The Peytons: Missouri Trip

In March, my beautiful grandma (pictured above) turned 90 and Caroline and I made a quick trip up to Missouri for a visit. This was the second time my grandparents have met Caroline but our last trip she was so young so I wanted to bring her back. Caroline can be so timid and so it took her a good 20-30 min to warm up each time we went over to their house. When we first got there she was leaning back on me as much as she possible could which was funny and cute but she never got upset. And soon enough, she was being playful and even sat on Great Norma's lap and let her read a story to her. It was a short visit but I was able to get in lots of quality time with my grandma and grandpa which was really precious to me.

Here are several pictures that my mom took during our visits over at Great Norma and Lee's house. They gave her these two baby dolls which Caroline loves!!

Caroline using Great Norma's walker...

Reading stories with Great Norma...

Caroline kept playing this sweet little game with Grandma where she would poke her knee and pull down her dress to cover her knee. It was like a peek-a-boo type game and it was really cute. I loved watching something so simple bringing them both such delight.

The other bittersweet thing about this trip was that my grandparents are selling their house and moving into an assisted living facility. I think this is a great decision for them and I am happy for the details of life to get easier... but it is also just bittersweet to have them leave this house... this home that has held so many fond memories for me and our family. They lived in a house before this one but I don't really have much memory of it although I do remember running around on the foundation of this house while they were building it. It was this house that we had countless family lunches and gatherings, where my brothers and I spent endless summer days, where we eat probably hundreds of poached eggs and tuna fish sandwiches, where we played so many hands of rummy in the afternoon, where we stayed the night in twin beds downstairs, where we played with my father's and uncles' old toys, where George hugged my grandmother on their driveway and told her that he would take care of me for the rest of his life, where my mom and grandmother hosted one of my bridal showers, where I would discuss life with my grandma while she washed the floors on her hands and knees, and where my grandma has teared up or cried almost every time we have left and where my grandfather and her have stood together in the driveway as we have driven away. So yes, I am happy for them and this transition because it is time but its sad too and I'm so very grateful to have gotten to see and visit them one last time in their house. And I love that while my mom was taking pictures of Caroline, she also got so many pictures of the things that made this house their home.

Caroline walking in my shoes in their living room....

Great Lee and Caroline with my grandpa in his favorite chair...

My grandfather's giant paper weight...

The beautiful grandfather clock in their entry way...

The paper weight filled with gold flecks that is all the kid's favorites, with Caroline being no exception. It was such a good visit with them and I am so thankful for their presence in my life.

While we were in Missouri, we also had a nice time just at my parents house. Since Caroline was the only one with me, this visit just had a slower pace which was so nice. Here are a few pictures of Caroline outside at my parent's house. She loved the attention of uncle James!