Random Thoughts from a Grandma to Be!

So we thought by now we'd be rocking our little Carter....but he's got other ideas.
Alyson is feeling great, if not eternally pregnant, and can't wait to get the little guy out of her belly. Her body is doing all the things it needs to do in order to deliver...while we wait...and wait! Hang in there honey, a nice tall glass of merlot is coming very soon!

Our house closed and we're in the middle of painting...or I should say Edgar is painting.We met Edgar during our final walk-through and took an instant liking to him. He told us he's available to paint the inside of our house, considering his job closes down between the week of Christmas and New Years. He started on Wednesday and will be done by Monday! What a blessing. Turns out Edgar is a Christian who used to live in La Puente, not far from where we grew up. He is a quiet, gentle man who brings his 10 year old son Aaron to help him. They are so nice and quite a blessing to us. We feel we made a new friends! Thank you Edgar & Aaron.
We're starting to move a few things over slowly. We'll make the official move when we return from Nashville.

Today we're back at work with our regular work schedules folowing the holidays. Chip left this morning for Roseville, CA (suburb of Sacramento)...he'll be there until Friday. I called him a little while ago and told him he picked the wrong time to be out of town. I paused, he groaned, "oh no", fully expecting me to tell him he needed to drive back, because it was time to leave for Nashville. I quickly told him Edgar's wife brought us tamales she made for New Years...he paused and groaned even louder "OH NO"...I laughed because honestly he sounded more disappointed to be missing out on the tamales than perhaps missing out on being in Nashville to meet Carter! I truly knew he didn't mean it in a negative way. He just knows I love tamales as much as he does and is worried they'll be gone before he gets back home! I promise honey, I leave you one!

We celebrated my mom's birthday on Saturday. We surprised her by having my sister Beth, my niece Melanie and her husband Brian and their two boys, Luke and Gavin drive in from California to meet us for dinner. With what was to have been a "day trip", turned into the day from you know where. The 3 hour drive from Corona, CA, took a total of 7 l/2 hours. Something happened on the I-15...no idea what...but they were actually getting out of their car and walking around talking to other travelers on the road. By the time they made it into Las Vegas it was time to be at the restaurant. The two little guys, who had spent the day in a car, were now being made to sit still in a restaurant...and one of them had the worst case of the "runs" you've ever seen. Now he's just a tiny toddler, but we seriously saw his mommy and daddy "run" him to the restroom like they were Olympic sprint runners in the last Olympics! By the end of the dinner they were so exhausted and the thought of them driving home that night was too much for all of us. So they spent the night with us and we had a blast! One tiny little apartment, 5 adults and two toddlers...memory = priceless. I'd do it all again next weekend if they'd come back! I think my mom had a good time as well, although it was hard to get in a conversation that night. Happy Birthday Mom...hope your birthday was as fun for you as it was for us!

I've been spending the last 20 minutes trying to figure out how to resize a few pictures to show you, but I can't figure it out. I'll keep working on that.

We lost another old family friend this week. "Auntie Vi Linder" passed away a few days ago. Vi and her husband Bob, were very dear friends of my parents. They all grew up together in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. "Uncle Bob" was my godfather and he passed away several years ago. We used to love to hear stories of when they were younger. My dad and Bob were two of a kind. Whenever they got together you knew trouble wasn't far behind. Not bad trouble, fun trouble...and stories, boy did he have stories. One day I'll have to tell you about the day my uncle had "lunch with Hitler". His stories would leave you laughing until tears were rolling down your face. Vi and my mom should be nominated for sainthood (if we were only Catholic) for putting up with all the stuff they had to put up with all those years ago... and I know they wouldn't trade a minute of it even if they could. Goodbye Auntie Vi, give hugs and kisses to Uncle Bob and Dad...we still miss them terribly but we know heaven is a happier, more fun place because you're all there. Help keep them in line please...don't let them have any fart contests up there!

New Year's Resolutions....we all make them and we all break them. One resolution I vow not to break in 2007 is to be the best grandma to Carter there is. I'm ready...more than ready. Carter's suitcase is packed (yes he has his own suitcase stuffed full of stuff I'm taking with me)...I'm keeping up with the laundry in order to pack our stuff. My list of phone numbers is up to date so I don't forget to let someone know I've left...and we continue to wait.

Father in Heaven,
Thank you for the last 9 months of preparing for Carter's arrival here on earth. We have had so much fun preparing for this very special day. The months of waiting have brought us so many special memories we'll treasure for always.
It has brought us all closer as a family. I pray when he does make his arrival it will be a day of celebration and joy. Keep him safe until the day You decide it's time. Please keep Alyson and Mike healthy and keep them excited about the day they will officially become parents. I ask that You keep us all safe and healthy. Be with us as we travel to Nashville to share this wonderful experience. Lord we know Your timing is perfect and we patiently await for the day we can hold him in our arms.
Thank you for all the gifts you've given us this past year. We are so undeserving and we thank You from the bottom of our hearts. Amen