Over the River and Through the Woods

Last weekend, we went to Grandma's house -- MY Grandma & Grandpa Clements' house! We had the best time. My cousin, Becky, and her family were there for one night, and then we got Grandma & Grandpa to ourselves for another day. The kids had a TON of fun playing with their cousins (that's who they always play with at the Reunion, too), and of course the HUGE trampoline and playset in the backyard. One thing they didn't get to play on that I remember from when I was a kid was the slide Grandpa built -- it's HUGE, too! There are also plenty of trees, even a weeping willow, for playing hide-and-seek, but it was just too rainy/snowy/windy to play outside for very long. Maybe we'll have to go back again in the summertime, right honey? :) This is it! Isn't Grandma's house so cool? I love the cuteness of it -- it's actually kind of huge on the inside, but this view is completely homey. This is a piece of driftwood that's been in Grandma's yard since before I was even born! I'm not sure what the story is on it. As you come up to the front door, you might notice the peephole/knocker -- isn't this so darling?! The VERY first thing I have to do every time we go to Grandma's house is touch this wallpaper -- it's velour!!! I LOVE the texture! This is a very Grandma doorbell, don't you think? Grandma & Grandpa have had this organ for FOREVER -- it sits in their front room -- and even though I always remember getting a chance to play it, I think it wasn't allowed. I know it was off-limits for Parker this time, but he couldn't resist. Who could? -- it's an organ! This piano area is opposite the organ, and it's been the same forever. Everyone loves this beautiful lady! Someday I would absolutely LOVE to have a copy of this print. The seat of the piano bench is needlework with a plastic cover. The basement -- it's scary without the lights on! BUT it's definitely the funnest part (the toy room is down here!) AND the best place to sleep, because it's DARK. Shouldn't a Grandma's house always have cool light switches? These are a few: This also shows the green tile in the guest bathroom -- and there's a tub to match! This is the wallpaper that has hung in Grandma's guest bathroom since I was a kid. It didn't used to be discolored, but I think they had a little water damage -- but I think it's really interesting! The SAW -- I remember thinking that Grandma's electric bread cutter was so, so cool. You can cut homemade bread SO much faster this way! Growing up, my mom always made her own bread, and she had an ivory-handled bread knife. Now that my mom's a grandma, she has one, too! This is the TRUTH where Grandpa Clements is concerned! It hangs in his office. Deanne is my aunt who's only 3 years older than I am. She's the coolest! These are some of the pictures from her room that I'll always remember. These guys remind me of Hansel & Gretel in happier days. She actually cross-stitched these herself! Amazing. I don't know if I'll ever have the patience to do a Lavender & Lace cross-stitch, but she said they were really fun. There were a couple of things I forgot to take a picture of -- one is a cross-stitch my Aunt Connie made for Grandma (for her birthday I think?) that has 9 different quilt patterns, and at the bottom is this poem: Families are like Quilts Memories stitched together with threads of joy Hearts pieced with love Growing more precious with time. Also, the office, where I remember calling Dad when he was away in Witchita, KS, when I was about 9. I'd forgotten what his voice sounded like, because he'd been away for so long (I think by that time it had been about 4 months -- he ended up being gone for 5 total for some training that just wouldn't end) and I felt SO guilty about it that I didn't tell Mom. Back in those days, long distance was so prohibitively expensive that I didn't even think of asking to call him on the phone. Mom let me talk once when we were visiting Grandma and I was absolutely terrified that I would hear his voice and not recognize it. I was so relieved that I remembered him the second he said hello! After that, I knew I wouldn't ever forget Dad for real. One last saying in Grandma's house is: a family is a gift that lasts forever. I'm SO proud to be a part of this one!