We were recently blessed with the reminder of how wonderful and easy life can be with a grandma around 24/7. We often wonder how some of our friends and family members get so much done with fewer children than us? And then we remember, oh yeah, they live near their parents.

This may be one of the reasons that children do not move away, or adult children return to live near their parents when they begin to have children. Because let me tell ya, it sure helps to have somebody else play with the kids, change diapers, wash dishes, clean up, and more.

Either way, Grandma was here and it was a blast! She got to meet and hold the twins for the first time, and played pretend with Primrose and Marlena about seventeen-thousand times over the seven day timespan. She slept with Marlena every night in her bunk bed, brought a creative spark into our home, taught us how to make flowers out of paper shopping bags and chopsticks, laughed at night after the kids went to bed while watching Frasier, tickled her daughter’s sore feet, did the dishes, tidied the house, played on the floor of the yurt for an entire day, played with the kids while mom and dad worked in the garden, and did not for a single moment complain about the inconveniences of our lifestyle.

Not once did she say, “You guys should really get a…” fill in the blank. Or, “If you only did….” fill in the blank… “your life would be a lot easier,” even though she lives in a nice house in a big city with all of the amenities she could ever need. Instead of making us feel like we live in a harsh environment, she adapted like a champ and had fun with the change in her daily routines.

Every time I spend time with my mother-in-law I am reminded of why Savanna is such a beacon of positivity despite the circumstances. I swear it, I could drop Savanna and her mother into a pit of vipers (did someone say Indiana Jones?) and they would find a way to navigate their situation with an air of grace, patience, and light-heartedness.

We kept trying to convince her to stay (“It’s not too late to extend your ticket”) but she has a big-girl job with big-girl responsibilities. But we are now planning our trip to Missouri to visit her sometime this fall or winter, where she will more than likely still be the wonderful person to spend time with.

Grandma, we miss you and cannot wait until you come back or we come visit, whichever comes first!