four generations, four times the fun

my mom and i were in dallas from last wednesday to monday to play with my great-grandparents. my great-grandmother is unfortunately in a physical rehab facility for the next few weeks to regain strength and mobility. my great-grandfather is recuperating from pneumonia, so we went up to help them out and have fun.

in high school, during college application/decision time, several people asked why i had never considered SMU, especially if liked TCU so much. The answer was simple:

Dallas has always felt like home, because of those two.

Dear & Popa moved to Dallas in 1937. They've lived in the house they're in now since 1968. I've drafted a few posts over the past few days about how wonderful my great-grandparents are, how blessed i am to have them in my life. I could drone on for days about the wonderful memories of playing in Dallas.

My brother and I collected acorns in their yard like they were gold. We played "restaurant" in their bar area and answered the front door when our preferred customers came. We had divingboard competitions and hand stand contests for hours in their pool. Dear's vanity area and make-up drawers continue to fascinate me.

grandmummy-she's a whackadoo
I can't imagine a better weekend then the one I just had. If Dear had been at home, that would have made it great. But she and I still played cards, she told me old family stories, and of course cracked me up with her stubborness. At night I would watch I Love Lucy with my mom and Popa. Friday afternoon we watched the White House press conference together. Friday he didn't sleep so Saturday morning I woke up at 5:45 to eat breakfast with him. He told me about visiting East Berlin and we talked about the Russians and Communism. My mom and i sang loudly and cooked in the kitchen and i looked at family pictures - laughing outloud til tears fell down my face. Sunday night Honey - my grandmother - came up and added to the craziness.

My family is loud, fun, and full of life. For twenty-two years, I've witnessed so many neat things because there are four generations in my fam. I've seen my grandmother as a mother, grandmother, and daughter. There is always a reason to laugh with these crazies around. And I get a little extra bossing with not one, not two, but three generations to tell me what they think is best.

Thursday morning Popa felt horrible, which he never admits, and we took him to the hospital at his request. As I helped him get in the car, he left me with this thought:

"Old people aren't worth shit. The eskimoes just take you out on the ice and let the polar bears eat you."

I know they won't be around forever, but none of us will. For now, we're fighting off the polar bears and enjoying everyday.

Countdown to the move to Houston has commenced!