What will you be like

 Traits I hope you inherit from your dashing Daddy and marvelous Mommy

1.  Dearest Lexi ... I hope you look like your Mommy.  You will be doubly blessed as you have a beautiful Mommy and a handsome daddy.  Your Mommy loves the color purple and has beautiful dark curly hair, beautiful skin, and dark lovely eyes.  In my imagination I see you looking like this picture complete with purple polka, bows, and matching shoes.

2.  I hope you get your Daddy's sense of humor.  Your Daddy has always been cute and charming.  It was really hard for me to discipline him as he always made me laugh.  He can usually find something funny about whatever situation that makes you sad.  I bet you will have secrets with Daddy that will send you into gales of laughter and making Mommy wonder what is so funny.

3.  I hope you get your Mommy's beautiful singing voice and love of music.  Your Daddy loves music but is not a good singer.  He and Poppa went to a Promise Keepers rally with 20 thousand men singing together.   Later he told me, "Momma I was singing as loud as I could and I couldn't even hear me at all and I might have even been good!"

                                             

    4.  I hope you get the ability to sleep anywhere, any time like your Daddy.   Daddy worked a lot of night shifts before you were born so had to learn how to sleep in the daytime.  Babies need lots of sleep so for your sake and the sake of your parents I hope you get the ability to sleep through the night quickly.

 5.  I hope you get your Mommy's love of vegetables and healthy food that will make you grow strong and healthy.  Your daddy loved bananas as a baby and would eat anything as long as he could taste bananas in it.  (Silly baby Daddy!)
  

6.  I hope you love watching sports on TV and going to TCU football games.  Your Daddy loves all kinds of sports, your Mommy loves TCU.  I'm sure you will have lots of sports jerseys including the New York Mets....your Daddy's favorite baseball team.

7. I hope you have your Mommy's sense of adventure and fun.  Your Mommy likes going out to eat and to different events.  She loves to act and sing and is fearless.    I hope you are as fearless when it comes to excelling in anything you try. 

8.  I hope you have your Daddy's ability to write and journal.  Your Daddy has always been very perceptive and sensitive and found keeping a journal helpful.  He is even writing a blog for you and your future brothers and sisters.

9.  I hope you will know how much you are loved and cherished and prayed for each and every day.  You are your Mommy's deepest desire and your Daddy's opportunity to be your hero and champion. You will be their teacher and will knock off all their rough edges.  Be kind to your parents, they are new at parenting and you didn't come with an operations manual.

10.  Your innocence and vulnerability......sent fresh from God. I hope you will come to know Jesus at an early age and trust Him all the days of your life. I know your parents will guide you and help you all through life. 

Well, that's it, my darling baby girl.  You have some pretty awesome parents who are so excited to be your very own.  Don't be surprised when people look at you and say, "you have your Dad's smile or your Mommy's disposition",  all that will be revealed as you grow.  Do know that you will be surrounded by those who love you and pray for you each and every day.

XOXO.....Your Diva and Poppa

Meet Your Aunties

 Dearest Lexi,

.Did you know that your big strong daddy is a little brother?

   Meet your Auntie Becky and Auntie Suzy.    Auntie Becky lives in Canada with your cousin Anne. Auntie Suzy lives in Tennessee with Uncle Tim and your little boy cousins (Oscar, Charlie, and Henry.

Your Daddy will probably tell you that he had bossy older sisters.  They were and still are, but they love your Daddy and Mommy very much. 

Auntie Suzy and Daddy are best buddies.  They have a lot of history together and can break out in laughter over something that none of the rest of us even know about.

Uncle Tim's family lives in Fort Worth so you will probably get to see Auntie Suzy, Uncle Tim,
and the boys more often.  Know that you are very special and very loved.   Your little boy cousins will treat you like a princess and Henry will feel like a big boy next to you.

 Your aunties are really fun and very creative. Auntie Suzy is a librarian and knows the best books and stories.  Auntie Becky is a university professor and loves to camp, garden, and knows all about things girls enjoy.  These two special ladies in your life will love you and tell you lots of stories about your daddy when he was little.

 Know that we are anxious to hold you and welcome you into our family and into our hearts.

XOXO ....  Your Diva and Poppa

How this blog got it's name

 Dearest Child of my heart.

I'm your Diva and I have a special blog for each and every one of my babies.  You are the last of my grandchildren so will always have a special place in my heart.  Poppa and I refer to you and your sisters as "the littles".  It is a term of endearment that makes us wish we could see you all more often.

I thought about naming your blog, "The Best for Last", but that name was already taken.  A Legend is an epic story that gets handed down.  I foresee that there will be many stories about you as you grow and conquer your world and I want to record them for you.  Your amazing Mom is so good at posting new pictures of you and your sisters.  We feel like we can be a part of your life even though we live miles away.

I want to share my dreams, hopes, laughter, and crazy adventures in this blog with you.  I want to share some of the adorable things you say and do and some of the special times we had together.  

I always want you to know that you were loved and prayed for every day by your Diva and Poppa.  I even had a special prayer time about you with your other grandmother.  We both agreed that we hope you have your Momma's good looks and curly hair and Daddy's crazy sense of humor and creativity.

You are one lucky baby to have so many adults that already love you unconditionally.  Always know that your heavenly Father loves you more than you will ever know.

XOXO   Your Diva and Poppa

Why you have a Diva

It did occur to me that somewhere along the line you will be asking...."How come I've got a Diva instead of a grandma?"

Simple answer: You were very lucky sweetie!

Maybe you will have friends that call their grandmother by a different name. Some of my friends call themselves "Granny," "Nana", "Meme", "Nanny", "Oma", "Nan", "Gram", "Grandma", Gigi, and one even calls herself "Honey Gram."

According to the dictionary, a Diva is a female opera singer. ( No, that's not me unless you happen to hear me singing in the shower.)

A Diva is a person who controls what is going on in her environment and most especially her inner circle. Your Diva is bigger than life and the stories I can tell you kiddo! I'm hoping to be someone really special in your life. I want to be an active part in your life. I want to sweep you away on excursions, bake cookies with you, makeup stories and corny jokes, have play dough in my hair, play trucks, climb trees and kiss away your boo-boos.

A Diva is a Star and I'm prepared to be the "twinkle factor in your life". 

  

Diva Rules

13 ways to be a Fantastic  Granny Diva

1. Always carry lots of pictures. Don't wait until the baby is born, start with the ultrasound images and go all the way through graduation.
2. Listen intently to other people talk about their grandchild. This is not as easy as it sounds.
3. Select a proper grandma name that 1) you like, 2) the child can pronounce and 3) will not be embarrassing when it is shouted loudly in the grocery store.
4. Ask God to bless your grandchildren and pray for them every day.
5. When your grandchild is fussy or behaves poorly, always have a good excuse.
6. My favorite excuse is "The poor little doll is just so tired. And you would be too if you had been hauled around all day. Another good excuse is "The poor little angel is cutting teeth!" These two are good but you need a good spare or two for really tough times.
7. You will want to have special nicknames for them as they grow, but continue to call them by their name. We all like to hear the sound of our own names.
8. When something gets broken at your house, remind yourself and your grandchild that people are more important than things.
9. Get a bigger purse-a small suitcase will do also-so that you can always pull out a new toy, candy or distraction of some kind at just the right moment.
10. Think back on your own grandmothers and try now to realize just how much they loved you. At the time you had no idea of their deep love because it is unexplainable. You must experience it for yourself.
11. Have Grandma Camp one week every summer. Plan cookouts, crafts, sports, and all the things kids love. For the following week schedule a massage, plenty of bed rest, and post a sign that the kitchen is closed until further notice.
12. Never miss a chance to tell them you love them. The days are short and years pass quickly. What a better way for them to remember you than, "She always told me how much she loved me."

Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do.  Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children. ~Alex Haley

  

Meet your Poppa

 Dearest Lexi Girl
 Let me introduce you to your Poppa. (Isn't he cute?) Your Diva thinks so....and has thought so for the last 45 years. Like most grandfathers, he may appear to be gruff and grumpy.   I call him "old bear" a lot. Actually, he is a pure marshmallow and an ole softie! The minute he has you in his arms he will be a big ole puddle of goo.

He is a really smart man and loves to tinker in his basement with tools and electronics. He does not like to be defeated by a problem so will keep working on a solution for a long time which makes him especially grumpy.
  
Papa loves to teach and explain. (Warning: Papa talks in letters and numbers that have meaning only to him. Diva has found that the best way to handle this situation is to smile and nod like you understand. It makes him happy, he will rub your head and tell you how smart you are! Trust me on this!)

Papa loves to read. He knows a little about a lot. (Note: take all your "Why?" questions to Papa.) However, you need to know that if for some reason he does not know the answer he will make one up.   ( no, not really lying, just an interesting story to see if you will believe him.....it's a game he likes to play.)

Your Papa is strong and you will always be safe and protected in his arms. He will cry when you are born and the first time he sees your little face he will be instantly in love with you.  Don't be surprised if he constantly tells you the story of why he really thought your Daddy was a girl.  When the doctor delivered your Dad and said, "It's a boy!" Your Poppa said, "look again."  The doctor smiled and said, "I'm really sure I know the difference and this is definitely a boy."  When your Daddy was a baby we didn't have the technology to know if it would be a boy or a girl....so your dad was a delightful surprise package.

No one will love you like your Poppa Charlie. He has been praying for you ever since we knew you were on the way. He has lots of wisdom and can make anything go. He already has plans in his head about building you a fort or a playhouse. You will be blessed to have him in your life, loving you and cheering you on.

Family Introductions

 Dear Lexi,

Welcome sweet baby girl.  You are the youngest of all our grandchildren. You are lucky number seven.  We have been waiting for you to complete our family.

Allow me to introduce you to your cousins on your Daddy side of the family.

 You have a big girl cousin Anne, that lives in Canada.  She is 12 years old.  She loves to babysit and will fall madly in love with you when she sees you.  

Your big boy Tennessee cousins are Oscar, age 10, Charlie, age 8, and Henry, age 6.  They love Legos, martial arts training, and video games.

We try very hard to all get together every other year.  This year we are talking about all coming to Texas to see you for the very first time.  Do you think you will like all your cousins?  I am sure you will.  Each of them is sweet and special just like you.

Can't wait to hold you in my arms and inhale all your sweetness. 

Your Diva

Hello Sweet Baby Girl

 Hello Sweet Baby Girl Lexi,

This is your Diva's blog for just you.  Poppa and I were so happy when we heard of your safe arrival into our world on February 18th, 2019.  

You are the 3rd daughter of our baby boy (your daddy).  When your Daddy was born we were all very excited to welcome him.

His sisters, Auntie Becky, and Auntie Suzy were just about the same ages as your big sisters when you were born

They were so excited to have a baby brother.  Auntie Suzy used to bring soft toys and tuck them beside your dad while he slept.

Your Diva and Poppa live in Tennessee so it will be a while before we can hold you in our arms and rock you and play with you.  We want you to know that you have been prayed for, ever since we were told of your coming.  There will never be a day in my life that you are not thought of and prayed for.

You are so blessed to have such a wonderful Mommy and Daddy and also having Pops and DeeDee so close to you.  They will give you extra hugs (long distance from us!)  Sleep well and let Mommy gets some much-deserved rest too.

Your Darling Diva and Proud Poppa