This last week we were fortunate enough to have my grandparents (Tanner and Kate's great-grandparents) visit us. It was so much fun. We swam, took naps, went out to dinner, went to the local frozen yogurt shop, sang songs and colored with Nonnie, played piano with Poppie, went to Disneyland, and Poppie watched Dora and played Dora for hours on end with Miss Kate. Grandpa also went dirt-biking with Shad (and Grandpa is 76 years old!).
They have always been the most amazing grandparents to me growing up. As far back as a I can remember they've been in my life. At all of my piano recitals, choir concerts, powder puff football, talent shows, birthdays and holidays, they were there. Loving and supporting me, giving me compliments that were so outrageously not true, but I knew they really believed it and believed in me. I honestly think that they think, I can do anything and that I'm the best Mom, best grand-daughter, best wife, etc.
I remember when I was about 4 years old I got to go to their house for a visit, all by myself. I slept over several nights and my Mom has told me since, that it hurt her feelings because I never wanted to come home. I just wanted to stay at Grandma and Grandpa's house forever. I remember parts of it so well. Everyday Grandma and I would make Grandpa a lunch and then go to the store to buy him a Dr. Pepper and candy bar. She also let me pick out a soda and candy bar which was one of the most exciting things to me. I picked out a Twix and rootbeer every time. Then we'd head over to whatever construction site Grandpa was working at that day and drop off his lunch. I remember the drive home from their house. I remember sitting in the front seat of the car/truck right in the middle of them, laying on my Grandmother's lap, never wanting to leave them.
I also remember when I was about 14 years old, I didn't feel like going to school for some reason or other (probably because of a boy) and I told my Mom I wanted to go sleep over and Grandma's house and skip school the next day. She told me that was fine. So I spent the next couple of days with Grandpa and Grandma. Grandma and I went out to lunch and baked. She helped me put together a cookbook of her recipes for my older sister who was going away to college that next fall.
I remember another time where my Grandpa saved me from having to tell my Dad about a minor dent I'd created on his 1955 Chevy pick-up I drove. I knew my Grandpa could pretty much fix anything, so I drove it out to his house and he got the dent out for me. ( Dad didn't notice for another year and a half).
This is the Grandma that I made chocolates with every Christmas. She taught all of us girls the craft of hand dipping chocolates. Whenever I see marble slab, I think of her kneading fondant on her marble slab every Christmas season getting ready for us to dip the decadent pieces she'd hand made.
I remember the endless amount of gum Grandma had in her purse. She still does.
What's amazing to me is that they are still incredible Grandparents and Great-grandparents. They were incredible with Tanner and Kate. Grandpa really did play Dora forever with Kate and swam in the pool at 8am with Tanner, they tolerated and maybe even enjoyed the extra loud playing of the piano keyboard by Tanner and Kate. They went on whatever rides Tanner and Kate wanted to go on at Disneyland, even though it'd been over 40 years since they'd been themselves. Every singe time Kate woke up in the morning or from a nap, her first words were, "Where's Poppie? I want Poppie."
One of the best parts of the trip for me was watching my Grandma and Grandpa interact with each other. They have a wonderful marriage. They treat each other like gold. They spoil each other. They look out for each other. They worry about each other. They love each other. It was such a good reminder to me of how to be happily married. You serve each other and love unconditionally. You care about your spouse more than you care about yourself. And they do.
Grandma and Grandpa....I love you.
