Til' we meet again Grandma

In August my Grandma Smith passed away peacefully in her sleep. Bless her heart. The funeral service was nice and I loved seeing my cousins whom I haven't seen in years. These flowers were in bloom the day of the funeral which happened to be one of my Grandmothers favorite flowers. They lined the side of the road everywhere. Very pretty and they will always remind me of her.

Thankfully I was able to have a nice visit twice before she passed.Once with my mom, and sisters Jeanine and June. Next, with my other sister Janet who drove down from Idaho. It's been a year and a half since I last saw Janet and so the reunion with her and her kids was very nice. We knew our Grandma was going downhill fast after getting very sick with kidney stones and diabetes. It's been 8 years since Grandpa died (the day Bryce was born) and we're all happy knowing that she'll be reunited with him. I'm so thankful that I know the true meaning of life and that Family is the most important thing.

My first visit with her this summer she was already bedridden and not very coherent in her speaking, but when all of us girls came in and she saw us standing beside her bed she started to cry and mumbelled, "You're all here, you're all here." There wasn't a dry eye in the room. We had to communicate by writting on a dry erase board because her hearing was so far gone. It broke my heart everytime I would leave thinking of her just laying in bed day after day and that it was going to be the last time I saw her alive. But, I must say I was a bit relieved knowing she's reunited with her husband.

Looking back on this summer I was thinking how often I was able to see my sisters and parents. It's reminded me how much they mean to me and how if you let yourself get too busy family relationships can slowly fade. When we get together it's always a big laugh fest.

I loved my Grandma very much and I have very fond memories of her. Mostly, from my childhood when my sisters and I would come and spend weeks with her in the summer. If we weren't playing hide and go seek, walking down to the park, or learning how to crochet, we were begging her to make her delicious burritos with mac n cheese. It still makes my mouth water just thinking about her canned pickles! What I'll miss most about her is her pleasant face and her laugh. She had a contagious laugh; one that sounded like someone from the south and the laugh would come straight from the belly! (hard to explain, but I can just hear it now). My dad tells me that I resemble her a bit. I think I do share some of her features. I love you Grandma; I know I'll see you again someday.