"I love these little people; and it is not a slight thing when they, who are so fresh from God, love us." ~Charles Dickens

Last week our family gathered for a much-anticipated vacation in beautiful Destin, Florida. I spent a lot of time cooking in the weeks prior to our trip. In fact, I prepared and froze every dinner meal for the week, as well as a lot of breakfast food. I didn't do this to give myself time to relax while at the beach. My primary reason for all of the prep work was so that I could wear my "Mimi hat" for the majority of our time there.

Lydia, Henry, Owen, and Noah. Each one is unique. And each one is worthy of Mimi's undivided attention. These four precious grandchildren that Jeff and I have been blessed with are the most special children I've ever known. (If you have grandchildren, you know exactly what I mean!)                

Lydia will soon be five-years-old - my first grandchild, and (so far) my only granddaughter. She loves puzzles, coloring, and being silly. She enjoys playing dress-up, and she's got quite a funny sense of humor - back in July, she jokingly began referring to her Pappy as "Frank." She knows this is funny, and she occasionally referred to him as Frank last week in order to tease him and get a laugh out of the rest of the family! During our last beach vacation two years ago, we could not get her to put so much as her big toe into the ocean. However, this year she loved walking in and letting the waves crash into her, as long as a trusted adult was there with her to hold her hand. I love playing with Lydia and seeing the world through her sweet, innocent, and silly five-year-old eyes.

Next, there's freshly-three-year-old Henry. When I look at Henry, I'm always reminded of a young Uncle Caleb - not only does Henry look a lot like Caleb, he has aspects of Caleb's personality as well. Henry can be silly, and he loves to make everyone laugh - he's good at it, too! Henry also feels his feelings in a big way. Often, Henry will get a far-away look in his eyes, like he is somewhere a million miles away. And just like Lydia began calling her Pappy "Frank," Henry would tease me at times during this trip by calling me "Gran" instead of Mimi. He became quite attached to a duck floatie last week, and he named him "Paul." I watched him on several occasions gathering a shovel full of sand to feed Paul. Henry's three-year-old imagination and his spontaneity are refreshing. I love the reminders he gives me to live in THIS moment and enjoy it fully.

     

Lydia and Henry both enjoy being read to, playing make-believe, helping Mimi cook, and giving the best hugs. They love each other, and it's fun to peek in on them as they play together. Last week they enjoyed playing in the sand together, chasing birds on the beach, eating popsicles, swimming in the pool, and playing hide-and-seek in the house. We colored, painted, and played with their toys. And I never tired of hearing, "I want to sit by Mimi!" when it was mealtime - by the end of the week, I even won Henry over to my side of the table.  It is so fun doing "big-kid" things with them, and I am enjoying every moment I get to spend in this preschool stage with Lydia and Henry.   

                                     

Then there are the two youngest -Baby Owen and Baby Noah. These two are exactly two months apart in age, turning 11-months-old and 9-months-old while we were together last week. Even though they both look like their daddies, they have hair that is similar to their mommies during the infant stage, and I felt "deja vu" several times last week as I played with two babies nearly the same age rolling around in the floor. It took me back over 30 years to when I watched their mommies play together!

 

Owen is happiest when he is in his high chair eating anything he is given! He shovels it in as fast as he can, giving big smiles and tiger growls all the while! He is also very happy when in his mommy's arms - she is by far his favorite person in the whole world! But if you can distract him from her, he gives the sweetest hugs and snuggles. He loved crawling around, pulling up, and I'm sure it is only a matter of days before he's walking. He loves his big siblings, and braces well for impact when Henry approaches! Owen is a sweet boy, and I love watching him explore his big new world and learn how it works. I also love Owen's appreciation for the simple things in life - the taste of good food and giving good snuggles.

And last, but certainly not least, there is Noah. He is a sweet, laid-back little buddy who loves his paci which his parents call "Jerry." He is a very touchy-feely kind of guy - he loves to feel of everything within reach, turning everything over in his hands. His favorite thing to do when I'm holding him is to grab the skin on my neck or explore my mouth with his hands. Noah really studies the people around him, as if he's trying to figure out and memorize every detail. He smiles easily, and we laughed last week at how he just seemed to know when a camera was pointed his way - he immediately smiled! He's also very chatty and always has a lot to say! Noah reminds me that there is merit in relaxing and focusing on the person or task at hand, and that joy is found in experiencing the world around us.

Sue Monk Kidd wrote, "Grandmotherhood initiated me into a world of play, where all things became fresh, alive, and honest again through my grandchildren's eyes. Mostly, it retaught my love." That expresses perfectly what Lydia, Henry, Owen, and Noah do for me. For them - and all children - childhood is timeless. They live each day as it comes with little thought or concern for what lies ahead. They are beautifully pure and innocent, unstained from the world that we as adults often find hurtful and daunting. They have total and complete trust in the grown-ups around them to take care of their every need. Fear of the waves dissipates as long as someone bigger, stronger, and trusted is there to hold their hand. And isn't that how we should all be as God's children with our Heavenly Father? Jesus said as much in Matthew 6:33.

Last week in Destin, Florida was beautiful in so many ways. Surrounded by God's glorious creation, epic sunrises and sunsets, and the blessing of spending time with my adult children who are living lives dedicated to God - all five of them are pretty amazing people. But the highlight of the week for me was simply being Mimi to Lydia, Henry, Owen, and Noah, where I was reminded of life's most important lessons by the four most important little people in my world. Charles Dickens was right - it is no small thing to be loved by those so fresh from God.

“What a grand thing, to be loved! What a grander thing still, to love!” ~Victor Hugo