“Children are a gift from the Lord, they are a reward from him . . .

May you live to enjoy your grandchildren.”

Psalm 127:3, 128:6

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We found out two weeks ago that grandchild # 11 is on the way, and this week, we heard grandchild # 12 will arrive about six weeks after that.

So what if the stock market takes a dive? We’re rich!

What’s fun is how our kids break the news:

• One of our daughters invited us to breakfast with her and her husband. We were clueless even when she pushed two small wrapped packages across the diner table. What could it be? Tickets to a concert? Books? Seed packets for the garden?

Bibs. They wrapped up two baby bibs to tell us they were expecting.

• Another daughter and her husband took us out to dinner, and over appetizers casually asked us if we had any special plans for October.

Again, clueless. No, we said, nothing special. Laughing, they said, “Well, then, could mom come help with a new baby?”

That method was used again recently by one of our sons and his wife. We’re starting to get twitchy when our kids invite us out to eat.

They haven’t all shared the good news that way, though. One daugher-in-law pulled us aside in the kitchen just before Thanksgiving dinner and whispered “Shhh — it’s still a secret, but we’re pregnant.”

I think she really enjoyed the blank look on my face until I realized what she’d just said. Then, twinkle-eyed, she shushed me while our son looked on, grinning.

The latest announcement came as a sonogram picture. Our daughter-in-law pulled that wispy paper with grainy black-and-white images out of her purse and said, “We just found out — we’re so excited!”

And so are we. Sharing joy with each other is one of the hallmarks of a family.

Our kids have included us in their happiness, invited us into the fun. By making their baby-is-coming announcements full of joy, they’ve set the stage for us to be involved in ways that are meaningful to all of us.

Here are four things to think about when there’s a new-baby-coming announcement in your family:

1. Whatever the circumstances, this is good news you’re sharing! Go ahead and rejoice in it! Joy is contagious — and if you’re happy, chances are good everyone else around you will be happy, too.
2. Have fun with the big reveal — let excitement and creativity carry you away, even if only for a little while.
3. Baby news will mean changes in your relationship–invest in a fresh start if you need to. Forgive where forgiveness is needed, and forget anything that should be forgotten.
4. Make time to thank God for this gift. Ask for His protection of the child and his mother. Spend time in prayer for your family.

From generation to generation, God is at work!

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Holly loves being part of the adventure as her kids become parents. She says it’s an up-close view of God at work. For more adventures, join her at www.grandma-holly-on-board.blogspot.com.