Funny, when I met him, the thought of him being a pop truly didn’t enter my mind. What did, was that he made me feel cherished, happy, loved beyond words and safe but most of all – he loved my child. Boy did he love my child. There was a time when I wondered if I fit in their picture 🙂 We’ve spent almost 29 years (nearly 28 married years) walking together on this journey we call life. There have been bumps and bruises on the way (aren’t there always) but there are always more good times than not. We share a treasured value in our marriage about family coming first. In a world full of turbulence, we know where our priorities stand. I think putting family first means something different to everyone. For us there is no hidden agenda or meaning – our family comes first.
Phil and Josh brought each other such joy. Basketball, music, the Jeep, WCU, guy stuff, similar interest and (I like to think) their shared love for me. My part of that was being ever grateful that God brought Phil to us and the joy that I feel watching the two of them. We have memories that go far beyond the words of a blog post.
Phil, Josh, Laura and I enjoyed a few years of adventure before the boy came along that changed our names. When Phil became Pop – it is almost like he lost his “real” name – in a good way! We talk about when Colton first said Pop. We know that we heard him say it. When we tried to get him to repeat it, he would look at us and laugh. That was our first clue about the relationship that these two would have. The boy loves his Pop! It’s as though Colton separates us into our roles. The latest for me is that of his admin assistant. Pop’s role doesn’t ever change – it’s all about playtime! Come on Pop, let’s play!
Today, on Pop’s birthday, the birthday where they changed the hair color on his license to grey, he had lunch with Colton at school and took him to the book fair. A time out from his normal work through lunch routine to devote some time to the one who named him Pop. Perfect.
For Nana, the joy of watching Pop love our boys never gets old. Whether it’s the older boy or that boy’s little boy, it never gets old.
Family comes first; we know it, we believe it, and we practice it. Thanks Pop for leading the way!
We Love You,
Nana Reflections 
Love!
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