I'm a new grandma again...Almost

We just got the news recently that my newest daughter (step) is going to have a baby. This is great news. She and her husband of about 5 years have been taking world wide trips and coming and going all they wanted so that they could get in as much as they could before having children (smart). They both have great jobs so traveling and buying a ski condo has been their outlet and time together. She and my daughter Amber are only 4 days apart in age, and she decided to wait until she is 30 to have children. She is going to be early by about 2 months exactly. Can't win them all I guess.
Amber is 3 ahead of her, but she may catch up one of these days. Since Amber just had Evan in February, these two will be close to 11 months different in age. Pretty close and so much fun. There will definitely be plenty of clothes, no matter whether she has a girl or boy, so they won't have to buy anything unless they choose to.
Amber with 3 mo. old Evan
I am having fun with Amber lately because, now on her third child, she is finally deciding to use cloth diapers (at least while at home during the day). She's not too sure about the whole thing and called to complain
Amber and Evan playing when she had to change her first dirty cloth diaper. What fun. Guess what honey, you've finally been initiated into the world of down home mommy hood. Now there's the pail with water to soak them in, gloves to rinse them out in the toilet and the wringing out chore. Laundry will never be the same and then there is still the folding of the diapers to fit the little ones behind. Be sure to keep it snug around the legs to prevent leakage. Oh, and remember to keep some plastic pants around too.
I suggested leaving off the plastic pants during the summer as much as possible because of the heat and please, please, don't stick the little guy with the big diaper pin. I'm sorry honey, but your mama really did stick you good when you were only months old. What a mean mama I was but I sure did feel bad when you squalled.
The worst story I ever heard about diaper pins was told by our paster when I babysat for his children. When their first born girl was a baby, his wife changed her diaper as usual, pinned up the diaper and put the plastic pants and clothes back on. She couldn't figure out why she squalled and squalled and wouldn't quit. Frantic, she tried a bottle, rocked her, put a cool rag on her face, etc. but no luck. (You know where this is going I'm sure) Finally, she decided to check the diaper and sure enough she had inadvertantly pinned the diaper to her baby's tummy. Oh, ouch and how horrible she felt. He was able to laugh about it later but I'm not sure she ever did. After that, I was always very careful to keep my fingers under the layers and made sure when in poked through, it was my fingers that got the prick and not baby.
Well, Amber, I'm sure that you won't do that cause you are so very careful with everything concerning your little ones.
Ethan the little Dentist?

Don't worry, this diaper stage only lasts a few more years. See, your middle son is almost potty trained at night, right? well, maybe, but that doesn't mean this one will be such a heavy sleeper.
I am very excited for Krista and her husband, as they get ready for their first baby. My husband is really excited as he always is about babies. He loves them and they all love him too and claim him for themselves. He's just a toy for all young children. Actually kids of all ages.
Brenda with my son David and Meal time in the Rockies






My Brother Jimbo and his invention for making his own bows
During the 4th of July family reunion camping trips we have every year,he is the one who prepares and brings up stuff for the kids to do. He started out with paintball for bigger kids and adults.
Then we added sqirt guns for the younger ones. Last year he took my metal detector to the hills and before anyone else arrived he 'buried' treasure (coins) in the dirt arounbd camp for the kids to hunt for. This year he is bringing up the paintball guns but instead of shooting at each other, he bought 2 remote control SUV jeeps and built a frame and wire shield onto the vehicles so the balls won't destroy the cars. He will drive the vehicles through a course in the trees and kids will try to shoot them. They love it and the adults like interacting with all the nieces and nephews in the games as well.


Wish I could go, but since my two massive bleeds from my lungs the last two years after going into the high altitude and driving over extremely rough jeep trails to get there, the doctors have kaboshed my going there. I know all of my family would go somewhere lower so I could go, but I've turned that down so the kids can be free and yet safe to fish, hike, camp and run through the trees around camp. It's a large campsite, enough for 30-40 with tents, campers, 4 wheelers or bikes, and vehicles. It's so good to spend extended free time like that with all our family.
Since Brenda and I are part of a 7 sibling family, plus some aquired grown siblings and their families we sometimes have quite a crew there.
It's so wonderful to be part of a large family and that in itself helped me to be a better mom and to be able to do foster care for 15 years. I loved my 'yours, mine and ours' family and so I adopted 3 children also. I was most in my element when I had a housefull of kids. I was the oldest of our 7 and so it became natural for me to have lots of kids around.
A large family is a gifting family because we all shared everything (sometimes whether we wanted to or not). Have you gifted yourself to someone lately?