Two whirlwinds left our house yesterday. They filled our lives with giggles, fun memories, and an endless stream of “Why?” questions to tax our knowledge of just about anything. Our precious granddaughters do not have an “off” switch. They wake up full-energy and it doesn’t dissipate for even one minute until it’s time to crash in bed at night. Naturally, our middle-aged (?) bodies are tired now and we’re ready for a quieter weekend. But we miss them already. And we wouldn’t trade this fleeting time together for anything.

We dyed Easter eggs, hunted for them in the rain, made s’mores over the fire, played with the girls next door, waded in our creek, saw black bears on Grandfather Mountain, watched Disney movies, read the Jesus Storybook Bible, colored masterpieces on our driveway, terrorized our cats, celebrated the resurrection at an Easter sunrise service, and rode the Tweetsie Railroad – without slowing down.

About Tweetsie Railroad:  I think I enjoyed it every bit as much as the girls. I’ve waited 50 years to return to one of my favorite places as a kid, and it didn’t disappoint.  Because I love rides, my responsibility in the family has always been to take the children on  wild rides at amusement parks. It started with my little cousins. We’d ride until they threw up, but they still loved it! Then I took my nephews and niece, and now my granddaughters (who felt dizzy but did not throw up). After a hiatus of several years devoid of Tilt-a-Whirls, finally I had some very willing companions. [Otherwise, my plan was to go on a ride alone sometime, waving at anonymous people in the crowd, pretending they’re with me. Or maybe I’d ride along behind a carload of kids, hoping onlookers would think I was a doting grandmother who simply couldn’t fit in the car.]

Usually we visit our granddaughters on their turf, a resort island in the Pacific Northwest. That means staying in a hotel and visiting in restaurants or our hotel room. Not exactly any grandparent’s first choice. Having them with us for over a week in our own home – well, it is so much better! We really got to know the girls, watch their individual personalities blossom, have them enter into our world and see how we live. Hopefully, they’re beginning to catch it that our faith is real and vital to us. And what could possibly be more important for them to know about Pops and Nana?