And baby makes...5 grandkids

This morning brings us Noelle Elizabeth, our fifth grandchild, and fourth granddaughter.

My eldest son prayed for a sister--a lot--when he was little, and now he has five of them.

And 3 daughters.

Yep, girls are important, and we are doing our best to make sure that our parish is a popular wedding spot on the Catholic circuit.  There have already been jokes about future spouses and pairings with suitable aged young men in other families.

Now on the one hand, we have those kinds of comments from other large, Catholic families.

But when I head out to the Knights meeting tonight, I'll be surrounded by well-wishers of another sort.  Guys in their 60s and 70s, with fewer grandkids than I have--if they have any at all.  Now there will be a couple who think we are just crazy to have so many kids.  But many will have a conflicted look on their faces--happy for us, yet unhappy with their own lack of family.

The couple of kids they do have invariably live across the country, and are still settling down, or motivated by their careers, or don't want kids, or "they just aren't ready yet".  Now mind you these kids are in the 30-50 year range.

And these are the Knights who are amped enough to come to meetings.  They know their faith and work is important.  Still, no grandkids.

I don't know that I can stand to hear it again tonight (each announcement of a grandchild brings the same tales).

I may skip the meeting tonight to go hold my new granddaughter before the world rubs the shine off.

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