My Grandmas

One of the best gifts of the season this year was getting to spend quality time with my Grandmas.  Both are such amazing and strong women and are such amazing role models for me to look up to!  Not only do I thoroughly enjoy seeing them, but I love seeing my kids get to spend time with them, too.  This trip, we had a lot of time to just hang out with family and I took full advantage of that!

We tried to get my Dad's family together before the holidays so that we could celebrate early with them since we weren't going to be with them on Christmas Day.  But- it's the holidays and everyone's calendars are full of parties and commitments, which I totally understand!  Thankfully, my Grandma was able to join us for brunch at my Mom and Dad's house and we couldn't wait to see her!  Earlier in the morning, we had prepared some yummy food to enjoy with her in the afternoon.  Little did we know that my Grandma would also bring some of her delicious cookies!  She is notorious for good Christmas cookies.  She is a professional at the thumb print cookies (jam in the middle), these amazing meringue circles, mincemeat cookies, russian tea balls, and some I am sure I am forgetting.  We filled up on her cookies before brunch but it was well worth it!  How she does it, I don't know. 

We all gathered around my Mom's dining room table, said prayer, and started eating the fabulous food!  A few minutes into the brunch, Grandma started telling us about the Christmas rituals she used to have during her childhood in Germany.  She told us how on Christmas Eve, her parents would have all the kids go into a little room and stay there for a while.  What they didn't know was that her parents were trimming the tree in the front room.  It is so interesting to hear stories about her life.  In all honesty- I wish I knew more.  She sang for us a German Christmas song and we were all in awe.  After brunch- she gave my kids the most adorable pajamas and we gave her a gift, too! 

A few days later, we had my Nana over for some dinner and cookie decorating.  Nana is such a love.  Such a sweet, loving, and amazing woman.  Over the last twenty years, she has battled Parkinson's Disease.  She continues to inspire me with her amazing fight.  As always, we enjoyed being with Nana at dinner and it was so fun to see her decorate cookies with the kids.  Emily even loved feeding her pistachios!  Nana was such a good sport, even when Emily was trying to feed her pistachios that still had the shell on!

Oh, I am a lucky girl.  I have two amazing Grandmas that have enriched my life and been such sources of inspiration and strength for me.  Lucky me.