In Praise of Grandparents!!

My mom arrived to help me 6 days before my scheduled induction. My dad came 3 days later. The truth of it is, my parents come here to Florida 4 times a year for 2 weeks each time-give or take on some trips. They figure once they have flown 3,000 miles and changed 3 hours of time zone, they may as well stay for a while! We estimate that they spend more time with us and our kids than they do with my brother and his kids who live 35 minutes away from them in California! I guess it was a good thing we moved so far away.

Anyhow, my parents came early because they know that a 9 month pregnant woman loses steam at the end! They wanted to help me with the kids before as well as after Gabriel's arrival. What a HUGE blessing they were to us! My mom went early (5:45a.m.) to the hospital with me since Marc was willing to stay home and sleep in our stead, then get the kids over to the sitters for the labor and delivery. Because I was delayed at the hospital, my dad actually took the kids to the sitters by around 9:30 a.m., they he and Marc hung out at the house until we called at 11:30 a.m. for them to come since the induction had begun! My parents rubbed my back and encouraged me all through the longest labor of my life, brought me Starbucks each day (including fall pastries!) and brought the kids to visit (since Marc had to get back to work.)

Normally, our home runs on several schedules. We have school schedule, food schedules and chore schedules. My parents jumped into those and did them the best they could with flexibility. The did such a good job! When I got home from the hospital they continued to play with the kids, make the meals (when one wasn't delivered from someone at church), care for me, hold the baby, take the kids out on dates, errands and shopping trips. They went to the grocery store and Costco repeatedly and my dad even worked on our mortgage issues for us with our loan company! Dad took the kids fishing and did a 12 item long "Daddy-Do" list that I had waiting for him! Mom diced up fruite and veggies for the kids in ways I never do-what a blessing for their health! They put up with all the kids ups and downs, crabby 1 1/2 year old, crying 3 year old, pestering 5 year old, and kept the 8 and 9 year old on task. They were caring and patient (honestly, it can be quite trying to the patience to have that many kids at home 24/7) loving and completely serving! Servants really is the term that described how they acted while at our house for 2 weeks. They served all 8 of us in every and any way they could. They deeply love Marc and I and every grandchild that we have now given them! They feel almost as blessed as Marc and I do that God has sent these 6 amazing personalities into our lives.

My parents deserve some praise and I am happy to post it here that they are the best grandparents in the world and they are a blessing to us in so many ways, both temporal and eternal! I love you dad and mom!