Midway through her pregnancy, my daughter developed a dairy intolerance. Since my cancer surgeries, I have been eating entirely dairy free and since she is my recipe substitution expert, she hasn’t had much of a struggle adapting, with one major exception. Pizza. On a recent visit, we headed to my favorite brick oven pizza restaurant, …
Forget I Said That
Should I be thankful that I have fewer “I wish I hadn’t said” moments than “I really should have said” ones? God’s divine sense of humor is evident in directing me to Proverbs 15:23NLT for my website and blog, AFittingReply.com. He’s showcasing my greatest weakness for certain, but if He can use my words for …
Indebted To Whom?
https://www.christianbook.com/loved-the-lords-prayer/sally-lloyd-jones/9780310757610/pd/757610 Da! Dada! Daddy! Every baby’s first words. Both parents and grandparents wait for it, hoping to be first, but God in His providence puts daddies first. When momma tells him that baby can say it, there’s always disbelief, but the first time those precious sounds fall on his ears, his chest puffs and a …
Clinging To Rags
My granddaughter and I play a game called find the paci. I’ve learned not to wait until bedtime or naptime to make the search. Each time she wakes, before I even lift her out of the crib, I make a big deal of searching for her pacifier. She has usually tossed it aside during her …
Holding Onto Hope
My granddaughter is a year old and so full of life! Her parents call it energy. She’s a busy bee. She’s rarely ever still. She climbs everything and talks constantly. She and the Great Danes have an understanding. She’s the boss. She keeps up with her two year old cousin. She is so much like …
Pockets Filled With Holes
If Jacob was gifted cash for his birthday, he knew what he wanted before he ever reached the store. If he received a gift card, he was usually bargaining with his dad before the party was over, ready to trade it for cash because he already had the money spent. As my dad said of …
Arriving At The Destination
My grandson, Thomas, is almost two and he still struggles with car rides. He lives almost two hours away so in order to visit extended family, his parents must drive. His mom has tried everything to ease the trip for him but getting out of the car is really the only thing that helps. He …
Long Suffering
Though one is ten months younger, both of my grandchildren have hit the tantrum phase hard. Having been given a choice once or twice, their little psyches have begun asserting their own wills quite forcefully in almost every situation. Squeals echo from the almost two year old while the almost one face drops and throws …
Pour Out Your Heart
The baby monitor’s dual display makes it easy to see who’s awake. The side of the screen outlined in red is registering sound, but before my eyes are fully opened, I’m unsure who’s cries I’m hearing. My grandchildren, like my own children, are close in age and their tiny voices sound very much the same …
I’m Here!
“Lolly’s here, baby,” I whispered. “Mama, Dada,” he repeated, sleepily. “Mama’s sleeping. Daddy’s sleeping. Lolly’s here,” I gently intoned. He stirred, not quite awake but restless. I leaned close to his ear and hummed Jesus Loves Me as I ran my fingers through his hair. He sighed and began to breathe more slowly and steadily. …
