Grampa Memory

I was thinking about Grampa tonight & texted your dad to ask his favorite Dad memory.  He said, 

"Too many favorites to just pick one.  So I'll just give you one.  Sittin' in the boat fishin in Canada just talkin & havin a good time."  

Made me smile, so I wanted to share with you.  : )  


I remember all the emails Grampa & I would write while we were at work.  Sometimes we would decide to meet at Dairy Queen for lunch - always his treat.  We would sit at the booth & use this old-fashioned rotary dial phone to call the front counter & place our order.  I say "we" but it was always him who called, because I have phone phobia issues.  They were worse back then.  He would get the tenderloin (which was huge!) and I would usually get a cheeseburger & onion rings or fries.  We would talk about what was going on in life, or his next Royal Ranger outing, or how work was going.  At that time I was probably complaining about my mean co-worker who seemed to take great pleasure in making my life miserable at work!  It's because of Grampa that I survived that time.  He always had so much love, always made us feel loved, and know that we are special.  


I miss him tonight.  And I just wanted to give you a little piece of him.


I love you!  And you are special.  : )  


Aunt Carrie

2011 - a year in pictures

Oh my how you've grown in 2011!  You turned FOUR and your personality has really popped.  I am greatly looking forward to spending 2012 w/ you!  : )  

: )  


This year was all about wrestling (Cena!), trains, baseball (you LOVED), soccer (you weren't too fond), bubbles, remote control cars, trips to the JD Headquarters and Pavilion (every weekend for a couple months straight!).  We had some field trips to Chicago, and you met new friends in Mason City (Stephen & Chase).  You spent the night at my house quite a lot, which made me happy!  We watched movies (Thomas, Phineas & Ferb) and ate popcorn, and sometimes you would ask to vacuum.  Not sure what you like about housework, but I'll let ya vacuum any time you want to!  LOL   


It is not an exaggeration to say that my favorite thing to do is hang out with you.  *HUGS*  


Love you lots!
Aunt Carrie

don't lie

Hi Honey!  I love you very much, and hope that - even tho the ppl around you lie - you will decide not to.

I'm honest with you.  Even when you ask hard questions!  If I don't know, I'll tell you I don't know.  If I can find out, I will.

If you do something wrong, or you think you did something wrong, and I - or Gramma or Daddy or Mommy, whomever! - ask you about it, just tell us the truth.  You don't have to hide it or lie to "get out of trouble."  I promise, at least I can promise for myself, that as long as you tell me the truth we can talk about what happened, why you did whatever it was, and work through it.

Lies hurt.

Lies don't make things better, they just destroy trust.  I don't want to wonder every time you tell me something if it's true or not.  I want to know that you trust me, and that I can trust you.

That's all.  I just wanted to let you know.  *HUGS*

LOVE YA!

Aunt Carrie

HQ & the Pavilion

Summer and Fall of 2011 was a record year for weekend trips to your favorite places, John Deere Headquarters & the Pavilion.  You seemingly never get tired of going there to play, and so far I never get tired of taking you there!  : )  I love watching you discover new things, and being excited when equipment gets switched out.  

Thanks for spending so much time w/ me, and thanks for taking some nifty pictures - you're getting good!

LOVE YOU!

Aunt Carrie