"I Am My Own Grandpa!"

Meet my Birthday Twin, Ross.
Gramma and Ross a few years ago on our birthdays.

Please excuse the terrible color and graininess of this photo!

This is our Ross.  He is 11 years old today.  I was that plus the old speed limit 55 yesterday.  He has been a special boy to me since the minute I witnessed his birth. Well actually probably longer than that.  I have always told him we are birthday twins and he is the best birthday present I have ever gotten. In four more years he'll be 15 and getting his driver's permit and I can claim the number in the middle as my own.

Not wanting to speed that up any...

but I would like to take my time

 and land up there in one piece,

with as little work in the body shop

 as possible between now and then.

My own birthday was very full with wonderful things and people yesterday and working, so Ross and I were having trouble connecting so he could wish me a happy birthday.  He wanted to call me at 6:00 am but Laura didn't think that was a good idea.   3:00 am our time! So we finally got to talk at length today.   So fast forward to this afternoon when I was sending out some thanks to friends that sent good wishes yesterday.

 One of them was Ross' Aunt Debbie, his Dad's sister.  I was saying to Debbie that we recently learned that our family and theirs are descendants for the same ancestor, Stephen Hopkins.  So I was saying isn't that funny..Laura and Robert are cousins, 14 generations removed.  Hee hee.   And then I had the funniest thought come into my head.

 Oh my gosh, not only that but I am the cousin of our grandsons, Spencer and Ross!  So I just had to call Ross back and tell him that not only are we birthday twins and grandson and grandmother but we are also cousins! 

 Loooooong pause...
 

"So what you are saying then Gramma is that, I'm your grandson and your birthday twin, AND your cousin?"

"Yep and your Dad is my son-in law and my cousin, your Grandpa Bryant is your grandpa and your cousin and he is your mother's father-in-law and her cousin and your brother's cousin and grandfather.  And your Grandpa Bryant is my cousin. 

Dead air as he ponders and I can see that brain of his in motion......... 

"That is really cool Gramma but you forgot one?

"Really, what?"

I can hear him smiling through the phone....

"We are all brothers and sisters!  We have the same Heavenly Father!"

Hmm, I hate it when they are smarter than me, that was supposed to be my line! 

Then he said, " I only have one thing to say about all this.....this marriage between my parents was definitely meant to be!"

******************************

It has been a delightful couple of days.  I don't regret getting older even a little bit!  It is a blessing!

 http://youtu.be/4_K9H9mdNeg

 

And if you are still here, the best song of all below if you didn't see it on Facebook yesterday!

http://youtu.be/IpINczqQWOU

Children Enjoy Family History!

This post has been adapted from one that I put on the grandchildren's blog a while back.

Connor~Cool as a cucumber just before the presentation.

Getting children involved in family history is really a great idea. It give them a sense of who they are and where they came from and helps them visualize a bigger picture when it comes to family then just their own immediate family. A few years ago I got to go to the kids' school and listen to Connor give his ancestor report. He did a lot of research and did an interesting presentation to his class about Grampa Andrew. A few of his facts and dates are incorrect but the point was it got him thinking about his ancestors and he seemed to really enjoy that. You are never too young to begin to look beyond yourself and into the lives of those who came before you.

This is a wonderful assignment that gives the fourth graders an opportunity to actively learn about their roots. It is a way for them to appreciate who and where they came from and to realize that the choices made by their ancestors affected who they themselves are. If Andrew had not decided to come to America...then what for the rest of us? Their decisions allowed us to live and be who we are today. They didn't often consider such things when they made these kinds of decisions but we can truly appreciate them in retrospect, can't we? Where they choose to live affects every generation after that. Because our ancestors marry people they live near.

Connor, as your grandparents we am very proud of you, as are your Mom and Dad. We recorded this presentation to share with Grampa and Grandma Gloria and the rest of the family and some friends. Your previous experience as a news reporter on TV for two broadcasts of the local news and your opportunities to speak in church have helped you become very comfortable in front of a lot of people. What a wonderful experience. Not a lot of adults could have done as well as you did and with such confidence and ease. Good Job, Con!