"Let me tell you about my Grandparents"

Gatlinburg family weekend Jan 2007

(the children and grandchildren -minus John David)

These are my Grandparents
(and conveniently my gorgeous niece..Holland)

My Grandparents are on my heart right now. My Grandfather was hospitalized on Thursday. Until yesterday he was in Critical Care in N'ville, he's now in regular room, but still not feeling well. With everything we have going on with Aaliyah right now, I'm not able to go. I would love to be there to do what I can and just share the load with the rest of my family (I'm the only grandchild that doesn't live in the N'ville area as my Mom is the only daughter that doesn't live in the N'ville area)
When I was a little girl, my grandfather had a license plate on the front of his truck that said "Let me tell you about my grandchildren" So using that....let me tell you about my grandparents..
As an Army brat I never lived close to my grandparents. Funny...I didn't really think about it...they visited often and created a set time each week to call to chat. They always found out what my sister and I were interested in and sent packages. I also had b'days at their house in the summers. And they would find things that were coming to the town where we lived and come and take us to things like the circus. I have 5 cousins that all grew up around my grandparents. But my grandparents ensured that we all felt close to them and each other. Quite a challenge when we lived across the country or in another country, but they put a ton of effort and made it happen. Now my family sees to it we get together at least once a year to reconnect. We have missed my grandparents when they haven't been able to make it because of their health, but they still want us to come together - it was always important to them and we all now honor and appreciate that importance - and we just all love to get together!! When we have our fun weekends we worship together as a family. What a legacy it is for my grandparents to have their 3 children, 7 grandchildren and an always growing number of great-grandchildren worshiping together and showing what this family's foundation has been built on.
My grandfather is a retired minister and a retired math professor from David Lipscomb! My grandmother stood by him all those years. In the little free time he had, he loved to do carpentry work and was always making gifts for others. he also wrote Bible class material/curriculum. My grandmother did ladies days, taught Bible classes, organized Vacation Bible schools and taught ladies classes. She always was busy with a quilt, sewing/smocking matching dresses for the granddaughters and painting the woodwork GrandDaddy created. They have been an overwhelming influence in the lives of many but most of all to their children and grandchildren (three daughters, six grand-daughters and the last....a grandson!!!!).

Their influence has been so great that each grandchild so far has named one of their children after them (hadn't ocurred to me til just now actually)...and two of my cousins are named after them, as well as my sister.
Truly...I'm am blessed to have
John and Elizabeth Holland as my grandparents!!
ALL THE NAME SAKES:John David & Elizabeth Jane

John Mark

babies L to R
Lizy, Holland, Scout Holland
Laura Beth in the middle is also named for my grandmother
the newest namesake - "Ellie" born in January