Over the River and Through the Woods....

....to Grandmother's house we go!  Last week the girls and I made the long 9 hour drive to surprise my 95 year old Grandmother with a special Christmas visit.  She had recently fallen and my heart had been longing to see her ever since.  The girls wanted to see their great-grandmother too, so we travelled all the way to Tulsa just to see her (Uncle Tony, I'm sorry we didn't get to see you this trip.  I really thought we were going to see you in Texas in 3 days but you surprised us instead!). 

Grandmother couldn't believe her eyes when she saw us.  The girls had grown so much since we last made the long drive.  It was a wonderful visit, one I will visit often in my mind. 

My grandmother LOVES to play scrabble.  Us?  Um, not so much.  But, the girls enjoy Words with Friends on their IPhone.  Do you play?  It really is fun...and surprisingly, it's scrabble but coolified because it's on an iPhone. 

Playing the real-deal Scrabble with your 95 year old Grandmother and your daughters is coolified too because it is filled with laughter and visiting and wonderful memories...and ornery memories too.  On the first game we passed the tile bag around the table and when it came time for Grandmother to draw 7 tiles, she looked at her seven tiles and then promptly put them back in the bag and drew seven more because she didn't like them.  Ha! 

Did I say a word? Of course not!  She chuckled and acknowledged to her great-granddaughters that she has just cheated and then shrugged her shoulders and smiled.  So cute!

I think we ended up playing 7 games on our visit with great-grandmother.  We all won games...but we were the real winners because we took the opportunity to go see her when the Lord prompted our hearts and I'm so thankful for our time together.

The next morning we arrived at breakfast time so that we could meet some of her fellow residents and friends.  She was so proud to show us around her assisted living facility and to introduce us.  We met a man named Paul who faithfully took care of his wife for 14 years as she suffered from Alzheimer's. Now a widower, he is in ill health but you would never know it by looking at him.  He meets a group of ladies every morning for breakfast and then again at lunch.  All of the ladies enjoy his company, including my grandmother.  One of her "friends" had taken her place at the breakfast table this morning and she didn't get to sit with him...and I don't think she liked that very much.  She enjoys his company too.  And Paul?  He lovingly calls all of his friends, with a sparkle in his eyes, his "harem."  He is kidding of course!

The dining hall is a happening place.  It reminded me of my days at Baylor in the dining Hall at Collins.  It was all about who you sat with and it was always full of laughter...just like Grandmother's dining hall. 

Two sweet ladies came over to meet us.  One of them just had to touch Rachel's arm and the other one had to feel Hannah's hair.  They told us that they had heard that we were there and couldn't wait to meet us.  Isn't that fun?  (My Dad was just a day behind us, which we didn't know at the time.  I think one of the same ladies told him that she had met his wife and daughters the day before.  Ha!  He smiled and said, "My daughter and granddaughters!"). 

Grandmother showed us the game room.  I like this photo because you can see Hannah's hand on great-grandmother's back in the mirror behind them.  You can see me too, if you squint.  Ha!

In the game room there were two men playing pool.  I thought they were so cute.  We overheard one say to the other, "You only have 3 more days to shop before Christmas!"  and then they chuckled to themselves.

My grandmother may have recently fallen but she was determined to only stay in a wheelchair for a short time.  She is back on the move with her walker.  I love this picture of Grandmother and Hannah.  Back in the day, Grandmother was tall too, not quite as tall as Hannah is now, but Grandmother was tall.

We found the fireplace and decided to take a few pictures.  I bravely handed my camera to my girls and this is the picture they took....that I will treasure. 

Grandmother with her great-granddaughters:  Rachel and Hannah.

She took us over to the organ where she sat down and played Christmas carols while we sang.  What a special memory!

And after 5 songs, she was done and on the go again.  She is having trouble with one of her feet so she just took her shoe off and walked the rest of the way with one shoe on and one shoe off.  I had to snap a picture:

And this is her "Cadillac" as she calls it.  We are thankful that she is able to get around so well.  A lot of the residents decorate their walkers for the seasons and holidays.  I thought her "Cadillac" was adorable.  The ornament in the middle lights up whenever you turn it on.  Another residents admired her ornament and asked Grandmother where to buy one just like it.  She told them to go to Walmart....but the ornament came from Hobby Lobby.  I love it that my 95 year old grandmother is still ornery!

It was hard to say goodbye to her.  We left Tulsa with grateful hearts to the One who blessed us with a special trip to see Grandmother. I didn't get to do my regular Christmas baking this year, no PW Cinnamon Rolls, or my Granny's Special Brown Sugar Pound Cake.  But, you know what?  I got to spend time with my grandmother and that was more important this year!