Great-Grandparents

One of our goals for this year was to make a visit to each of our grandparents (Mine and Theo’s). My Grandpa DeValve is currently living in heaven with the Lord and both of Theo’s Hines Grandparents have also gone on to Glory. It pains me to know that Theo never met my Grandpa DeValve and that I never met his Hines grandparents.

In one of my last posts, I talked about the disservice our culture does to mothers. I also think that our culture does a huge disservice to the elderly. Not only do we do a disservice to the elderly in how they are treated, but we do a huge disservice to ourselves by forgetting to take the elderly into account. They have so much wisdom and experience and it is such a privilege to be able to have a relationship with someone who is experienced and wise.

I think that with me growing up overseas, I missed out on some of the relationship that I could have had with grandparents. Do I regret living overseas, or resent my parents for taking me there? No, not at all. But are there downsides? Yes…there is. And one of those downsides is not living closer to extended family like grandparents and cousins. I am only now starting to truly understand what a grandparent must sacrifice when they or their children decide to go overseas.

Anyways, Theo and I wanted Tera to be able to meet each of her living great-grandparents this year. I snapped some pictures at each of the visits and wanted to put them together in a little post here. Both Theo and I are extremely blessed to come from a long line of saints who follow the Lord. What a legacy!

My Grandma DeValve has not officially met Tera, but we were privelaged to spend several days with her last July right before Tera arrived.

I recently took a trip to Florida and Tera got to meet her great Grandpa and Grandma Hall. She loved them from day one. It was precious.

Back in May, Theo and I (and Tera) drove to Indiana to see Tera’s other great-grandparents! Great-grandma kept saying she was absolutely darling and that she was the cutest baby she had seen. Sorry, all her kids and grandkids and other great-grandkids. =)

Her great-grandpa Male also held her and loved on her.

It was a precious time to be with them.

So here is what I am telling you: if you have grandparents or great-grandparents that don’t know how much you value them, go visit them! Send them an email or give them a call at the very least. But nothing can communicate how much you truly appreciate them like spending time with them. I don’t regret those trips one bit!