Adventures with Grandpa

Grandpa Thiriot (my Dad) came to visit the first part of December. It's the first time we've had Grandpa here alone and all to ourselves for a couple days.

It was so much fun...we sure loved being spoiled. Long-distance relationships are hard to create. We're so grateful that the girls' got to know their Grandpa better. It's so much more fun to talk to Grandpa on the phone when you actually feel like you know him!!!

Here's our time with Grandpa in pictures....


We had an early Christmas as soon as Grandpa arrived with presents galore! Books, books and lots of chocolate!!! We're all in heaven.

Grandpa brought us a full set of the Mr. Men books that I grew up on in England. They're so great! If you can find them in your library...check them out your little ones will get such a kick out of them.

Hayley especially has really goten into chapter books now after making it through a 6 book series that Grandpa gave us. Again, it's british but so cute for little girls "Magic Ballerina". I even got excited to read the next couple chapters each night!

We hated to admit it but Grandpa was actually here on business so we ran over to meet him at his hotel one night and had fun jumping on his bed (okay, not me...but the girls!) and spending the evening at the mall next to his hotel.

With Grandpa behind the camera we got so many family pictures...

Who needs a playground when you have an escalator to play on?!?

I love this shot...window shopping with Grandpa. Okay, so we have to admit, it wasn't all window shopping when we passed the toy store...

1 grandpa + 3 grandkids=hard to just look!

Yummy dinner at the Cheesecake factory!

After Grandpa finished working on Friday he zoomed on over in time to get a tour of Hayley's kindergarten class! She had fun showing Grandpa around her stomping ground.

Then we had to have some after-school fun by stopping by our favorite burger place for fries...

And skip through Target holding Grandpa's hand...

One more night with Grandpa...he didn't waste any time. Come to find out he's a pro at fudge and carmel popcorn and taught us his tricks!

Okay, seriously, I've never succeeded at making fudge--I have some great stories of my failures and have sworn that I'll never make it again! When I saw how easy this recipe was I really didn't believe it would work. But now I'm back in the fudge game! (Dad always teased me that he taught me everything I know...guess you can take credit for my fudge now too, Dad!)

Can't mess it up--silky smooth, melt-in-your-mouth fudge!

G&G T's Fudge

12 oz milk chocolate or white chocolate chips

3/4 can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cube butter

1 tsp vanilla

nuts

Put first three in glass bowl and melt in microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes.

Remove and stir.

Add vanilla and nuts.

(Grandpa's favorite version is with white chocolate chips!)

G&G T's Soft Caramel Corn

2 1/3 c brown sugar

1/2 c butter (1 stick)

1 to 1 1/2 cans sweetened condensed milk (he said he thinks this really makes it)

1 1/3 c corn syrup

12 cups of popped corn (I'm making that up...lots anyways!)

Mix all this in a saucepan, stirring constantly.

Stop it when it reaches the soft ball stage-drop small amounts into a bowl of water and it should make a soft ball (don't let it boil).

Remove immediately and pour over corn.

Dump half caramel over the popcorn, minus any unpopped kernels; put that on wax paper and do the same with remaining caramel and popcorn so that they all get covered.

I love this early morning picture of pajama-girls reading on Grandpa's lap!

On Saturday we said goodbye to Grandpa and he went to spend some time with Dean and Kristen but first we all met up at a recreation center for racquetball and swimming.

Here's the Virginia cousins! What a bunch!