LN #6: Tell about proud moments as a grandmother...Part 4

Happy Birthday Dylan Kent Carter!!!!

Dylan & Jonas shared a birthday cake
August, 2008

Nine years ago today, grandbaby #4 was born to Sam & Cam Carter in Reno, Nevada!  His was a much different birth than that of his older sister. The doctor for this one didn't seem to be as conscientious of Sami's physical condition and with her high tolerance for pain, she didn't raise much of a stink, but in spite of all that and an obnoxious roommate, Dylan arrived safely.

Dylan is a little bit of a scowler.....

Not just the sand!

But I think it's mostly because he's deep in thought and totally absorbed in those thoughts.  He's very strategic; thinking things through and planning them out.  I was totally amazed when I spent three weeks with them when Sami had heart surgery and I realized how well this four-year-old could comprehend math. Andi had a math workbook that she hadn't finished using and one day Dylan was bored while the younger siblings were napping so I sat down at the table with him and thought I would just tell him what shapes to color, etc. He surprised me when he could actually do the math, fill in the letters, color and all I had to do was read him the final words for what he had done! I was so excited!!! A kid in the family who could not only DO math, but one who seemed to ENJOY it as well!!! I was in heaven!

Dylan is a cub scout through church and seems to enjoy it....

Dylan with the Fastest Looking Car!!!

Dylan has a great sense of humor. Sometimes he tries to hide the fact that he finds something funny; you have to read his expressions or his body language, but he seems to get a kick out of it if he finds out you think it's funny too and he can laugh with you.

I wasn't able to go to his baptism last year, so when I went to visit them last November, Dylan and I had our own special date to celebrate his belated birthday. We went to dinner at Steak-n-Shake with the rest of the family and then just the two of us went to see "Wreck-it Ralph." It was a cute movie, but the best part for me was just seeing the joy on his face and spending some one-on-one time with this wonderful young man.

Honestly, a few years ago, I never would have thought he would have been willing to go to a movie alone with me. I think I've mentioned a time or two (or three or four...) that I'm pretty strict and have pretty high expectations of children's behavior and the time I spent with them when Sami first came home from the hospital was a little difficult for them. Since Dad needed to go back to work and Mom needed to rest, "mean Grandma" was in charge and did things her way. I didn't really realize that I was mean Grandma until the day I told Dylan that his other grandmother was coming to help out for a week and he got all excited and proclaimed that "fun Grandma" was coming. Kinda broke my heart, yet it is what it is and I am who I am. I was just glad that Dylan was not only WILLING to go on a date with me, but he seemed to look forward to it and was excited.

While I was visiting in November, I also got to go see Dylan in a school program! He was a chimney sweep for the "Step in Time" number from Mary Poppins. He seemed a bit embarrassed, but had a shy smile that hinted that deep down, he did enjoy it. I thought it was great and he was the best chimney sweep there!

So, Dylan is smart. He's funny. He's adventurous. He likes computers. He's a good big brother and he's good at cuddling with his mom when she needs it. He's responsible and has a strong sense of fairness. But his greatest love of all is video games. Every year for birthday or Christmas, I always know the sure-fire winning gift is a video game for his 3DS or a gift card to go toward one he wants to buy himself. He's known how to operate computers and video games since he was little; probably inherited most of that skill from his dad.

All in all, Dylan is one great kid; a fine young man; one who makes his mom and dad and this Grandma very proud. I love you Dylan and hope you have a FANTASTIC Birthday! I wish I could be there with you, but know that my thoughts ARE. I tried to find a Mario Birthday wish, but what I found was pretty corny, so this video was the next best one that I thought you'd enjoy.

Have fun, Dylan!

LN # 6: Tell about proud moments as a grandmother; Part 8

I'm an "eye" person.  You know how everyone has one feature that they particularly notice about people?  For me it's the eyes.  Not to say that I always know what color someone's eyes are, but I always notice outstanding or interesting things about eyes. I love blue eyes. I always have. They have so many different shades. But, I remember in the late 90s one day realizing that I have a fascination with big, brown eyes. I think I even began to tell my kids that I hoped I'd get some brown-eyed grandchildren someday. While we're dominated by different shades of beautiful blues and hazels, I do have three sets of brown eyes among the fifteen, and the most fascinating of these belong to grandchild number 8, the one smack dab in the middle, Jonas Aboagye!!!

It isn't just the color or size of his eyes that stand out. There's also a special gleam or sparkle in them topped with a set of long eyelashes. I've never been the kind of mom, grandmother or teacher who is easily bamboozled by a kid, but Jonas comes pretty close to being able to do it. He knows just how to use 'em to get out of trouble or get something he wants; his older sisters have contributed to that fact, teaching him which "look" to use to get them cookies from the bakery ladies at Walmart, even though they quit giving out cookie samples! I tend to watch him "use" his eyes and his looks with amusement, but he I've been able to hold out from caving in to them!

Jonas, who was born August 17, 1007 in Florence, Kentucky was the third child born to my daughter Megan, just DAYS before she was to begin law school at Chase College of Law.  Since one of Meg's professors had told her that there were no excuses to miss any classes without being docked for it, determined Meg attended class day one with two "packs"on her; one for her books, the other carrying Jonas and he began going to law school right along with her! I think there was some extra bonding through those times and Jonas has a special relationship with his mom, finding it difficult to be away from her for very long. But, he's a trooper and does his best to be strong when he goes to stay with relatives like Uncle Bart, Aunt Brooks or me for awhile.

Jonas with his Mom, Meg

He's a fun, goofy little boy who loves to tell jokes; especially knock, knock jokes. I think that's part of his bond with his Uncle Bart; they'll laugh at one another's jokes.

Playing Mario Kart with Uncle Bart

Getting to know baby cousin, Abigail
with Uncle Bart

He loves Toy Story, Star Wars and the Avengers.  He loves music and has some "moves" and loves to pester, torment and tease his older sisters Cari & Sarai!

The girls have had their way with him though too and think it's all kinds of fun to get him to dress up like a girl and play with them!

Jonas in one of the girls' wigs!

Even his mom can't resist his easy-going, goofy nature that allows all the women in his life to capitalize on his good looks....

Jonas with a digital makeover
(and blue eyes!)

But living around all these women gives him other advantages! While other kindergarten boys were hopping around, being crazy at the school Valentine dance this year, our Jonas had some different moves....

Jonas with his lady of choice
Valentine's  Day Dance 2013!

While Jonas is a sweet, sensitive, good-natured little boy, he's no pansy and can hold his own when others try to push him around.  He enjoys soccer, swimming and has recently shown an interest in archery, requesting a toy bow and arrow for his birthday from this Nana. (Don't worry, Mom; it has Nerf tipped and suction-cup arrows!) I'd like to see him add football to his list of athletics; his physique would lend well to the game, but time will tell and it's most important that he do what makes HIM happy....

So, Jonas, on your 6th birthday, I want to wish you a VERY Happy Birthday! I wish I could be with you to go to Chuck E Cheese, but I'll be with you in thought, Birthday Boy! Have fun!!! I love you!

ML #9: Tell about the birth of your first child!

How is it possible to remember a day thirty-four years ago so vividly?  I still remember the emotions when I first realized that my water broke: shock, denial, fear, excitement, panic, joy, confusion, anxiety all accompanied by tears! It was three weeks too soon and I wasn't ready.  I'd only been to one Lamaze class, my doctor was out of town (and he had promised me I wouldn't have a baby before he got back to town), the baby's room wasn't ready yet and Randy had just gotten home from working overnight on third shift at Caterpillar Tractor Company!

After calling the hospital and being told to come right in, we rushed to Methodist Medical Center in Peoria, Illinois ready to.....wait. By 2:30 in the afternoon, there had still not been a single contraction and I was starving, having not eaten anything for nearly 24 hours, so the OB on call told the nurse that I could have a liquid tray brought up. After enjoying a meal of broth, milk and jello, labor promptly set in, stopping all digestive processes and I began to throw up!  Back then, they screwed a sensor into the top of the baby's head to monitor heart beat and this was no exception.  It wasn't really a problem except every time I sat up to throw up, it kinked the wire to the sensor and it would lose the baby's heart beat and Randy would promptly yell at me to lay back down because I was "killing the baby!" I wanted to kill HIM!  Labor continued on and on and on. They finally gave me some sort of sedative to relax me a bit.  I didn't dilate and didn't dilate and didn't dilate. Labor was taking so long, about 10 PM the nurse actually said "I hope you weren't counting on August 14th for your baby's birthday, because there's no way this baby's going to be here before midnight."

Surprise!  What turned out to be a foreshadow of many future births (2 more of my own and 11 of my daughters') amazingly as soon as I dilated to 5, the remaining dilation was almost immediate and I was in delivery by 11:00. Unfortunately, the sedative was still effective and no matter how many times the annoying nurse said "Pushpushpushpushpush," I didn't have the strength to do it!!! In spite of all the problems, however, Megan Randi Sloan WAS born on August 14, 1979; my long-awaited first baby.  Since I first held my oldest nephew when I was twelve, I couldn't wait to have a baby of my own, and here she was!

Megan Randi Sloan
August 14, 1979

Even though my sweet little girl was finally here, the drama of the night wasn't over.  Ya see... I had never, ever been in the hospital for anything. I'd never had an IV... nothin'. But here I was in a recovery room, hooked up to an IV, my baby in the nursery and a husband who was dead on his feet after being up for 29 hours.  The nurse advised him to go home to bed so I could rest. After I agreed and assured him I would be fine, he should go home, he gave me a kiss, told me he loved me and pointed to my IV.  His parting words to me were: "Just keep an eye on your IV.  If you get an air bubble in the line, and it gets to your heart, it'll kill you." And,he left.  Scared awake now, I lay on my hospital bed staring wide-eyed at my IV.  Shortly thereafter, my nurse came in to check on me and before she left, she said "Get some rest now, Mrs. Sloan.  They'll be in with your baby before you know it." And then... she TURNED OFF THE LIGHT! Now what?!?!?! How was I supposed to watch my IV now?!? "Oh well.  Not much I can do about it now.  Guess if it's my time to go, it's my time to go."  And I closed my eyes...

Meg at 6 months

Meg was always a happy little girl; full of life and able to find joy in the little things!

How many people can find such joy
with a cup, spoon and a water spout?

She was also a tiny bit of a drama queen. If I scolded her for something she had done that she felt was unfair, through her tears she'd inform me "You're ruining my life!"  Pretty impressive for a two-year-old, no?

She could "read" her favorite book when she was two.  It kind of became her theme for life.... "I Can Do It Myself!"

By the time she was three, she could write every letter of the alphabet to near perfection in her preschool workbooks I had for her!  But she couldn't write a number in her math workbook to save her life! A lesson to all young mothers: If your young child shows absolutely no interest or ability to do math, don't try to force the issue; no matter how much you love it!  My love of math made it impossible for me to comprehend that it just didn't click for such an intelligent little girl. In the long run, all it did was make us both miserable, and I'm convinced, made her dislike math even more as she advanced in school.  She can do it, but she sure doesn't like it!

Meg's first solo plane trip
June, 1983
3 years old!

Meg was always up for a new adventure and took her first plane trip by herself from Utah to Illinois to go stay with her Sloan grandparents and Lanie & Norm (my best friend & cousin) for a month in Illinois while Samantha was in ICU from her brain abscess.  She has always been strong, confident and independent.

Had she gone to my Alma mater, I have no doubt she would have joined my sorority.  She's been proud to be a Zeta Legacy her whole life! She still wears one of my old ZTA shirts that she confiscated when she was in high school!

TV Guide Ad
Legacy T-Shirts

  When she sets her sites on anything, she always accomplishes her goal.

BYU-Hawaii Graduation
2001

While working full time and raising three children, she even managed to earn her law degree, a life-long dream!

Law School Graduation
2012

She still loves life.  Loves to do random things and strives to be a fabulous mother; exposing her children to as many of life's experiences as possible! She loves music of all kinds and knows more about The Beatles than I could ever even hope to know. Sometimes through her teen years, I could have sworn she was raised in the wrong decade, but she was never afraid to be herself and express herself in ways that were right for her.  I have frequently told people that Meg is my alter-ego.  That amazing woman who was able to do all the things that I always wished I could do; from acting in school plays to voicing her opinion; I have always had great admiration and respect for the woman she has become.

Meg's babies!
Jonas, Cari & Sarai

Sometimes Meg beats herself up and worries that she's not doing the right thing.  Sometimes she questions why she is so different from her siblings and feels that she doesn't fit in. But, we all have those types of feelings from time to time and I just want Megan to know, on this very special day, that she is loved, respected and admired by all of us, but most of all by me. Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!! I loved you, laughed with you, respected you and bragged about you for 34 years! You make me proud.

              

WC #14: Happy Birthday Samuel!

Well... writing this blog has certainly taught me one thing.  I don't have enough pictures of my sons-in-law.  In fact, if it weren't for FaceBook or blogs, I probably wouldn't have ANY digital pictures of any of them! Unfortunately, since Meg doesn't blog, my pictures of my son-in-law, Samuel Aboagye are VERY rare!

But, a lack of pictures doesn't stop me from wishing Samuel K Aboagye a VERY happy birthday today!  Samuel brought a special uniqueness with him to the family.  When my daughter Meg left for Washington DC to do an internship while studying at BYU-Hawaii announced that she was off "to become the Queen of Ghana," none of us had any idea how close to the truth that statement was.  While attending school, Meg had, joined the Ghanaian Club as one of her requirements at school to become more culturally diverse.  She grew to love the Ghanaian culture and made many friends.  Some of them lived in Washington, DC and it was through them, she met Sam, at a native American PowWow!

Samuel was born to the King or Chief of their tribe and his fifth wife.  By tradition, being the son who most resembled his father, he was to become the king when his father died.  Having become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and after serving a mission in Nigeria, Samuel decided to leave that destiny behind and come to America, where he met Meg!  

Although he came to America, he has kept his heritage strong with his children and has introduced the family to a different world!

Baby Cari showing her heritage!

Through their young lives, the children have had an array of Ghanaian made clothing, Meg has had beautiful Ghanaian dresses and even I have been the recipient of 3 beautiful dresses!  Even their temple sealing celebrated the culture as Samuel and all his groomsmen sported traditional Ghanaian wedding apparel.  It was kind of funny to see four pasty white guys all dressed up for a Ghanaian wedding, but they all wore it well!  Man!  I wish I had some digital pictures!  Time to dig into my photo boxes and have some transferred to CD so perhaps I can add them later!

Sam loves to work out.  He loves to sing.  He loves to decorate his home, especially with Ghanaian art.  Like all the other men in the family, he also loves all things electronic!

He's scared to death of water and had a hard time when Meg enrolled the kids in swim lessons.  Not too sure how he's doing with Sarai on the swim team! The REALLY funny thing about Sam's fear of water was his passion for the Jet Skis when we had a summer family reunion in 2008 at Bear Lake in Utah!  He was very leery of spending time on the lake and in the pool, but once we got him on the Jet Ski, we had a dickens of a time getting him off!!!  He even volunteered to be the one to drive one back to the office to turn it in at the end of the day and he took the scenic route to do it!  Guess it just goes to show that when it comes to speed even water phobia takes a back seat.

Sam has also always had a special place in his heart for kids.  He's a good dad; very strict with high expectations of his children; but whenever there was a new baby in the family, he would be the one to want to hold them and pacify them.

The Aboagye Kids, Summer 2013
Jonas, Cari & Sarai

Although he's a sharp dresser, he's had some unfortunate wardrobe experiences dressing his kids when Mom wasn't around and I must say, I've seen the girls suffer through a few hairdos that scream "Dad did it!" but he tried.  Things were much easier when Jonas came along; Sam could just buzz his head and he looked handsome!

At any rate, although Meg & Sam have chosen to go their separate ways, they find they're much better friends than they were husband and wife and the winners are the kids.  They work together well to make sure the kids are taken care of and the kids are still able to celebrate their special days with both of their parents in a happy atmosphere.

So, Sam, with that, I'll just say that I hope your special day was fabulous and I hope that when you, Meg & Jonas get to celebrate your birthdays together in a few weeks it will be the best one ever!!!  Happy Birthday, Sam.  I love you.