Posted by
Steve on Wednesday, November 22, 2006 11:40:49 AM
This is the time to think of what we are thankful for. I am most thankful for my family. I have been blessed with seven children (four boys, three girls) and five grandchildren (one boy, four girls). The best thing is that almost all of them live in the Phoenix area. Only my youngest daughter lives far away (Texas), but she is moving back in March when her lease runs out on her apartment.
Of my seven children, three were natural children and four were adopted. We had three boys and were told that if we tried for a fourth child another woman would raise the children. We decided to adopt to get the family we wanted. We then adopted four children, three girls and a boy. Having a large family has been a challenge. We have had to deal with many problems. Many of our making and many not of our making. Would I do it all again? Yes, I would do it all again. Even knowing all of the problems that would crop up. If I could anticipate the problems, I may do some things differently. But, overall I would still do the same things. We tried our best for the children and times we were living in.
We are currently raising one of our grandchildren. She is seven, almost eight. She has lived with us her entire life. That has been a challenge to raise a child when you are older. I cannot do the the things that I did when I was younger. I am a better parent, as I do not get so excited over smaller problems. I wish I had the energy that I had when I was younger. It would allow me to play more with her. But overall I think we are raising her quite well.
My oldest son has two daughters. They are about 16 months apart. That is really close. We do not get to see them enough. My son's wife thinks the problems my children have had are all my fault and keeps them away from us. Her parents can see the girls any time they want. That hurts a lot. I do not like being separated from my family. They do come over for special events, so I get to see them six to seven times a year. That is not enough. They will probably not have any more children. That is a shame. I would love to have my oldest son have a son to carry on the family name.
My youngest son was married and had a daughter. Because of some problems, they got a divorce. We do not get to see my granddaughter much. We have seen her once or twice in the last year. But, my son and his ex-wife are seeing each other and will probably get remarried when it is possible again. Then we will get to see this granddaughter more.
My only grandson we do get to see. He lives close and is only a few weeks old. The only problem with the grandson is that he does not have my last name. He cannot carry on the family name.
There are two other grandchildren on the way. My second and third daughters are pregnant. My youngest daughter is due within the month with a son. My second daughter is due in April. We do not know the sex of this one, yet.
All of my children and their families will be her for Thanksgiving, except for my daugher in Texas. She is pregnant and cannot make the trip. In fact, she might even have the baby for Thanksgiving. It will be fun to play with the little kids and talk to the older ones. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. It is because it is the most family friendly holiday of the year. Everybody gets together for Thanksgiving and has a meal and a talk. That is the way things should be in life. I really treasure the chance to see everybody and enjoy their company.