My kids talk about their grandparents all the time. They are pretty much obsessed with them!

The other day we were playing outside and my daughter learned how to do a flip on the trapeze bar by herself. She was so proud. She quickly ran over to me and said “Mommy can you take a video of me? So, we can send it to Mia!” (Mia is her grandma.) Hearing this from her brought a huge smile to my face—the relationship they share is so special.

I talk to my mom almost daily and she is a rock in my life. It melts my heart to see the same type of bond forming between her and my daughter. I love that my daughter’s first reaction was to share this moment with her grandmother.

As a child, one of my favorite things to do was visit my grandparent’s house. We never wanted to leave! I remember we’d always throw a fit when it was time to go. (Our parents probably loved that. ?) There was just something so magical about it.

I knew when we had kids I wanted the same thing for them. Though when our daughter was first born we lived far from family. If we were lucky, we would see her grandparents once a month. But even though my daughter was young, we constantly talked about Mia and Bop. She quickly learned their names and all about how wonderful they are.Our kids have a beautiful relationship with my in-laws as well—Grandma and Paw-Paw live three hours away, but thanks to modern technology we stay connected. Since they were babies, we were always FaceTiming and sending videos to our family. We always wanted our kids to know their grandparents well.

Our children really look forward to FaceTime and sharing everything about their day with their Paw-Paw. When they do something special at school or bring home fun artwork, the first thing they do is ask if we can FaceTime him. It’s the sweetest.

I believe this is why my daughter’s first reaction was to share her new trapeze trick with family—telling family about these important lessons and milestones has become part of our routine and something she has grown to love. She may not be able to articulate it, but she understands how important it is to have a close relationship with your grandparents.

Though my kids can’t see their grandparents every day, they realize that shouldn’t stop them from thinking about them.

Besides being intentional about the ways we incorporate their grandparents into their everyday lives when we don’t get to see them—we make sure to cherish the moments we do have together. At the risk of sounding sappy, life is short! Kids may not realize this, but their grandparents do.

My heart bursts in seeing the kid’s faces light up when I tell them Grandma and Paw-Paw are coming to visit. Our kids even nicknamed our spare bedroom Grandma’s room!

At just four years old my daughter already forms to-do lists of things she wants to do when Grandma visits. Can we bake cookies? And watch movies? Can we play outside? Go to the bookstore? Play dress up? It’s so sweet to see her look forward to these visits.

Our daughter also isn’t afraid to share with us what Grandma teaches her. A few days after their last visit I was told “Grandma said we should always clean up before we watch something.” It’s beautiful how when a grandparent says it, it doesn’t seem as demanding! (If I told her this, I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have remembered as vividly…)

The definition of the word ‘grandparent’ basically is the word ‘fun’. My dad, Bop, always seems to build the best and biggest tower ever. (At least, according to my son!) He also is the best at reading books and putting together puzzles. If my parents are over, you will often hear “No I want Bop to do it!” And I could be hurt by the fact that my kids may like my dad more than me, but instead, I cherish these moments in my heart.

So, thank you, Grandma and Grandpa, for your never-ending love. Thank you for always indulging yourself in whatever our kids find fascinating at the moment. You are creating memories to last a lifetime.

My kids are obsessed with you, and I know you guys feel the same way. Thank you for always listening intently to their silly stories, loving them even when they throw huge fits, and encouraging them to be brave when trying new things.

Your love does not go unnoticed. The kids can feel it. And I can see it. Life just wouldn’t be the same without you!