My family moved to Greenville, SC 18 years ago. We left behind all of our family, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins. It was one of the hardest times of my teenage years. At first we went every weekend. Every time we went to visit, we always had a wonderful time but, when it came time to leave, we cried all the way home.
Our first Christmas after we moved, we spent the night at Grandma's house. Santa was still able to find us even though we weren't at our own home. That's one of the Christmas' that I will never forget. It was awesome. We got to stay at their house and get presents, go to Nannie's and spend time with all of them, then go back to Grandma's that afternoon. It was a day full of Family. I loved it!!
Over the years, our trips have become less frequent. During the Holidays, we go down once or twice a month. At other times we don't get to go as often. We've gone to school, gotten married, gotten jobs, and had babies. We've let life get in the way of spending time with those that matter most. I've missed so much because of what I thought mattered. Boyfriends, social matters, parties...At times, yes, some ended up being important. I married one of those boyfriends and had a baby with him.
Granddaddy Dancing with me at my wedding.
Even better, a baby boy. The first baby boy in the family since my uncle over 50 years ago. This little man and all the other grands and great-grands that walk into his house make his face light up!
For Granddaddy's birthday, we were going to take him to Bojangles for dinner (his favorite place). Alex and I had made the trip down earlier that day and spent some time with Noel and the girls. As luck would have it, there was a bad storm that evening. Since we weren't going to have the big blow out, Noel and I decided to go to Ward's, The barbecue place, and pick up some hash and rice and a sandwich for Granddaddy. We piled all the kids into 2 cars and hit the road. The look on Granddaddy's face was worth all the rain. We spent a very wet, happy, and loud evening with him. Noel, my Grandparents, and I sat around the table eating, talking, laughing, and listening to the children play. That was one of the most memorable nights I will have for a while.
