Grandparents only…. that’s what it is at our house, grandparents only.  Tonight (Sept. 8, 2023), Brett and the girls are sleeping at the Summit.  We’ve spent the last couple of days unloading about a million storage tubs and getting reacquainted with their contents.  Emotions have run the spectrum.  Here are a couple of items that sparked some conversation.

The fondue set.  My memory… Shannon always had fondue for New Year’s Eve.  We haven’t had fondue since she passed.  Hadley’s take… “Oh, Elle, fondue is so good.  Mom used to make it and we used these little forks.  Do you want to have a party with fondue and the little forks?”

The cake decorating box.  Me… So glad this has moved from North Main to the Summit.  Hadley… “Elle, when I was in kindergarten Mom went all out and made these cookies with plain white frosting and brought them for our class.  We got to decorate them with edible paint and paint brushes.  It was the best.  Let’s do it when we have our friends over.”  Her eyes sparkled as she filled Elle in on the cookies.

And so it went, as each tub was unloaded Hadley kept the commentary going.  She covered everything from baby spoons to supplements to games and books.  The time was spent filling the new house with old items and shared memories.  Items and experiences shared with family build family culture.  The Good Life is built as traditions and values are made with those we love.  Think about your own family and what is important to you.  I’ve been thinking about ours, and we are going to have fondue to ring in 2024!  And, I’ll bet there will be sparkling eyes all around.  Just a little postscript… we spent Sept. 9 at the Summit.  Grandpa was lonesome!