Kind of like a mixed drink

On our trip home in July, we made a stop by my mom's parents' house.  Jack and Coke.  Not the drink.  That's them.  They are the sweetest, funniest, quirkiest Jack and Coke I know.  

To say our trip was busy would be an understatement.  But I was so glad when we called my grandparents that Sunday night and asked if we could stop by.  My brothers and their wives came along, too.  No kids.  We all just went to see these two, get birdie kisses from Grandma and a pat on the back from Grandpa.  I thought our visit would be brief.  Instead, we all sat around the family room and talked -- just talked -- for a long time.  Longer than I can ever remember sitting in their family room uninterrupted.

My sweet Grandma told us all sorts of funny stories about how she was an only child, how she loved her bulldogs (who were her siblings) and how she managed to survive growing up.  She repeatedly expressed how lucky she felt to have gone from an only child to a family of six children, 20 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.  To her, it couldn't get any better than this!

My cute grandpa told stories, poked fun, laughed, rolled his eyes, and smiled the whole time.  He seemed so flattered to have us there just to see them.  No reason other than just to be there with them.

I feel so lucky to have these grandparents who get over-the-moon excited (and that isn't an exaggeration) when I call them from what they think is so far away.  You would think I'd walked a mile to a pay phone and used my last quarter to call them.  They just can't believe I would make the effort to call and see how they are doing.

{Notice the bunny ears?  A Colleen classic}

As they get older and I do too, I see more of myself in them and feel a deeper attachment to who they are and the lives they've had.  They are aged, experienced, and worn, but they are sweet, kind and wise.

As only Grandma would say, "Stick together, all kinds of weather!"