Sideways

My daughter sent me these pictures of my grandson.

I can't stop looking at these pictures. I just want to hold that little guy and kiss him all over his tiny face and head. And if I run into anyone I know, I whip out my phone and make them look at the pictures, too.

Sian told me she put Tyler into the bassinet we bought for him. It vibrates when you push a button, and he really likes it, which is why he looks so happy.

Oh my gosh. Could you not just eat him up? He's a little over six pounds now, so he's doubled his birth weight. Way to go, kid!

In other news, I've been called as the ward Relief Society president. That is not something I ever, ever wanted to be, but I knew it was a distinct possibility about two months ago. When the former Relief Society president's husband was called as our new bishop, I knew she would have to be released and a new president called, and because I was the first counselor, I started going through the stages of grief. First was definitely denial. "Nope, nope, nope. Not doing it, Lord." I also did some bargaining. There was anger in there, too. Finally, I accepted it: "Fine, Lord, if that's what you want. But You know I am who I am, and if You still want me, You'll have to fill in for my flaws and faults," and that's when the call was extended.

Sadly, one of my first duties is helping with the funeral of one of our beloved congregation members, who just died after a relatively short battle with colon cancer. Her oldest daughter never married, and she has lived with her mother and taken care of her for years and years. But as soon as her mom died, all the relatives came out of the woodwork making demands and telling the daughter how she was doing everything wrong. They feel entitled to come into her house and take whatever they want, whether or not it's the daughter's or her mother's.

I hope my children never act like that when I and their dad have passed away. I will haunt them if they do. I'll whisper to them as a ghostly specter, "I brought you into this world and I will take. you. out of it." I think it will have more impact if I am already dead and can be spooky.

Last but not at all least, Parent's magazine showed up unexpectedly in my mailbox yesterday. Thank you, Magazine Fairy, for the truly delightful surprise. I'm going to pass it on to Sian and Nathan when I go down to see them next week.