How to best describe 24 hours of our grand kids first over night visit (without parents) at our house?

. 24 hours of bliss . no whining no crying . only laughter and joy . started with a trip to visit fire trucks and police cars and motorcycles . seeing Smoky The Bear and a remote control fire hydrant . seeing and climbing on piles of pumpkins . getting to grandma and grandpa's house to play . riding bikes to the park up the street . enjoying the play structures there and watching soccer and basketball games . enjoying watching men in mid-evil costumes sword fighting . playing with other kids at the park . back to the house to play out in the back yard raking, shoveling dirt . mowing the grass (pretend) GS remembering this as a favorite toy for past several years . inside with doll house and furniture; doll crib remembered from before . dolls and puppet shows . art stamps and drawing with marking pens (gift from Cris for them) GD saying "I want you to quilt this one for me Grandma!" . snacks . dinner out where they behaved beautifully and ate all their dinner . taking a drive out in the country (3 miles from home) and seeing: 2 burrowing owls, several egrets, lots of squirrels, 1 llama, a herd of goats, several herds of cows, 14 wild turkeys, and 4 full grown big buffalo! . baths before bed; brushing teeth, learning to use the Waterpik~ . story reading before bed (a stack of books) GS saying: "When I come here again I am going to play with..." . bed time without problem . sleeping through the night (no bad dreams, no getting up for any reason!) . GSon asking if "he'd still be here in the morning when he woke up?" . waking happy in the morning . playing more with toys, making music, learning letters, Both kids cuddling up close to me on the easy chair... . drawing pictures . putting on a puppet show . playing with doll house . eating breakfast outside on the picnic table . making more music . drawing more pictures . playing more with dolls . playing with little cars and sitting out front waiting for parents to come . weeding grandma's garden and finally parents arrive . big smiles . hugs and kisses and plans to do it again real soon. Now Grandma might go take a nap. :-)

One thing I am yet to "get": My daughter THANKS ME for taking the kids (babysitting, visiting, whatever we do.) It feels so strange to be thanked for what feels more to me a blessing I am being given, a gift, to spend time with my grandchildren (and children too). I thank HER.

I guess it is a mutual admiration society! PS: Daughter liked the Riding The Rails Quilt on the wall and asked is she could have it! Now Happy Mother is floating on cloud nine! Of course she took it with them~ Can't wait to see it hanging in her home.