The Reward

I cross-stitched this when I was twenty-five years old for my parents.  They were about to become grandparents for the first time and I thought this little saying was apropos for the coming event. 

So now, forty years later, it hangs in my upstairs guest room that also houses my "baby things" (baby bed, rocker, little Tyke car, tricycle, toys, etc.).  It was one of the things I kept from my parents' house after they had both passed away.  

I am certainly finding out that the little, maybe trite, saying is certainly true.

I haven't blog lately but I did want to write a post about the fun week we had with our oldest granddaughter last week.

I had been trying to find a time to have her come and stay all summer.  But there was always something coming up to prevent it.  We have had a busy summer and her parents are busy also, so it just hadn't happened.

But I finally found a few days that we could all make connections and this girl was ours for a few fun days! 

 Four-and-a-half year-olds are the perfect age I have decided!  As a grandmother who is feeling the "where-did-my-energy-go?" part of life, this age child is not as hard to keep up with as a two or three year old!  (Although I did keep my one-year-old baby girl for a week in July and did fine!)

I would have loved to have Harper's little sister also but I have not ventured with two of them at one time.  Hollis is precious and I am planning on keeping her by herself soon.  I don't think you can get to know your grandchildren's personality unless you keep them yourself.  

So this little post is about our week.  It may be of non-interest to you but as I said before, I wanted to make a post to remember this special time with her at this marvelous special age!

Harper is a dog-lover.  She never fails to ask about our two dogs when we talk on the phone and she always remembers them when she prays! ( I love that! I don't even care that Nonny/Papa's names are called AFTER the dogs!)  

She spent so much of her time outside on the porch with our golden lab, Bobber.  She would just sit and "talk" to him.

She like to sit out on the porch in the rocker early in the morning and watch a movie. She DOES have a blanket.  It was in the 50's!  Such a mild summer we have had!

Yes, she has lipstick on while riding her horse!  Every time I turned around she was in my bathroom sampling my lipstick!  Oh me!

 She still had her PJ's on because it was early in the morning and she couldn't wait to get outside and ride!  Who am I to say "no"?  I love to get outside early in the morning in my PJ's too. (We do not have any close neighbors by the way!)

Papa and I were all set to go buy her a bike to have at our house but her Mom remembered to send hers!

These pictures of Harper with her Papa just warm my heart.  As soon as he got home from work everyday he was outside playing with her.

Country-girl-at-heart wanted to drive Papa's tractor which he was more than happy to let her!!  What next, Papa?  Let her drive your car??

We also did some more "cultured" things: we drew pictures, colored, water-colored and blew bubbles! (very creative)

We also went to the movies (3-D of course) to see "Planes" and ate Chinese.

I got so tickled at the Chinese restaurant after we ate.  The waitress brought us our bill and our fortune cookies.  Harper opened her little cookie and ask me what it said.  I told her it said "Harper is a wonderful sweet little girl."  She took that little bitty piece of paper and rolled it up and put it in her new Hello Kitty purse her Aunt Linda gave her and took it with her wherever she went!  I hope she never discovers that it said anything otherwise!

I feed the deer nearly everyday at our house.  I can "call" them and they come running out of the woods.  (You would too if you were hungry enough!) I was so hoping I could get them to come so Harper could help feed them.  They came.  We fed!

To top the week off with a big treat we spent Friday at Silver Dollar City, along with thousands of others I might add!  It was a cool day for sure and the week-end before school started around these parts, thus the masses.

WE HAD A BALL!

Papa rode all the rides and I was the official photographer! 

The faster the better for these two!

Nonny did get one picture with her sweet girl on the train ride!

Time to go home!!  Harper, well, really, Nonny and Papa were pooped!

And she slept quite well on her Mama's "antique" Sesame Street sheets!

So the little saying"Grandchildren are God's Reward for Growing Old" seems to ring true.  Papa and I are blessed more than we deserve!

Sweet girl you are next!!