We Ride Again
Yesterday we went out to the lake for Sunday dinner. This is a much beloved activity unfortunately we haven't had too many of them lately. After Stake Conference Tyler, the kids, and I picked up Kelley and headed out to the lake. We stopped by my Grandma's Assisted Living place and "kidnapped" her and brought her out to the lake. It sometimes feels like we are kidnapping her. Her memory is going and no matter how many times you tell her that you are coming to pick her up she doesn't remember. Lucky for us she is a willing "kidnappee" and has the attitude of "Great! Get me out of here!!". She is now totally blind and trying to hoist her up and into the Suburban can sometimes be a bit of an ordeal...but not yesterday. She leaped right up and probably could've vaulted up and over the top!! :)
We met my mom out at the lake and cooked a fantastic meal. It was great to spend time with Grandma. This year has been hard watching her go from a vibrant, sharp, and active woman to a blind invalid. I think her memory has been the hardest thing to watch deteriorate. When Kelley and I were walking her into her house she said "The cabin is going to be really cold right now...I think I have my key...we can go over to the folks' they keep it nice and warm there". She was talking about her parents who have been dead since the early 70's. It is stuff like that that breaks my heart. But we had fun visiting with her and kept her laughing. Here is a picture of me and Kelley annoying my mom much to my Grandma's amusement.
The sun was shining (for a little bit at least) and there was tons of snow. We brought out our ice skates in case the ice was good for skating...it wasn't...too choppy and slushy on the top.
But the Oates' driveway was a perfect ice skating rink for Reilly...who needs a lake with ice like this?? Look how perfect...
The conditions were also perfect for SLEDDING!! Usually we sled down the road but we made a great run in between my grandma's and the Oates' we could slide all the way out onto the lake.
The conditions were also perfect for a delicious cherry snowy treat...YUM!!
See I told you...even I do it too!!
But it does look a little ghoulish or maybe more vampire-like...with the red jello!!
Once it got dark and all the little munchkins were busy being stuffed with brownies by Grandma...Tyler and I took to the hill for some serious sledding...NIGHT SLEDDING!! The temperature had dropped and the sledding run had gotten icy and FAST. We could slide even farther out onto the lake. Plus...it was really foggy and it fun to be sledding into the fog and out onto the frozen lake.
YEHAW!!
**EDIT** There is a price to pay when you are a 35 year old sledder (I chuckle just typing that). As I was getting undressed for bed last night Tyler said "What is that on your butt?" Hmmm...are there any good answers to that question? The obvious...cellulite in vast quantities. As I shot him an evil glare I turned around to the mirror to peer at my butt (again this required great fortitude on my part as I try to avoid glimpses of this particular nether region) what I saw was a GIGANTIC bruise bigger than a deck of cards on my left buttock. Don't worry I won't post a picture...this isn't THAT kind of blog...sorry creepy lurkers. But suffice it to say it is gross!! I'M OLD!!
16 comments:
Fun times! So sad about your grandmas. She's lucky to have such a great family.
What a blast! That snow thing looks pretty raunchy. I remember your grandma, and it makes me sad to hear about her this last year. grandma Beth's brain has started to go this year as well. It's so hard to watch these sharp, smart women lose it.
Oh, how I wish that were me!! How FUN! A little cherry JELLO sounds really good, right now. . .
Looks like the kids had a great time.
Very sweet about you taking such good care of your grandmother.
Sliding through the fog onto the icy lake has me a little freaked out, glad it was fun!
I thought of you today while I was at the doctor's office. The receptionist had on a sweater that I would have paid any amount for just to be able to send it to you. I even came home and tried to surf the web for one because it arriving in your mailbox would have been the funniest day of my life.
So I'll describe it to you: Black knit cardigan. Rhinestones on the cuffs and hem. AND!!! A pattern of CATS on the front of the sweater. And those cats were embellished with various touches. One had a diamond (or diamond like) on it's chest. One sparkly earrings, fuzzy ribbon around a tail, fringy scarf, even furry ear muffs with a sparkly something as the headband. CLASSIC! If only I could have ripped it off her body and sent it!
Thinking of you!
Loved that you kidnapped your grandma! It's so hard to see them get older.
What a great place for outside winter fun. I still haven't been brave enough to try the jello in the snow but I have been telling everyone I know about it.
Your sister Kelley was plumping herself by baking a delicious bree appy and assisting w/taste testing mom's soup- all so the Johnson's would have a meal fit for the sledders you are!! LOL
*now seeing the photos-I wish I would have gone sledding- in this icebox of a state im sure I will have another opprotunity*
xo xo-Kelley
That is sooo cute to be able to round up the fam (even grandma) and go to a somewhat resort kind of place.....I'd LOVE something like that! How FUN & Gorgeous!
Kelly A.--
That sweater sounds so incrediably FABULOUS...cats and all. Cats with rhinestone headbands even AND earmuffs...I can barely contain my envy. That would be UGLY SWEATER HEAVEN!!
I am feeling inspired to not let my UGLY SWEATER FEVER subside with the holidays...not when there are rhinestone cat sweaters out there.
Maybe I should host a contest sometime and all bloggers could post a picture of themselves on their blogs in their ugly sweaters and the person with the FUGLIEST Sweater of all would win a FABULOUS prize.
Thanks for thinking of me!! ;)
Would I win any points for having a good story to go with my ugly sweater?
In highschool, I often wore a fuzzy, mis-shapen, grey sweater that my dad used to tell everyone he knitted for me out of his belly-button lint. This cracked me up and grossed everyone else out.
And yeah, your kids totally look like vampires eating that red snow. Creepy, but delicious.
I like your edit. Sorry about the bruise. What a price for all the fun you had during your weekend, though. I love winter and love seeing people put it to good use:) Well done.
what, no picture of the wipeout?
fun in snow is so much fun!
It's when you lose interest in having fun because you are too worried about the pain, that you should worry! I'm glad you had fun.
I'm sorry about your grandma. I hope my grandkids are as good to me as you are to yours!
Hey, but at least you had fun doing it right? I still have a HUGE bruise from my adventures in snowboarding nearly 2 weeks ago!! The sad thing was it took a mere week to actually show up. Weird!
Wow I wish I could have been at the lake with you guys. It would have been so much fun. And also I miss eating snow ice cream...Remember that stuff? The Kool aid ice was good but i like the vanilla stuff better I must confess. Hope all is well with you guys. I miss you and love you!
wow--that edit is vintage Kristin commentary. It makes me miss you!
wow--that edit is vintage Kristin commentary. It makes me miss you!
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