December 12, 2010 1:32 PM
Kip and Samantha and my grandkids
My oldest daughter, Samantha and her husband Kip - whom we've known since Sam and Jasmine and I moved to Marin from San Francisco and Sam started fifth grade at Sun Valley School where Kip had been going all his life.
Funny to think how one thing leads to another. I can remember coloring eggs with Kip and his mom at Easter one year when they were in middle school. Kip was the youngest of six boys and the only child at home when we met him. Samantha was the oldest in a steadily growing family. They hung out in a big crowd of basically good popular kids. Smantha was a cheerleader - the antithesis of her hippie mom. They had their first date when they were juniors in high school. Kip's mom drove because Kip didn't have his license.
They got married when they were 19 and Samantha worked while Kip finished school. They were going to wait to have children until all was settled in their lives. I'm glad they didn't, or we wouldn't have Tim - and I couldn't imagine life without him. Or without any of my grandchildren, for that matter.
Tim - who turned 18 last month - was born between Jonny and Maddy. Samantha and I were pregnant at the same time - I was pregnant with Jonny when she conceived Tim and pregnant with Maddy when she gave birth. I was there when Tim was born - as I was at all their births - except Lilly, who was adopted two years ago from Guatemala.
I love Samantha and Kip so much. In the past 30 years we've been through so much together. There's nothing like the fellowship you share with your grown-up children, especially when they've grown wise enough to see they've made mistakes and to cast a more merciful eye on all the mistakes their own parents made.
My advice: have as many children as you can. When it comes to the final years, they are your children and grandchildren are more rewarding than anything you've acquired, learned or accomplished. They are really all that matters, after all.
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Every year at Thanksgiving, I use a tripod and timer to take a picture of our whole extended family (minus Jasmine's family and anyone who can't be here - Ben and Anna had to work this year). Then I take individual shots of each couple/family. I make everyone wear the same picture - because when you have a lot of people it helps focus the attention on the faces. As we're getting ready, everyone acts put upon, like this is just a thing we have to do for mom.
But I noticed this year as I was running out of steam and suggested we skip it, everyone was aghast that we might not do it. So I think they really do look forward to it now :)
Comments
Lovely family - thank God!
Posted by: dottie | December 12, 2010 7:14 PM
Many people say that the family traditions your kids roll their eyes at and complain, "Mom, do we have to do this corny thing?" are the very family traditions that they are upset about removing when you say, OK, we won't do it this year."
So keep all the "corny", but lovely traditions. Your family depends on them!
Posted by: Marie | December 13, 2010 9:05 AM
Our children would not be who they are today without God allowing our mistakes. What a beautiful way for them to be graced to learn and practice mercy--towards their own parents. In all our beautiful and annoying ways we are still the parents God wanted them to have and hold and love! I love my parents and all their mistakes, now, and hope my children are as graced as I feel.
Kip, Sam, and children you are so graced! I know you make God and His beautiful Mother so happy!!!!
Posted by: Eileen | December 13, 2010 11:24 AM
What a beautiful family! You are blessed to have those handsome grandsons and lovely granddaughters.
Posted by: Renee Poudrier | December 17, 2010 11:42 PM
