takens-tidbits: The tradition continues on

Thursday, March 10, 2011

The tradition continues on

Do you have any of those special memories from grandma and grandpa's house that you just cherish? I have lots. I loved visiting my grandparents.

My mom's parents lived on a lake. Grandpa had made a tire swing for us on one tree. On another, he hung rope swing and built a ladder so we could swing over the lake and jump off. My grandpa also made a floating dock that we could swim out to and play king of the mountain on. Whenever I spent the night at their house, my grandma would make grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner, and in the morning, we'd take the paddle boat around the lake, looking for secret hideouts, and wildlife. I spent many hours sitting on the end of their dock fishing. Now, I love seeing my kids continue that on.

These are the great grand kids (my mom's grand kids). Now grandma has a whole new group to teach about the lake. Love watching the traditions continue on...

On my dad's side, we grew up going to my grandparents' farm. They had a large beef farm, and produced corn and hay. I LOVED my trips to the farm. I wandered around the pastures, the woods, and the barns for hours. My uncle trapped Muskrats in the creek. My cousin took me for rides on the four-wheeler. We would climb to the top of the haystack and jump off. We fed the cows and the kittens and ran around with the Springer Spaniels. Grandpa always had friendly bulls. I remember naming one of them after my first boyfriend, Brad. He was gentle and kind and a red head, just like him. Silly, the things you can remember from childhood. One of my favorite memories were the cowboy boot glasses that grandma kept in the freezer. When I would visit, I would always be allowed to get one and fill it with soda from her fridge. I loved watching the cup turn frosty. For some reason, everything tasted better from those cups. I was at Salvation Army a couple weeks back and found glasses just like those. And now, the tradition continues on...

Grandpa died my freshman year of high school, and grandma recently has been moved to a nursing home. I don't get out to visit the farm as often as I like, but I enjoy taking the kids there whenever I can. My uncle and his family run the farm now, but the tradition continues on...