WOW!

Check out Savannah's WOW Factor!

Only to be Free!

Dark. Slow. Pressure. Three words that probably describe my surroundings the best. I don't know much, but I do know that I just keep reaching for the light. It's all I really can do. I feel so alone and isolated... and it's so dark! Everything around me seems devoid of light. But, if I just keep straining upward, I might actual see some light - someday. I sense that, just slightly, it might actually be turning a little less black... at least not total darkness... maybe, just maybe, it's happening...

But, if it is, it's happening so slowly! It's like nothing happens - almost everyday. It's like watching grass grow. It's like watching a nail rust. It's so slow! I'm simply here, waiting to be seen, but no one ever does. I mean I actually haven't seen the light of day for months...OK, forever! But maybe, just maybe, it won't be much longer...

If only I could be free... could break free from the pressure that seems to hold me down - hold me captive. If only I could escape from the pressure that surrounds me like the jacket of a crazy man. It's not that I can't move at all.... it's that I so dearly want to break through, but can't. At least not so far. What's holding me back? But maybe, just maybe, I'm making the most minute bit of progress...

I have confidence that my day is coming! I won't have to wait much longer. And when I finally arrive, people will marvel at my beauty... my newness... my break though. No doubt it will not be without effort and pain.... but, no doubt, it will be worth it! After all, being called and known as the 1st tooth of Savannah's will be an honor that only I will hold. I'm only a few days away.... don't fret, I'll be here soon.... and at last, I'll be free...

I'm Freezing!

Can you say "I Love Granddaddy?"

It's almost mid-January in North Alabama and I feel like I'm living in Northern Canada instead of Huntsville, Alabama. This morning it was almost single digits as we awoke to a bright and sunny day. Signs of our brief, albeit exciting, snowfall remain from a couple of days ago. We received a whopping 1/2 inch of measurable snow. Mostly it was simply blowing around on the streets, but nonetheless, everyone around here was excited to see the white stuff. Schools closed preemptively, as much for the temps as for the precipitation. In this area, as soon as bad weather is even forecasted, the bread and milk fly from the shelves. Not sure why everyone always goes for those particular staples, but they do.

Cody enjoying the Snow!

Of course, the main reason that this kind of weather creates angst, is because the city is not really prepared to handle and accommodate the snow & ice - since it occurs so infrequently. The city does a good job dispensing sand and cinders, but salt doesn't get used very often. It also means that folks don't have much experience driving on the icy roads - roads that are also quite hilly in some areas. Ice braking, steering, scraping, etc., are seldom used skills that are honed in this TN Valley city.

Dad & Jim at the UK - U of L Game

Even though the weather is suspect, the Alabama Crimson Tide Football team isn't. Come on, say it with me.... "National Champions!!" Around here football is king! Even if you are not a rabid Tide fan, you have to be impressed with an undefeated season and a National Championship. It's good for UA, the SEC, and the state. Now... it's basketball season: Go Big Blue!!

No Worries! We have Plenty!

We are enjoying living with our new "housemates". However, we are naturally going through many more basic household items, such as food, toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, etc. Did I mention toilet paper? But, it's OK!

Caitlin in Her 2009 Corolla

Caitlin has enrolled at Calhoun Community College and is looking for part-time work to help pay for gas. She loves to drive! Daniel has a job interview next week and Lauren & Savannah are keeping us entertained. Savvy seems to be changing everyday. She is a very pleasant baby and smiles all the time. She's starting to make all kinds of joyful little noises - baby talk, I guess. I'm still trying to get her to say "I love my Granddaddy the most...". So far.... she just squeals... We're still working on it. Stay warm...

Counting Down the Days...

In only 64 days we'll get to hold this little kangaroo! Not that I'm counting, of course... We've seen Savvy, Daniel & Lauren quite often via Skype, but it will be quite a joy to actually hold the little "roo" again. After all, the last time I held Savannah, she was only 2 days old - born on July 23. We are really looking forward to seeing all three of them!

I've been a grandfather for about 12 weeks now... physically absent from the grandchild, but certainly with her in spirit and love. Can't truly say that I've missed the diaper changing assignments though... The three of them will make the long haul from Sydney to California, where they will stay a few weeks and visit with family & friends. Then they'll fly from the west coast to Sweet Home Alabama. After visiting with us, I suspect they will want to travel to KY and surrounding spots to visit friends and introduce Savvy to the mid-west. It will be her first trip to America... We certainly hope it won't be her last!

So... I've been thinking about that moment when we pick them up at the Huntsville airport... Who do you hug first? Should I make a bee-line to Savvy? Would it be more appropriate to first hug and welcome our daughter, Lauren? Or, would it be more courteous to bear hug our son-in-law, Daniel? Does it matter? Or does it imply a sort of priority or a "pecking order" of sorts? How will Lauren or Daniel feel if we rush to Savvy and leave them in the shadows....? Will Lauren or Daniel feel slighted if we go to the other first? Maybe Tami & I should "tag team" the moment: I go to Daniel and Tami hugs Lauren simultaneously, or vice-versa. Most likely Savvy won't even notice... I'll let you know how it goes....

Now, it's safe to say that Tami has been preparing for this visit for some time. She has already obtained every needed baby device you can think of. Being the first grandchild certainly looks like it has its advantages. Car seats, strollers, cribs, clothing, etc. - it's all here! No matter that it's only a short visit.... we have all the paraphernalia.

I'm sure we'll take & post plenty of pictures of the family from down under... we might even get a shot of me changing a "nappie". Counting down the days....

Dear Savannah 2...

Hey Savannah... it's your Granddad!

I know you probably don't remember me, but I am the guy who flew 1/2 way 'round the world to greet you in person on your birthday. I was there for 2 weeks while you played hard-to-get.... remember? But, finally we met and I was blessed to spend almost 2 days with you.

Now, you are are a little over 5 weeks old and already you are changing into an even more beautiful person than when I last held you. You really are beautiful! I know that all grandparents say that about their new bundles of joy, but just between us.... you REALLY ARE gorgeous.... really!! Maybe it's because you look a lot like me..... yeah right! And, you even seem to be beautiful on the inside & the outside.

Your Mom says that you are very pleasant, sleep well, feed well, and have longer hair than me. That's OK..... I'm man enough to take it. Other than the hair-thing, I'm also pleasant, sleep well, and feed well too. I hope you will continue to cooperate with your parents and continue to grow into a healthy, God-loving, young Windsor.

I am so much looking forward to your visit here in December. Of course, it will be good to see your Mom & Dad too, but I really can't wait to hold you again, change some nappies, snuggle with you, and just enjoy your company - even in the middle of the night, if need be. Your visit will be the highlight of our holiday season. And you will be the highlight of my heart...

You have been part of our family for only 5 weeks so far, but I often think about how much you have in store and how God might truly use your life in the future, for years to come. It's something that Granddads do, I guess.... think about the future possibilities of their new granddaughters.

You'll get to know me better in the future. I can't wait! You can already melt my heart young lady. Savannah, I have missed you greatly already, and can't wait to kiss your chubby, soft little cheeks. Hurry to see us! I love you so much, Savvy..... Granddaddy...

Savvy in 20 Years??

Savvy is 1 week old today (Australian time)! Seems like just yesterday.... It made me start to think about what her life might be like in about 20 years.... let's say the year 2030. I will be about 71, and she will be about 21...

1. Will everything around her be wireless? Will she think it strange that we were once tethered to a wall?
2. Will she have an additional unique number to identify her besides her SSN? Maybe a personalized IP address?
3. Will she be driving a car that runs on gas? Maybe hydrogen? Will the number of cars be limited to a certain number per family? Will vehicles actually be "personal air born transportation devices"?
4. What will the world violence be like in 2030? Will "bio wars" be the craze? Will Savvy want to be in the military? Will actual hand-to-hand combat even still exist?
5. What kind of job will she have? Bio/Nano-technology? Environmental "green-collar" job?
6. Will colleges all be on-line?
7. Will physical shopping stores still be popular? Will she purchase everything on-line?
8. Will she be able to Skype with me while she is driving down the road in her Toyota?
9. Will there be any such thing as regional and/or local - or will everything be global? Maybe her high school spelling bee competition will be versus a school in China?
10. What if she gets sick - will the doctor be able to customize the treatment for her based on her DNA makeup?
11. Will it be popular to pick her baby's gender based on genetic manipulation?
12. Where will she live? Will there be enough space for everyone? Will people be living in space? Will there be electrical restrictions when she tries to use her blow dryer - or water limits when she takes a shower?
13. What will her world's politics be like? Will she have a world government drivers license? What world events will she witness?
14. What will her personal values be like? Will she be more influenced by her worldly culture or her spiritual culture?
15. And.... will she still want to visit her 70 year-old granddaddy and give him a huge hug?

Many things can happen and change in 20 years, but for my money, I'm betting #15 will definitely be there...

Look forward to seeing you in 2030 Miss Savvy...

Introducing Miss Savannah Hope Windsor!

Perfect!

• 8 pounds 8 ozs
• 20.4 inches long
• July 23, 2009
• 7:39 PM
• Lots of dark hair
• Beautiful skin
• Fully functional lungs
• Loving parents and grandparents

These are the stats I've been longing to write for almost two weeks now. Today is my last day in Australia, as I will depart in the AM. I will spend today at the hospital visiting my daughter, son-in-law, and new baby granddaughter. It's a great way to end a wonderful visit down under.

After a couple of hours of preparation at the hospital, Lauren started having contractions about 11:00 AM. She delivered Savvy almost 8.5 hours later. She had made very good progress throughout the day, but suddenly slowed when the pushing began. Lauren did not have an epidural. It was determined that the baby's cord was around her neck. (This happened to Lauren at her birth also) Savvy's heart beat remained strong, but this was

preventing the delivery. Once this was realized, the doctor was able to cut the cord, and the delivery proceeded quickly.

Lauren and Daniel both did extremely well. Daniel kept us updated and stayed with Lauren throughout. And Lauren demonstrated a passionate will to do whatever it took to deliver her first born as safely as possible.

There are many amazing things in this world, but none more so than child birth. I've been in the delivery room for the birth of my 3 children, and the waiting room for my 1st grandchild. Maybe the waiting room is tougher for me. But, nevertheless, it is a blessing to behold. On Tami's Facebook, you can see pictures of Savvy during her 1st 2 hours after delivery.

Savvy really is beautiful! She is bright-eyed, alert, with big feet, beautifully colored skin, and lots of hair. She has more hair than me..... I'm dealing with it.... I'm thrilled that I was able to see her in person before I return to the States. I'll never forget it....

Thanks for following us & checking in......

OK... We Need to Talk!

OK Savvy, we need to talk! Tomorrow your Mom will be induced and you should be with us sometime on Thursday, July 23, Australian time. Mom & Dad will be at the hospital at 7 AM in order to be first in line to begin the process of bringing you into the world.

You've been too shy for too long.... it's time to show your pretty face. But I have one request: Don't make it too tough on your Mom, OK? She's been preparing for your arrival for many weeks, trying to ensure you are as healthy as possible.

So, it's time for you to do your job.... just "fall forward"! Someone will catch you!

Your Mom has tried hard and has been advised on various ways to prompt your arrival....

She's done all of these except one..... can you guess which one?

1. Eat Pineapple
2. Sit on a washing machine
3. Eat spicy food
4. Drink soy milk
5. Skip down a road
6. Lots of walking
7. Jumping jacks
8. Walk on a sandy beach
9. Massage
10. Speed bump at 40 km/h

So far, you are still playing hard to get. So, tomorrow we're getting serious. After all, I depart from Sydney on Saturday morning. I want to see you before I go..... Sleep well tonight. Tomorrow is your birthday. See you soon young lady!!

A Beautiful Day in Downtown Sydney!

It's Sunday night, July 19, and this ends our 8th day in Australia. Tomorrow Lauren will be 5 days past her due date. I plan to depart on July 25 and Tami on August 1. Savannah continues to be a shy one.... We had delayed a visit to downtown Sydney, thinking we would go after Savvy arrived. But this AM Lauren said "Let's go to the city!" If it happens, it happens. We would be almost 1 hour away from her hospital if it did "happen". But, it didn't - not so far.

We had a wonderful visit in Sydney though! We visited Darling Harbor, the Fish Market, the

Opera House, and the Harbor Bridge. Yes, we hit all of the tourist locations, including Australia's tourist icon, the Opera House. Tami took 336 pictures in all. 336! We have always called her the "mama-razzi". (paparazzi) She is a camera crazy person! She takes pics of anything! Random people, flowers, rocks - you name it and she is snapping it. She loves the digital world of photography....

Lauren has been such a trooper. She is napping now in our hotel room, while Tami and Daniel are attending the Sunday night version of Hillsong Church. I suppose she is a bit fatigued. Once we got there, we tried to limit her walking by renting a Water Taxi to take us directly to the Opera House via the water. It was a great idea, and turned out to be the highlight of the day.

Tami will post pictures of our outing on her Facebook soon. I hope you'll check them out.

Everything is ready for the big event. Today I realized that when they tell us her weight and length, it will be in metric. So, I have already found a web site that converts from metric to something more familiar. No worries, Mate - we are ready!

Dear Savannah.....

Dear Savannah.... We are still awaiting your arrival.... to see your face...... to hold you in our arms and wonder at your new beginning. I suppose it is only days away now. Everyone is anxiously awaiting your birth - your Mom and Dad most of all.

It's been a really long time since I have been this close to the birth of a relative and remembered what these last days of pregnancy were like. Every moment of every day and night pass with us wondering if this will be the beginnings of birth pains. Your Mother has longed for your arrival with a blessed assurance and confidence from the beginning - for over 40 weeks now. Your parents know and understand that bringing you into this world requires commitment, courage, patience, perseverance, and love. Love can cover many things. You, my dear, will bring out the best part of love in your new family.

I personally, look forward to the day when you and I can bond in a way that only a granddaughter and her grandfather can. It may be when we are going on an outing to a park.... maybe having a tea party.... maybe reading a Bible story..... maybe taking a Sunday afternoon nap together.... I'm not sure when or where it will be, but I am longing for it to happen.

The people closest to me know that I reserve the word "awesome" for only one thing: God. I don't use the word to describe pizzas, golf shots, weather, outfits, haircuts, pictures, or pay raises. I use the word to describe God alone. But, maybe just this once, I will deviate for a moment and describe my new granddaughter and her long awaited arrival as.... awesome!

Savvy, we are so much looking forward to meeting you. But, take your time... it will be worth it! It will be simply... Awesome. I love you already.

Does "Late" Run in the Family?

Now there's a question!! Let's see, has Tami ever been late for anything? Ever? Let me answer it this way.... Do Australians use turn signals? Is hair over rated? Does Caitlin drink Starbuck's? YES! And from what I hear, it might run on Daniel's side of the family too.

We are still waiting on Savvy's arrival. She is 2 days late as of this writing. Not too bad in the big picture of life, but Lauren seems to think a bit differently. Tami, on the other hand, is rarely on time. You know how it works..... if we need to depart at 8:30, I tell her to please be ready by 8:15. That gives her an unknowing 15 minutes of "buffer" time. However, she's figured out my sneaky tactics. She expects me to build in buffer time now.... it's just a matter of how much.

Seems Miss Savannah has the same "I'll take my time" gene. Anyway, we are a patient lot, right Lauren? Lauren? ......

Today we visited a couple more baby stores... yes, a couple more! Funny how Tami is never late when it comes to baby store shopping. I think Lauren and Daniel have almost

everything they need at this point..... only missing one item......

We also ate lunch at yet another cafe-type establishment. It was very good, and very BIG! I ordered an egg salad sandwich.... I got an "egg & salad" sandwich. Check it out.

In this restaurant, it seems everything was big. (Look "behind" me)....

Tonight L & D will have dinner with some other friends that are here from Cincy, OH. Their friends are dropping off their

son to attend Hillsong College. Tami & I decided to skip the dinner and give them some time on their own. At least that's what we told them. Honestly, I just believe we really couldn't get there on time.....

"Five - Four - Three"

Today, these are 3 pretty cool numbers.... 54.3 miles on the bicycle this morning, starting at 5:30. I visited Madison, Athens, Decatur, & Moorseville in the almost 3.5 hours in the saddle. The last 9 miles, heading North, were the worst. I was pedaling straight into a strong wind. At times I dropped to single digit speeds. Of course, maybe it was simply because I was already fatigued, or maybe it was the bowl of butter pecan ice cream that I had at 9:00 last night. Nevertheless, I made it!! A new Personal Best.

It was really a beautiful ride this morning ... 67 degrees and sunny. It was beautiful to see the sun sneaking through the trees as it continued its climb. No cars, no other riders ... just me and the road in the early morning. I always enjoy the beauty of the back roads of Northern Alabama.

Speaking of beauty, we are only a few days away from boarding a jet to Sydney, Australia, to see our new grand daughter, Savannah Hope Windsor. She will be beautiful! Do I sound proud already....? We haven't seen our daughter and son-in-law in a little more than a year - except via Skype. Seeing Lauren and Daniel will also be a thrill.

It's my first trip down under - Tami's second. It will be smack in the middle of winter when we arrive. Boo!! But the warmth of a new family member will make it all worthwhile. I really can't wait to see the three of them.

Jordan will stay behind and "man the fort". Mom and Dad will be on the other side of the world....Freedom!! I can hear him chanting, and yelling now... I suspect that he'll be doing things that M & D might not ever allow.... cussing, spitting in the floor, lounging half naked on the couch watching who knows what from Netflix, etc. We'll check in using Skype to keep tabs on the place. Maybe I'll ask him to walk around with the laptop so I can see the actual state of affairs... Actually, Jordan is a very mature and capable young man.... except for the lounging part....

While in Australia, I'll probably be blogging often. I'll include plenty of pics of the new young lady. Trust me, she'll be beautiful - inside and out - just like her Mom...

I Look too Young.....

In July we are headed to Sydney, Australia to meet our new and 1st grandchild! Oh yeah ..... our daughter and son-in-law will be there too...

The new young lady is to be named Savannah Hope Windsor (excellent name!), and is set to meet everyone on July 12. Extremely cool, right? We are excited!!

My daughter asked me a few months ago, "what do you want Savannah to call you, Dad?". She suggested a few ideas: "grandpa, papa, papaw, granddaddy, peepee, poopoo, etc." My son gleefully offered "Grand Pawpoo and Grand Mamoo". My wife rejected those - "They sound too much like Shamou (the whale)".

Now, first of all, I still think I look & act too young to be a grandparent - at least I FEEL too young. There's no way I can think of myself as a papaw or grandpa. Those people are old...and grey....and can't see....and can't hear....and go to bed early...... and fall asleep on the couch during movies.....pause, pause..... OK, maybe I do qualify....

So what should my new granddaughter call me, once she can articulate a name? I told my daughter to start with "Mr. Bolte...and then we'll go from there."

Got any good name suggestions for me??