Things that have happened since my last post...great-grandbabies, new grandchildren-in-law, widowhood, and new marriage

Oh my, it has been so long since I've been to this blog.  A LOT has happened in my life since 2010. 

The new great-grandchild I blogged about in my last blog post arrived on June 16, 2011 and we certainly do love our Jaycie Paige!  My grandson and their mother got divorced in 2012, but he married a wonderful woman, Stephannie, in July 2016 and now they have another son--and another great-grandchild for me-- Sawyer Wayne. 

Hayley got married in 2015, graduated from the University of Arkansas in Dec 2016, and she and her husband Steven moved to Florida in 2017.  Tristan graduated in 2013, went to California to visit and came back with a girlfriend named Erica and her 4 children, Joey, Emily, Angelina, and Gabriel (more great-grands for me!).  JD and Bradley are seniors in high school now.  Steven is living the bachelor life but has a great girlfriend who has two precious daughters.  My son and his wife are divorced and she took their kids to live in Missouri--and doesn't want us to see them.  The girlfriend who had the twin girls married another man and I haven't been able to see them since 2009.  Not being able to see my grandchildren has been very difficult for me, but I trust God to bless them and keep them. 

My dear husband of 43 years passed away on April 13, 2012 from kidney cancer-- he had a cancerous tumor in his left kidney in 2001 and that kidney was removed and he didn't even have to have chemo, so we were very surprised when it came back in his right kidney a little more than 10 years later (Dec 2011 was when it was found). 

I was so very sad and missed him so much I wasn't sure I could even live without him.  It was very hard and I spent a lot of time asking God HOW could  I go on with my life without him -- we'd been together since I was 16, engaged six months after we began dating, and married when I was 17.  I turned 60 years old in May after he passed away, and it was just.too.much. 

But then, two years later, I finally came out of mourning and began to wonder if God had more for me.  My kids and my grandchildren took up much of my time, but I missed the companionship of having a husband... going places as a couple, watching tv or reading together in the evenings.  So I prayed.  I prayed and asked God that IF he wanted me to have a husband, would he please send someone to me because I didn't know how to go about it on my own.  I confessed to God that maybe he wouldn't think I was a good enough wife the first time and maybe I didn't deserve another husband.  Dan had been so good to me and I was thoroughly spoiled...perhaps another man wouldn't even like me!  But I had learned to trust God's will and I sincerely asked HIM for HIS will in my life, whether I got another husband or not. 

I joined a senior center and began to meet new people.  After a false start with a man who turned out not to be the right person, God sent my new husband in the form of a blind date.  A Christian man who had lost his dear wife a few months before we met, and he was also praying to find a companion.  (Life is so lonely to those of us who are accustomed to having a mate to work out problems with and just general discussions about life.)  After the first false start, I began to wonder if perhaps God thought I didn't need to be married again, but my sister had worked with this man for many years, and after several times trying to persuade me to go out with him, I acquiesced. I told her I wanted to see the movie "Left Behind" with Nicholas Cage that was going to be playing in theaters on October 4, 2014, and if he wanted to take me to see it, I would go with him [if it didn't work out, at least I would have gotten to see the movie.  :) ]  But, I was shy, so I asked if she and her husband would go with us on a double date, and she agreed. 

So, on October 4, 2014, as I waited at my house for him to arrive to pick me up, busily tapping on the laptop in my living room, I glanced up and there was a man standing in the foyer by my living room, leaning against the doorpost, watching me as I typed.  Dan's sister, whose daughter lived next door to me, had been sitting on my porch, knitting, when he drove up.  She knew I was expecting him so she opened my door and let him in!   What a sneaky sister-in-law.... I love her so much.  :)  My sister and her husband had been over there visiting. 

My sister, her husband, and this new man and I went to the movies in one car.  We hit it off pretty quickly -- we laughed at the same things in the movie, and actually had things to say to each other.  When we got home and the four of us were standing in the driveway visiting, he opened his arms wide and invited me to come get a hug goodnight.  It felt good! 

We called, texted each other, and saw each other as much as his work schedule would let us.  Finally, on November 4, 2014, after dating for exactly one month, he asked me to marry him.  I said yes. He wanted to elope right away, but I wanted to get a new dress!  A girl has to have a dress to get married!  On November 7, we applied for and got a marriage license, but I still hadn't found the right dress.  I finally decided to just make the dress myself, and we set a date for a small wedding with our families on December 20, 2014. 

We've been married for 3 years, 9 months, and 18 days--and I have not regretted it even one time.  We're not rich, but we love each other and we are blessed to have enough.  I know my Dan and his Crystal are up in heaven, looking down with love for us and are happy for us. 

Great-Grandbabies!

Our grandson Justin and his wife Shannon presented us with a great-grandson, Connor Ray Arment, on August 19, 2010. We feel so blessed to be great-grandparents!

Imagine our surprise when yesterday we got a call and learned another great-grandbaby is on the way! Shannon had to go to a special doctor to be able to have Connor so was greatly surprised to learn she is six weeks pregnant! After the initial shock they are as happy as they can be that they will soon have another addition to the family. :)

Connor and the new baby will be only 11 months apart, which will be hard on Mommy but will be great for the children as they are growing up.

I am in love with the word "progeny" which means "descendants". As we are the product of our ancestors, Connor and the new baby will carry on our genes to other generations. Ahh, "the circle of life"!

We're going to be great-grandparents!

Our eldest grandson, Justin Arment, is going to be a daddy! He and his beautiful (inside and outside) wife Shannon are having a baby boy in September. I feel blessedly young to be a great-grandma and am thankful I'll be able to see a great-grandchild. The sad part is they live in San Diego, California, so it's a long way away from this grandma who has been very fortunate to live around all her grandchildren to see whenever and wherever. But if and when Justin gets out of the Marines, they plan to live in the Wyandotte, Oklahoma area, where Justin grew up and which is only an hour's drive away from us. :-)

We're happy almost-great-grandparents!

Where Our Visitors Come From

Create your own visitor map!

Our oldest grandson is engaged!

Justin, our almost 20-year old grandson has asked his girlfriend Ally to be his wife!  She went out to California to be with him over the Christmas holidays.  So, Alexandra Dawn Burnett will be Mrs. Justin Arment before 2009 has ended.  They haven't set an exact wedding date yet.  

Of course, now my mind is going to GREAT-grandchildren!  Mercy me...I won't even be 60 years old for another 3 1/2 years!  But, we'll love them as they arrive anyway.  

A new 7 year-old grandson...

Our daughter Brenda's husband found out this year he has a 7 year-old son (a few weeks older than his and Brenda's son J.D.).  The mother was a "one night stand" and he never knew about the baby until now.  He has begun sending child support and he and Brenda and their other sons are getting to know Bradley.  It's fun to watch him and J.D. play together--they look a lot alike and it's like watching twins play.  He's now begun to spend weekends with Brenda and Jack and we've decided to count him as another one of our grandchildren.  We already count Hayley, Jack's 14 year-old daughter from his first marriage, as our own -- we've had her since she was 5 years old.  

When the twins are born it will make 11 grandchildren for us.  

Oh my -- TWINS!!

Our new grandbabies has turned out to be grandbabieS.  Yes, our son's girlfriend found out at her first ultrasound she is having twins.  

At her first ultrasound in October, they couldn't tell the gender of both babies--they could tell Baby B is a girl but couldn't see Baby A well enough.  Then on her second ultrasound in November, they could tell Baby A is also a girl.  Not sure yet if they are identical -- I'm learning all kinds of stuff about twins -- they each have their own placenta, which I had always thought meant they would be fraternal twins, but the ultrasound technician told Katherine it doesn't necessarily mean they aren't identical.  Not sure I understand the whys and why nots, but guess we'll wait and see.  

Planned names for the girls are Hope Ellinia for the older one and Faith Elizabeth for the younger baby.  Since she's having a caesarean birth, we don't know which twin will be born Baby A (usually the baby who is closest to the birth canal in an ultrasound because they know it will be the first born in a normal vaginal delivery) because Baby A will be whichever baby the doctor reaches and pulls out first.  

It is exciting to be having twins--a new experience for us.  I've already purchased several "preemie" look-alike outfits for them, Katherine's mother has already purchased 2 bassinets -- we're two excited grandmas.  

A new grandchild is coming!

We've been informed that our son and his *new* girlfriend are having a baby. Yes, I know, that arrangement is sad, and we're pretty sad about it, but I can't blame the tiny little baby so will welcome it with open arms as we have all our grandchildren. I am especially sad for our sweet daughter-in-law Spring who has only heard about this herself within the last 2 weeks. We're all trying to deal with it. It's a long story and very boring so I won't go into detail. The baby's due date right now is Dec 23rd...yes I know that's very soon. Anyway, pray for them all as they certainly need it, and I need prayer to cope with the situation because I like my daughter-in-law very much and don't want to lose her. Only God can help us now.