Happy Birthday Peyton!

On November 3rd, 2005, my daughter gave birth to her first born son — and no, she did not lay him in a manger!  It was more like in a little plexiglass bassinet that wheeled around the hospital. And thus arrived my first grandson.

It was not quite that easy, though.  Matt and Kelly had decided to share their birth of their first child together, and the family was asked to wait until the baby was born.  I sat – and paced – at home until I got the call.  But it was slightly different than I expected.  The baby had lodged itself in a position that made natural birth impossible, so they were prepping Kelly for a C-Section.  Could I come down right away?  Of course I could – but ‘right away’ was an hour’s drive.  It was definitely one of the longest drives of my life!

But backing up a minute – or eleven years!!! – I was scheduled for Jury duty that day, and you don’t just not show up for jury duty.  I was advised to wait until I was called to the judges chambers, explain the issues, and asked to be excused — if I was called at all.  Thankfully, I was NOT called, so I rushed home… to wait! 

I was just pulling into the parking garage when Matt called to tell me that Peyton Matthew Hancher had arrived, and both mother and son were doing fine.  I raced the 47 miles (???) from the parking garage to the maternity ward to see my daughter and her tiny boy. 

Now, in 2016, Peyton has grown into quite a little man – doing well in school, participating in sports, raising pigs for 4H and showing them at the fair, part of the Bible Bowl team, and a huge help to his parents and to Ma (grandmother). Last year he went to his parents and told them he wanted to be immersed, to be baptized and become a child of God and follow Jesus.  That was a happy day, and the angels in heaven rejoiced with us.

So now, as he celebrates being eleven years old, I want to wish him a very happy birthday and many more wonderful years to grow and learn and service God.  Love you, Peyton!  See you next week!!!