Eight to Three and Counting

We have eight granddaughters and three grandsons + two more grandchildren due this year. So I got thinking  about the day I found out that I was going to be a grandma. Gene and Betty married just three months after his mission (November 1996) and soon called to tell us that Sydney was on her way. I had a hard time thinking about being a grandma. I told Gene that "I wasn't even used to being a mother-in-law yet." But it didn't take long before we were hooked. Sydney Katherine arrived in August 1997 was named after her Grandpa Sydney Pendle and Grandma Katherine Baldwin.

Vic often says "If I knew how much fun being a grandpa was, I'd have done that first." or "Grandparents are God's gift for not killing your kids."

But the second took her time coming. We waited for 5 years before Ashley Nicole joined the ranks in September 2002 as our second granddaughter, followed by Kaitlyn Bonnie 2 years later on Pearl Harbor Day December 2004. Ashley's middle name is the same as her mother's middle name. Kaitlyn's middle name is Bonnie after her great Grandma Baldwin.

So - we have three grandchildren - all girls. But if you wait long enough. . . Cole Hazen was born on 16 October 2007 - Hazen & Guila Olsen's (his great grandparents) wedding anniversary. He was followed 6 months later (April 2008) by Kamryne Lily who was named after her Great Great Grandma Lillie Rebecca Robinson. And followed 6 months later by Anna Beth (October 2008) who was named after the Anna's in the family and great grandmother (Beth). So now there are 6 grandchildren, 6 children and 6 spouses (until Gene & Betty divorced, and then it was 5 spouses). We thought it was interesting that we had 5 sons and 1 daughter and had 5 granddaughters and 1 grandson.

2010 brought 2 more: Chelsea Ramona (Ramona is Chantelle's and her mother's and grandmother's middle name - 4 generations of Ramonas) born in September and Nicholas Olsen (Nicholas after his great, great grandfather Nicholas Thomas Henderson and Olsen after his father, Devin's, middle name and his grandmother Baldwin's maiden name) in November. Now the count is 5 granddaughters to 2 grandsons.

But wait - 2 grandsons in a row? Wow! Andrew Michael Giles was born the day after Missy's birthday - June 22, 2011. The count is evening up a little 6 to 3. Interesting sidenote: 3rd grandson - 3 is Vic's favorite number; and 9th grandchild - 9 is Kathy's favorite number.

Alivia Kylie (named after Kyle) was born in May 2012. We are up to 10.

Number 11 - Cynthia Katherine (Cynthia after her mother, grandmother, great grandmother and great great grandmother - 4 generations of Cynthias, and Katherine after her Grandmother Baldwin) was born 25 March 2013. The score is 8 girls to 3 boys.

2013 will be a big year: #12 will be born in July and #13 in October - the closest spacing so far - three in one year. We are excited each time we add another - we love them all.