Thanksgiving may be over, but don’t stop giving thanks. Initiate your supper with a prayer of thanksgiving. Take a few moments at the beginning of each meal to acknowledge the Creator and the blessings your family has received during the day. What a better time is there to thank God than when the family sits together to break bread?

Photo: Mealtime is happy time for cousins Angel and Ally.

The table should be a stress-free zone, especially for the picky eater. Enjoyment of food is directly tied to the mood around the table. Leave financial stresses or other matters of concern to be tackled at another time. Save corrections for your children, such as poor grades or messy bedrooms, for after-dinner discussion. The focus at dinner should be on your family and what each has done during the day.

Take time to enjoy your family and your dinner, don’t rush away from the table to watch the latest sitcom episode. You’ll be glad you did. Two of my daughters have begun a tradition during their family meals. They ask their young children what’s their “rose for the day” and “thorn for the day.” This simple question makes dinnertime special, even for the smallest children. It includes your youngsters in the dinner conversation, and lets them know they’re important, too.

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If you know a picky eater who doesn’t eat many foods, you’ll want to purchase Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater. You can save when you purchase one for you and one for a gift: CLICK HERE.

Joy and Guy’s wedding.

Saturday, Joy my youngest daughter, married the love of her life, Guy. Many out-of-town relatives come for our celebrations, so we cram as much as possible into a few days. We began the wedding week with a bridal shower and ended the day after the wedding with a family brunch. Pretty much partying for the entire week.

Children, grandkids, and extended family celebrated not only the new family tie, but God’s gift of family. Kids are always full of vinegar and unpredictable. Three of our grandkids live in California and four instate. Being able to see all the grandchildren play together is the pride of grand-parenting.

All of our daughters were able to attend Joy and Guy’s wedding. Julie-ann, our eldest,  and her family drove from California and Jackie and her family, including newborn Katelyn, were there as well. Our third daughter, Jenny and John, her husband of almost a year, traveled all the way from Australia to be with us. We are truly blessed.

There were no picky eaters at the rehearsal dinner or the wedding, as every adult and child got to choose what they wanted to eat. After snapping a picture of cousins Angel and Ally at the rehearsal dinner, Ally turned to Angel, and said, “I can’t wait to see this picture on Nonna’ website! It was all I could do to keep a straight face. Of course, I had to publish it, just so Ally can see it!

My husband, Dick, Joy & I

Here’s the picture of Angel and Ally at the rehearsal dinner:

Grandkids Galore:

And baby Katelyn makes 7 grandchildren:

A Big Nonna Hug,
Joann Bruso

I thought waiting for a baby was difficult when I was the one pregnant. The last 4 weeks seemed as long as the first eight months!

But, I think it’s even harder when you’re waiting for a grandbaby.

We now have 7.

Some came to us by way of adoption, some biological.

All are loved.

Each grandbaby is special. The circumstance which each baby came into our family is unique.

Katelyn Hope, grandbaby number 7, tried to come into the world too early. In fact, she wanted to come weeks before her due date.

Modern medicine managed to stop her mother’s contractions. We prayed and waited until the doctors gave the “coast is clear” signal, July 7. That was still 19 days before the official due date, but the baby would be considered full-term at that point.

Everyone was so happy my daughter, Jackie, wouldn’t have the worries of a preemie. We all thought once the ”all’s clear” was given by the doctor, the baby would make her appearance. But babies have their own schedules.

We waited the entire week of July 7. Trying not to bother Jackie with too many calls. We restrained ourselves from calling every hour.

Ally, Ben & Nicole say hello to their new sister, Katelyn Hope 

Certain the baby would come any minute, we cleared our calendars for the following week (of July 14). We wanted to be ready. Dick, my husband, and I made the hour’s drive to my daughter’s home on Monday, July 14 when contractions indicated that the time had come. Only to discover it was a false alarm.

We waited some more.

Sunday, July 20, at 2:30 AM, we got another call. My daughter, Jackie, had just been admitted into the hospital, ready to give birth. We realized we’d most likely miss the big event since we live an hour’s drive away, but immediately headed out the door. Jackie wasted no time in delivering little Katelyn Hope at 2:59 AM. She weighed in at a whopping 7 pounds 14 ounces and 19 3/4 inches long.

How precious are grandbabies! So adorable; so cute; so cuddly; so loved.

God’s gift to parents is someday becoming a grandparent.

You have all the blessings, without all the work!

Grandchildren are certainly jewels in our crowns. And now we have seven.

Angel, Zachary and Joshy will have to wait a few weeks to meet their new cousin.