LUNCH WITH GREAT GRANDMA MARY ASHCROFT CROSBY - AGE 92

For years now - honestly I can't even remember how many - every tuesday I go over and have lunch with my grandmother - my kids great grandmother, Mary Ashcroft Crosby.  What a unique privilege and honor it is and has been for at least the past 8 years.  I can't even remember how it all started - I know that when George was a baby and I was expecting Paris I was also trying to finish my degree from BYU remotely through Dixie.  It was a slow process, but at least once a week my Grandma and Grandpa Crosby would watch George for me so that I could go to class.  I think it was during that time that they invited or suggested that we just have lunch together since I was picking George up at lunch time anyway.  George is 13 now, he was probably 2 when this began so it has probably been going on for almost 11 years!!!

I will always remember the times when I would pick up George and my Grandma who, at the time, was in her 80's would get on the floor and play with George!  I remember George sitting on my Grandpa's lap in his chair by their front window watching the birds in the bird bath or the cars and people as they would go by.  I remember my Grandma taking George on walks around the temple, which is close to her house,  and taking him around to all the outside speakers that played music because he loved the music! I remember when they were doing some major "construction" on the road in front of their house and George was fascinated by all the big trucks and machinery!  Grandma would wrap him up in her sweaters, etc and take him out in his stroller to watch the construction.  She fed George bottles, changed his diapers and played, played, played with him with balls and blocks from the block box.  Eventually Paris was born and Grandma and Grandpa watched him too, but it wasn't too long after his birth that I was done with my degree. We still went over weekly and on occasion I would ask them to watch Paris if I needed to do something with just George.  One time Chris and I decided that we would take George to see the new "Curious George" movie in the theater so Grandma and Grandpa watched Paris for us, but it was fun to find out later that that day was Grandma Crosby's Dad's (Paris Ira Ashcroft's) Birthday and it made it "special" for Grandma to be watching her great grandson Paris that day...

So why am I writing about all of this?  Well, the 2 pictures above are kind of an end of an era for my 4 oldest children...  Those pictures were taken the last tuesday before school started in August 2016.  John officially started 1st grade this year so he would no longer be joining me at Grandma's house.  The other kids can only come during the summer.  We've still got Mary at home so we will continue to go over weekly as long as Grandma wants us to.  Our menu rotates from pizza to corn dogs to chicken nuggets, I bring a fruit and a veggie and Grandma always has an ice cream treat at the end.  We eat and talk if we can with the kids, we clean up, sometimes we listen to big band music and dance, sometimes the kids play in the back rooms or try on grandma's shoes and slippers - Erma loves trying on her jewelry!  Sometimes we play the "Frustration" game, but we always build towers etc with the blocks and we ALWAYS play games - Sorry - Uno and Skipbo.  John learned to love to play games and I think it really helped him with his numbers!  There have also been special times each year at Christmas where we go over to make Grandma's Christmas Candy!!!  Grandma was always in charge but she allowed the kids to grease pans and stir and taste test, etc.  We always made Fudge, Divinity and Peanut Brittle - YUM!!!  I am so blessed to be able to live so close and have theses opportunities!  I have learned so much from my Grandma about loving children , loving the gospel, dealing with trials and trying to remain positive, being a good neighbor and just a lot of wisdom about life in general.  I've loved learning about some stories from her childhood, but I will have to share those at another time.  I love "Great Grandma Mary" more than me feeble words can express!!!