What fun……playing with our baby grandchildren!

Dear Owen and Mila, precious Hannah, and sweet Vernon spent the last week with us.  We hadn’t seen Hannah since she was a baby, not yet two years old.  And we had only seen Vernon on FaceTime and through his photos—never held him, never hugged or kissed him.  So this was an extra special visit and treat for us—to have six days to play together!

This is how we started every morning….our two precious grandchildren giving us hugs and snuggling in bed with us.  The best way ever to start our day!

Hannah was so excited….she had a present for me.  I had shown her my childhood doll collection when we were talking on FaceTime, so she found a sweet little country doll for me that looked like her.  She wanted me to think of her whenever I looked at my new doll.

And Hannah’s right—every time Grandpa and I look at this darling doll, we will think of her!

Vernon immediately found the rocking chair that his great grandfather Franklin Graybill had sat in when he was the same age that Vernon is now….100 years later.

Hannah will be four in two weeks, so we had lots and lots of presents waiting for her.  And since Vernon is an adorable one-year-old, we had lots of presents for him too.  Owen had a birthday the day before they arrived, so we had presents for him.  And since we love Mila too, we had a present for her too.  As Hannah said, “You gave me lots of presents.”  

She doesn’t know that she and Vernon are lots and lots of presents for us!

Nap time for little Vernon…..the only time we didn’t see him in constant motion.  He’s so very sweet—both awake and peacefully sleeping…..just a little bundle of joy!

Papa reading Hannah’s birthday book to her…..

Hannah in her new birthday dress….a little cutie!

And then it was time for birthday cake!

One of Hannah’s gifts was a jewelry making kit.  She asked Grandpa, Papa, and me to make jewelry with her….

Papa putting a necklace on Mama that he and Hannah had made….

We played and played with dear Hannah and little Vernon….

This little piggy went to market...this little piggy stayed home...

Hannah helped Grandma knit a new baby blanket….

Picked oranges…

Cooked together….

Hannah said grace before every meal.  We talk, laughed, and ate together, our little, happy family.

A huge hit was feeding the fish….

It was a challenge to keep Vernon from jumping into the pond with the fish…

Since we wouldn’t let Vernon go swimming with the fish, he got bored and headed off to get us a duck for dinner….

We cuddled and read books….

Found out that the dinosaur book was a good sleepy-time book….

Made pretty pictures….

Hannah’s artwork proudly displayed on the front of our refrigerator—at the top of Hannah’s creations are photos of drawings that Mila made of Hannah and Vernon.  

Hannah and Vernon played catch with Grandpa and Grandpa—with their new birthday balls. We’re not sure who had more fun, our grandkids or us!

Papa is always good for a game of catch and chase when Grandma and Grandpa run out of energy….

Vernon and Hannah helped Grandpa blow up their water wings….

Had a blast swimming with Hannah and Vernon every day….Hannah learned to swim all by herself!

Taught Hannah and Vernon how to jump into Grandma’s arms from the top step!

The pool was a definite hit. Hannah is a little fish…our “Angel Fish.”

Papa carried a cold, tired Hannah home….

Every morning we sent Hannah on a search for a new outfit for the Cabbage Patch baby that we had given to her for birthday.  

She named her new baby, “Chubby,” because she has such chubby cheeks.  Isn’t that the perfect name for a Cabbage Patch baby?!!

Grandma and Grandpa knew that Chubby would need a pink dress, just like Hannah’s, for the airplane ride back home….

Every morning and night Grandma, Grandpa, Hannah, and Vernon walked around the house for five minutes while we brushed our teeth.  Then, at bedtime we’d give them each a good night hug and kiss.

It will be so sad to say goodbye to this lovely family of ours.  As Dad Graybill always said when his family left for home, “We wish you’d never come.”    Of course, what he was saying was that he and Mom loved them and would miss them so very much!

It has been so much fun playing with sweet Hannah and precious Vernon that we have decided that they can’t grow up….who would we play with?

Luckily, there will be a new little baby for Grandma and Grandpa to play with….Mila is growing us a new grandchild!

Our 14th grand baby will be born in August!  He will be another little gift from God for all of us.