All things grow better with love
All things grow with love
Bloom where you are planted.
Blossoming
A bouquet of flowers from our family garden
Bright as flowers, be thy life's hours.
Every Birdy Welcome
"Everything's coming up roses"
Families Bloom With Love
Friends are the flowers in the garden of life
The garden is a mirror of the heart
Gardeners know the best dirt.
Gardening angel
If friends were flowers, I'd pick you.
If those who plant kindness, harvest love . . . Your garden must be overflowing
Inch by inch, row by row, gonna make this garden grow
Kind hearts are the GARDEN. Kind thoughts are the ROOT. Kind words are the BLOSSOMS. Kind deeds are the FRUIT.
Life began in a garden.
Look what's sprouting up!
Love in bloom
Loving hearts bloom
Mary, Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow?
May all your weeds be wildflowers.
Nothing is so beautiful as spring.
Our Little Gardener
Plant a little love, watch a miracle grow.
Plant kindness gather love
Round and round the garden
Scatter seeds of happiness
Seedin' and Weedin'
She who plants a garden plants happiness.
Something wonderful has sprouted (flower pot with flowers sprouting out, pictures inside the flowers.)
Spring is Nature's way of saying "let's party !" (confetti, party hats)
This place is for the birds (birds, birdhouses)
Those who plant kindness harvest love.
Tiptoe through the tulips
Wishing you a bouquet of beautiful memories to remember.

Grandparents/Age
After fifty it's patch, patch, patch
After forty it's a matter of maintenance
Age does not protect you from love. But love, to some extent, protects you from age. (Jeanne Moreau)
At my age happy hour is naptime
Don't worry about a little gray hare
Forty isn't old if you're a tree
God couldn't be everywhere, so he created grandmothers.
God gave us loving grandchildren as a reward for all our random acts of kindness
Grandchildren are loving reminders of what we're really here for.
Grandchildren don't make a woman feel old; it's being married to a grandfather that bothers her.
Grandpa's Delight
Grandma's Little Heartthrob(s)
A granddaughter/grandson is a gift from above . . . one to cherish, one to love.
Grandkids keep hearts young.
A grandma fills the world with love
Grandmas are earth angels.
Grandmas are antique little girls.
Grandmas are just ancient little girls.
Grandmas are short on criticism and long on love.
Grandmas are special.
Grandma's home is her grandchildren's second home, a sort of security blanket they can escape to when the world is unfriendly.
Grandma's my name, spoilin's my game.
A grandmother is a babysitter who watches the kids instead of the television.
Grandmothers are voices of the past and role models of the present. Grandmothers open the doors to the future. (Helen Ketchum )
A grandpa is a special friend
Grandparents are God’s way of compensating us for growing old
Grandparents may be oldies . . . but they're goodies!
Grandpas are great.
The greatest triumph of a man is to raise a child who experiences exuberance in life as well as triumphs of his
own. (Betty Schroeder)
The handwriting on the wall means the grandchildren found the crayons.
I wouldn't call you old . . . I'd call you chronologically challenged!
If I had known grandchildren were this much fun I would have had them first!
I'm at the Age When The Gray-Haired Person I Help Across The Street Is My Spouse
In order not to influence a child, one must be careful not to be that child's parent or grandparent. (Don Marquis)
It takes about ten years to get used to how old you are.
The joy of grandchildren is measured in the heart.
Just when a mother thinks her work is done she becomes a grandmother.
Kindness is becoming at any age.
Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.
Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy
Over the hill? I don't remember any hill.
Parent-child relationships are complex. Grandmother-grandchild relationships are simple.
Perfection is in the eyes of those who wear blinders, and nobody wears blinders better than a doting grandmother.
The person who has lived the most is not the one with the most years, but the one with the richest experiences. (Jean-Jacques Rousseau)
Retirement: twice as much time, half as much money.
Retirement is a full-time job
There would be fewer spoiled children if you could spank Grandmas.
There's no place like home . . . except Grandma's.
They are safe and kind, and wiser than the child's mother. (Florence King)
Through Grandma’s/Grandpa’s eyes
Two proud grandparents live here. (A proud grandma/grandpa lives here)
Was there ever a grandparent bushed after a day of minding noisy youngsters who hasn't felt the Lord knew what He was doing when He gave little children to young people? (Joe E. Wells)
We mourn the passing of your youth
What's so simple even a small child can manipulate it? Why, a grandmother, of course!
When a child is born, so is a grandma/grandpa
When Mom says no . . . Call 1-800-Grandma
Who's spoilin' who?!
Wow! Are grandchildren great! Spoil them rotten - give them back - and laugh and laugh. Revenge is sweet! (Aris Painter)
You are young at any age if you are still planning for tomarrow

I Like My Bifocals, My Dentures Fit Me Fine,
My Hearing Aid Is Perfect, But Lord I Miss My Mind.

80!
Today Dear Lord I am 80 and there's much I haven't done,
I hope Dear Lord, You'll let me live until I'm 81.
But then if I haven't finished all I want to do,
Would you let me stay awhile until I'm 82?
So many places I want to go, so very much to see,
Do You think You could manage to make it 83?
The world is changing very fast
There is much in store,
I'd like it very much to live until I'm 84.
And if by then I'm still alive,
I'd like to stay till 85.
More planes will be up in the air,
So I'd really like to stick,
And see what happens to the world when I am 86.
I know Dear Lord it's much to ask,
And it must be nice in heaven.
But I would really like to stay until I'm 87.
I know by then I won't be fast, and sometimes will be late,
But it would be so pleasant, to be around at 88.
I will have seen many things and had a wonderful time,
So, I'm sure that I'll be will to leave at 89 . . . maybe.

Grandpa and Me
By Nancy Wolthoff
Come Grandpa, walk with me . . .
Help me to be the best kid I can be.
Take me here and take me there . . .
Show me now how much you care.
The many hours we share together . . .
Will be times I'll always remember forever.

WHEN I'M A LITTLE OLD LADY
(Author unknown)
I'll live with my children and bring them great joy.
To repay all I've had from each girl and boy
I shall draw on the walls and scuff up the floor;
Run in and out without closing the door.
I'll hide frogs in the pantry, socks under my bed.
Whenever they scold me, I'll just hang my head.
I'll run and I'll romp, always fritter away
The time to be spent doing chores every day.
I'll pester my children when they're on the phone.
As long as they're busy, won't leave them alone.
Hide candy in closets, rocks in a drawer
And never pick up my clothes from the floor.
Dash off to the movies and not wash a dish.
I'll plead for allowance whenever I wish.
I'll stuff up the plumbing and deluge the floor.
As soon as they've mopped it, I'll flood it some more.
When they correct me, I'll lie down and cry.
Kicking and screaming -- not a tear in my eye.
I'll take all their pencils and flashlights, and then
When they buy new ones, I'll take them again.
I'll spill glasses of milk to complete every meal,
Eat my banana and just drop the peel.
Put toys on the table, spill jam on the floor,
I'll break lots of dishes as though I were four.
What fun I shall have, what joy it will be.
To live with my children . . . Like they lived with me.

Mother and Grandma
By Crystal Bowman
My mother feeds me tuna fish
With broccoli on the side.
But Grandma gives me candy
When my mouth is open wide.
My mother slices apples
And oranges for dessert.
My grandma brings me doughnuts
If she finds out I am hurt.
My mother makes me drink my milk
Most every single night.
But Grandma gives me ice cream bars
When I do something right
My mother cooks up rice and beans
That have an awful taste.
So I say, "See ya later,
I'm going to Grandma's place!"

Photo Album for Grandparents
Grandma & Grandpa,
this book is for you,
though it may be quite puzzling
as the pictures are few.

But every few months
if you don't make a fuss,
we'll send you more pages
with pictures of us!

Retirement
Retired but not tired

Retirement
By Bee Ewing
To have on your side at last.
Look forward in faith to the future,
Accept with peace the past.

Time for travel, fun and adventure,
To discover new dimensions in yourself.
It is time to do what pleases you,
Take a dusty dream off the shelf.

Fulfillment is found in expression,
Priorities are yours to arrange.
Retirement is just another word,
For what can be a wonderful change.

Boo from the crew
Bootiful
Come as you aren't
Cutest little pumpkin in the patch
Fright Night
Happy Halloween . . . whatever you are!
Hocus Pocus
I do believe in ghosts, I do, I do, I do
Mom's little pumpkins
On the Cutting Edge (carving pumpkins)
Pumpkin Patch
Silly as a Scarecrow
Trick or Treat! Give me something good to eat. Give me candy. Give me cake. Give me something sweet to take!

Heritage
And away she goes!
Bits of yesterday
Branching out from generation to generation (tree)
Deep Rooted Heritage (tree)
Faces from the Past
Family faces are magic mirrors
Generation Gap
Generation to Generation
I think of heaven as a garden where I shall find again those dear ones who have made my world
". . . a life recorded is twice precious - first the experience itself, and then the memory of it full and sweet when we read about it later." (Elaine Cannon)
The light at the end of the tunnel is a muzzle flash
Looking at people who belong to us
Memories
The most treasured heirlooms are the sweet memories of our family.
Once upon a lifetime
Once Upon A Time . . .
Piecing together a family heritage (quilt)
Roaring twenties
Those Were the Days
The Way we Were

See also "Family Ties" poem in the Family section

The Best is Underground
(Author Unknown)
I climbed my Family tree and found,
it was not worth the climb,
and so I scampered down, convinced,
it was a waste of time.
Some branches of my tree, I found,
were rotten to the core,
and all the tree was full of sap,
and hung with nuts galore.
I used to brag on my Kinfolk,
before I made my climb,
but truth compels me now to tell,
of those not worth a dime.
I beg my friends who boast aloud,
of their ancestors great,
to climb their family tree and learn,
of those who weren't so straignht.
I learned what family trees are like and then,
I scrambled down.
They're like a "Tater Vine,"
because the best is underground.

The Family Tree
By Jim Wolf
One tree outlives the mighty oak
Because it's made of special folk,
Through generations changing form,
Providing shelter from life's storm.
Our parents' parents and before,
Who may have lived on distant shores,
They root our lives in memories;
We're nourished by their histories.
A sturdy trunk that lends support
And gives us care of every sort -
The fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts,
Who nurture us like tender plants.
The children, branching toward the sky,
Have brand new dreams and deeds to try.
And babies, buds that seem so small,
Will flower so the tree grows tall.

Heirloom
By Amy Grant
Up in the attic, Down on my knees
Lifetimes of boxes, Timeless to me.
Letters and photographs, Yellowed in years
Some bringing laughter, Some bringing tears
Time never changes the memories,
the faces of loved ones who bring to me
all that I come for,
and all that I live for,
and all that I'm going to be
My precious album is more than an heirloom to me.

Memories
(By Grace E. Easley)
Memories are heartbeats,
Sounding through the years,
Echoes never falling,
Of our smiles and tears.
Moments that are captured,
Sometimes unaware,
Pictures in an album,
Or a lock of hair.
Images that linger
Deep within the mind,
Bits of verse we cherished
Once upon a time.
Through the musty hallways
Of the days we knew,
Ever comes the vision,
Beautiful and true.
Memories are roses
Blooming evermore,
Full of fragrant sweetness,
Never known before.
Life must have a reason,
Goals for which to strive,
Memories are lights that burn
. . . To keep the heart alive.

None
By Helen Steiner Rice
May memory open the heart's door wide
And make you a child at your mother's side
And may you feel her love around you
As happy memories surround you!

Notes on a Family Album
By Mary F. Heisey
I sit before some photographs
of people I don't know.
Mom said, "They are your relatives,"
But that was long ago.
She used to get the album out
And put me on her knee:
Then pointing, with a story line
Tell family history.
The captions used were all her own,
Each time developed new.
We never thought to write them down
Before her life was through.
I see some family features now;
I have begun to care.
Since Mom is gone, I cannot ask,
"Whose picture is that there?"
If you have the photos in a book
Without a caption, too.
Go get a pen and label them,
or you may wonder, "Who?"

This Book
By Narda Poe
This book is like a comforter,
A quilt with many parts,
A keeper of our memories,
A place to warm our hearts.
The fabric is life's events,
Those things we want to keep,
Those programs, stubs and photographs,
placed here - not in a heap!
The scraps all stitched together,
held fast with love and care,
Create a family legacy,
gift for all to share.

To the Past, Present & the Future,
I Dedicate this Book:
By Ruth Mae Fox
To the Past, because I came out of it,
To the Present, because I live in it,
To the Future, because my children shall inherit it.

Memories fill this book . . .
of places we have known,
moments we have cherished,
People we have loved
These are personal riches,
Treasures from our hearts.

"We do not spend our money on a lot of material possessions - we spend money to create memories for our children and others we love. Those are the only things one can take away. When health is gone or someone dies . . . or it's a hard year at school, the memories are still there . . . to open the windows of a child's mind . . . to make him or her laugh and feel warm and strong inside where it counts." (Ann Kiernel Anderson)

Love
A kiss to build a dream on
Ain't love just the berries!
All things grow with love
Be mine
Be My Cupid
Color the world with love
Even when it's cold outside, our memories keep us warm!
A hug a day keeps the meanies away
A hug delights and warms and charms . . . that must be why God gave us arms.
A hug is a roundabout way of expressing affection.
Hugs and kisses
I got you babe
I Just Called to Say "I Love You"
If your heart is full of love, then you always have something to give.
I'm "Goofy" for you!
I'm head over heels for you
A kiss to build a dream on
Loads of love
Love can build a bridge
Love comforts like sunshine after rain.
Love for all time and eternity
Love in bloom
Love doesn't make the world go 'round. Love makes the ride worthwhile.
Love is a gift we can give every day.
Love is everlasting
Love is friendship set to music. (Pollock)
Love is the secret ingredient in the recipe of life.
Love is a work of the heart
Love notes
Love puts a twinkle in your eye and a smile in your heart
Love will find a way
A Mother's Love
My eyes adore you
My heart is a bargain today. Will you take it? (W.C. Fields)
No door is too difficult for the key of love to open
Our love goes forward on the wings of a dove.
The power of love
SWAK
Sealed with a kiss
There's no gift more magical than the joy of being loved.
Those were the days
Thoughts of you always make me smile
Time that is not spent loving is wasted.
Touched by Love
True love is a gift on which no return is demanded.
True love is like ghosts, one which everyone talks about, but few have seen.
Two hearts shall become one
The very best love stories have no endings.
The way we were
What A Wonderful World
When there is love in the home there is joy in the heart.
Where there is great love, there are great miracles.
Wild Thing, You Make My Heart Sing!
You are my sunshine!
You Light Up My Life
You make my heart leap
You've captured my heart.

Love bears all things,
Believes all things,
Hopes all things,
Endures all things,
Love never fails.

Love does not consist of gazing
at each other,
but in looking outward
in the same direction.

Mom and Dad, Your love for one another
was the foundation of our home.
Thank you for showing me
how wonderful love can be.

To stand in the starlight,
Just the two of us,
My hand in your hand,
To understand without words,
To love you is my life.
My happiness.

Time is:
Too slow for those who wait,
too swift for those who fear,
too long for those who grieve
too short for those who rejoice,
but for those who love,
Time is not.