Grandma and Grandpa Great

We visited my family in Kansas and stayed with my grandparents for a week at the beginning of August.  We still call them Grandma and Grandpa of course, but I think it's so sweet that the next generation calls them Grandma and Grandpa Great.  

My grandparents are amazing and I am thankful for the few times a year that I get to spend time with them.  They are almost 90 (seriously!) and are trucking right along.  They love to tell us about new places they find to eat.  They think Panda Express is amazing and they are astounded that they can get a burger at Wendy's for $0.99.  

We got there at midnight Saturday night and the first thing we saw was my grandpa, sitting outside waiting for us.  At midnight!  Grandma was inside baking up brownies.  Those crazy old people!  They wanted to see us and make sure we got in ok - so sweet!

Sunday we hung out, saw Pat and Don and Jim and Barb.  They are so good to us, always taking care of us every time we come to visit.  We sat around the house, played, took naps, and ate good food.  Monday was a repeat but was very relaxing.  Tuesday, my aunt Sharon and cousin Dayton came into town from Pennsylvania.  It's so good seeing her.  I only get to see her once every year or so.  I used to see her more often, and I miss her!   Wednesday and Thursday was more time visiting and eating.  Some cousins came to visit and we ate at the family sub shop.  It was fun and relaxing and reminded me of old times.  

Harper loved being with my grandparents and family.  They would sit and watch her eat breakfast, laughing every time she tried to give them a bite of her food.  They enjoyed watching her play, explore, and toddle around.  And she loved having a captivated audience.  

We brought toys for Harper for the 8 hour car ride and for the visit.  But we found out soon enough that Grandma and Grandpa's stuff was much more fun.  She liked Grandpa's cane and the loud thump it made everytime she whacked the floor.  She liked their pots and pans cabinet and their dish towel drawer.  She loved their walk in pantry.  It was like heaven.  Tons of boxes and bags and tupperware and shelves all within easy reach.  But her favorite "toy" by far was the magazine rack.  She got to pull out, rip apart, carry around, and enjoy 50 magazines all in a convenient basket that was just her size.

Playing with the pots and pans

Finding new treasures in the laundry room with Grandma

Playing in the walk in pantry

Getting a ride on Grandpa's walker

Playing in the fridge

Harper also enjoyed their house.  She got very good at going up the stairs.  She climbed the inside and outside stairs at least 100 times.  She also found the floor vents extremely fun.  Standing on top, getting blown around.  Such fun.  

Floor Vent fun

Aunt Pat with her newest grandbaby, Zachary

Harper liked Zack but he might not have been as in love with her

This is what the men did most of the time

Ok, one little anecdote from the trip.  On our first day there, I went to run the dishwasher and couldn't find any dishwasher soap.  I did, however, find some laundry soap under the sink.  I asked Grandpa, and he claimed to have been using the Tide.  I asked Grandma, and she said, No they had other stuff - not the tide.  I asked her where it was, she looked, wasn't sure.  I showed her the tide again and she said, that was the dish soap.  No wait, that was the laundry.  Fast forward about 20 minutes and I finally convinced my grandma that they had been using the Tide pods instead of the Cascade pods.  After washing all the dishes again, they still smelled very floral-y.  Love those two crazy kids!