My youngest with her husband and two toddlers moved in with us on Monday. It is a transition as they save money to purchase their own home to leave the rental market behind them. It’s a tough housing market with Cochrane and Calgary considered to be the fastest growing cities in Canada right now. They have big dreams to get a home with a big yard for their kids and their dog. They hope to be in their new home by the end of August, but in the meantime we are helping them save rent etc. by staying with us over the next few months.

I LOVE having the family here. My son-in-love works fifteen days up north in the oil patch, and home six days, so my daughter has her hands full when he’s away with two very active toddlers under three years old. Her thirteen month old boy, is just about ready to take his first steps. With his pixie grin, and little tongue sticking out when he concentrates, he boasts a few bruises from tumbles. It doesn’t detour him from getting back up and toddling about some more. He’s so proud of himself, whenever he accomplishes anything new!

His big sister is a chatterbox, learning new words daily. She loves her stuffies, filling her crib with a rotation of stuffed animals for naps and nighttime. Her favourite phrase is “I NEEEEEED…” with emphasis on the word “need”. It’s imperative she gets what she wants and her mom is trying to train her to be patient. I have to admit when she says, “Grandma, I NEEEEED…”, she has me trained to get what she wants right away.

My bad.

I thought having a big dog in the house again would be more of an adjustment than it is. In fact, Mila has settled in nicely, living her best life running around our acreage and getting way more “puppy treats” from Grandma than she normally gets at home.

My bad…again.

This morning I woke up to the sound of my granddaughter’s voice, “NEEEEEEDing” something and my daughter’s soft voice telling her to be patient. I ventured past what is now the toddler’s bedroom, and my grandson was standing quietly in his crib rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Seeing me, he reached up his arms to me and my heart melted.

I know this is a short-term arrangement, but having babies in the house again, just fills me with gratitude and joy. Seeing my daughter and son-in-love with their two children is like stepping back in time when my husband and I were raising our sweet babies. The constant activity, the endless “NEEEEEEDs”, the bumps, the tears, the smiles, the ups and downs, and…yes…the exhaustion at times made for long days. But, little arms reaching up to hug, to cuddle, to have one more story read, one more snack, one more game to play, or a song to sing, made the years go by all too quickly then. I want to cherish each precious moment with my grandchildren now.

It’s a busy household here. Quiet times during the day are found when the babies nap. Running prayers are the norm, as I chase after them trying to keep up with my grandson’s toddling steps and my granddaughter’s quick dashes.

I may not have as much time to write, but that’s okay. I just NEEEEEED to soak in this season of life and count my blessings!