Lauren's 2013 Winter Break

Just as in previous years, Lauren visited Salisbury, for a week, in December.  She spent a few days with Grumpa and Grammy, a few days with Mee-maw and Grandpa, and a few days with Aunt B and Kevin.  Since I was not there during those days, I have asked everyone to do a little write-up about their time with the Bear!!

Dec. 10 - Dec. 13th - Lauren stayed with Grumpa & Grammy

We had a blast with Lauren and did so much, it is hard to remember the details.  In addition to a lot of singing and playing musical instruments, some of the highlights included:

• decorating the small Christmas tree in the dining room
• searching for Snowflake each morning
• helping Grumpa stack firewood and fill the bird feeders
• helping Grammy make cookies (and eating her weight in dough)
• making Grumpa play horse

           

           

December 13 - December 15 - Lauren stayed with Grandpa and Mee-Maw

As always, we loved every second of our time with Lauren!!!  She is such a sweet, easy going little girl!!!  We took her to see some outdoor Christmas lights, which she loved.  We got out of the car and walked through the lights.  She would linger at every display.  But the best was when she saw a lighted bear.  She took off running, saying "Clark, Clark!!!"  She had her own Clark Bear in her arms and put her Clark up to the lighted bear.  It was so cute!!!

We took her to our Church on Saturday evening for a Christmas Carol sing.  It was made especially fun for Lauren by an appearance of Santa Claus.  But the best part of the evening, for Lauren, was the cookie table.  She made multiple trips and enjoyed them all!!!  And she was given a special blinking Christmas hat from our Pastor, which she wore with a big smile!!!

Being a grandparent really is awesome!!!  Lauren has been such a blessing in our lives!!!

                     

                     

December 15 - December 16 - Lauren stayed with Aunt B and Kevin

When Bear came to stay with Kevin and I, we spent the first evening building our first gingerbread house together.  EVERY TIME Lauren went to put candy on to the house, she would stick it in the icing, pull it off, lick the icing, and then put the candy back on.  This was interspersed with her eating the candy before it could get placed on the house at all!!  During the sugar rush that followed, she played with the dogs and played with the "robot" roomba, by hiding from it on the dog bed and screaming for us to hide with her before he ate us all!  Kevin, being the brave soul he is, was able to quietly sneak up on the robot and stop it before it ate us.

The next day, we woke up, had some breakfast and then laid out plastic all over the floor, with two canvases on top!  Kevin covered the canvas with red, yellow, and blue paints and Lauren began to create magic.  She used her hands first until she learned she could skate on it and use her feet!  She then proceeded to run as fast as she could, though the slippery surface made her stay in one place.  She frequently fell down, leaving butt prints in her masterpiece!!  By the end, she had managed to turn almost entirely blue and red and she got Kevin and I covered in paint as well.  But she did not make a mess anywhere else!!!!  And the artwork turned out beautifully.  We then gave her a nice long bath, she napped and we spent the rest of our time playing with her and watching her sneak treats to the dogs.   It was a perfect visit!!!