Friday, March 24, 2017

Big Plans for Big Play


Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

I have a play date scheduled last Sunday with our oldest granddaughter, Virginia Rose.  As I'm buckling her into her car seat, she announces, "Gammie, I have big, big plans for the day!"

"Oh, you do, do you?"  I respond.  "And what might those be?"

"We're going to play games, and go outside, and draw pictures, and . . ."

"And did Mommy tell you we're going to bake cookies?"

"No!  We are?  I can't wait, Gammie!"

When we arrive back at the house, it's time for lunch.  One of Virginia's favorites, and mine, is tomato soup with oyster crackers.  She can't help but be a bit silly with the latter.






Then it's time to feed the birds.  Virginia especially loves scattering the sunflower seeds on the "Squirrel Table."







We continue to explore the yard once the birds are fed.  Since she was three, Virginia has had a passion for collecting air-soft pellets still hanging around long after Danny's two boys engaged in air-soft contests.  Virginia calls the pellets "BB-Tinies."  Don't you love that moniker?




Crazy Sand is a perennial favorite of Virginia's.  And I can't begin to tell you how many hours of entertainment that provides over the years, especially when she is three and four, and I babysit her a lot!  She loves to decorate what she's making in the sand with her beloved BB-Tinies.






Have I mentioned how much Virginia loves to draw and paint?  If you look closely, you can see that she has recreated some planets with her water colors.




Earlier in the day, Virginia and I are discussing her name; she knows she is named after a state, so I pull of a map of the United States on the computer to show her.



She is fascinated, and decides this is something she needs to draw, too.



Next up, we play two rounds of the counting game, Shelby's Snack Shack.  I am amazed by how much math Virginia is now able to do in her head!



She is elated to win both games, managing to give her Gammie a good, old-fashioned shellacking in the last one.



Finally, the butter we have been softening for several hours is ready for cookie making.  Virginia loves watching our new mixer at work, and minds me about not placing her fingers anywhere near the paddle.  She has gotten quite adept at spooning cookie dough onto the baking sheet.



And even more skilled at sneaking bites!



While the cookies are baking, Virginia creates more art work on our dry erase board hanging in the kitchen.





The cookies emerge from the oven perfectly done, so now it's time for a round of the classic game, Candy Land.  True to form, Virginia whips me at this game, too!





The weather has warmed up, so out we go to the driveway so Virginia can play with her sidewalk chalk.  She is really learning how to spell!







Dinner time is drawing near, so I let my little sous chef spoon the chicken pot pie mixture into the pie shells.





While the pie bakes, a tired Virginia is content to chill out on the sofa with her Uncle Daniel, and watch a movie.



What a blessed play date we have shared!  All the plans Virginia had for the day have come to pass, and then some.  And I'm convinced that God's hands and plans were in it all!

Amen!

This Sunday, my husband, Danny, and I will be leaving for the mountains of North Carolina for some much needed rest and restoration.  I will not be posting any blogs next week, nor will I be reading the ones I routinely follow, as I plan to go as technologically "dark" as possible.  Rest assured, if you leave comments here after Sunday morning, I will respond when we return the following weekend.
May God bless you and keep you, and may His light ever shine upon you, my friends!


26 comments:

  1. What a beautiful day with your sweet granddaughter Virginia! You certainly packed a lot into that day...so much fun and joy! Your Virginia will have such happy memories of times spent with "Gammie". You are blessed beyond measure! Thank you for sharing with us. I felt like I was right there playing along!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, yes, I am blessed indeed, Pamela, and how! We did pack a lot into one afternoon/evening - it was non-stop, and we both loved every minute of it. I was so surprised to NOT be exhausted by the end of the day; felt energized instead, so can't complain about that!
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  2. How special that you get to spend this precious time with Virginia, and how wonderful she must feel to know she has your undivided attention, and get to do all the fun, fun things that you did! Such precious memories the two of you made - I have such special memories of times with my grandmother too, and they made such a difference in my life. You are making a difference in Virginia's life. A truly blessed day! Have a wonderful time away with your husband, what a wonderful getaway for the two of you! May the Lord bless your time away together :) Hugs to you today!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Marilyn, for your kind and glowing words here. With two little sisters at home, Virginia really does need undivided attention from time to time. There is nothing more precious to me than the moments I get to spend with her, just hanging out together, and playing games. It truly makes me feel young again, which is a great way to feel!
      Thanks, too, for your well-wishes for our trip. We SO need this time away from it all.
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  3. I loved your story and especially the pictures. Thank you for sharing your "big plans" with us. I, too, cherish the moments I share with my grand babies and miss them every second I am not with them. I look forward to the day when we will live closer and do things together - like baking cookies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I know how much you miss your precious grandchildren, Carol, and I do mean PRECIOUS! I absolutely love seeing the photos you share of them, and I always hear through your words the pride and joy you take in each of them, as well you should. I hope the day comes soon when they can be as close in location to you as Virginia is to me.
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  4. Martha, What a lovely time you had with Virginia! She's a smart little girl. The crazy sand looks like a lot of fun, even for adults. :)

    Have a great time away relaxing with Danny!

    Love and blessings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Crazy Sand IS so much fun, Kim. Believe me, I've played with it, too, and it is fantastic. There's nothing I've ever touched that has its particular texture and pliability.
      We will have a great time, guaranteed!
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  5. Martha, I love reading about Virginia! Tell her I like her "Taco cat" picture. It made me laugh thinking of the Spanish which is Gato Taco.
    Have a wonderful time away.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will be sure to tell her, Beckie! And that is such a neat observation about the Gato Taco - I never took Spanish (Latin and French instead), but I will tell Virginia that, too.
      Glad you enjoyed the read as we sure enjoyed our day together!
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  6. What a busy little girl! Isn't Gamma tired, too? :) Thanks for sharing this along with photos. Precious memories. I hope you and your husband have a relaxing time in the mountains! Love and hugs to you, Martha!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Trudy, I expected to be much more tired by the end of this full day of activity, but instead, found myself energized. Of course, when bedtime rolled around, I was more than ready! :)
      Thank you for your well-wishes for our vacation (or as I like to call it, pilgrimage) to the mountains where we both get to reconnect with God and one another. We are so excited to be able to go!
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  7. I love that verse. How reassuring! I am looking forward to a play day with my grandson next Tuesday during spring break. You've given me some great ideas for big, big plans.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Galen, I'm so happy this post gave you some ideas for those big, big plans with your grandson. I know you all will share special moments and create lasting memories together. There is nothing like grandchildren, is there?
      It's one of my favorite verses, too - gives me so much hope!
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  8. She is so creative!! Who does she get this from :) Have a wonderful trip Martha.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Virginia is so creative, Vishnu, and I hope she never loses her sense of wonder about life.
      Thanks for the well wishes for our trip!
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  9. I think I need a nap. I'm tired after reading this. :) Have a great time away MJ.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL, Bill! Yes, we certainly stayed busy, that's for sure.
      We plan to have a great time to reconnect with God and each other.
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  10. Hi Martha! I hope you and Danny had a wonderful time on your 'time-out' visit to nature.
    I loved reading over your plans and fun with Virginia. I am always on the lookout for things to do with my grandchildren...what is this sand she likes? Is it the stuff that you squish into water?
    You are a great model of grandparenting for me, thank you for your inspiration!
    Blessings,
    Ceil

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ceil, it's called "Crazy Sand" and you don't have to add a thing to it. You should be able to find it, or something similar, in any toy store or maybe Walmart. It provides hours of fun for the kids, that's for sure.
      Our vacation was not what we expected - more on that in Tuesday's blog.
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  11. What a fun day!
    Life through the eyes of a child is so sweet. Each day, each moment is an adventure.
    Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was a stellar day, TC, and I enjoyed every minute of it, as you can tell by the post.
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  12. That looks like a blast. Thanks for the smile and hope your trip is amazing and relaxing. Blessings to you, Martha! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We did have a blast that day, Jason. Since spring break is this week, I'm hoping for another day of fun with Virginia. :)
      Our trip, as I told Ceil, was not at all what we planned, but God knows best. More on that in Tuesday's post!
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  13. Replies
    1. Thanks, Jean! Joy can't be shared enough, can it?
      Love and blessings!

      Delete

I Weep

  Jesus wept. ~John 11:35 I weep for hurting souls  Who never saw the coming Of travesty, now mourning The ones who suffered I weep for the ...