On the Family Side…

One of the reasons we will be moving back to the US, or one of the blessings we will enjoy, is being closer to family. This includes, of course, being able to be grandparents from closer by. Our granddaughter will be a car ride away. We hope to be able to see her and she us more often than we get to see one another now through video connections. 

And at the end of our Home Assignment, we of course also heard that we will be becoming grandparents a second time - for Sean and Jill’s baby. Although we will certainly not be within driving distance of New York, the possibility of seeing granddaughter number two will be exciting. A continental flight will be closer than an international one. 

We of course do not yet have any specific dates or times for when we might be able to see one another, but the wheels are moving. We are talking to moving companies, are putting the house up for sale and are trying to get rid of the accumulation of “stuff” from 35 years. How much stuff can one gather in that amount of time? More than enough. 

We were glad to be able to see almost all of our family as we traveled during our Home Assignment. It will be interesting to see if the distance, although it is closer, is actually closer when we move. Reality remains that one has to be intentional in getting together with family and friends. When our first neighbors moved across the town, they said farewell, knowing that it would not be that easy to find time to see one another - and that was simply across town.

But we look forward to enjoying the little moments of the grandkids. We have already seen granddaughter nr. 1 before walking and talking and now well on her way to talking up a storm and running wherever she wants to go. Granddaughter nr. 2 is due in January, so we are praying that all goes well and we get to meet her soon and start making these memories as well. 

On the family side - in Indianapolis

Last Monday we were flying. Shirley is just recently returned from a short but intense visit to her sick sister, but now it is time to travel for a much happier reason. We finally get to meet our granddaughter, Sophia. We are looking forward to being able to get to know her a little bit in the 2 weeks we will be there. 

Sophia Ruby was born June 29, 2023, just after we had visited. We were in Indianapolis in the middle of May and Sophia arrived at the end of June. We have been thankful for every single photograph we receive. And every once in a while, especially as she is getting older, she is awake when we video-call our son. Since there is a 6 hour difference, we call at their lunchtime. 

The month before we traveled we were able to wave and say hello again via the computer. She was a happy little baby and was clearly learning how to wave, flapping with her fingers as we cooed and laughed through the computer screen. Now we are able to wave and coo and hold her tight. We are enjoying hearing her, seeing her and laughing with her. And of course sharing all these moments with Stephan and Natalie. 

It was exciting recently to be able to congratulate both of them on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. We remember how much our children changed our lives, with all of the challenges and excitements. It still amazes me that God has so designed us that he trusts us for a time with children, teaching us the love of a parent so that we understand Him as well. 

We have also already had an opportunity to see Scott’s brother, Mike and his family. It is good to see the nephews again who are all growing tall and have become young men. On the other side we have also spent time with Natalie’s parents and her sister and brother-in-law. We are able to move around the city and have been blessed with a place to stay thanks to church family who are also so willing to help in so many ways. 

We will be in Indianapolis until July 4 (what a day to fly back to Europe) and are looking forward to all of the time we will be able to share. Sean and Jill are also flying over from New York, so we will all be together on Sophia’s birthday. Not that she will remember any of that. Hopefully, she will simply stick her face in a cake and laugh. But we will enjoy being all together - with this new addition. 

We are so very thankful for the chance to make this trip and for all who have helped to make it possible. 

(This picture is from the last time we were all together in 2018)

On the Family Side

As a congregation we often pray for our “children and grandchildren”. Recently someone remarked that Shirley and I are no fully part of that group. We are indeed very thankful for the safe arrival of our first grandchild, Sophia Ruby. In Dutch a grandchild is a “small child”. A grandparent is a “great parent” (same idea as in English). A great grandparent is an “over great parent”. 

Both Shirley and I grew up without knowing much of our grandparents. Shirley met her maternal grandmother once. Her paternal grandparents are still a mystery that we are trying to solve. Scott met his maternal grandmother once as well, but had some contact via his mother. He met his paternal grandparents once as well, since his family traveled quite a bit for his father’s military duties. 

Our boys, with us living here in Europe, had of course much less contact with their grandparents than others might have. Shirley’s father passed away before the boys were even born. I fact I never met Shirley’s father either. The boys did get to meet Shirley’s mother at least twice on our return trips to the US. 

Scott’s father met Stephan as a baby and then the boys met him again in Denver when they were young. They met one more time when Sean was a teenager and we had dropped Stephan off at Harding University. The boys had more contact with Scott’s mom throughout the years. We stayed at her house when we dropped into Colorado on our visits. She even came to visit in Belgium after Sean’s birth. 

So both of us are more than aware that grandparents can be present from far away, as much as they might want to be closer more often. It is not always possible. The interesting thing for us was in how to name the grandparents. In Dutch grandpa is most often called “Opa” and grandma is “Oma”. That is what we had the boys call their paternal grandparents. Shirley’s mother was still “Grandma”, as often as they were able to use it. 

We have been wondering how we might want to be called as grandparents. Having the other language means that we can choose for something different. But it is also true that Stephan calls me “papa”. For many in the US, this is a term for grandpa. And Shirley was not so thrilled with the sound of “oma”. It sounded too “old” for her (imagine “grandmother” spoken full out every time by your grandchild). 

So we have let Stephan and Natalie know that we would like to be called Omi and Opa. Of course, we look forward to the time that Sophia can see us and say for herself what we will be called for her - even if it is “mmmphhnnn” or some such sound. What do you call your grandparents? And how are you known by your grandkids? 

(The picture above references a song about Grandpa's that you can listen to here).