Sweet Text

Tonight, Tanner, Jill (her Step-Mom) and Lynn (Mike's Mom) are going to see the movie "Eclipse."  It's opening day and they are going to the 10:00 pm showing.  I have not and just can't get into the whole "Twilight" thing.  It's just not my cup of tea.  That being said though-Jill and Tanner (and Lynn now to) are ATE.UP with the Twilight series.  And I'm so very thankful that they are ATE UP together.  They've had so much fun reading the books and seeing the movies together.  I'm so thankful that Tanner and Jill have their "thing"...their "niche" so to speak.  That's a bond that they share that is exclusively theirs.  And I'm thankful for that.

Tanner is so so excited to be going to the movie tonight.  She is on cloud nine for sure.  She sent me a text that said "I'm so excited and I just want to shout it!"  Cracked me up.  I love when she gets so excited about things.  It just tickles me to death.

I have always loved Mike's Mom, Lynn.  She is a LOT like my own Mom (and totally opposite of Mike's Step-Mom) and when we divorced, I was sad to be losing Lynn as a Mother-in-Law.  At the time of our divorce, she and her husband Ted lived in Orange Park, Florida.  They moved to KC a few years after our divorce to be closer to the boys and the grand kids.  Sadly, Ted passed away three years ago (I think?) this August.  Mike's brother moved to Beloit, Kansas a few years ago and Mike lives here....so she moved here a year ago this past May and lives about two blocks from Mike and Jill. 

She is so good with all the grand kids, especially Tanner.  When Tanner is frustrated or upset, Grandma can calm her down-and she's just down the street.  She'd pick Tanner up from school one day a week last year and they'd go do errands or just run through Sonic together.  Tanner loves that one on one time and she loves hoping on her bike and riding to "check on Grandma" in the mornings.

Well tonight, Grandma is taking Jill and Tanner to see "Eclipse."  I think it's great.  I sent the three of them a text telling them to have fun and be careful. 

In fact, my text to Lynn was "I think it's awesome that you are going with Jill and T to the movie tonight.  You are one hip Grandma!  Thank you for loving  my girl the way you do.  Have fun!" 

Her reply brought tears to my eyes.  It said "Thank you for raising such a sweet young lady.  I consider it a privilege to be her Grandma." 

Wow. 

All the hard times that we've had with Tanner.  All of those days where I want to pull my hair out and run away.  All the times where Tanner thinks she's got the worst Mom (and Dad at times too!) in the world.....it warms my heart to hear my ex-mother-in-law to say those sweet words.  Makes it worth it and makes me feel like we truly are doing a good job raising my girl. 

Thank you, Father God, for ending this long and stressful day on a very sweet, sweet note.