Grandma Rae

Ian's grandma passed away this last week. We feel blessed that our schedules allowed us to make a quick trip to Canada this last weekend for her funeral. While it was, of course, an occasion for tears (and there were plenty of them) it was also a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the wonderful woman that she was, the exemplary life she led, and to marvel at the sheer number of family that loved her and were there to honor her. At the time of her passing, she and grandpa has 244 descendants! Unbelievable.

While she wasn't one to have anyone make a big fuss over her...they sure did a wonderful job paying tribute to her and warming the hearts of all those who attended. Each of her children were able to take a few moments to share fond memories (and to argue over who was the favorite).

Following the funeral, there was a quick grave-side service...where everyone was invited to take a flower from grandma's casket-piece.

Curtis playing in the dirt

Ian's sisters - Elizabeth (Tizzy) and Becca

My cute kids.

Ellie and Grandpa

Following the funeral, graveside, and luncheon, everyone seemed to congregate at grandpa & grandma's old farm house. There the grandkids started a huge game of anti-i-over. (Yours truly participated for the first time (because we were finally baby-free) and I made my first catch. Awesome.)

Everyone kept saying how happy grandma was at that moment...watching all her family laughing together and having fun. While she will be missed, we know she is happily reunited with grandpa. And that's something to celebrate.

Grandma and Grandpa (around 1939)

The Kind of Place

We are expecting several family members to visit us here in a couple weeks. Family get-togethers typically elicit equal amounts of fun and stress. "Fun" because it's family. "Stress" because it's family. Wait, I meant to say: "Stress" because we have a small house and can't possibly accommodate all the loved ones we would like to.

Grandpa J. came up with a grand solution. He and Grandma will be driving their rather cozy RV with them. House guests with their own house? Lovely. I assumed they would simply camp out in front, or next to, our house. Grandpa had other plans. He suggested we look around for a campground/RV park they could comfortably call home for the couple days they would be here.

We looked online and found two locations both within minutes of our house. So, in an effort to gather additional information about the services offered, we shoved the three rug rats in the Swagger Wagon and headed out for a little look-see.

As we pulled up to Campground "A", I noticed three things immediately:

1) Each site seemed to be occupied. Strange for mid-February.

2) The RV's currently inhabiting the sites were...how shall I say this?...unique.

3) The aforementioned RV's had obviously been there for quite some time and each possessed slight modifications suggesting a vague sense of permanence.

Ignoring my first impression, Ian decided it wouldn't hurt to stop at the office and ask if they had any brochures or pamphlets we could pass on to his father. I choked back my typical glass-is-half-empty, skeptic reply and watched as he knocked on the door of the "office". When Ian asked the "manager" if they had any brochures his response was, "Do we look like the kind of place that's going to have a brochure?"

No. No you don't.

Campground "B" was more of the same. Grandpa and Grandma, you're staying with us. Bottom line.

Our "Great" Grandma

My grandma stopped by today. She's an over-acheiver, especially for a senior citizen, and is always on the go. I know of few people that have as much energy as she does (I am not one of them). Somehow, in the midst of all her comings and goings, she usually manages to find a few wonderful moments to stop in and remind us how lucky we are to have her in our lives.

She is especially loved by Lindy (who has missed the last couple visits because of school) and, as luck would have it, spring break made it possible for her to get a little Grandma Radford time...and she was thrilled.

We love you, grandma...and can't wait to see you again.

Nostalgia

As a kid I loved summers. And not just because school was finally out. I loved summers because I knew there would be a couple weeks spent with grandpa and grandma in Idaho. Mom and dad would pack us up in the pea-green Ford Maverik (yea...it was awesome) and drive 10 hours to foist us on our maternal grandparents.

Those summer days of my memory were full of magic. We would spend hour upon hour exploring the farm and all it's nooks and crannies, building dams in the river, catching frogs, sneaking fresh peas and carrots from grandma's garden, shooting cans off the fence with bb's, and basically living the care-free life of children. Grandma and grandpa were strict, but in different ways than our parents. And they did allow us little concessions that would never fly at home. My favorite concession was that each child got to pick out one box of cereal. Whatever cereal we wanted. And, as you can imagine, we came home with the most sugary-sweet box we could find. My brother's pick: Captain Crunch. Mine: Froot Loops. Seriously awesome.

The other day I happened to pick up a box of Froot Loops (because they were on sale and I'm not as smart as my mom). This morning I told the girls they could have some. I cracked into the box and opened up the bag. And, the second I did, the smell of those sugar-filled loops made me homesick. Homesick for the farm. Homesick for the smell of the woods. Homesick for my grandparents.

It was at that moment I realized that while I was having the time of my life, there was also a fantastic side-effect. I got to know grandpa and grandma in a way I never would have any other way. And I'm so lucky...and grateful.

Grandpa, I miss you. I know you're in a much better place, but the world isn't the same without you and your "bang!" to keep us hopping.

Grandma, it's been an incredible blessing to have you around to meet my children. They love you...almost as much as I do. And we all hope to see you real soon.

Grandma

My dad's mom passed away last Sunday at the age of 90. She has been through plenty of hardship over the last several years, physically and mentally, and it has been something of a relief to know that she's finally free from the exhaustion of this earthly life.

Grandma had a tough exterior. I've often felt that I never really knew her. By the time I grew out of all my adolescent quirkiness and wanted to learn a little about her she had lost most of her strength for life...and I had lost an opportunity to learn.

As I've thought about her this last week, however, I realized something I hadn't before. Each of us are chock-full of those personalities, idiosyncrasies, and behaviors that were originally born within those who come before us. I do know her, at least a little, because part of her lives on in me. There are a couple personality traits that I can attribute to (or blame on) grandma: The OCD tendencies which afflict me (and cheer me at the same time) have a strong foundation in grandma. My family's habit of repeating words or phrases two or more times (you all know you do it too) can be credited to her as well.

Strange. But oddly reassuring. It's nice to know that we all play a part in each other's lives. We all leave something behind. I am who I am today, in part, because of those who surrounded me, loved me, and taught me about life. Grandma is one of those people. And today I'm grateful for her contribution. For the role she played.

Me & Grandma 1974ish

Me & Grandma 2001

Love you, grandma. Oh...and say hi to grandpa for me.