"SPECIAL BOY"

It was quite nice of our daughters to take turns in giving us a "bundle of joy". This was the year that our older daughter gave birth to her second son. Now since I had named all of the other two a special name. We decided to name Steve (Our Special Grandson).

He was the only grandchild that we weren't present at the hospital when he was born. It was end of the fiscal year for my caring of the city's books. No way, could I get off for a vacation! We had to wait until they came home in July or August of that year. That's the price you have to pay when you are working out and you have responsibilities to fulfil.

We fell in love with our "Special Grandson" immediately. He had the prettiest blue eyes. He just melted our heart.

When he was about 2 years old he was so cute and he reminded me especially that He was our "SPECIAL BOY". We again affirmed to him that indeed he was "OUR SPECIAL BOY". So cute!!

It was about this age when our nephew that we visited in Ohio came to visit. Steve took to Steve our nephew right away. He called him, his second daddy. So cute! He made sure he remembered him and wet all over him that day. Oh my!

Steve made a great little playmate for Jamie since they were less than two years apart in age. They grew up like normal boys and would play games. I remember one time he was playing a game of checkers with Jamie. By this time they had a sister. She felt left out of the game they were playing and would go over and sneak a checker off the board while they were playing. Of course, this aggravated Steve and I told him, "Just ignore her, and she will stop doing it". That was a pretty tall order for a young lad wanting to beat his big brother in a game of checkers. She just kept at it. I don't know if they ever knew who won the game with all that interference.

Steve was always interested in sports. He was in little league softball, ice hockey and we had quite a time taking him on a camping trip, because of his activities. We never could get enough time blocked off to take him.

We asked him where he would like to go? We would take him there and make a "Special Steve Day!" He decided that he would like for us to take him to the "CUBS GAME" in Chicago. We were getting older and it was harder for us to navigate around Chicago, so we asked his dad to drive us up there so we could take Steve. Carol said, "Kari could go, too"! I told her no that this was Steve's special outing and the only reason his dad got to go with is because he was the driver.

He had a really great time at the game and on the way home Jim took us on the outer drive up in Chicago. I was in the back seat with Steve and so wanted to see the view. I never had this luxury when we were driving up there, because I was helping my husband drive through the maize of cars.

Steve started blowing this party gadget that goes out and then come back in. He was blowing this in my face while I was trying to look at the scenery outside. I told Steve, "Would he please stop that!" He quickly came back with, "Well Grandma, you have always told me that when someone is bugging you, that you should just ignore them". Whoa! I was hit between my eyes. He got me that time! I needed to "practice what I preached"! That was a "Gottcha moment" for sure! He did stop and we had one memorable day!

Steve was always practicing his guitar. He was like Amber, when he was home he was learning something new on the guitar. This is what he majored in in college.

I'm not sure if I wrote about this or not. At least, I can't find it. Thanksgiving year when Steve was a Junior in college, we were in Tennessee at a Condo. The Lord laid it on my heart to pray for Steve and what he would do when he would graduate. I prayed for him to meet the right girl at the right time. Christmas time came and went and about January or February of the next year he sent an e-mail to me about this girl he met. He said I could ask anything I wanted to about her. In my feeble way of e-mailing I lost the contents of what I was writing (computers have a way of doing that to you). Before I could retype it, he e-mailed me back and told me all the things I asked.

A few days later he called me up. I told him that his new girlfriend seems quite nice, I would like to meet her someday. He said to me, "How about this weekend?" Whoa! That was unexpected. Of course, I told him, "Yes".

She turned out to be everything that he said and more. She was studying to be a pastor and had Divinity school looming. God certainly answers prayers! Sometimes He it seems slow, but this time it was fast. They planned their life around their future. God is soooooo GOOD!! They both graduated college and she went on to Divinity school. She is an Associate Pastor in a Methodist church. He teaches guitar, has a recording studio and is head of the music in a church. God orchestrated their lives and both compliment each other. Pound another nail in behind the barn!

This year they have blessed us with a baby girl. We call her our "Tiny One" as she was so little when she was born.

Wisdom--Don't ever think God doesn't answer and hear our prayers. He is more concerned than we are about our family.