A Visit With Great Grandma T

It's been quite awhile since I blogged. I always have thoughts and ideas floating around in my mind, but never take the time to write them out anymore.
This past weekend Daniel, Kendra and I went and spent a few days at our Grandma's house. We spent a lot of time reminiscing and going through old memories. I'm one who enjoys remembering the past. I think I may have gotten that from my grandma, because she seems to be the same way.

Growing up I used to LOVE going to the small town of Chariton, Iowa. It was 2 1/2 hours from home, which at the time seemed like it was on the other side of the country. In fact, each summer from the time I was probably 7 until I became a teenager I would go and spend a week or two with Grandma and Grandpa. Once I became a teenager I was far too "cool" for such things. I would poke fun at it and there were times I didn't even want to go because I didn't want to participate in the silly little games Grandma would make up. Did she think I was 5? (That was my way of thinking then.)

Now I am back to loving it. I want to cherish it as much as I can, because honestly, when my Grandma passes away (which I hope won't be for a long time still), I know I won't have any reason to really go back.

I'm going to try and be better at blogging in the next few weeks. I really want to write down my memories of Chariton, thus far.

For now though, I'll share my most recent memories from this past weekend.

Daniel was once again and little trooper on our drive to Chariton, which is about 5 hours away (and I thought 2 1/2 used to be long!). We stopped at a Hardees in Mt. Pleasant, IA so he could eat and I could change him. The changing part was quite the experience. He had a blowout and when I got him into the bathroom I discovered they had no changing table. (Now I understand other mom's frustrations about that!) I ended up changing him in his car seat with a burp cloth under him so it wouldn't get on the seat. Let's just say, by the time I was finished I was having the biggest hot flash known to man!

Kendra beat us there and I was quite excited to see both her and Grandma. As soon as I walked into the house, I could smell something delicious cooking and I hoped above all hopes that it was my favorite...chicken and noodles. It surely was! They were delicious!

This was also Grandma's first time to meet her great grandson. She took to him right away, as I knew she would.



I think we just hung out around the house that evening. Daniel didn't sleep the greatest that night, but we survived.

Monday morning Daniel and I came down and had breakfast with Grandma, while Kendra slept the morning away. I've always enjoyed breakfast with her. We always have nice little talks at the table. This time Daniel got involved in the chatting too. Then she watched him while I went upstairs to bathe and get ready for the day. Always nice to have someone watching him so I can have a few minutes of "Mommy Time".

When Daniel went down for a nap, Grandma insisted Kendra and I go out and do some shopping. We hit up the two hot spots in town...Pamida and Dollar General. :) Then we just drove around for a bit before going back. We drove up to our Great Grandma's old house and wished we could go in. It's empty and for sale. When we got back to the house we talked to Grandma about it. She wished it were one of the realtors she knows because we could've gone in then. Oh well. Instead though, she remembered a video that her sister...my Great Aunt Darlene filmed of the house in 1997. They had a Christmas open house and she wanted to show all of the decorations. My favorite part of it though was that I got to see my Great Grandma again. How cool!

That evening she pulled out a box that she had kept of my Grandpa's things. Very cool so see letters he and written home from WW2. Probably the coolest thing to me was getting to wear his dog tags.



Grandma also got one of her scrapbooks out. I loved this picture of her!



Oh, and of course, in between all of the reminiscing, we had Daniel time too!









On Tuesday, Grandma sent Kendra and I out to have sister time. She sent us to lunch at a new little coffee shop on the Square called, Get Mugged.



Then we went back to Pamida to look for something I needed, but ended up at good ol' HyVee instead. We weren't sure what else to do, but we knew Grandma would "kick us out" if we came back so soon, so we decided to go creep around Great Grandma's house and see if we could peek in the windows. (And of course tried the doors. I mean...they're always unlocked in the movies! Haha!)

I will dedicate a whole post just to this house one day.



We got back to the house just in time for me to calm Daniel down for a nap. Then our Great Aunt Lova and Uncle Charles came to visit. They are THEE cutest little couple ever. They're both 89 and celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary on the day Daniel was born.





Grandma insisted we go do something else and she'd watch Daniel. We went up town for a bit and then Kendra remembered a park she went to with some friends once that has a big barrel you can walk in. Fun times followed!







Then we drove out to Red Haw and acted like fools just because.





Grandma treated us to ice cream that night and we just hung out and talked. Then Wednesday morning I got us all packed up again and we go ready to head home. Last pictures with Great Grandma!