It was a very quiet Christmas Eve at our house this year…until it wasn’t. Chris and I were home alone. The girls had left for a trip with their mom earlier in the day. Carty was with her dad and step mom’s family. Zach and Katie were on their way down from Katie’s family’s gathering in Canton. We decided to watch a movie while we waited for them to arrive. And then a second movie. Zach texted and asked if we were going to wait up for them, so we started a third movie. (Stop judging – it was a holiday).
Whenever Zach and Katie come to visit, they always bring Archie, their dog, with them. So when they arrived, it was the usual chaos of Archie and Malone (our dog) chasing each other around and jumping over furniture and establishing dominance in the house. It’s honestly a ritual that I have grown to love. After the excitement of the arrival died down, Zach said that he and Katie wanted to give us ONE of our presents. They just couldn’t wait.
Maybe it was the seven plus hours spent on the couch in a movie stupor, maybe it was the wine, or maybe it was just the excitement of their arrival, but I had no clue what was in the box. I slowly opened it and opened the card that was inside…and that’s when I got it.
Instantly the happy tears began to flow. I remember covering my face and trying to grasp what was being shared with us. Our son and daughter in law were expecting our first grandchild. I remember saying over and over “I’m going to be a grandma.” Zach then reminded me that I hadn’t made it past the card yet. So I gathered myself (ish) and peeled back the tissue paper in the box to find a sonogram picture of my grandchild. Katie was 13 weeks pregnant! This brought another round of happy tears and hugs and more proclamations that we were going to be grandparents. Those moments in time will forever and always be one of my fondest memories. We hugged and cried and laughed for quite some time that evening! It truly was the best gift ever.
Now that the holidays are over and life has begun to settle back into its normal rhythm, I have had a lot of time to think about all of it. Zach is my firstborn. My only son. My baby boy. All of the memories of Zach coming into the world and growing into such an amazing young man keep playing over in my mind. I am still trying to get used to the idea that he is a married man. I am still over the moon with excitement and emotion from their wedding day in September. Watching him that night, barely able to contain his excitement while sharing his news wrecks me every time I recall it. My son is going to be a dad. He and his wife are bringing life into this world! And they are going to be amazing. Life truly is so beautiful. This precious memory of receiving the news of a baby is just the start of so many more to come as they form their family.
Wife, momma, teacher, Jesus follower….and now “Mimsy.”
Julie Anne Taylor 