Sunday dinner was a tradition that started in my family when I was very young. Every Sunday, rain or shine, my mom and I joined my grandparents for dinner at their house. It was always something to look forward to. Grandma took requests, but we never knew what she was making until we walked through the door. BAM! The aroma of the delicious food was a dead giveaway. It was here that my love for cooking was birthed. I'm not sure who was more appreciative. We loved to eat Grandma's food as much as she enjoyed cooking it for us. Roast and lasagne were among my personal favorites, but let me tell you, NO ONE makes a turkey sandwich like Grandma!

The food was great, but it was more about the time we spent together and the traditions we made away from the table. My Papa was really great at pulling quarters out of my ear. Grandma always let me "stab" the butter. When we left, they walked us out, and Grandma and I always waved backwards at each other through the window. Ahhh -- what I wouldn't give to relive those days.

Now that I am grown with my own children, the tradition continues. The best part is that we get to do it TWICE every week. Every Friday or Saturday evening, we load up our kids and head to Nana and Papa's (my parents). I relish in the love and traditions of my children and their grandparents. Their pantry is always stocked with the kids' favorite snacks that are off limits at home -- a real treat for all of them! Papa and Ady love to sneak their stash of raw cookie dough when Nana's not looking. Seeing Papa and Hunt snuggled up in the big chair, or Cade requesting Nana to read 10 books in a row warms my heart.

Sunday, we get to do this all over again at Dave's parents. Living on a 20+ acre cattle ranch leaves endless possibilities for entertainment and FUN. While the boys head out on the 4-wheeler to check out the cows, the girls prep dinner. We usually always end the night with a dip in the hot tub (who wants to give baths on a Sunday night anyway). In the summer time, Sunday is an ALL day event with swimming and cooking out as a family. All my kids have learned to swim in their Grammy's pool.

I know that some people can't believe that we spend so much time with our parents, and we have often chosen them over our own friends. Let me tell you... they are FUN!!! We are so blessed that we all live in the same town, and not knowing what the future may hold for any of us, we will not take a moment of that for granted. We know this phase of our life can't last forever -- the kids will grow up, and schedules will change. As we laugh and make new memories with our family, I treasure the memories I have with my grandparents -- I can't express how important it is to my to provide my children with the same.