Blog
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
May 31, 2010: Elaine and I visited Germany March 30-April 8th. We get to see Isabella on Skype just about every day so the distance doesn't seem that great. And, Elaine and I have since retired. Not sure when we will get to travel to Germany again but Brynn will probably come here this summer or fall so we will make our plans around that.
January 17th, 2010: Brynn, Philipp and Isabella have returned home after a wonderful visit. Isabella got her first tooth on the trip home and has since gotten her second one. She is rolling over now, too. We get to see her every day or two on the webcam which will have to do, for now. Not sure when we will see them again but most likely either in April if Elaine and I decide to fly over on spring break, or in June if we decide to wait until then, and for sure in July when Brynn plans to visit again.
December 18th, 2009: The highly-anticipated second American tour of Isabella and her entourage begins Monday night at 6:24 at Nashville International Airport. It's gonna be a really, really good Christmas this year.
November 4th, 2009: 47 days until the return of Isabella! Oh, yeh, Brynn and Philipp are coming, too. :)
October 27th, 2009: The return date to the US is set. Brynn, Philipp, and Isabella will be back on December 21 and will be staying until January 8th. We see Isabella almost every day on webcam but nothing like holding her. She should be playing a little by the time they get here. Gonna be fun.
September 12, 2009: Haven't updated in awhile. Brynn and Isabella are here. Can't explain to non-grandparents what it feels like. Doesn't matter if she is crying or happy, it all feels good. They have to go home Monday, as I am sure her father is missing them, but I'll deal with that on Monday.
August 23, 2009: Isabella is doing well. She got to use her passports for the first time this weekend when Brynn and Philipp took her to Switzerland where they attended a wedding party while Philipp's parents got to watch over Isabella. She then got to meet her great-grandmother on Saturday in Tuttlingen, Germany. Brynn and Isabella will be here for a visit from Sept 3 - Sept 14.
August 7, 2009 Update: Elaine is home. I'm sure that leaving Isabella was very hard for her but we are glad to have her home and we will be seeing Brynn and Isabella here Labor Day.
July 30, 2009 Update: Brynn and Isabella are doing fine. Elaine is still there but will be coming home a week from today. Be kinda nice to see her again.
July 22, 2009 Update: Brynn got to go home from the hospital on Monday and Isabella is doing great. Elaine took another German class today to learn that language where every few words you hear them say "garbage" or "hocker".
I always knew, and have witnessed, that grandparents are not sane. Yesterday at Walmart I showed Isabella's picture on my cellphone to everyone I knew, even if I hadn't seen them in 29 years. And, when one of her pictures comes up on my screensaver and I happen to look up, I grin like a complete fool... and don't care.
July 15, 2009 Update: It's a Girl!!! Wait, we already knew that. 19 1/2 inches long and 7 lb. 5 oz (I think, metric system) with dark hair and great lungs. I am listening to her on speaker phone now (1:45 AM) waiting for Brynn to get back in her room. Mom and baby are doing great and, of course, she is beautiful!!
July 15, 2009 Update: Just got an email from my wife, Elaine, in Germany and I hope she wouldn't mind me sharing it. It says, in part, "Our granddaughter's full name is Isabella Elaine Renz!!!!! I cried."
Brynn had never mentioned what the middle name would be.
July 13, 2009 Update:Wednesday, July 15th, is the day we have long awaited. Elaine is in Karlsruhe for the blessed event and will stay for three weeks to help with the baby.
July 6, 2009 Update: Too many changes going on. Philipp received a promotion at work today and they are staying in Germany. I am happy for them, actually, but was looking forward to them being a little closer to home. Now I will have to spend summers in Germany.
July 4, 2009 Update: Brynn is scheduled to have a c-section on July 15 because, just like her mom, Isabella has decided to enter the world backwards.
Elaine will be traveling to Germany on the 12th and staying until the first week of August while I have decided I can best help by staying out of the way. Except for the webcam visits I will have to wait until Labor Day to see the granddaughter but, since Brynn and Philipp are then moving to Albany, NY, I will get to see her occasionally. Of course, never often enough!
Katie and Mark had successful spring semesters at ETSU and wll be returning there in the fall. Katie has also been taking a couple of classes this summer at Columbia State.
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At the age of 56, after watching many friends become grandfathers up to a decade or more ago, it is my turn!
Our daughter, Brynn, is expecting with the due date some time in mid to late July. Elaine and I are thrilled for her and her husband, Philipp, and they will be very caring, very loving parents. In turn, we are excited that there will be a grandchild to spoil and fully intend to do our part.
The birth will take place in Karlsruhe, Germany which is where they currently live. Elaine is going to France and Spain in late May and early June with a group of students from Lawrence County High and then she will travel on her own from Spain to Germany to visit Brynn for a week or so. Elaine will go back to Germany to spend a few weeks before and after the baby is born.
I, on the other hand, will most likely stay home. It will be much easier for all involved if Elaine goes by herself and stays as long as she can. School will be starting here before she returns so it looks like I will be warming up the webcam. I admit it will be hard to stay here once the moment starts getting close.
Brynn can't work full-time for two years, by German law, and the public frowns on you if you don't take three years off. She gets paid, though, as an encouragement for Germans to have children. That may be one of the reasons their tax rate is 42%, also.
Also, Katie is back in school:
Empty Nest Syndrome... or Strange Days Are Coming
Nest No Longer Empty
She is ready to be in school and will be very successful. She also has big brother Mark up at ETSU with her and the two of them together will enjoy the coming months and years. I envy their youth and potential and the good times they are going to be having.
Once again, everyone in the family is where they are supposed to be at this moment in time.
Posted by CoachT at 4:05 PM · 501 Views · COMMENTS
Grandfatherhood!!
May 31, 2010: Elaine and I visited Germany March 30-April 8th. We get to see Isabella on Skype just about every day so the distance doesn't seem that great. And, Elaine and I have since retired. Not sure when we will get to travel to Germany again but Brynn will probably come here this summer or fall so we will make our plans around that.
January 17th, 2010: Brynn, Philipp and Isabella have returned home after a wonderful visit. Isabella got her first tooth on the trip home and has since gotten her second one. She is rolling over now, too. We get to see her every day or two on the webcam which will have to do, for now. Not sure when we will see them again but most likely either in April if Elaine and I decide to fly over on spring break, or in June if we decide to wait until then, and for sure in July when Brynn plans to visit again.
December 18th, 2009: The highly-anticipated second American tour of Isabella and her entourage begins Monday night at 6:24 at Nashville International Airport. It's gonna be a really, really good Christmas this year.
November 4th, 2009: 47 days until the return of Isabella! Oh, yeh, Brynn and Philipp are coming, too. :)
October 27th, 2009: The return date to the US is set. Brynn, Philipp, and Isabella will be back on December 21 and will be staying until January 8th. We see Isabella almost every day on webcam but nothing like holding her. She should be playing a little by the time they get here. Gonna be fun.
September 12, 2009: Haven't updated in awhile. Brynn and Isabella are here. Can't explain to non-grandparents what it feels like. Doesn't matter if she is crying or happy, it all feels good. They have to go home Monday, as I am sure her father is missing them, but I'll deal with that on Monday.
August 23, 2009: Isabella is doing well. She got to use her passports for the first time this weekend when Brynn and Philipp took her to Switzerland where they attended a wedding party while Philipp's parents got to watch over Isabella. She then got to meet her great-grandmother on Saturday in Tuttlingen, Germany. Brynn and Isabella will be here for a visit from Sept 3 - Sept 14.
August 7, 2009 Update: Elaine is home. I'm sure that leaving Isabella was very hard for her but we are glad to have her home and we will be seeing Brynn and Isabella here Labor Day.
July 30, 2009 Update: Brynn and Isabella are doing fine. Elaine is still there but will be coming home a week from today. Be kinda nice to see her again.
July 22, 2009 Update: Brynn got to go home from the hospital on Monday and Isabella is doing great. Elaine took another German class today to learn that language where every few words you hear them say "garbage" or "hocker".
I always knew, and have witnessed, that grandparents are not sane. Yesterday at Walmart I showed Isabella's picture on my cellphone to everyone I knew, even if I hadn't seen them in 29 years. And, when one of her pictures comes up on my screensaver and I happen to look up, I grin like a complete fool... and don't care.
July 15, 2009 Update: It's a Girl!!! Wait, we already knew that. 19 1/2 inches long and 7 lb. 5 oz (I think, metric system) with dark hair and great lungs. I am listening to her on speaker phone now (1:45 AM) waiting for Brynn to get back in her room. Mom and baby are doing great and, of course, she is beautiful!!
July 15, 2009 Update: Just got an email from my wife, Elaine, in Germany and I hope she wouldn't mind me sharing it. It says, in part, "Our granddaughter's full name is Isabella Elaine Renz!!!!! I cried."
Brynn had never mentioned what the middle name would be.
July 13, 2009 Update:Wednesday, July 15th, is the day we have long awaited. Elaine is in Karlsruhe for the blessed event and will stay for three weeks to help with the baby.
July 6, 2009 Update: Too many changes going on. Philipp received a promotion at work today and they are staying in Germany. I am happy for them, actually, but was looking forward to them being a little closer to home. Now I will have to spend summers in Germany.
July 4, 2009 Update: Brynn is scheduled to have a c-section on July 15 because, just like her mom, Isabella has decided to enter the world backwards.
Elaine will be traveling to Germany on the 12th and staying until the first week of August while I have decided I can best help by staying out of the way. Except for the webcam visits I will have to wait until Labor Day to see the granddaughter but, since Brynn and Philipp are then moving to Albany, NY, I will get to see her occasionally. Of course, never often enough!
Katie and Mark had successful spring semesters at ETSU and wll be returning there in the fall. Katie has also been taking a couple of classes this summer at Columbia State.
-------------
At the age of 56, after watching many friends become grandfathers up to a decade or more ago, it is my turn!
Our daughter, Brynn, is expecting with the due date some time in mid to late July. Elaine and I are thrilled for her and her husband, Philipp, and they will be very caring, very loving parents. In turn, we are excited that there will be a grandchild to spoil and fully intend to do our part.
The birth will take place in Karlsruhe, Germany which is where they currently live. Elaine is going to France and Spain in late May and early June with a group of students from Lawrence County High and then she will travel on her own from Spain to Germany to visit Brynn for a week or so. Elaine will go back to Germany to spend a few weeks before and after the baby is born.
I, on the other hand, will most likely stay home. It will be much easier for all involved if Elaine goes by herself and stays as long as she can. School will be starting here before she returns so it looks like I will be warming up the webcam. I admit it will be hard to stay here once the moment starts getting close.
Brynn can't work full-time for two years, by German law, and the public frowns on you if you don't take three years off. She gets paid, though, as an encouragement for Germans to have children. That may be one of the reasons their tax rate is 42%, also.
Also, Katie is back in school:
Empty Nest Syndrome... or Strange Days Are Coming
Nest No Longer Empty
She is ready to be in school and will be very successful. She also has big brother Mark up at ETSU with her and the two of them together will enjoy the coming months and years. I envy their youth and potential and the good times they are going to be having.
Once again, everyone in the family is where they are supposed to be at this moment in time.
