family

I think I have a gift, a special skill. Or maybe not. Maybe it's just dumb luck, or timing, or an act of God. Or maybe it's just that I badly bore young women.

Whatever the cause, it seems I have an uncanny ability to put my 5-month-old granddaughter to sleep. When she starts to get tired, even barely discernibly, I pick her up, hold her in my left arm and find a quiet place, where I rock her and pat her back and whisper her name and that I love her. Almost invariably, it is only a matter of minutes before the eyes droop, the first two fingers of her left hand find their way to her mouth, and she drops her head against my shoulder. She will fight it some, and several times she will lift her head and try to look about, but the eyes quickly close once again, her head falls, and in minutes she is dreaming whatever a five-month-old can dream.

Recently, when everyone was here for a birthday celebration and Adelynn showed that she was tired, I took her from Lisa (her Mom), walked back to the bedroom and mentioned I thought she would be asleep in five minutes. Four minutes later I walked out with her sawing logs in my arms.

I'm thinking of starting a new business, along with a new reality TV show. I would be the Baby Whisperer.

It's warm and sunny, the chickens have been squawking madly - though they have fallen silent at the moment - and both of the children are still asleep, amazing as that is. I know they will both be up soon, and Addie will need a bottle when she awakes, so I am stealing a moment to think and remember.

It was a week ago at this hour that we were preparing for the wedding rehearsal, and our good friends were so hard at work to prepare that wildly popular gourmet Italian meal for those participating in the wedding itself. This is twice now that Bruce and Lisa, Cal and Anita, and Tim and Teresa have blessed us so richly with the depth of their friendship and their amazing culinary skills. I do not know how to adequately thank them.

So now, Jon and Kelly are married and I officially have another amazing daughter-in-law. How blessed we are, as well, to have these two incredible women in our clan. So grateful to my gracious God for bringing them to us.

My family came, and that was so good, to share a little of our world with them. All except Mom, of course, who wanted so badly to dance at this wedding. Casey's family, too, yet also without one. A little bit of bitter mixed with the sweet, much like the symbolic wine of the ceremony itself.

Enough for now. I just heard a deep sigh from the littlest one next to me here, signaling that she is not long to sleep most likely. And I'd best go check on Brijette.

I have to say, it was wonderful to have Casey home all weekend, without church duties, on this weekend off. Today in particular, we spent it mostly together: a relaxing lunch at LA's Place in Pike Lake, followed by our annual 100+ mile round-trip trek to Byrn's up in Zim to stock the garden. We will leave shortly for a Mother's Day dinner with the kids at the new Mexican restaurant in the Fitger's Mall.

Casey and I had just sat down to watch a movie last night when I looked out the window and noticed movement in the trees across the yard, on the other side of the fence. It didn't look like a deer, which we are accustomed to seeing out there, so I looked carefully to try and identify the source of the movement. All I saw was a dark gray to almost black blob at first - hard to tell the color exactly due to the light and shadows of the setting sun - until it raised it's head and I knew I was looking at either a large coyote or a wolf.

This has been a week to remember; one of juxtaposition and opposites; one where the skill of being in two places at once would have come in handy. But you have to decide. When two conflicting needs - or three, or more - present themselves, something has to give.

My second grandchild was due last Sunday. Who would want to miss that event, to not be there to see this child in her first hours, to be with son and daughter-in-law to celebrate and revel in this new life, and to hold her and touch her in those first hours?