Happy 28th Grandson John

  

 Auspicious occasion.

Must be recognized as such.
Twenty-eight years ago tonight, I held my baby daughter's hand as she writhed in pain to bring her own baby son into this old world.
And yes, John was worth all of it.
There is no way to show a life so large on Facebook.
It takes a blog post all unto it self to attempt to kind of do justice to the amazing man my daughter brought into this world. All alone. Without medication. To protect her baby.
Job well done, Melinda.

This amazing son of my daughter's is now a husband and a minister of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. He and his lovely wife are making their own home, creating their own joys, going through their own doors. They are ready to welcome another generation into their hearts. My own baby daughter and I are eager to meet her grandchildren and my great grandchildren and to celebrate all the new memories.

A picture is worth how many words? In John's case, a few pictures can only touch the surface of the delightful, astonishing, life-changing, precious, loving, and giving man 

who graces our lives.

1986 Summer. My Baby ready to birth her baby

1987. And what a guy she brought forth.

The first of so many doors that would open for him

as he followed his own path.

1988. 2nd Birthday with his beloved great-grandmommy who turned the world for him

1989 Three years old with Marine Uncle

1990. Four. Already the Performer

   

1991. Five. 

1992.Six. Yep. He's already in charge.

1993. A life-long gift to make friends and influence people.
Mr. Green had not spoken in years. Then John became his friend.

   

1993. Six. A new town. Always the center. Always surrounded by friends.

1994 And off to school in another new town.

1994. Seven. Always surrounded by family, too. Four generations. 

    

1995. Nine. And just how high will you jump, John????
As high as you want! Go, John, GO !

                       

                           

1997. Eleven. Heritage School

1996. Tenth birthday in
 Fredericksburg.

                    

1996. First plane trip ALONE. To
Louisville, KY with Uncle Eddy
& Aunt Julie

 

       

1998. Twelve. On Stage.
Again.

                                 

1999. Thirteen. That infectious grin stayed.

             

2000. Fourteen. John is a cousin.
Madeline Herbert.

2001. Fifteen. The infamous Winter Formal Sit-down Dinner
(yes, that is Ashley's left hand on the right of Austin. *smile*)

2002. Sixteen. Mr. Sax serenaded Memaw at her wedding.

2003. Winter. Enter--ta-da--ASHLEY for real.

2003. Summer. Best Friends Forever. (His truck in the background. )

2003. After Boys' State. Rough plane ride alone.
Survived both congress and angry skies.

2003. And the seventeenth birthday. With Best Girl, Mom
and Family.

                                               

2003. Just John. Just another tux.

No history of John is complete without the.....
BLACK COAT.
2003. Leavenworth, WA

2004. Yes. We made it to graduation year.
And he DID go to the prom with ASHLEY.
She and Memaw knew it all along.

2004. Awards Night. And, oh the conversations and events
and occasions on our front porch.

And YES, He did graduate Fredericksburg High School

2004. Of course Ashley was there !!!

And, Off to Texas Lutheran University. Oh goodness, oh dear, oh glory. OH MY !! 

They said goodbye and Memaw drove his mother and his girl back home.
Yes, a LOT of tears.

2004. EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD. A man. And he voted. 

2005. Summer. His Nineteenth was just around the corner.

2006. The Year of the Hair.
Beautiful. Gorgeous. Thick.
TWENTY years old.
He did it once !!

                                     

2006. The hair came off when Ashley came home from mission trip.

2007. Those twenty-one candles almost melted the icing.
Now he is really The Man.

2008. TWENTY-TWO Wow. Look at that grin.

Yes, he counted the candles.

2008. Earning a living. Paying their way through school
Well, he did not wear the cap while serving.

2009. Does he look tired? Old man at TWENTY-THREE

2010. Really, REALLY Big Year.
UTSA GRAD. 

2010. TWENTY-FOUR. Celebrating in San Antonio.

2011. And look, Our Man of the Day is
TWENTY-FIVE and still grinning.

2012. Ahhhhh. Yes. The to-be Mrs. and Mr. John Lowrey.
November 3, 2012.

No, we have never seen our man in robes at his first church nor heard him preach.

Our love must transcend the miles these days. 

2013. At least a bunch of family got together around Christmas.

2014. Happy Ending. A son makes his mom proud.
Mother's Day. Together.

John, dear one. I love you dearly.