The day finally came for Alex and Mauricio to head back to Dallas after a blissful ten days of their being on the ranch. We all had a wonderful Christmas, and it was the most Sofia-centric visit to date! I got to spend so much daily quality time with my sweet little pookie, from morning until bedtime, and yesterday I was angling for them to put their Dallas house on the market because I couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing her every day! I have a feeling this is a very common grandparent sentiment.
I got to spend some quality time with Sofia in my office while her parents were loading up the car with everything they came with, plus the toys Sofia got for Christmas. Please ignore the Basset Hounds’ water bowl in the background! Haha.
Finally it was time to go and I swallowed the lump in my throat and went outside. It was a serious send-off, from Ladd to the Bassets to Lucy and Shelby! Fortunately, it’s nice and sunny today. If it had been gloomy or rainy, I might not have emotionally made it through the goodbye. 😂
I made one more attempt to get them to unload the car and stay another six months before giving Sofia one more hug and four hundred more kisses.
What a gift it is to be a grandmother! I had heard all the clichés and either dismissed or underestimated the truth at the heart of them. It is the sweetest, purest love that causes the heart to swell and soar and leap at the simplest sound or expression. I see and remember all my babies when I look at Sofia. Absent the angst of early motherhood—I’ve already felt those feelings and they’re way in the past—I can instead focus and reflect on the constant wonder of it all. It’s magic and I’m so grateful to be able to experience this gift. I love you, Sofia!! See you tomorrow, I think I’ll go pack my car now.
The Pioneer Woman
Ree Drummond is the founder of The Pioneer Woman and a lover of butter, basset hounds and life on the ranch! Ree started her blog in 2006, and now millions visit every month for her trusted recipes and fun family stories. Here’s what she has been up to since it all began:…