What I'm Missing

Dubai is an amazingly westernized place. It's pretty easy to live here and imagine you're in Phoenix or some desert place.

But I'm half a world away from all the people in my life who really count. My family.

I'm really missing my beautiful and intelligent grands. I have five grandbabies right now. And hopes for some more, because really, the genetics are just fine!

My oldest son and his lovely wife have given me two miraculous grandchildren, ZJ and Zoey. ZJ has a heart of gold, like his daddy. He's quite the outdoorsman and loves to look at bugs and plants and see what's going on right in his own back yard. He loves his school and his teachers. He also loves his little sister, Zoey. He's smart as a whip and catches on to things so fast, it makes my head spin. He's very deliberate. A deep thinker, our ZJ.

Zoey is a princess, except when she's not. She is quite the girly girl and has recently taken up mani-pedis with momma. Zoey loves to chat and keeps everyone around her entertained. She's also very mechanical and can be found following her daddy under the car when he's doing automobile maintenance. She's a cute little sprite who is turning into such a big kid!

They live near Charlotte, NC now. So even if I was in the US, they'd still be a long way from where I live. The great thing about these two is that they love to Skype with me and their Grumpy.

My second son has three wonderful children. His first son is a red headed wonder named Will. He wants to be an astronaut and loves all things to do with NASA and space. He's also focused on being a really excellent big brother to his younger sister and his baby brother. He's got a very demanding personality and truly is the child I prayed for his father to have... you know how mommas do that? They wish that their obstreperous child has a child just like them? Well, Will is my son's karmic payment. He is adorable! Just the smartest and most vibrant personality.

His little sister is Carolyn and when she was added to the family, it rocked his world. Carolyn is a free spirit like her momma. She's got the most beautiful hazel eyes and curly brown hair. She's so gorgeous, I think my son needs to be buying ammo to lay in for her teen age years. Carolyn is very independent and wants a full say in how she dresses, what she eats and where she goes. She is a strong little chica. She'd have to be to hold her own against two brothers!

Charlie is our newest grandson. He's a good baby and very laid back. He's just four months old and is rolling from his back to his belly and keeping the other kids entertained with his smiles and laughter. He's a good sport and it's a good thing since his momma has two other kids to chase around all day.

I know I'm biased. I think these children are about the cutest and smartest grandkids any woman could claim. I'm so proud of my kids and their parenting skills, I could just bust a rib. It's a tremendous thing to watch your adult children raising wonderful kids. The whole circle of life thing. If I don't ever do another useful thing in my whole life, I think I could look at my kids and my grandkids and still think I left the world a better place.

When I'm sitting here in Dubai, the only thing I'm really missing is the people in my life. My family. My friends. My grandkids. That's the hardest thing about being a world away.

--Sandee Wagner