I have to say it’s pretty strange to be writing a post about Steve and the kids and the grandkids in Florida and not actually BE with Steve and the kids and grandkids in Florida.
Steve said they’ve been having such a wonderful time. He said one of the highlights was Friday night when, after the kids were in bed, he and Nathan and Meagan stayed up past 1 a.m. They talked (about both serious and funny stuff), sang (Steve had brought his guitar), listened to music, and laughed until they cried.
Even though I’m sad I wasn’t there for all the Florida Smith Experiences, I’m grateful to at least get to participate through photos.
The look on Andrew’s face says it all. You just know he is thinking, “Life is so unfair!”
And it just gets worse.
He’s not so sure he’s particularly thrilled with grandpa at the moment. “Don’t mess with my food, Grandpa!”
Sometimes the only peace a dad can get is under his pillow.
The up and coming drummer.
It took the two littlest ones a couple of days to warm up to Grandpa. To them, he was just a person they had no memory of meeting.
But a couple of days into the visit, he finally got both of the little guys to hang out with him.
With all the fellas in the house, it’s always nice to see a picture of my beautiful second daughter and gorgeous first granddaughter.
Steve read a book to the assemblage of grandchildren that Sarah had gotten for them. It’s called “The Book With No Pictures” and is highly recommended by all the Smith grandchildren.
Don’t ever believe the myth that children need expensive toys. Give them stickers and a grandpa with a beard and they will be all set.
on the way to Florida, Steve took a detour through Charlotte to visit his dad. Look at that smile on Ken’s face as he catches a glimpse of his lifetime love.
here is the latest Food Lion collage of Sarah. I love seeing the change in her over the years.
What about you?
What place have you really wanted to visit recently but have not been able to because of COVID-19?
Do you have any particular memories of your grandparents from when you were a child? Or even more recent ones? What did you learn from them?
I feel your disappointment. I was supposed to have caught a flight to Alaska this afternoon, one that had been booked and paid since January and canceled last month. It was 95 and steamy today in central Florida, so you’re not missing any great weather!
Melissa,
Oh my. Going to Alaska is something I would love to do.
To have a trip planned and then having to cancel would be such a letdown. At 95 degrees, I know you would have been more than ready to trade FL for a cooler climate. I just looked and it is 54 degrees in Juneau right now. Brrrr!
Hopefully, it won’t be too long until you can take that trip. I’m excited for you–and a little envious, too.
Becky,
Loved the pictures of Steve and the grands. listening to him reading to them is a sure way to bring a smile. I am sure that loving memories were made, but I am just as certain that you were missed by all as they were being made. Enjoyed seeing the pictures of Sarah in here work clothes through the years. Princess Groovy Chick has certainly grown into a lovely young woman, just as beautiful inside as out.
Hugs, stay safe and God bless,
Linda in Pittsburgh
Linda,
Yes, I had a lot of mixed emotions during Steve’s time away, feeling like I was doing the right thing but so sad because the right thing was keeping me from the people I love. I know that many, many people have had to make those kinds of decisions recently, and many of them so much harder than mine. But I’m thankful that half of the Grandma/Grandpa duo got to go so there was only 50% disappointment instead of 100% disappointment.
Looks like a great time, I just hope they are all wearing masks when they go out,Florida is spiking so badly, I saw Shari Hawley’s pictures last week when they were ALL in Orlando at the zoo and it looked like nobody was wearing masks…..
Dale,
I have heard them mentioning wearing masks before. I just think for the photo (and since they all hang out with each other a lot) they took them off.
What great pictures! Looks like memories are being made!
And the look on Ken’s face? Priceless, again!
Also, out of the pics of Sarah, I think she looks really good with her hair the way it is now.
Have a great week!
PS…did you do something for you while Steve is gone?
Krista,
Yes, I really like Sarah’s hair, too. Pretty big change in her from that very first, long-ago photo.
I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary while Steve was gone but I did take a couple of vacation days where I got to putter and do whatever I felt like doing. That is something I absolutely love and relaxing and therapeutic.
Awwww…..Ken looks great and that smile is just awesome!!
Recently, we had to cancel a planned trip to Colorado to see family. None of us felt comfortable with doing it. Ugh. Also, we have been planning a road trip to Nashville with some friends in September. It is probably too soon to decide if that one is a go, but my gut is telling me that heading for such a populated place is probably not the thing to do. So, our ‘plan B’ is going to be heading towards Montana, Idaho and Wyoming to see what we can discover. The work time is already marked off the calendars, so we are most definitely going somewhere, we decided. It should be a fun time.
I was always quite shy as a child. Still am, sort of. Dad tells me that I used to hide behind my mom’s legs when I saw my grandparents. (dad’s folks) The funny thing is that we used to see them A LOT and I still acted shy around them. Go figure. lol All of my grandparents have been gone for many, many years but while they were alive they definitely taught some valuable lessons and were such wonderful examples of how to live a right life. I hope that I can leave that kind of impression on MY grandchildren!
Lee Anne,
Always good to have a Plan B and Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming sound like a VERY good Plan B! Would love to visit that part of the country.
That’s funny that you hid behind your mom’s legs when seeing your grandparents. It’s even funnier that when we were kids, we actually thought that legs were sufficient to hide us! 🙂 How wonderful to hear that they helped teach you how to live a right life. We have a lot of legacies to pass on to our grandkids, don’t we?
Not being able to see our daughter and her family. They only live 6 miles away, but since my husband is in high risk, don’t want to take any chances. The “kids” are all over 21 and some continue to work. Grandparents came from Norway and enjoyed my grandmother’s cooking and just visiting with them. Grandpa would take his coffee and pour some of it into a saucer and drink from the saucer. He also loved to drink carnation evaporated milk (oh, yuck). Loved to ride in their Model T. Great pictures of Steve and grand kids. He just oozes love for his grandkids. Love Sara’s haircuts through the years.
Sharyn,
I can’t imagine how difficult that is for you when your family lives so close. That first time back together will be very sweet, indeed.
I’ve always wondered why people drank from saucers and the only thing I can think of is that they wanted the coffee to cool down quickly. But the evaporated milk? I’m saying “yuck” right along with you. 🙂
And you are no doubt one of my few readers who can say they have ridden in a Model T. What a cool experience.
What a heartwarming post. I know that it is very difficult for you to stay home, but so very important that you do your best to remain healthy. This visit will be extra special for Steve spending time the children and grandchildren. I loved listening to Steve reading the story and hearing the children’s laughter melted my heart. The picture of his parent seeing each other and the look they share tells a real love story. By the way, the pictures of Sarah are lovely and she grows more so each year. COVID 19 has not kept kept us from our vacation, because our vacation is not until the beginning of August. Hopefully we will be able to make it. As for spending time with my grandparents. I only had a grandmother growing up. They had all passed away before I was born. I would visit her every summer and spend a week with her. Fun times.
Catherine,
Steve is on his way home today and he said they all had a really special together so that makes me happy that it went well. I loved hearing the kids’ laughter in the video, too. Such a simple, innocent sound.
I hope you are able to take your vacation as planned. Time to get away is so important, especially when daily stress levels are so high due to the virus.
I know those weekly visits with your grandma are memories to hang on to, especially since you only had the one grandparent living.
Glad Steve is supplying lots of pictures of the Florida trip. I know it must be hard for you not to be there.
I think the place I’m missing most is going to a restaurant or movie. I have gotten carry out a handful of times and also gone through drive-thrus but have not actually stepped foot in a restaurant. I’ve also not made many trips to my parents since March – went down and back in one day to take groceries and supplies in April and 3 days in May. I might have been back if not for my surgery. I can drive but not that distance yet.
My mom’s mother died in March before I turned 5 in July. Don’t remember a lot about her but I do remember my mom getting the call that she had passed. My mom’s dad died in 1983. Both of my brothers were close to him as they used to spend the night with him quite often. My dad’s parents died in 1986 and 1989. I have memories of both of them – one time my grandfather told me I could ask a man to marry me since it was Leap Year. The thing I remember most about my grandmother was she did not believe in girls wearing shorts or slacks. So anytime we went to their house or we knew they were coming to ours, I had to put a dress on. I was pretty much a tom boy so did not enjoy that. Another time we were at their house for lunch. She had fixed “fried chicken” – at least that’s what she said it was. My younger brother asked why there was 4 legs – it was rabbit! She rarely made gravy, like never. One time my dad had put his mashed potatoes on his plate and there was a white salad of some kind he thought was gravy so he piled it on his potatoes. 🙂
Phyllis,
Loved your cooking stories from your times growing up. Fried rabbit and white salad as gravy. Interesting moments!
And the marriage/Leap Year joke was funny. I’m sure you were quite wide-eyed, hearing that information. (And I’m sure your grandfather enjoyed telling you. 🙂
Yes, I definitely miss restaurants and movies too, even though it is a rare occurrence for us to go to either one. It’s just nice to go whenever you want to go. Glad you’ve been able to help your parents through this season; I know they appreciate you so much.
What sweet Florida pictures – and the one of Ken is frame-worthy. Sarah continues to evolve into a beautiful young woman. We would love to visit my in-laws in Arkansas, but are worried we could unknowingly carry Covid to them. My most vivid memory of the paternal grandparents is Sunday dinner after church. They lived in the same town I grew up in and unlike me, they lived within walking distance of our church. So when the weather was nice, I would walk to her house. They didn’t have a formal dining room, but instead had a table that folded down and served as an accent table “during the day”, but each end was probably 3-4 foot square and would hinge up and the legs would slide to hold them up so all the family could gather round. And lunch almost always included home made rolls – I can still smell and taste them.
Sue Ellen,
That sounds like a nifty table to accommodate all that good Sunday eatin’! My mom used to make homemade bread all the time so I know exactly what you are talking about when you mention the rolls your grandma made. Such an amazing treat.
Walking to your grandparent’s house after church combines the best of several words–church, exercise, food, and family. Can’t go wrong!
That face on Ken is so adorable!! And even through the glass (and through the computer), I can just feel the love he still has for his lovely wife! You can also tell Steve was having a grand ole’ time with the kids and grandkids! Love the pictures of Sarah through the years, while she was working at Food Lion. So beautiful and you can tell how grown up she is! I hate you didn’t get to go to Florida because of the Coronavirus. It is better you are staying safe at home, considering your compromised immune system!.
My favorite memory is my grandfather (who was in his 70’s) would load our bicycles in his truck along with drinks and snacks in a cooler. We would go to Cumberland Knob, off the Blue Ridge Parkway near the NC/VA border. During the week, we would have the whole park to ourselves. I always loved going in the shop, which had this distinct smell I can still recall all these many years later. It was a mixture of the smell of paper, books, nature and the rest rooms that were nearby!! We rode our bikes and circled the park 100 times (not really, but I am sure it felt like that to my grandpa)! When we got tired, we would stop to rest and eat our snacks. My grandpa always brought a thermos full of black coffee with him, even though it was 90 degrees in the summer! We would come home late in the evening, completely exhausted. But the next week, we would load up and do it all again! That is my most memorable memory with my grandpa. He would do anything in the world that I wanted to do, within reason! I would love to visit Cumberland Knob again someday. And I am sure the little shop still smells the same…
Donna,
I just Googled Cumberland Knob so I could see what you were talking about. It’s beautiful! I love the Blue Ridge Parkway; what happy memories you made there.
I had to smile when you mentioned remembering the smell of that little shop through the years. That’s one of my favorite things about old buildings–the unmistakable smell that is a combination of about a dozen things all stirred together.
Sounds like you had a wonderful, patient grandpa!
He was the best, along with my Grandma too!! They lived nearby and kept me during the summer and since I was the “Baby” (youngest grandchild), I was really spoiled by them. I even have a memory of my grandpa with my son. My grandpa smoked a pipe and Tyler had a toy plastic pipe (which was really one that would blow bubbles). He would pretend smoke his pipe like his Pa-Pa did. I even have a picture with them sitting beside each other, pretending to smoke their pipes! Thanks for the writing prompt asking about out memorable times with our grandparents. It has just made my day thinking back!
If ya’ll ever come this way, let me know. We can pick up some KFC chicken & fixiin’s and have a relaxing picnic at Cumberland Knob. Just leave the bikes at home though because unlike my grandpa, I certainly am not in great physical health to be on a bike!
Donna,
So glad you got to remember some wonderful memories today. In times that are so crazy with everything changing I think it is all the more important to remember back to simpler, sweeter times.
Thanks for the KFC/Cumberland Knob invite. Sounds delightful!
We were able to come to our campspot in Montana and being in the mountains is wonderful. Saw a mountain goat yesterday and it was awesome. However, I am missing being able to hug all my summer friends, go to church, go shopping at the great thrift shops and tourist shops, outdoor concerts, plays, and eating out at our favorite places here.
I only knew had one grandma. We visited every other year. She taught me about her garden. To love and appreciate the different plants. We would walk thru and she would tell me about each plant and guide me thru harvesting it. When she cooked fresh green beans she always put in 2 ham hocks so my sister and I could each have one. Good memories.
Patti,
I don’t think I have ever been to Montana but the pictures I’ve seen are gorgeous! Enjoy your lovely camp spot and mountain goats! I know there are mixed feelings being there because you’re remembering all the things you usually do. Around here, thrift stores are open but most of the dressing rooms are closed which is a bummer.
I love that your grandma taught you about gardening; that is becoming more and more of a lost art. And I had to smile at the ham hock story. I wise grandma!
My aunt! whom Covid came w/in a 90-95% chance of stealing her from us three days after her husband, my amazing uncle was taken away from her. She only remembers a few moments of the days b/f his passing and the 17 days after that were spent in the hospital (10 of in ICU on life support)! It was an immensely difficult month and we’re about to go on another roller coaster ride one lasting quite a long time!
Love to the Smith/Campbell Family!
Jodi,
Oh I am so sorry to hear that your family has experienced such a difficult time. Did your uncle pass from COVID? So thankful your aunt has survived and is hopefully growing stronger every day.
Our family sending love right back to you.
My favorite memories are driving the tractor around the farm with my grandpa. What a thrill.
Ann,
I hope you are feeling stronger every day.
I always thought it would be fun to ride a tractor. How great to have a grandpa who let you experience that. I’m sure the sounds and smells and the bumping along ride made it a great adventure.
Hugs.
Hi Becky, I enjoyed seeing the pictures of Steve with the grandkids. It must be hard not to be there with them, but with the current Covid situation in Florida it was the very best decision for you! Our two granddaughters are in England. We were supposed to meet in Portugal in April for an extended visit (and a family wedding), but the pandemic foiled our plans. I have only seen granddaughter #2 twice and she is now 13 months old. I actually bought that same Book with No Pictures and took it to Portugal with us…and back home. I look forward to reading it to the girls when we are finally reunited! It might be a long while.
Anne,
I can only imagine how disappointed you were at the unwelcome change of plans. To meet with loved ones in a beautiful country like Portugal would certainly be the highlight of a year. I know very well how it is to see grandchildren only infrequently; at the age of 13 months, they seem to change just about every day.
Looking forward to hearing about the day when you can make that trip and read that book.