My Gigi Life

This has been a special week in that it was our first time to keep our grandsons overnight!  Their parents went away for two nights and three days to celebrate their anniversary, so we were asked if we could keep their twin sons in their absence.  We agreed to, of course, but I’ll be honest- I was a little nervous about it!  Why?

• What if they cried for their mommy and daddy?
• What if they get hurt or sick while they’re away?
• How will I keep up with them for that long?
• Will we have enough to keep them active and happy?

This Gigi needed to pray!  I gave it to the Lord and asked His protection over each of us in this new endeavor.  As He helped us parent, I had to trust Him to strengthen me to grandparent as well!

Our days were full! The hours sped by and we were only left with some fatigue and hearts more in love with these cuties!  Here’s how we spent our time:

• We went to Dollywood!!  On the way there, we stopped for a picnic lunch at Douglas Dam.  So lovely and the boys enjoyed getting out for a stretch before the final 30 minutes of our trip. I wasn’t sure if we were brave or crazy, but we drove the 1.5 hours to the park and had a fabulous day!
  We sang in the car.
  We had a picnic lunch at Douglas Lake .
  We splashed in the water pad.
  We ate ice cream.
  We rode a couple rides (Okay, that part was a little touchy for one, but we survived!).
  We all slept really well that night!!
  We found that being away from home gave them new adventures and the opportunity to have a blast!!
  
• We spent a little time at Gigi and Pappa’s house.  They boys were all about helping Pappa fix the loose screw on the kitchen drawer!
  We picked tomatoes.
  We did laundry.
  We ate supper.
  We played with the toys in our family room.
  We used my big bathtub for their bath time before heading back to their house for bedtime!
  Again, time away from their house was good.  They love visiting our home, so they enjoyed some “normality” in its familiarity, but also some fun adventures, too.
• We celebrated my birthday. Not only is the 11th my physical birthday, it’s also my spiritual birthday  –  the day I received Christ as my Savior.  I have twice the reason to celebrate!!
  I made Blueberry muffins for our breakfast. Yum!  If you haven’t tried this recipe yet, you really must!
  Food can be an issue with young children.  I tried to just offer good food to our “picky eater” and not make a big deal about it.  Hey, that’s one blessing of being the Gigi!!
• We went to the local park. We rode slides, swings, and teeter totters.  We pointed out God’s creation as we climbed a tree house and found rest in its shade.
• We had Chick-fil-A and hamburgers from Pals.
• We read books, sang songs, marched around the house while Alexa played marching music, and played on the sidewalk with chalk and toy cars.
  Parents can’t play every day all day, but we can!  The boys loved the park and all the play times we shared.  It also tired them out so well that sleeping wasn’t an issue at all!

We made memories and they stamped their image on our hearts even deeper than we thought was possible!

Then when their mommy and daddy got home, my sweet husband pampered me for my birthday by a visit to a spa near us – Austin Springs Spa where I had a lovely manicure.

I’m rested and now reflecting on the blessings of this week, so thankful to the Lord for His goodness and for the sweetness of my life as a Gigi!

You don’t have to be a grandparent to impact children!  My Sunday school teacher was the one who led me to trust Christ as my Savior!  How can you make a difference in the life of a child  this weekend?