Happy Grandparents Day!

I found this quote while doing a project with Aiden for his grandparents...

"To become a grandparent is to enjoy one of the few pleasures in life for which the consequences have already been paid."

I Love it because I think my parents and grandparents would completely agree. Anytime I call to them how strong willed aiden is, how worried I am, how stressful or exhausting parenting is they have this knowing chuckle which imparts absolutely no sympathy for me!

Last sunday was grandparents day...yes I'm still behind. Sunday September 13th was "Grandparent's Day" Yep look it up on a calendar. It's a real day. It doesn't get as much notice as it probably should but it is a recognizable day. Aiden and I made little crafts for his grandparents. My parents are actually the only ones who have received this little craft. I'm trying to find the right envelope to mail them. Basically Aiden made a handprint and stuck stickers on a piece of construction paper, he's 18 months what do you expect??? I think it turned out fairly cute though!

 Anyways that afternoon my mom and I had volunteered to work a sale at the fort worth convention center but aiden spent the afternoon with his daddy and his poppy and then we all went out to dinner that evening. Aiden showed gigi and poppy his new "trick" of dipping chips. He LOVES to dip anything.

Ok so now onto the purpose of the post....I don't think grandparents get as much recognition as they should and I am glad there is a day for that. I have been putting together Aiden's "book" recently and it is going to be so neat when it is done and he can look back on absolutely everything that happened while I was pregnant and during these first years of his life. I love that he will be able to see his family through my eyes, relive my experiences, be familiar with the relationships I have because to be honest he will probably have very different relationships than either ben or I do. He already has missed out on meeting 2 of my favorite people...my mamaw Ruby and Bear. But he will KNOW them because I have written about them, I have put my thoughts and feelings to paper. I recently had to do the pages in the book from when bear died and I struggled with that simply because I didn't know if maybe I should leave them out. They are such painful posts, they are deep and poignant...not in keeping with the joy and lightness that fill the other parts of the book. But when it came down to it...it was what I was feeling during that time, it's what I was going through and I want him to know that. So the pages are there with all their emotions.

 

My grandparents have meant different things to me over the years, my relationship with them has evolved but I can honestly say I don't think I could have been blessed with 4 better grandparents. Mamaw, Bear, Mamaw and papaw have always been there for me. I usually preferred them to my own parents, loved to visit them and stay with them whenever was possible. Papaw who always made me feel like I could do no wrong and I would always be his favorite, Mamaw Ruby who loved me absolutely unconditionally and I loved her just as much who was the model grandmother from sewing and cooking, reading to me and telling me stories, Bear who is still the person I admire most in this world from his leadership to his spirituality he was one of a kind, and Mamaw who is one of my very best friends, the most Godly woman I have ever known and an incredible inspiration to me. Those are my grandparents and my relationships with them have grown and evolved along with my adulthood but my relationships with them both past and present are cherished. 

I am excited to see what Aiden's relationships will look like with his grandparents (and he has a lot of them!). From childhood through adulthood I am excited to see these relationships grow and mature. Aiden has 6 actual grandparents. Gigi and poppy (my parents), grandma and grandpa (ben's mom and stepdad) and papaw and grammy (ben's dad and stepmom).Besides those he also has ben and my grandparents (his great grandparents) and a whole slew of aunts and uncles. He is one very loved little boy! 

So in honor of grandparents day and honoring the people who have meant so much to me/ Ben and already have/will to Aiden...

Ok so this post took me literally FOREVER to find all these pictures...as you can see they span his entire life but I wanted to find pics that somewhat captured the relationships. Aiden with his grandma and grandpa on the farm, aiden with gigi and poppy being silly, going out to dinner, cuddling, etc. Aiden with mamaw ALL THE TIME (we lived with her :)) Aiden with grammy and papaw at sporting events....I tried, it's not perfect but it's what I have! I hope you all know how incredibly special you are to our family! Happy Grandparents Day!