The Monks have a grandson!

I know he's been waiting, hoping, dreaming ... that someday he'd have a grandson to play with. To wrestle to the ground like he used to do with his now-grown sons. My dad has been patiently waiting for the day he would get a grandson to tease and to hold and to love. Not that he doesn't love his granddaughters; there's lots of love there. But the first grandson ... something about his little puffy eyes and his tiny, precious newborn squeaks that bring a special smile to grandpa's lips.


My sister Lori had Brenton Michael Monk (named after my dad, of course), on Feb. 5th. He is an adorable little guy. So tiny and ridiculously tan. I got to spend a week with little Brenton and Lori.









This was also my dad's first time meeting Analyn. It was fun to watch my dad with her. One minute he'd have her smiling and giddy, and the next minute all it took was one look from him and in seconds her lips would start to quiver and she'd end up crying with fear. By the end of our trip, though, she loved him. I wish we lived closer so Analyn could see her grandparents more often.








I got to hang out with my brother Steve and his family as well. Bella loved meeting her two new cousins. Analyn doesn't know it yet, but she and her older cousin Bella will be good friends. And the two of them will most definitely gang up on Brenton and make him participate in tea parties and all sorts of fun dress-up occasions.











Analyn met another special person while we were in Utah. She had the privilege of meeting her great grandfather, my grandpa, Grandpa Bonner. He is my mother's father. He's a great man, and I think that may be the last and only time Analyn will get to meet him before he leaves this life. I'm so glad that she got at least one visit. She also met my Aunt Anna, who takes care of my grandpa.