Mikalah Anne Travis...born May 1st..13 yrs ago.

I was there when she was born.....my first grandchild. An amazing, unbelievable moment....assimilating, somehow, the miracle of this person infused with a part of "all of us".....grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins...from both sides of the family.

Mikalah Anne Travis...born May 1st..13 yrs ago. Our precious first grandchild will be 13 on Saturday. How did our beautiful, lovely, joyful baby transform into such a stunning, kind, still-joyful teenager in a seemingly small amount of time?

I have loved and enjoyed and looked forward to every second of time spent with my Kalie Girl. Before her move from Watsonville to Idaho , she and I spent a couple of hours huddled together on the beach. It was chilly and windy and wet. Waves slammed against the sand. We lay wrapped in a blanket...shivering and talking. We cried...we made promises of visits and phone calls and letters. I was sure my heart would break......and that I wouldnt recover. What I thought I knew was that she would forget....that soon Gramahuny wouldnt be quite so important to her as she grew in her new life.

We still talk, we still write (email and texting) and visits are filled with fun and hugs and sometimes, tears. I love her "past God and back"...as we have always pledged to one another. And, astounding to me, she still desires "time together" with her Gramahuny.

We are surprising her Saturday...the day of her birthday. Her parents are registered to race in Spokane on Sunday. I am flying into Spokane on Saturday...she does not know this. Her parent's gift to her is a night's stay at a motel with me!!! The motel is located on the river front....and , as I understand, saturated with shops, restaurants and a mall. The afternoon and evening will be ours......shopping, eating, talking, pedicures, melting pot chocolate fondues, more talking, heart to hearts while snuggled in bed.

Who will be most excited with the visit....Kalie or myself? I think it will be the latter.......forever thankful for this time.....while she still considers this "her present".