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Ten Things of Thankful: Grandma/Granddaughter Date!

For the past year (no kidding!), my youngest granddaughter has been talking about wanting to go to "Jungle Zoo."  Last year, when her mom was in the hospital having a baby, I took my granddaughters to Disneyland.  Youngest granddaughter especially enjoyed that trip, and loved the Jungle Cruise most of all.  Since that time, she has been talking about "Jungle Zoo," even in her sleep!  

She will turn three later this year, so I knew I needed to have a grandma date with her quickly, while it was still affordable! (Admission for two and under is free.)  

Yesterday was the day!  
I'm thankful:

1. For the knowledge that life has ups and downs, but we can enjoy the entire ride.  The King Arthur Carrousel was a hit!


Photo:  Granddaughter grins while seated on carrousel horse
2.  That patience is a virtue.  When we arrived at Disneyland, we went straight over to Jungle Cruise, only to learn it was not going to open until the afternoon!  Fortunately, we found plenty of other things to distract us from our disappointment.  In the afternoon, our patience paid off!


Photo:  Granddaughter is happy to finally be on the "Jungle Zoo" ride
3.  That sometimes we just feel a connection to others. Granddaughter kept telling me, "I like my Jasmine."  Aladdin was OK, but Jasmine was definitely a friend.


Photo:  Granddaughter stands with Jasmine and Aladdin
4.  For the happiness dogs bring to us.  


Photo:  Pluto hugs grinning granddaughter
5.  For one-on-one time.  It's a different dynamic when it is just the two of us, and it's nice to be able to give undivided attention.


Photo:  Granddaughter and I holding a sign celebrating annual passholder days
6.  For the lessons learned from children.  When the photographer asked my granddaughter if she was going to give "her" (meaning Pocahontas) a hug, granddaughter started over to give the photographer a hug.  Fame isn't really important, and everyone needs a hug now and then.  


Photo:  Pocahontas and Granddaughter

7.  For air conditioning.  It was a hot day yesterday, but we kept cool (thanks to air conditioning) while waiting in line to see Mickey Mouse. We even met another Guide Dogs for the Blind puppy raiser, with puppy-in-training, in line.  Margaret (the puppy) did a great job working!


Photo:  Granddaughter gazes at Mickey Mouse

8.  For hugs.  Sometimes a long hug just helps.  For a minute there, we thought Granddaughter would fall asleep in Mickey's arms, but she just wanted a long hug. 


Photo:  Granddaughter gives Mickey a big hug
9.  The magic of childhood (and Disneyland).  When Granddaughter saw this photo, she couldn't stop talking about how she held Tinkerbell!


Photo:  Granddaughter holds Tinkerbell, and I hold Granddaughter
10.  For John.  Last Sunday, we team-taught a class about unity in marriage.  Preparing a lesson together gave us lots of time to talk about the concepts.  John also made a super-yummy apple cheesecake bars dessert! Recipe at this link, if you are interested: http://www.abundantharvestkitchen.com/caramel-apple-cheesecake-bars/


Oh--for those of you asking about Christian, the motorcyclist , I got a text from his mom yesterday saying he was released from the hospital!  I'm sure prayers are still appreciated, as he continues to recover from the accident and his surgeries, but I am glad he is finally home again.

How was your week? What lessons have you reflected on during your daily events?

(Linking this post to the Grand Social.)


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Comments

  1. What a fun day the two of you had, from the sounds of this post.
    Up and down. Round and round. That's life.
    Also, waiting in line at an amusement park is a great way to teach children about patience, children, guide dogs, even adults can use the lesson again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fortunately, the lines weren't too long. Those that were, we skipped. I guess this grandma could still learn a bit more patience. ;-)

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  2. I'm thrilled you took that precious little one on her dream trip. The photos are wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. We had a great time together. :-)

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  3. Ohhh she's ADORABLE! How wonderful that she remembered the other trip for so long and with such joy. I love that you made her dreams come true, and the pic with her and Mickey gazing at each other is priceless!

    Glad your motorcyclist friend is doing well!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was a really fun day, and one that neither of us wanted to see end.

      I'm so happy that Christian is doing better, too!

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  4. Clearly she is finding the place as.... amazing as if was meant to be.

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  5. Wow Kristi, what a fabulous day! Love the hug story. Young children are so literal, we have to remember our pronouns.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And remember that 2-year-olds don't always have correct pronoun usage down! :-)

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  6. Oh my was a gorgeous day! What a gift for both of you to have that one on one time! Glad the motorcycle guy is ok.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was a great day!
      I think Christian's hand will take some time to heal, but I am certainly glad he is out of the hospital.

      Delete
  7. Oh, what a fun time you obviously had! I love, love, LOVE that your granddaughter went to give the photographer a hug! Kids are so literal! We went to Disney World when Emma was 9 and we still have the picture of her holding Tinkerbell in our dining room!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm thinking I need to take her back again soon. :-)

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  8. What a great outing with your granddaughter! I love, love, love the photo just above number eight. Her look is precious!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We certainly had fun together, and she loved meeting Mickey!

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  9. That granddaughter looks like she gives the best hugs! And everyone needs a good hug at least daily! Glad you had such a good time and that you didn't melt. Disneyland can get so HOT!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, she does--and I love it when I'm the recipient!
      Disneyland can get hot, so we tried to avoid long outside lines. (We saw Mickey in his house, because the line was all inside, but we didn't visit Minnie, because the line went outside her house.)

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  10. Another "Priceless" Grandma and Granddaughter memory! I enjoyed sharing your trip through the photos....she is absolutely adorable!
    Joy

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