Grandma Swan's

Monday after we left Chatham, we made the three and a half our drive to Grandma Swan's place, and because we left mid-morning, the kids slept a good portion of the way, which was a big help. Even I got in a pretty good snooze as we rode down the long stretches of highway.

Since we flew from Virginia this time, we didn't have a whole lot of extra toys for entertainment and didn't want to take any from Dave's parents since we couldn't return them. Grandma Swan, the thoughtful lady that she is, already had something up her sleeve for her great grandbabies when we arrived though - coloring books for the older ones and a toy ball for Reid.

Hadley loves Minnie Mouse and coloring so Grandma's gift was definitely a hit with her.

You know kids though. They can make a toy out of just about any random thing around the house. The most captivating knickknacks they found at Grandma Swan's house this trip were two little wooden jars she had sitting on the lower shelf of her coffee table. Amy had brought her back one of them when she went on a mission trip to Jamaica, and a few years or so later when Dave went on a similar trip to the same location, he too came home with almost an identical gift. 

Reid spent most of his time gnawing on them and hitting the lid against the wooden base. Hadley, on the other hand, pretended it was a cookie jar. She went around offering everyone a treat and then told us "Take it out of you mouth!," demanding we return the cookies to their container.

Caleb was in a strange mood when we first arrived and didn't want to come inside for some reason. All evening he kept hiding in the bedroom saying he didn't want "anyone" (meaning Grandma Swan) to see him. I am not sure what put him in this bashful mood because I've never seen him act like that that I can remember, but maybe all the time shifts, schedule changes, and traveling were just catching up to him.

He did finally come out and color in his Cars coloring book Grandma bought him but hid in one of the corners of the living room while he did it. Silly kid!

Hadley definitely wasn't shy. She had a good time at Grandma Swan's. Caleb wanted to stay at the hotel with us this time around, so our sweet girl got to have a sleepover with Daddy at her great grandma's house.

Since Grandma didn't have a ton of toys, we stopped by the Dollar Tree to buy a few items to keep everyone entertained. Caleb enjoyed his army men figures I found and Hadley loved the plastic jewelry set purchased with her in mind. They also had a doctor's kit, stickers, workbooks, etc. to play with - things that were were definitely worth the buck for the added fun they provided.

Hadley even got her jewelry back on the next day for us. Here she is all dressed up for lunch:

Like I said earlier though, kids can find ways to amuse themselves with most anything. Hadley and Reid had a ball with a hat they found in the closet of the spare bedroom while Grandma and I cleaned up the dinner dishes.

I think she looks a little like Lydia in this one.

The kids were good entertainment for each other too. Caleb and Hadley are usually pretty good together on a daily basis so that wasn't a surprise.

More unexpectedly, Reid and Caleb really bonded on this trip too.

Though Caleb had a good morning visiting with Grandma, he got in a foul mood again after his nap and wanted to hide out like the previous evening. Reid and NaNa were the ones to bring him out of his shell and get him giggling back out with the rest of us again. You could tell that Caleb was really enjoying his brother's antics as they wrestled and goofed off on the carpet.

Hadley wasn't missing out on the fun; she was busy playing with Daddy. Using one of the fishing pole sets we bought the night before, he pretended to reel in this adorable toddler.

Caleb warmed up soon too and played the same fishing game with Grandma Swan.

Then he acted out a poem for her that he learned at school and she had to guess the animal he was describing. Afterwards, he made up a few other poems for her to figure out as well.

Hadley also made sure to show Grandma a thing or two.

 

And what does our little one have here? Even Reid liked the fishing poles. Grandma Swan and I got cracked up at him as he swung the pole around, scrunching up his little face and squeezing his eyes tight as he went knowing it was just a matter of time before he whacked himself with it.

On Wednesday, it was time to head back to Saint Louis, but we did get a little more time to spend together that morning. Just like every other day we'd been there, Reid was super busy getting into everything he could. From the cabinets to the trashcan, he was constantly being told "no no" and redirected. If Mom or I weren't shadowing him, Dave and Grandma Swan were.

He did stop his exploring for a little while at one point for more wrestling and cuddling with his big brother.

Too quickly though, it was time to say goodbye. It is always hard to leave knowing we won't see each other for a while, but thankfully Facebook, email, a phone call here and there, and McKinstryMoments helps us keep in touch.

We were supposed to visit with Grandma Swan's sister and her husband while we were there too, but Aunt Lotella said she just wasn't feeling up to it. Sadly, today we received the news that she passed away this morning. We wish that we could be back there with Grandma right now, but we are trusting God to hold her in His arms in these hard days. Lotella was a woman who loved God deeply and served as a full time missionary for years, so at least there is the reassurance and peace that today she is walking in her Savior's presence with a new body. Please keep Grandma Swan and Uncle Phil in your prayers though as the navigate through days ahead.