A measure of time

Well, look what I found behind the guest room door this evening. There are so many memories attached to this simple measuring stick. Looking at it evokes such happy memories. I can almost hear their little boy and girl voices. It is not just a measure of height, it is a measure of time.

 

 

Our 6'5" young man heading off to college used to rush into the back bedroom, flatten his back against the wall and shout, "Measure me, Nana."

The beautiful, almost-grown girl who will be a senior, is heading to Florida to check out college ROTC programs so she can earn her nursing degree and continue her dad's family Navy tradition ... I can still see her strawberry blonde curls bobbing as she begged me to see how much she'd grown. Her brother, who is going to be a high school junior insisted he wasn't standing on tip toe when I measured him.

Our two oldest, are in their 20s and such good people. Kyle has a lucrative lawn care business, and well, you know Ashley is a working mom. She gave me Liam. Kyle and Ashley were our first granddaughter and grandson. Our practice kids. How we adored them because we were frequent babysitters. We helped raise them their first three years.

One of our smart grandsons just graduated high school and wants to be a counselor. Our pretty as a picture, middle girl is driving on a permit, and her goals are to be a psychiatrist. She was always Grandpa's girl. The rest were Nana's babies. 

Nicholas and Nicole used to race each other to the measuring stick, and now they are racing into 2nd and 8th grade in the fall.

 Whenever they came for a visit, each of the grandkids darted past us and insisted I show them how much they'd grown. Oh the competition was fierce, especially on holidays when the house overflowed with kids. The names are out of order, so no, the girls have not outgrown the boys.

 They've all grown in so many ways. As the memories overwhelm me, I am nostalgic... remembering. This week I will hang up my teaching hat. Baby Liam will celebrate his first birthday.

I am blessed with all of our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. So blessed.