Collins is in town and wants to go to the zoo, I texted Pretty yesterday afternoon; they’ve invited us to bring Ella and Molly to go with them. Collins is the five year old granddaughter of our good friends Francie and Nekki – Collins lives in Charleston but she and Ella went to the zoo together in the days before Molly was born so they weren’t strangers.

Do you think it’s too cold to take the girls to the zoo? Pretty texted back. Of course, we think any temperature below 60 degrees is freezing. I know, I know. Ask the people who live in other parts of the country about cold – they will laugh at us. Ella is our three year old granddaughter, Molly just turned one year old last week, and we’re worried about a sunny mid afternoon with temps in the 50s.

It’s a sunshiny day, I said, we’ll keep them warm. To the zoo we went.

Collins (left) and Ella in zoo’s fun photo booth

Francie and I crashed photo booth party –

think the little girls had more fun without us

we did see a tiger in between photo booth, carousel, playground…

and souvenir shop

Nana Pretty with grands watching the tiger –

Molly taken with big striped cat, Ella studying caves

Molly kept warm in stroller – had big time watching, absorbing new sights and sounds

put me down, Naynay – I’d rather walk

(won’t let he who shall remain nameless take my red hat away from me)

thanks to Nekki for this last screenshot with Pretty, me and the kids

this is how we roll with them now that Molly is walking, too

Ella lives in her own world – we are privileged to share it when it suits her.

Pretty sent this text to Francie and Nekki last night after we dropped Ella and Molly at home with their parents: “We had such a good time this afternoon. So funny to me that we now have our grandchildren playing together…”

Next week Pretty and I have our 22nd. Anniversary; these two friends have been with us from the beginning. I know for sure I never dreamed of having these awesome little girls in a million years, but I have celebrated family in new ways with Pretty who brings the fun with her sense of humor that still makes me – and now our granddaughters – laugh.

President John F. Kennedy said children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see. I love that idea and ask for wisdom to do my part in supporting these little girls with the same love, kindness, understanding and patience my grandmothers gave to me in a time long ago and far away but never forgotten.

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Slava Ukraini. For the children.