"More Photos Of My Adorable Grandson!"

On the 1st of September, Dion went over to visit Josh and Noah and he had a great time. Noah was still taking his nap when he got there, so he talked to Josh for a while, and patiently waited for Noah to wake up.


Every time we go to Josh and Chrissy's place, we take our camera along so that we can take picture. Lately, Chrissy isn't there anymore because she's at her job at the bank and we're usually just stopping by after a physical therapy appointment for me or a doctor's appointment for Dion and it's a couple hours before Josh has to drop Noah off at Chrissy's mom and dad's house so they can watch him while Josh and Chrissy are both at work. Then Chrissy goes over there after work and stays until Josh gets home, or at least until it's Noah's bedtime.


I wish that Josh had normal, daytime hours for his job, but he makes good money and it's a good job with lots of responsibility, plus he's excellent at it and the main point is that he loves it. The fact that he loves his job is worth his weight in gold!


Anyway, after a little while, Noah did wake up and these are the pictures that Dion took of him. He sure is adorable, isn't he? He has been gorgeous since the moment he was born. But the best part of him is his sweet little spirit. He is so filled with joy and love that it just oozes out of him. You can tell that Josh and Chrissy shower him with love—and so do the rest of us! We can't help it—we love him so much!





Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Happy Fourth of July Weekend!"

I have some really wonderful news. Chrissy, Josh's wife, got a new job! Remember how she used to work as a cashier at the P&C Foods grocery store right near where Dion works? Well, now she works as a bank teller at the Five Star Bank in Geneva, New York (I'm not sure which one, though). From what Dion says, she basically went in, asked if they had any jobs available, filled out an application, was interviewed, and then was hired on the spot. I'm really not surprised at all. Chrissy is very smart, she is also very pretty, and she presents herself to the public in a professional and pleasing manner. I bet she'll boost the business at the bank, too. Furthermore, I won't be surprised if she moves up to a position with more responsibility in a short amount of time, too.

She's an intelligent girl and I bet she'll do well at the bank. I hope she loves it there. I want so much for her to be happy at her job! I don't know what she aspires to be, but if this makes her happy, then I'm happy, too! It only makes sense that if you are happy in your job, then it will carry over into your home life, because it is equally true that when you are unhappy in your job, it definitely carries over into your home life.

I am certain that this kind of job is bound to increase Chrissy's self-esteem, and I'm so happy for her. I think the world of that girl and I pray that she and Josh will be able to get over whatever hurdles they are experiencing right now in their young marriage, especially for the sake of precious little Noah. I don't know if either of them can even fathom what is really at stake if there marriage were to break up. Let's just pray that it never reaches that stage.





Jon was supposed to spend the weekend with us this weekend, starting right after he was done with work this afternoon, but we never heard from him. Dion's not feeling well, so he said not to call anyone because he doesn't feel like talking to anyone. I hope it doesn't backfire on me like it always does. I usually get blamed because they think I'm the one that's keeping him from calling!

I understand, though. He just did not feel good. And when you're feeling like that, you just don't feel like chatting, and I'm never going to go against what Dion says not to do. He's the boss. And if anyone gets angry, then so be it. I have to obey my husband. They Bible says so, and this was not life or death, or illegal, or anything like that...so my choice is to always obey him in those instances. He would never ask me to otherwise, anyways. He's a good man, and I trust and love him totally.

I'm just hoping he'll feel better by tomorrow. I'm so worried about him. He's so run down and worn out from work. They run him ragged and they don't even appreciate him!

Well, here's wishing everyone a safe and Happy 4th of July weekend! We also hope that the Tea Parties around the country had a great showing. If Dion hadn't have been sick, we would have both been there, too!



Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Photos of Noah, Our Grandson, at Five Weeks Old!"

Dion, otherwise known as "Grandpa," dropped by to see our little grandson, Noah, and his mommy and daddy on Wednesday, 09 June 2009, which happens to be my twin sisters', Barbara and Beverly's birthday.

Chrissy is such a lovely girl, and she, Josh, and Noah look so happy together. When I see photos like this one, it makes me wish for just a moment, that I could turn back the hands of time, so that I could have shared moments like that with Dion, but it's such a waste of time to do that. Besides, if we were to change anything in either of our lives, then we wouldn't have the life and love that we now have, and that would be a tragedy, so forget it! I love things just as they are. I only pray that I have many, many, many more years to share with Dion, because I love him so much!

As you can clearly see, little Noah totally loves his daddy! He stares up at him, listens to his voice, and seems to worship him...and believe me, the feelings are returned! Josh loves that little boy so much that I think it's overwhelming to him at times.
And, Josh will finally be able to realize how Dion feels about him! That's a good thing!

While Dion was taking photos and talking with Josh and Chrissy, all the sudden, Josh said, "Watch this, Dad." Josh had been holding Noah as he was standing on his lap, and then Josh let go. Dion couldn't believe his eyes! Little Noah was standing there, all by himself, at five weeks old! Is that amazing or what? It looks like he may beat his father's record, because Josh was up and walking at ten months old, so we'll see what happens.

Josh wears his grandfather's sunglasses now; you can see them best in the picture at the top of the page. They belonged to Dion's father, Duane Richard Hammond. How I wish Duane were here to meet Noah in person. Noah would have been his very first great-grandchild!

I bet Duane would have gone over to Josh & Chrissy's and tried to pick Noah up, and take him with him to different places all the time, but he would have had a big fight on his hands, because I think that Dion is going to be doing that himself.

I think that Dion is surprised at how much he loves the little guy, but I'm not! I knew he would! I can't wait until Noah looks up at Dion one day and says that magic word, in his sweet little boy voice: "Gampa!"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Two-week-old Noah's photos!"

This past Saturday, 16 May 2009, Dion (my husband) drove Jon (our son) and me out to see our other son, Josh and his wife, Chrissy and their two-week-old baby, Noah, who just happens to be our very first grandchild.

Jon had never in his life held a baby before, so when Noah gets older, I can't wait to show him the photos of Uncle Jon trying to get used to putting a little tiny baby in those great big hands of his. It was really an adorable sight! He did very well, though. I think Jon is going to make a great Dad--just like Josh and just like his own father has been.

I had never seen Josh and Chrissy's new apartment before--they moved there just before the baby arrived. It is so adorable! It's really quite big and it's really nice inside. My only problem if it were my place would be the stairs. I didn't mind them when I was in my apartment in Interlaken, just before I married Dion, and also when I lived in the townhouses in Virginia and Texas, but my knees aren't in the same shape as they were back then. Plus, I can't imagine myself being able to carry a baby up and down those stairs, but Josh and Chrissy will probably be able to handle it with no problem at all. I'll pray that nothing happens, just to be on the safe side, though. Other than that, it's an ideal place to live. I don't like living in town and this is the perfect combination of being just far enough outside of town so that it feels like it nowheres near, and just near enough so that you don't feel like you're out in the boonies. I think you can probably tell that I love their apartment, right?

I guess it must be just like riding a bike, because when Dion took baby Noah in his arms, you sure could tell that he was a pro. It's been a long, long time since these two boys were little. Jon's almost 18 and Josh is almost 22! Can you believe that?

And now, blessedly, we have a wonderful daughter, too, besides the most adorable grandson in the whole wide world!

I'm kind of ashamed that I haven't pinned Josh down on exactly when Chrissy's birthday is and how old she is, but I'm pretty sure that she'll be 22 yrs. old in December (on Christmas day, I believe). We'll see how close I am when I ask him the next time I see him--or else I'll have his dad ask him.

She let me hold Noah for at least a half an hour or maybe even a little longer, and I was so happy. It felt so wonderful to have him in my arms. I had such an overwhelming need to have a baby of my own, and I know that it will never happen. It's just too late now. Plus, with the way my health is now, I'm not sure that I could handle it. I resent my "ex" so much for what he did to me to make me lose my own babies (he was an abusive husband). I forgave him, but then I pick it up all over again. I need the Lord's help with this one, because it's such a huge ache in my heart. Thankfully, Dion understands and is very supportive and loves me no matter what. I love him so much!

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Say 'Hello' To Our Brand New Grandson!"

Announcing the arrival of our first-ever grandchild, I give you: Noah Christian Hammond Noah is the son of Joshua James and Christina Elizabeth (Scowcroft) Hammond, and the grandson of Dion Richard and Cynde Lou (Bond) Hammond, all from Upstate New York. He was born at 3:15 a.m. on Saturday, 02 May 2009, in the Geneva General Hospital. Noah weighed 7 lbs. 9 ozs. and was 20 inches long, with a head full of curly, medium-dark brown hair.

When Dion and I visited Josh and Chrissy at the hospital, Noah was in the room, snuggled in hisMommy's arms. I was so overwhelmed with feelings of love for him that tears immediately filled my eyes. He definitely looks like a "Hammond," that's for sure; he's the spitting image of Josh, and he also looks just like Josh did when he was a baby (and he looked like Dana, too). He looks like a perfect cross between Josh and Chrissy, too, which is great because they are both extremely good-looking kids. Noah looks like Dion, too, because Josh looks like Dion (his Dad) so I'm happy as can be!

This has been, without a doubt, one of the best days of my entire life! I feel so thankful and blessed by the Lord. I am thankful that Noah is well and that everything is alright with Chrissy. I do feel bad that she had to have a cesarean section (C-section) delivery, but I thank the Lord that He watched over her throughout it, and that she's going to be fine. I pray that she'll heal quickly and that she won't have a lot of pain and suffering--I love her so much.

I'll be posting more photos as I get them, and I'll probably bore you to tears with stories about my new little guy, but I promise you...the stories will all be filled with love!

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Our Son Got Married!"

********************** Have you ever heard the phrase, "A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words?" Well, I certainly think that the photo to the left, of our son, Joshua, embracing his new bride, Christina, at their marriage ceremony yesterday, qualifies as one of the pictures that are worth a thousand words, don't you agree? He looks as if he may be thinking, "She's mine now...we can do whatever we want!"







************ On Saturday, the eleventh day of April in the year of our Lord 2009, at 1:00 p.m., Miss Christina Elizabeth Scowcroft was joined in Holy Matrimony to Joshua James Hammond.






The attendees that were present to witness the blessed event, which took place at the town of Junius Court House in the State of New York, are pictured above. In addition to Judge Brian Laird, who presided over the event, from left to right they are: Chrissy's father, Terry Scowcroft; Chrissy's mother, Linda Scowcroft; Cynde (me, Josh & Jon's stepmother--but I love them as if they were my own and I hate that word step in front of mother!); Dion (my husband, Josh & Jon's father); Chrissy; Josh & Jon's grandmother, Barbara Hammond (back row, Dion's mother); Josh; Jon (our other son); and Josh's mother (Dion's "ex," also Jon's mother.)






Needless to say, Dion and I are very happy that Josh and Chrissy decided to get married before little Noah makes his entrance into the world, as there wasn't much time left to spare: he's due on the 18th of April! It's all in the Lord's perfect timing, right?

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Help! I've Fallen and I Can't... "

**********************I've fallen a few times lately, but Praise the Lord it happened in the living room where the carpet is nice and fluffy, or I could have really gotten hurt!

I never know when it's going to happen. I'll be walking along, and all of the sudden, it seems like my hip just *S*N*A*P*S*! When I take my next step...my leg is like a soup ~n~o~o~d~l~e~ and down. I. go! Keep in mind that I can't catch my fall, because it would totally destroy my hands and arms if I tried. I tried anyway, because it was an involuntary reflex...and it hurt me, but not as bad as I thought it would.

I'm very grateful, obviously. But, I knew I'd have to find a temporary solution to this problem, while I'm waiting to be able to go to physical therapy for the osteoarthritis that I have in both knees, both hips and my left shoulder. My sister, Carol, thought of getting a big ace bandage to wrap around my knee, so the next time we went shopping, we picked one up that was four inches wides. I could get one of those leg braces, but I'd have to go back to the doctor's and pay for another doctor visit. No thanks. I already have enough bills coming up. I'm contemplating going to the Chiropractic College's Health Dept. in Seneca Falls for my physical therapy, but right now, we don't have a vehicle. Not even one! My poor 1990 Cutlass Supreme L/S Oldsmobile, "Rocket," (that's what the boys named her when they were little) is ill and is waiting to be fixed.

Yes, I have had this car for nearly eleven years. Now, come on. You have to admit it. She is really beautiful, isn't she? And you should feel how she handles! It's amazing! She's been an excellent car and I love her so much. I just wish that they weren't doing away with the entire line of Oldsmobiles, but alas, that's why they are...because they last too long. They are such good cars that they don't need to be replaced as often as other vehicles do. So why not charge more, then? I would gladly have paid a higher price to have kept the line alive. They were the absolute best! They definitely made a huge mistake and I think that why they're suffering the consequences right now. "Buh-Bye, General Motors GM!"

Anyway...we're very thankful to Dion's mother for helping us out. She is so good to us. I can't tell you how blessed I am to have a mother-in-law like that. And I'm going to strive to be a blessing to Chrissy, too. Speaking of Chrissy...a little birdie told us that she and Josh got their marriage certificate. If I remember correctly, you have to use it within a month. Maybe the letter I wrote to Josh about getting married before the baby comes did some good? I hope so. I didn't want to hurt their feelings...but why start out on the wrong foot if you don't need to? The baby is due soon, so I hope they hurry.

I hope we get asked to go to their little wedding (even if it's at the Justice of the Peace), for Dion's sake, but if not, it's their decision and their day. What's important to us is that they are happy! We are so excited about the baby and want only the best for our Josh and that lovely girl that he has chosen to be his wife and life partner. Chrissy is a precious girl and I love her already. I thank the Lord that He has blessed my Josh with such a sweet, God-fearing little girl from such a nice family. I knew that He would be faithful and answer the prayers that I have prayed for Josh and Jon all these years. (Jon will be next...but years from now, I pray!) Still...it has to be harder to raise girl. I feel bad for what we put my parents through. We just didn't realize...ah, but that's another story for another day. So...

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you.

41 Days and Counting!

It's hard to believe that in shortly over a month's time, our "little twinkle," Noah Christian Hammond is due to arrive, thus making Dion and I become first-time grand-parents,
and changing our lives...forever. Neither one of us can wait!

I find myself daydreaming about what he'll look like, smell like, and feel like in my arms. I already love him so much. When I think of how much I have loved Josh and Jon, and now to add a child of one of these gifts from God, I have to wonder what it was that I did that was so good, in order to deserve being blessed like this.

From the moment that I fell in love with the boys' father, I have been happier than I have ever thought possible, and I thank God every day for such wondrous joy. I pray that Josh and Chrissy will find that kind of happiness in their marriage, and that Noah's childhood will be one filled with safety, love and happiness.

Children of divorce, like Josh, carry hurts with them that they oftentimes can not express, and we do not want that to ever happen to little Noah. When Josh's mother dissolved their marriage, it was rough on the children and his father, but things could not be undone. I will never understand what she saw in another man, when she had perfection right under her nose, but I am more than happy to have him for my husband.

"I, Cynde, take thee Dion, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part, In Jesus' name, Amen."

He's a wonderful husband, a wonderful father, and he's also going to be a wonderful grandfather! I can't wait to share this adventure with this man I married. It's bound to be filled with more love than we could ever imagine...and we're both ready and waiting for it, with our arms wide open!

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you.

It's Official: They're Engaged!

Well, it's official, folks! Our eldest son, Josh, and Chrissy, his girlfriend of three years (they had their three-year anniversary on 06 March 2009) are now engaged! He has even given her the Hammond family diamond, an heirloom that has been passed down through the family, originally belonging to my husband's Great, Great Grandmother Hammond. (I'll insert the photo of it on Chrissy's hand as soon as she emails it to me.)

I was finally able to meet her some weeks back when I went in to the P & C grocery store where she works. Dion and I had spent the day together doing shopping and errands. I had a doctor's appointment and blood tests earlier in the day, so we stopped to get a few things on the way home and when he noticed she was working, he took me right through her line and introduced us. Both of us are shy, so I was relieved that we hadn't had to plan our meeting and make a big deal out of it. I always worry that people won't like me, or that I'll embarrass Dion and the boys in some way (low self-esteem left over from my abusive first marriage, I guess).

She's a delightful girl and I liked her right away. As you can see from the photo, she's very pretty. She's also just as sweet as she can be. I think that she and I will become great friends. If she and I can get along a fraction as well as my mother-in-law and I get along, then we'll be doing great!

I'm so blessed because I have the best mother-in-law (MIL) in the world, and I want to be that way with Chrissy. Dion's mother is like no other MIL that I have ever heard about. I have never heard any of my married friends rave about their MIL's like I do about mine. She is so sweet, generous, loving, and I love her so much!

They always tell you that it's easy for a mom to get along with her daughter's husband, but that nobody is ever good enough for her little boy. I can see where that would be true in some cases, but I think Josh made a great choice in Chrissy. Furthermore, for added insurance, I'll be praying with all my heart that these two will be happy together, and that they'll have a close and loving partnership & marriage, like his father and I do. That would be a match made in Heaven!

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please check out my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"We're Gonna Be Grandparents!"

In case you haven't gotten the word, Dion and I are going to be first-time grandparents! Our oldest son, Josh, and his girlfriend, Chrissy, are expecting a baby boy sometime in April 2009! They have said that they plan to get married, but there is no word as to when that might be.

When I think of all the so-called "pro-choice" advocates that push for the right to murder babies like my grandbaby, it makes me shudder. I thank God that Josh and Chrissy are not going to destroy that baby. I am so grateful to them for that I can hardly breathe. Just thinking of other grandmothers, you know who you are, who have had to lose their grandbabies because of this senseless, selfish murder called "abortion," it makes me feel sick.

Obama has promised that the first thing that he is going to do as president is to sign the "Freedom of Choice Act" (also known as FOCA). I bet most of you don't even realize the far-reaching implications of that act. In essence, it will sweep away hundreds of anti-abortion laws and policies including these, which are among the most important: parental consent and notification laws for minors; state and federal funding restrictions on abortion; conscience protections for pro-life citizens working in the health-care industry and protections against being forced to participate in the practice of abortion or else lose their jobs. Do you understand what I am saying here? I am saying that this proposed legislation will create a federally guaranteed "fundamental right" to abortions for undefined 'health' reasons, and to abort a fully developed child in the final weeks, through all nine months of pregnancy, in other words...infanticide!

To you, who claim to be Christians and yet you voted for a man that is clearly evil, I ask you, "How could you turn your back on the Lord like that?" You closed your ears and eyes completely when messengers of God tried to tell you the Truth; you spewed your wicked, hurtful messages of division, subversion and racism throughout the internet and media; and you tried to destroy not only the candidates of the opposing side, but their CHILDREN as well! And you claim WE are haters? What a joke!

For those of you that truly don't know what Obama's stand is on the issue of abortion, an article entitled "Obama's Abortion Extremism" is the perfect article to explain it. The author of the post, Robert P. George, is McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University. He is a member of the President’s Council on Bioethics and previously served on the United States Commission on Civil Rights.

Here is the link:

http://thepublicdiscourse.com/viewarticle.php?selectedarticle=2008.10.14_George_Robert%20P._Obama's%20Abortion%20Extremism_.xml

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.