[Book 1] 15 May 1983

My Dearest Little John Harold,

What a privilege it is for me to write a few words about my feelings concerning your birth. As I look back now it almost seems like a dream that I was able to make the trip clear from Laramie, Wyo. to that tiny little Azores Island, Terceira in the North Atlantic Ocean where you were born, and be there on that March 28th day, 1982 of your birth.

Actually I left Laramie on March 21st but because of missing my plane from New York directly to the Island and with no other flight there for 3 days, I had to spend those days in New York City all by myself. I was so afraid I wouldn't arrive on Terceira in time for your birth, but I did get there on the 24th, in plenty of time.

So it was in the early morning hours on Sunday March 28th that I was awakened by your Daddy taking a shower and soon I witnessed him calling Dr. Hammond and being told it was time to bring your Mother to the hospital. I stayed home with your sister Julie Jeanne.

Not too much later, it seemed, as Julie and I were getting ready for Church, the phone rang and it was your Daddy telling me that I had a new grandson born at 12:20 and that you weighed 7 lbs 10 1/2 oz. and were 21 inches long. What a thrill it was to hear that our little John Harold Alley was here - our number 6 grandchild and the boy who would carry our line of the Alley name! Your Daddy was so excited and happy and all was well with your Mother. Best of all, you were perfect in every way.

Julie Jeanne and I went to church with friends, then just as church was over your Daddy came and said he was taking us to the hospital to see you. My first glimpse of you through the nursery window reflected a tiny baby boy who looked so very much like his Grandpa Harold Alley. Then to my amazement and pleasure I was told that I could scrub, put on a hospital gown, go to your Mother's hospital room, then you would be brought in and I could hold you in my arms - my tiny 5 hr. old grandson. Oh, the wonder of holding, feeling and loving your soft little body and gazing at you knowing you had so recently come from our Father In Heaven. I can't fully express in written or spoken word how I felt at that moment and each following day when I could come hold you.

Then the wonder of having you at home at the end of three days to love and to hold! How very grateful I was to be there and to have witnessed and be part of the special event of your birth and earthly beginning, then to be there for the beautiful and inspiring blessing pronounced on you by your Daddy on April 4th, in Church.

What a wonderful heritage you have to be born of such goodly parents who will always be near to guide you and keep in you the desire to live a life worthy to some day return to the presence of our Father In Heaven.

This too is my strongest hope and wish for you.

Much love,

Grandma Jeanne Alley