Years ago I prayed, "Lord, when I become a grandmother, please don't let me be obnoxious like all my friends!" Little did I know that when a woman becomes a grandmother, things change dramatically: the sun, moon, and stars now revolve around those little people we can love so freely without any of the responsibility we felt while raising their parents.

Our grandchildren are: Antonio, who is 9; Julia Jo, who is 2; Lalo, 8 months; and Raquel, who is 6. This picture was taken the day that Julia Jo turned two years of age, and her cousins, who live in the same part of the country, were ready and willing to join in the fun of celebrating....including piling onto Grandma's bed at the hotel for a picture before everybody went swimming!