665 miles from Grand Rapids. They are taking two vehicles and are going to share swapping off the kids between them. They are going to try to drive eight hours each day and the goal is to make it to Ft. Bliss late Sunday night.

It was time to say good-bye. Emma and I had a little talk. She was sitting on my lap and we had our hands on each other's faces, crying big tears. I told Emma she could help her mama be safe on this long ride if she was careful to use her "inside voice" in the car and keep her hands to herself. I asked her if she could do that and she said she would try. I told her we would come to see her in Texas in September. We went through the months and I told her September was after her 5th birthday in August . . . I don't think she knows how far away that is (miles or months) . . . I don't like to single out Emma among my grandchildren; but if truth be told, she is very special to me. Is it because she was the first grandchild? And a girl? Or is it because she loves me so very much?! (It's nice to be loved).

Perfect love sometimes does not come

until the first grandchild -- A Welsh proverb

EMMA JOY has stolen Grandma's heart . . .