A Prize, A Birth and a Tribute

The winner of the Cottage Charm Giveaway of 6 paper roses is

Debbie of Debbie-Dabble

Congratulations, my sweet chick!!
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Oh, and for those of you who commented on my Pink Saturday post about the paintings, the artist is Marty Bell (she's a fantastic artist), not Thomas Kinkade. I didn't think to mention her name and didn't mean to mislead you.
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Now for the 2nd event...

Fresh from Heaven

Introducing our first great grandchild—a great granddaughter. After having gone through 9 months of trying to select a name they've decided on Caroline, probably Caroline Emperatriz. When I told Love Bunny today, he replied, "Huh? That wasn't even on the list? Where'd that come from?" Total surprise after Isabella, Violet, Natalia and numerous other names. But it's a beautiful name. I told Mandy I was going to call her Rosebud, and she said, "Nana, you can call her anything you want." Great grandmothership has its privileges. :-) I think her little mouth looked like a little rosebud in the womb. I think she's a beauty and there is absolutely no prejudice in that statement, right? :-)

Here she looks like she's smiling at her mom on the right. I'd recognize that nose and cheek anywhere! ;-)

She has light reddish brown hair just like her mom did when she was born 30 years ago. Her dad is from Guatemala and has black curly hair and he's very pale. So she's Hispanic on both sides of the family!

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I also want to take this opportunity to thank all of our military fighting men and women for the sacrifice they give for this darling little baby above and me, hubs, and the rest of the U.S. for protecting our freedom. Tears roll down my cheeks at the thought of what they endure for me. I am so grateful for them and their wives, husbands and children who allow them to do this. I can't imagine what they go through when they lose one of them. I've been fortunate that the Marines and Sailors in my life have returned. I don't think some of us realize what it is like for these families. I would gladly pay more in taxes if these men and women could pay absolutely no taxes for the years they are in the service.

I was thinking about them yesterday as we were driving to WM. Did you realize that during World War II we here in the USA couldn't even purchase candy bars or chewing gum? It was all saved for our troops. It wasn't even available, but some of the troops would send care packages back home to their families of chocolate bars. Even fruit like bananas weren't readily available either and you had to be the first one to the store when and if they happened to get them. How fortunate the people today can freely have what we sacrificed for our men and women fighting for us.

As so many of us believe today, freedom and justice and good will prevail. I know Jesus Christ is in charge here and when He comes it will be glorious beyond all imagination. I pray that day comes quickly. My tears wet my desktop this day for all the love I feel for those military men and women.
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