Country Chatter

When a five year old gets ready to enter kindergarten, it is a big deal for Mommy and especially when it is your first child.  Our daughter Jill was having a talk with Karla about this new grand adventure she could hardly wait to begin.  The conversation went like this.

Jill:  “Now you know that when you go to school, Mommy will stay home but you are a big girl and will go all by yourself….”

Karla:  “That’s ok.  Jesus will go with me.”

Jill:  “That’s right, but what about Mommy?  She will be home all by herself.”

Karla thought for a moment and said, “Well, you can have Moses!”

Moses!  Karla gets Jesus but Mommy has to settle for Moses!  Maybe she thought Mommy needed someone to lead her around so she wouldn’t get lost!

Later in the day Jill decided to pursue the conversation a little further and explain how Jesus could be with Karla at kindergarten and home with her all at the same time.  After listening to her mom’s theological explanation of the omnipresence of Jesus, Karla said, “that’s okay, Mommy.  I’ll take Jesus for two hours and then you can have Him for two hours.”

October 14, 2008

And now, all of a sudden, this lovely girl is getting ready to graduate from high school and on to bigger and better things. Where have the years gone? Jesus has been and will continue to go with her. It is exciting to watch her mature into a young lady who has a passion and heart for God.

Blessings to you, Karla.

Love Grandma

When my grandkids were little I wrote down some of the cute things they said.

Caught pictures of Emily, Lauren, Karla and Ryan playing Hide and Seek. They were so cute. (2008).

This is my collection from granddaughter, Emily Nicole:

• December 7, 2003: Some youth girls were practicing music after church. Emily who was 3-1/2 years old quietly slipped up front and danced her heart out…. to God, totally unaware of anyone else and the girls practicing were unaware of her. I just happened to look through the window in the auditorium, had my camera in my hand and was able to capture this precious moment.

• July 2009: Emily had just completed a week of Chorale Camp at Rosedale Bible School and her mother took her out for breakfast to have some mother & daughter time alone.  She asked Emily how she enjoyed camp.  Emily responded, “Didn’t I tell you about it last year?”  That was the end of the conversation-there was nothing more Emily had to say. 

This is my collection from granddaughter, Lauren Anne:

• July 2009: Lauren was riding with us to church and out of the blue she said, “Grandpa, will you forgive me for not being your grandson?”  We were just stunned at her question and on further questioning, discovered her mother had written in her baby book that grandpa was hoping for a grandson!!!! 
• September 19: 2010: Last week Emily and Lauren found out that I have a bathing suit! This totally blew them away. I guess they could not imagine their grandma in a bathing suit. Today Lauren wanted to know if she could see it, she really did not think I had one. After looking at it she said, “Myyyyyyyy, it is old! Looks like something the lifeguards used to wear!” Guess that dates me!!!
• July 2, 2013: Lauren said she is going to start a blog about the funny things her grandma says such as “wrash clothes”!!!
• July 20, 2015: We were having a family supper and there was a discussion about flying. One person at the table had a severe paranoia about flying and we were were giving that person a hard time. I was asked what I would do if the plane started to go down. I said, “Pray. I’ll just die and to to see Jesus”. Lauren threw up her arms and shouted, “Hallelujah”! We all stopped stunned. Then I said, “Lauren”! I’m not sure what she actually meant but the situation became hilariously funny. At least I know she will be thrilled that I am gone!
• February 6, 2015: Today a conversation with Lauren went like this. Lauren: “It smells like snow”. Me: “You mean it looks like snow?” Lauren: “No, it smells like snow”. Me: “What does snow smell like?” Laruen: “Snow”. Me: “Snow does not smell”. Lauren: “Yes it does”. Me: “Does it smell like the farm?” Lauren: “No, it smells like the snow you eat when it snows”. So, now I know!

This is my collection from granddaughter, Karla Grace:

• July 2009: Karla to Lauren after Lauren and Emily had a little sister tiff: “I don’t think you’re very good sisters. I really like it when you’re GOOD sisters.” 
• August 7, 2009 According to Karla, “The beach is lots of fun. But coming home is even MORE fun.”  
• May 3, 2010 Obe said, “When I don’t know the answer to a question, Karla just tells me she will ask God. She is quiet for a while and then tells me what she thought God said…..
• July 23, 2011: Karla said, “I love being here without mommy and daddy.” That makes a grandma feel good and special.
• July 23, 2011: We were celebrating Uncle Keith’s birthday and Karla said, “For my birthday, I want a healthy cake”. I asked her what that would be and she replied, “Carrot cake”. Now we know!!!
• November 2011: The following email was sent to Karla’s daddy from her teacher at public school: “HI Obe.  I just love Karla… she has a heart of gold!  While the kids were talking about their lists for Christmas gifts, of course everyone has such materialistic items.  But Karla just asks for Jesus to forgive her of her sins.  She has a very special heart and relationship with the Lord. Great for her!” 
• September 7, 2011: Jill posted on facebook….Karla was chosen to be on the bus safety committee. She gets to learn how to use the 2-way radio, set the parking brake and all kinds of cool stuff so she can help in case of an emergency. Today her duty was to keep order on the bus for the substitute driver and let him know where to stop. Hah. She came home and said, “Mom, I had to use my SERIOUS voice and some of the boys STILL didn’t listen.” It’s only beginning, hon, it’s only beginning.
• March 21, 2013: Karla and Ryan called me this morning on my birthday. I asked them if they knew how old I was. Karla guessed 23! I said “No” and then Ryan guessed 42. When I told them I was 61 they said, “WOOOOW. But you look so young!!!”
• May 19, 2013. The grandkids were all here for “Fun Day on the Farm” a special event we host for the community. As Karla was climbing in the car to leave she said, “I am sorta ready to go home and I sorta want to stay longer”!!! Karla is a homebody and that was a real compliment coming from her.
• March 31, 2015: Karla and Ryan were here for a few days and Karla apparently had a bored or mischievous moment. She texted both of her folks who were both at work and said, “I have a boyfriend”. She got their attention as they both immediately called. Her mother said, “WHAT are you doing? You mean Lauren has a boyfriend, right?” Lauren was also spending the day. I about died laughing when I heard the story from tow giggly girls. It was not even April Fool’s Day yet–but close! They now know how to get their parents immediate attention!

This is my collection from grandson Ryan Darrel:

• January, 2009: Karla (5) and Ryan (3) were arguing about what happened to the snow. Finally Ryan figured it out and adamantly explained, “I know!  God ate it!”  Of course, he insists he is right.
• February 13, 2010: Gene and I attended the wedding of a niece and Ryan came to me, “Grandma, can you take me home. I am tired and I want a nap!”
• May 18, 2010  Ryan told his daddy….that God helps lift him up so he could jump higher (on the trampoline) . He asked me to watch as he jumped high and so that he can now see over our neighbor’s fence!
• May 29, 2010  Ryan graduated from pre K yesterday. Today he wanted to know when Church stops. Does he graduate from Church?
• June 25, 2010: Ryan was down for a grandkid visit without his parents. I was not aware I had monsters in the house and that they were so scary. I can not write a book on “50 Ways to Not Go to Sleep”…drink, pee, scrooch, wiggle, too cold, too hot, too dark, can’t sleep, scrooch, wiggle, scrooch, wiggle….finally!!!!
• June 27, 2010. Ryan did not need to say his prayers tonight. God came down out of the sky and talked to him today so he prayed then.
• June 25, 2010: Ryan spent several days at our house.  The first night when I was tucking him in bed he said, “there are monsters in your house-there they are (pointing out the door) and they are very scary! 
• June 27, 2010:  When I tucked him in bed he said, “I don’t need to say my prayers. God came down out of the sky today and talked to me and I prayed then.”
• August 2010:  Ryan’s great-grandma Heatwole took him shopping for his “resting blanket” for Pre-K.  As they looking at the blankets, grandmother asked him which one he wanted.  He said, “let me get my list.”  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper on which he had written the colors  he wanted in his blanket with crayon marks of the color beside the word.  He said, “…Red, check, blue, check, green, check…till he named all the colors.  Then he pointed to the rainbow blanket and said, “that is the one I want.”  He had done the paper totally on his own and unbeknown to his mother!  Later in the van with his mother and his new rest blanket for pre-K, she heard Ryan say, “abracadabra, put us in Daddy’s car. Bam!” and then, a very disappointed, “Mom, it didn’t work. I picked the rainbow blanket because rainbows are supposed to be magic!”

• September 8, 2010 Mom’s report on Ryan at PreK:  Ryan was SO excited about his new underwear that he just had to share the excitement with his classmates. According to Ry, this led to a “show-and-tell” and at least one little boy dropped his drawers to show off his undies. Which of course led to a lesson in modesty from the teacher. Ms. Michaels, I am SO sorry (and SO glad it was you and not me!)
• November 3, 2010:  Ryan announced this evening to his mother… “Mommy, my pants keep falling down. You need to buy me a butt.”
• November 22, 2010:  Ryan’s theology: I asked God why he made thorns and he said, “It’s part of nature.” and I said, but why? and God said, “It’s so people remember to wear shoes!”
• September 4, 2011: When Ryan grows up, he wants to go to a church with children’s church, “so my children do not annoy me.”
• October 5, 2011: Ryan is such a care-giver. At school, it is his responsibility to take classmates to the the school nurse (he knows the way all too well). But he’s added a new twist. His teacher says he prays for each one when he takes them…… “And a little child will lead them” Isaiah 11:6
• November 24, 2011: We were taking Karla and Ryan along back to Powhatan for a few days. We were not even half way home and Ryan suddenly developed an attitude and started to cry. He was inconsolable. Then he wailed. Grandpa threatened to turn around and take him back to Harrisonburg. He wanted his mommy. Finally I called Jill and she talked to him but that did not help. We just kept driving and finally he cried himself to sleep. What a way to start a trip to grandma’s house!!!

• September 9, 2012 on Jill Hostetter’s blog…This morning I experienced 15 of the most scary moments of my life as a Mommy. Ryan disappeared. I need to start with a disclaimer: I don’t panic easily when my kids are “missing”. Because honestly I have lost them too many times before. There was the day in JCPenny when Ryan walked off because I practically dared him, “You stay right there!” and turned my back to make the point. Yeah. I counted to ten, turned around and he was gone. I will say JCPenny amazed me with their rapid response, with all entrances sealed, and he was back at my side in 2 minutes. Or the time in Kohls when Karla was about 3. She was easier to find, because the sales clerk a few rows over in lingerie was giggling uncontrollably. Karla had a triple D bra over her head like a hat. And yes the cup was larger than her tiny head. And there was the time in Powhatan on the farm that we lost track of Karla, only to find her headed out to pasture with the cows. She crawled under the electric fence and headed off to see the bull. Good thing she had a bright red sweater on. Sheesh! I think she was 2 1/2 that time. I’m really not a bad parent, I just like to give my kids the freedom to explore a little. This morning was different. Obe got up and left for a men’s group at 7 a.m. I came downstairs about 2 minutes before he left and Karla was packing her lunch. As soon as he left, I started looking for Ryan. His book bag was packed by the door, but he was nowhere to be found. After the third search through the house, I asked Karla to help. This time, we checked in the closets and under the beds and our calls demanded that, “If he could hear me, you need to answer NOW.” You know, just in case he was sulking somewhere. On the fourth search, I’m calling Obe, repeatedly, on his cell. Of course he doesn’t answer. This time, I include smaller places that Ryan might have gone into and gotten trapped. The attic, for example. We searched outside, too. I stepped outside to think a minute. Karla was starting to panic and went to the backyard one more time to check the playhouse. Our neighbor was walking to his car and I called out to see if he had seen Ry anywhere. He quickly responded that he would search outside for me. I went back in to look one more time. I couldn’t put the pieces together quickly enough. Karla insisted Ryan was in the living room this morning. How does a kid disappear FROM HIS OWN HOME that fast? Loosing them in a store or on the farm, it’s easy to loose track for a few minutes but on our little lot? It just didn’t make sense. There was no where to go! Next thing I know, Ryan is standing on the doorstep, wide-eyed. “Daddy said I could go to the neighbor’s on the other side of our neighbor to sell my fundraiser. ”And just like that I hugged him. We went straight to find Karla and she burst into tears. It had been a long 10-15 minutes of searching. I couldn’t fault Ryan. He thought Daddy would tell me where he went. But bless his little heart, he wrapped an arm around my shoulder and said, “You don’t ever have to worry if you can’t find me. I’ll come back. I have to. I can’t leave you.” And that my friends, is how one of the scariest moments turned into one of the best.
• May 19, 2013: The grandkids were all here for “Fun Day on the Farm” a special event for the community. I overheard Ryan ask his mom when they were going to honeymoon again. He wants to come to Powhatan this time when they do!
• July 12, 2013: The grandkids were here for several days and they love to play games. The game “Sorry” I can handle but “Memory” I really do not care for and Ryan is a pro. Ryan said I have short-term memory loss! Well!!!!
• July 12, 2013: I made chocolate chip cookies today. Ryan says I should sell them and put a sign on them that says, “the grandkids say these are the best cookies in the world”!!! And then he said I should take some cookies and cut them in small pieces so that people can have a sample. This kid has an enterprising spirit and loves the store. He is also always looking for a way to make money. He also wanted me to make sure and give his mommy the cookie recipe because she does not have it.
• September 21, 2013: Last Christmas I gave the grandkids gallon size money jars with $20 worth of coins in them. I told them that when they got $100, I would match it but the money was to go into their college fund. After that it was up to their parents how they spent their money. A month or so ago Karla earned and received her $100. Today I got a call from Ryan, “Grandma, I got my $100”! I asked him how he did it and he gave me a run-down of where and ow much money he earned. The last $10 came from cleaning their basement giving him $101.50. Then in a pitiful voice he said, “Grandma, don’t do that this Christmas”!!! The idea for this came when Ryan was here fall and he saw a customer pay with a $100 bill. That just blew him away and he wanted one so bad and thought he could quickly and easily earn it by doing a few chores for me. Now he knows how valuable it is!

This is my collection from Noah Stephen:

Noah was a cute little fella but I never collected any sayings from him as he was more of a question asker….question after question after question. I guess I should have written down his questions!