A Haven for Vee

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

He's Fourteen

A Native American grandfather was talking to his grandson about how he felt. He said, 'I feel as if I have two wolves fighting in my heart. One wolf is the vengeful, violent one, the other wolf is the loving, compassionate one.' The grandson asked him, 'Which wolf will win the fight in your heart?' The grandfather answered, 'The one I feed.'

My January grandsons have each celebrated his birthday six days apart (just like always). This year, they were blessed with a trip to Boston and a Celtics Game. Thanks to a loving great-aunt, they were treated to a private box to watch the Celtics lose. (The Celtics' loss was the only bad part.)

They each play on their school teams and a rec team. On the rec team, they are teammates. It was fun to watch them play last Saturday. 






Sam has always preferred the action shots. (He's number 10 btw.) I missed too many so was happy to hand over my iPhone to Laurel. She did a good job capturing three that I hope Sam likes.

Afterward, we went out for supper at a local restaurant where one grand ordered lobster and the other a hot dog. My daughter, whose treat it was, thought it all balanced out. 




Sam's School Picture this year 2019–2020



A father~son comparison

Time has always intrigued me. It went by quickly enough when I was a child, faster still when my children were young, and it's really zipping these days.

Wasn't it just yesterday that Sam was waiting with his dad for the school bus on the first day of school? Sure do love this young man and I admire his athletic ability, too. Mostly, he's becoming a salt of the earth person who is a pleasure to spend time with.


Just as soon as Jakob's school picture becomes available, I'll be back with another installment of where has the time flown?

Speaking of which, where did January go? We were blessed with a mild one, only a few snowstorms, not too many bitter cold days, yet a lot of sickness. Hope everyone stays vertical from here on out.

Thank you for your visit!


43 comments:

  1. Your words confirm my theory that grandchildren grow even faster than children do. How does that happen? Oh, but it's such a joy to see them grow and thrive!

    Happy birthday to your handsome 14-year-old (wow) grandson! Great shots of Sam in action!

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  2. Handsome young men there Vee. So exciting watching those kids play ball isn't it? I love watching ours. Happy birthday to your grandson. WOW! Yes, January is coming to an end. One of my daughters told me she felt as January had been the longest month ever to her. I told her to wait till she was my age...it would quickly! Love that quote Vee. I have heard that before but timing was perfect this morning as It was the first thing I read. I have copied it down as it will go perfect with my Bible Study lesson that I am teaching on tonight. God is good with His timing. Hugs and blessings to you dear lady. Cindy

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  3. Oh wow...14??? Have I known you this long? I often wonder where this precious time has gone, sigh.

    Happy, Happy Birthday to Sam and Jakob. smiles

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  4. Lots of winter birthdays in our family too! Sure is fun to look back and see how these youngsters have grown! As blog buddies...we've watched in happen right here on our blogs! Teen agers....how did THAT happen! Enjoy your day! Hope you are feeling good this week! Lots of hugs, Diane

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  5. Those handsome boys are growing up fast! Love the quote at the beginning of your post.

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  6. Happy Birthday to Sam and Jake! Both teenagers now. I agree about time. Fast and faster! Sam looks like Adam.

    What a blessing to see the generations.

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  7. Great quote at the beginning of the post. I've heard it before but it makes such an important point and absolutely stands the test of time.

    Wonderful shots of Sam in action! Is Jake in these game photos as well?

    Sam is such a handsome young man, but even better is your observation about his character. Spiritual growth and character growth are among the requests I pray daily for our grands. "Our" Sam will turn 16 in March and I just don't know where that time has gone. Four of our other grands are teens also: 18, 16, and two 13-year-olds.

    As to January flying by -- it's crazy to think that 2020 is already one-twelfth over. Hope you are having a good week.

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  8. You have such attractive, healthy grandsons. Yes, time does fly, doesn't it?

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  9. Those action shots are great (and hard to come by!). Lobster and a hot dog. Yes, it evens out.

    Thanks for posting. It's always good to hear from you, Vee!

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  10. Hi Vee!

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Sam and Jake!

    What great action shots! I love those, feet off the ground kind of basketball shots! Very handsome young men, and I love that one likes lobster and the other one a hot dog...my kind of kids!

    Time did go by slowly when we are young, but today, time seems to fly past me like I am standing still.

    It snowed here all day long, and today, the roads are very slick. I'll be happy to see warmer weather. March is our big birthday month, so I am gearing up for lots of birthday cake and ice cream!

    Take care, Vee, always in my prayers.

    Hugs and Love,
    Barb

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  11. A most lovely post, Vee. Happy Birthday to your handsome grandsons, and I look forward to reading about Jake's celebration, too. An experience kind of gift creates wonderful memories for you, and for the celebrant, hopefully. It's what we are trying to do with our grands, as well.
    Your opening story about the grandfather's wise words relates well to your post on IG. Choosing the best is often difficult, but so worthwhile in the long run. I value the friendships made through social media, but find that spending time online takes away from more worthwhile things. I'm contemplating a couple of social media free days each week as a start.
    Have a good day, Vee, you are in my prayers. I'm off to write report cards and lesson plans. No classes until the afternoon today.

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  12. What a wonderful birthday celebration!! I love the lobster to hot dog menu choices! But what did YOU order? Inquiring minds want to know!!! Remember that saying from long ago about The National Inquirer newspaper?
    Loved seeing the father son pose from the past. Grands are wonderful and give us hope for the future. May they all be ‘salt of the earth’ kind of people!

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    Replies
    1. Sirloin...☺️
      Adam...hamburger
      Michelle...Shrimp Alfredo
      Laurel...Artichoke pizza
      Now you don’t know which grand ordered the lobster and which one ordered a 🌭.

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  13. The quote at the beginning was very thought provoking, Vee! Happy Birthday to your both grandsons. It’s nice to know that Sam is “salt of the earth” and so handsome, too. I look forward to the pictures of Jake. I’d be the one ordering the lobster, too. It’s making me hungry just thinking about it. I’m glad you were out and about enjoying the games and the birthday meal. 🥰

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  14. Happy birthday to your grandsons, I can see they had fun celebrating. I would choose lobster, yum.

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  15. Happy Birthday to both your grandsons.
    They sure do grow fast. I get to see my two youngest grandkids in April!! : )
    My youngest just turned 14 on the 10th.
    So nice to see the pictures!!

    Our Pastor told us that story not too long ago.

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  16. What a great birthday gift for a basketball player/fan. Father and son really do resemble each other. Love these kinds of photo comparisons. What a bonus to have two grandsons playing on the same team. 2 birds with one stone for watching the sporting events. #10 has some skills! Our sons played soccer on the same team in high school and that was good. Sorry to hear about the illnesses in January and hoping with you that everyone is upright the rest of the winter and beyond.

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  17. Happy birthday to your grandsons! Sam is such a handsome young man, Vee, and it sounds like he is respectful and honest which is even more of an asset in life.
    I agree that time is flying by too fast! It makes me a little melancholy at times but I try to savor each day as much as possible.

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  18. Enjoyed your sharing of your grandsons Vee! They look like fine young men, and what a darling picture of Sam with his dad! I'm with you... time is on a slippery slope. It seems to go faster and faster. Praying for you, and hoping that spring comes soon to your world :) Blessings to you!

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  19. What a fine looking young man Sam is. And I'm looking forward to seeing Jacob's school photo. But may they both be salt of the earth people. My oldest grandchild Nathan turned 15 in December. Time is something I struggle to comprehend, and not that successfully. It always amazes me. (I turned 75 last Sunday. That was also hard to comprehend.)

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  20. Gosh those little boys are all grown up now - time does fly!
    We used to attend exciting Celtics games when we lived in MA and Bob worked in Boston - that was in the '60's and I'm wondering where all those years have gone!
    Glad your winter has been mild, ours too, BUT we still have February and March to deal with and they can be hard months.
    Stay well dear Vee - each day is a precious gift.

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  21. Sending Birthday wishes for your Grandsons. It has been a mild winter here too but the harsh winds are a little daunting at times. Hope all is well with you Vee you remain in my prayers.

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  22. What a handsome boy....I know how proud you must be Vee....love that you shared this! Hope it was a fun-filled birthday..hugs from Texas!

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  23. I've been thinking a lot lately about how fast time has gone with our grandchildren. Stephanie's oldest turns eighteen on Sunday and graduates from high school this year (they homeschool). She has already been accepted to a Christian college in the Fall. It honestly seems like yesterday that her mom was graduating and we were getting her ready for her first year in college! Times does seem to go faster the older we get.

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  24. What handsome men you have in your life Vee :) Happy birthday to them.

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  25. This post just tickled me pink, Vee, I showed the photos to my dh who was a coach for many years, he said Sam's jump shot was awesome, and that his follow through was perfect, he says tell Sam to practice practice, practice!
    Happy happy birthday to both Sam and Jake, what a joy it has been for me to see them grow into such fine young men
    I agree with you about the time process, and just wait until you get to my age, it will zip by even more so!~wink~
    Thank you for all of your prayers, dh is getting stronger each day!
    Love to you and yours,
    Sue

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  26. Gosh, the males in your family are sure good looking....xoxo

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  27. Yes, where has the time gone? How can your handsome grandsons be so grown up already? Glad to see them playing basketball. I loved basketball and softball in my youth...and my grands have not really shown much interest in those sports as yet. Smiling at their picks off the menu. :) Happy birthday to Sam and Jacob from someone who also celebrates a January birthday.

    PS I definitely see the father-son resemblance!

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  28. What lovely photos and such fine looking fellows. Sounds like the birthday lads had a wonderful time. What a great experience. Too bad the right team didn't win.

    Wishing you a beautiful weekend, Vee.
    Brenda xox

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  29. The reflection was a great way to start this post. It's one my husband has often used to start a meeting. - It's been so sweet to watch the boys grow and remember the different interests through the year. Sam and Jacob have a wonderful family teaching them great values in life.

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  30. So nice to see your post Vee! What a very handsome grandson. It is absolutely true about how fast the years are flying by in this season of life. Have a wonderful weekend.

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  31. Vee, somehow I keep losing your blog address in my favorites...I will try again to get you there so I see you each day. Love the pictures of your grandsons. How special. We love our dozen!!

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  32. What a fun birthday! And such a handsome guy, that Sam...just like his father. Fourteen can be a rough age...our Parker will turn 13 in a couple of weeks and yes, it makes me a bit sad that our grands seem to grow quicker than our own kiddos did. The quote is so appropriate for any age but particularly for a youth trying to figure out what life's all about....wonderful post. I found your lovely header quite interesting...were you getting ready to make a pumpkin pie in your air fryer??? :)

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  33. Hi Vee,

    Well first of all, I've always liked the name Sam. :) And secondly, your Sam is a handsome young fellow -- such pretty eyes. Yes, they do grow up so quickly, don't they, and I agree that time is flying by. When our Will was little I remember saying to my grandmother that time was flying. She replied, "Wait until you get my age." I'm starting to understand what she meant, for sure.

    I just love when grandparents are supportive of their children and grandchildren by attending their activities. Both sets of our parents have done that, and I will be forever grateful and I believe our son will too. I hope you're feeling well these days, Vee. Also, I really like the Native American saying at the beginning of your post. Very true, too. Have a great week!

    Warm hugs,

    Denise at Forest Manor

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  34. Your grandson is very handsome! And I love the tale.
    Amalia
    xo

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  35. Good looking boys. Hope they had Happy Birthday's!

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  36. Vee, popped in here to comment on your "2 cents" -- thank you for that! Totally agree.

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    1. Yes, I completely agree. What a sane voice in the midst of insanity. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

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  37. Well, here I am again playing catch-up and just now finding out about your "illness" ... I am the queen of inconsistency when it comes to blogging (you have certainly figured that out by now... I have the "want to" but just not the discipline!) and just have to say how much I admire you. Even while going through all this, you still maintain this beautiful Haven of yours. I am officially adding you to my prayer list, Vee, and believe that God will bring you through this. I loved reading back through and seeing your grands and the Christmas posts and even the fall foliage posts I missed. May you know the nearness of Jesus now more than ever before!

    Christi

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  38. Just read this post again :) It was just as good the second time around! And also read your post about your 2C worth, and just wanted to add... agreed. Boundaries keep being pushed farther and farther. God Help Us.

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  39. Hi Vee, I'm catching up on some blog reading, a few months late! Loved seeing your father and son photo. I do the same thing with photos and thoughts. Can't get over how quickly your grandsons have grown into young men, but mine are growing quickly as well, and that's just life. It just seems like it's all going much faster at our age, as you said!

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