Connor
Ryan
Dant

A Photo Gallery

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Ok, now this wasn't the neat tidy arrangement I had hoped to make, but you are really limited by the program of Blogger.

1.) Mom and Connor, Nap time

2.) Connor, hmm bib's on, must be food time...hooray!!!!!

3.) Connor ... with his cap, and don't mess with his cap when its on

4.) Connor and his first cereal...yummy!!!

5.) Connor... he has the most piercing eyes that look right into you

6.) Connor...what a smiley

7.) Grandpa and Connor...hmmm what are we looking at???

8.) Grandpa (me) and my pumpkin

9.) Uncle Patrick and Connor...bottle time. Patrickis Emily's brother.

10.) LOL... a larger picture of mom and Connor napping

11.) Shaun...the proud dad at the hospital

12.) Emily, Shaun and Connor... what a little family!!!

Connor Ryan Dant


Born: October 15, 2006
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Enough of the sad songs, and melancholy moods for it is long past time that I introduce the world to my first grandchild, Connor Ryan Dant, born on October 15, 2006.
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In February 2006, before my daughter Emily, knew she was pregnant, she had brought over a six week old half Labrador half Australian shepard puppy to show me. I could not believe she had gotten this little pup as she already has two Shelties and a Lab. Before even thinking, I said, "Emily, what in the world are you going to do with a new puppy and a baby?"
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How very prophetic those words turned out to be. One week later, she called me and said, "Uh, dad, I'm pregnant!"
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Now of course, I was the humble dad, never once uttering, "I told you so."
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But, needless to say this old man was bouncing off the wall at the thought of a grandchild.
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I was excited too because in my heart, I just knew that Emily was going to be a great mom, and her hubby Shaun would be a great dad. That little baby would be surrounded by two families of nuturing love.
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Emily was a perfect example of the old adage that there is something especially beautiful about a pregnant woman and I was very proud of her that she took such good care of herself, managed to survive the oppressive Summer heat that we have here in Atlanta and still keep her sense of humor and her smile.
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Poor Em is tall and skinny, so she carried Connor right out front. By the time he was born, it looked like someone had stuffed a super sized pumpkin in her tummy.
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Spring and Summer quickly slipped away and the Autumn winds blew a new season into our lives.
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It was Sunday morning when we got the call that Emily and Shaun had gone to the hospital. Of course, I very calmly got ready and without breaking any speed limits, her brother Patrick and I headed for the hospital.
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There were a number of close friends that joined us and we waited and waited and waited. Finally, at 12:47 in the afternoon, Connor made his grand debut wighing in at 7 pounds 7 ounces and 18 1/2 inches in length.
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Now, I told myself I was going to keep a stiff upper lip when I got to hold him. Right...I was quickly turned into mush gazing at this beautiful little miracle.
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It is so hard to believe that he is now fourth months old. OK, so I know I am the grandpa, but he just gets cuter and cuter as time goes by. He is now so responsive and tries so hard with his little sounds to tell you tall tales.
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We have just past some milestones too. Recently he had his first cereal and now his first bananas. He is growing so quickly and changing day by day.
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I can't wait to see what type of person he becomes, what his values to be, his dreams, visions and goals are going to be. In the meantime though, I'm just going to enjoy being grandpa. Thank you, my beloved daughter for this gift you have given not only to me, but to the world.

"A Grandson is the greatest gift. A lifetime can provide, A special joy that comes from deep inside. A Grandson is a blessing and a constant source of happiness and pride."

"Grandchildren are a lift for the spirit and a joy for the heart. We all tell the next generation the praise worthy deeds of the Lord.... then they will put their trust in God. Psalm 78-4b-7a"

Lamentations Three

Hope of Relief through God's Mercy

1: I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.

2: He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.

3: Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day.

4: My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.

5: He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.

6: He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.

7: He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.

8: Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.

9: He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.

10: He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.

11: He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.

12: He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.

13: He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.

14: I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.

15: He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.

16: He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.

17: And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity.

18: And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:

19: Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.

20: My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.

21: This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

22: It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23: They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

24: The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

25: The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

26: It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

27: It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

28: He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.

29: He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.

30: He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.

31: For the Lord will not cast off for ever:

32: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.

33: For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.

34: To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth, 35: To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High,

36: To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.

37: Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?

38: Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?

39: Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?

40: Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.

41: Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

42: We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.

43: Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.

44: Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.

45: Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.

46: All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.

47: Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.

48: Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

49: Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,

50: Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.

51: Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city. 52: Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause.

53: They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me.

54: Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off.

55: I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon. 56: Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.

57: Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.

58: O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.

59: O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.

60: Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.

61: Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me;

62: The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.

63: Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their musick.

64: Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.

65: Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them.

66: Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.

TEARS OF A NATION

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I met a man of many colors And a tear was upon his cheek."Old man" I ask, "why do you cry With such an agonizing weep?"

"Oh child" this man he says to me, "My heart is broken in so many ways. That I believe this day to end Will find me out stretched and far within the encompassing earth of sin."

I sat down beside this man and asked him "do not cry. For what you think is so bad, that life will pass you by?"

He looks at me with such sad eyes, and weeps ever more. He holds his hands out to me and alas, I do see the anguish of his heart.

For his hands were different colors one is red and the other white, a leg he unclothed for me was as yellow as could be and his other leg as black as night.

"I am the father of the world. In case you do not know. And my children have grown apart and fight among themselves.

For when they do not get along my arms and legs and hands and feet destroys the very life of me.

My hands of red and white will not feed this face of night. And my legs of black and yellow, will not stand beneath this body and support my heart and soul.
For they argue far too much, and now I have grown old.

So here I sit in this haven of unwelcomeness. And when this day ends, a father I will not be. For my children of many nations have forgotten how to accompany me.

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by

LneStarLdy

Pat O'Connor

Credit to: poem: Fortune City artwork: Mountain Grandmother