Well, yesterday around 8:30pm I received the BEST surprise of my life. Not the kind of surprise that you go, WOW, that's an awesome new purse or ahhh, I always wanted to go to that restaurant... The kind of surprise that will forever be etched in your memory, till the day I take my last breath!!
It was a typical day in some ways - in the middle of the day some of us went to an awesome live play that our sweet friends, the Cawoods were in, it was Ray, Grant, Hannah and I. Totally enjoyed a nice lunch before and then on to the show. We got back and I went to lay down. Sleep avoids me most nights so I lay down when I can, if needed. So I went to lay down and went fast asleep. Around 8ish Olivia came to wake me up because it was "Family Night" & I had slept long enough. Family night isn't "an event" because it happens often. All 6 kids and always extras, thats the way we like it around here. Everyone was eating randomness and I went to the kitchen to find Megan making me 1 of her famous salads. I made my plate and joined everyone in the living room for dinner and the Ranger game. After the Ranger game we'd planned to watch an old movie. Nothing really unusual about the evening until what happened next... Meshali said she had a gift for us & she was gonna go run get it. It wasn't really unusual...she loves to give but I thought, ok... She asked Ray to change spots and come sit by me and we STILL didn't have a clue - my thought was it was some awesome picture or pictures of my kiddos!!! She told me to open the big gift 1st and then the small gift. Well, Im usually the 1 giving gifts so I enjoyed this but was hoping I wasn't going to do something wrong since I couldn't figure out which was bigger. Finally got through that and pulled out the most amazing surprise gift of MY LIFE!! This is what was in the bag...
The smaller gift was a book that had all of these in it... (my 1st of many brag books)
Aren't they THE MOST PRECIOUS COUPLE EVER!?! MY BABY IS GOING TO HAVE A BABY!!!! WHAT!?! Thank you Jesus, Thank you Jesus, Thank you Jesus!! After waiting patiently ALLLLL of my adult life (i actually wanted to be a Grandma before I was even a Mom, I think I always understood the awesomeness of Grandchildren) in an INSTANT my life is changed!!
Han asked me months ago if I would want to just know or be surprised when she got pregnant and I picked - be surprised - WELLLL, I never knew in a GAZILLION years that this child of mine would be able to pull this off!!! But she did and it was absolutely PERFECT!!!
She's known for over a week but she wanted to tell us all together and 2 of the girls were out of town so she had to wait extra long. Bless her heart but she did it!! She had to stay away from our house and 1 day it got too hard so she had to leave when she came by - HAHA!! I LOVE to give surprises and never really thought surprises were my thing but this was THE BEST!!! My reaction is on video somewhere and i'm sure it'll show up sometime but I was literally IN SHOCK!! The pictures didn't register that they were my children so when I saw the cool frame I just thought - ahhh, this is so cute...for the future! Someone hollered is this a joke... - i looked over and Hannah said, WE'RE PREGNANT and all I could say is WHAT? It didn't make sense!! They had started trying back in Nov (after they celebrated their 2 yr anni) and then stopped or so I thought! I thought she was gonna start trying again next month so I was super excited for that. I just didn't think that she'd already be almost 6 weeks and already visited her Dr, before I knew! It was PERFECTION!!! All those details DONE and all we had to do is enjoy the news!! My sweet, precious Momma was 1 of the few that knew ahead of time and she prayed over Hannah - oh that makes my heart melt!! And last night we got to put her in the hot seat and we all gathered around her - then I did the same thing that I did the day she was born and then again minutes before she got married - I put my hands on her precious tummy & we prayed...
SOOOO....I know I've been pregnant 5 times but I truly do believe this is going to be the 1st perfect child known to mankind!! Ray and I are over the moon to think that a dream we've always had, to become Grandparents, is going to come true in roughly 7mths, 3 weeks and 6 days!!!
Just like the gift said -- Happy Grandma and Grandpa Day -- June 29th will forever be Our Grandparents Day!! And I'm sure we'll celebrate it with a sleepover!! SO many dreams & memories to make with all our Grandchildren!! All the ballgames, recitals and plays - you name it and we won't miss ANYTHING that is humanly possible for us to be there for!! So many toys to play, books to read, trips to the park, trips to Disney World, Christmases and BIRTHDAYS, camp at Papa & Grammy's every Summer, prayers to pray, boo-boos to kiss, cookies to make...so many things!! I look so forward to seeing my other kids be PERFECT Aunts and Grant be an Uncle and Ray to be THE BEST Papa the world has EVER seen and of course me to be a Grammy... but MOST OF ALL I can't wait to see my PERFECT daughter Hannah and my AMAZING son Austin be THE BEST PARENTS EVER to MY GRANDBABY!!!!
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The day after the big news: waking up & thinking I was in a dream - am I really gonna be a Grammy!!
So we are waiting to post anything until all the family knows and with some of Austin's fam living in Europe, it's been a bit longer - but that's totally been fine with me! The sisters on the other hand are freaking out to tell everyone!! Liv actually knew yesterday afternoon - a few hrs before us. She promptly went to Target (her favorite) and bought "AUNT" stuff! She told the cashier that she had just found out that she was gonna be an Aunt for the 1st time and she was soooo excited that the cashier told her she needed to settle down! HA!
Well, Ray, Liv, Grant and I got up and went to Lifechurch. 1 little, bitty, tiny exit away in BUY, BUY BABY....my plan was that we leave church and go shopping, head to get flowers because Ray wanted to give her flowers and then have the flowers and gifts waiting when they got home from church. But it didn't happen that way. The 4 of us got in the store and we looked at EVERYTHING!!! We wanted to buy a baby boy gift and a baby girl gift - then if she wanted to bring either back when she finds out what she's having, she could. Well Grant wanted all things sports, I wanted to look at everything but I wound up following them around because they were having such a good time. Ray found a swing he loved and he found the crib he wants for our house and then he happened onto the recliner area! Yes, that's where he got hooked!! Not sure on the recliner but we have time; )
Notice who's looking on the clearance rack...I tell the girl - I want the cutest outfit in this store and she goes to the clearance rack! OH MY!!
This is what we came out of there with...
AHHHHH...precious baby girl clothes!! But we DO NOT care if it's a boy or girl, duh!!!
The Texas hoodie is for sure for a boy or girl...
Needless to say...Ray said I need to get a part-time job for all the things I want to buy! I just want to have my house set up for baby so when they come over all they gotta bring is baby!! What a dream that would've been when I was having babies! Ray said he wants to be able to come by at any point that's ok with them and pick up his baby & have a sleepover! He doesn't want to mess with hauling crap every time. Did I tell you he's excited? When he hugged Austin his words were...WE DID IT? HAHAHA, did he do anything?! I think he meant, we prayed this baby forth? I don't know! HA!!
You'd like to think this is the 1st gifts I've bought the babe and his/her Mom but you'd be wrong...I don't have all those pics but I think the babes Momma took some pictures of those. Just every known thing a pregnant woman could need. I've been stashing stuff since November just waiting for last night and the moment I could pull all of that stuff out! Pregnancy pillow, belly bands, preggo pops, tummy lotions, books and journals and more books and a book for Austin. If I forgot any must haves, please let me know...
CONGRATS to the New PARENTS, of course! Congrats to my 3 girls that have waited soooo long and sooooo patiently to become AUNTS and of course G will be the best Uncle! And a BIG congrats to all the Benjamins - seasoned veterans with this being Grandbaby #10 - WOW, double digits!! I know that # 10 is just as wonderful as #1 to Poppy & Gigi! We love you all like family and I couldn't pick a family in a lifetime that we would want to share our Grandbaby with -- (i'm sure i'll say that w/ every family) We love you ALL!!!
So, I end this obnoxious Grammy Blog with a strong warning - if you think William and Kate's baby will be photographed and written about more than MY grand baby...you better think twice...you've been warned!!!
I love you precious daughter of mine & I love my "GrandBaby Daddy!!"
And little Benjamin Bundle of Joy - I already love you more than you'll EVER know!! You will FOREVER be my MOST FAVORITE 1st Grand baby!! You already have GREATNESS on the inside of you and you better watch out because every one of your family members will take part in birthing you out to be the most amazing Man or Woman!! I've prayed for you since your Momma was in my arms for the 1st time! You have destiny and purpose and you will do AMAZING things for the GLORY of God and HIS kingdom!! I love you and don't ever forget that!! PS--Your Mom is the most precious and your Dad is the GREATEST... but you'll find that out shortly!
