“Grandchildren are the pride and joy of old age, and children take great pride in their parents.” Proverbs 17:6
I am NOT a grandparent yet (give me about hmmm, 10 years), but I sure feel the pride and joy in my children.
I can so remember times of:

• Walking through the woods to granny and grandpa West’s house
• Playing cards with granny
• Eating Oat Bran cereal as a snack at the grandparents’ home
• Grandpa cutting my pb&j into quarters
• Watching the Price Is Right and eating lunch with Grandma Parker
• Climbing trees in the grandparents’ front yard
• Fishing for humongous catfish and bass in grandpa’s pond
• “Tooling” around in grandpa’s barn
• Getting eggs from the hens
• Homemade clothes and molasses cookies from Grandma
• Doing crossword puzzles in granny’s lap
• Spending the night with cousins at the grand’s
• Sunday lunch
• Thanksgiving gathering at great-grandma and grandpa Hunter’s
• Watching The Young and Restless and The Guiding Light
• Playing football in their front yard
• Christmas time
• Receiving gifts that granny couldn’t afford
• Butterscotch candy and gum in grandpa’s pocket after church
• Watching Aunt Bessie braid my great-grandma’s long hair
• Watching two of them take their last breath before they sat at Jesus’ feet
• Etc.

Spending times with grandparents are the best!
I hear that being a grandparent is soooo much better than being a parent. Can I get an “Amen” from those of you who have experienced this rush of awesomeness?
I do take pride in my children and in my parents.  I am a blessed beyond kind of girl.  Are there troubled times in the real world I grew up in? Absolutely, but the good outweighs the bad so much more.
As I sit here tonight, my husband and eldest son is out fifty miles offshore spending the night and fishing with friends, my one and only daughter is off with grandparents visiting cousins in Georgia, and my youngest son and “my adopted youngest son” are here with me at the beach. I am missing my family all together, yet and so grateful that we have the opportunity to spend quality time with friends and extended family, and know that we will all be back together soon.
Despite us all going of separate ways today, it has been a precious day.  I went shopping and to lunch with great friends, the boys fished until their hearts were content (well, maybe, they could have stayed out alllll day and night), Holly chatted it up with Mr. Doug as he took her back safely to PC to hook up with the grands, the big boys are doing what they love (fishing), sips and dips with friends, sunsets, ice-cream, bike riding, etc.  What a day!
Pride and joy! Yes, that’s pretty much sums up my family and friends.  I adore and love them all.
I’ll wait my l-o-n-g turn to be a grandparent. So in the meantime, I’ll just enjoy taking pride in what I’m surrounded by here and now and remember those cherished moments with the grandparent I had.