the doorway to heaven

*i luv this woman, i called her grams.

*she named her pony "PET"

*she was raised in Las Animas, CO

*she was an only child so when she married she wanted lots of children (she named them Bill, John, Bob & Julie because "they needed simple first names because Freeze was off the wall"...she dedicated her life to them.

*she luved life, laughing, music, reading, church, friends.

*my grandpa was the love of her life, the man of her dreams.

*my grams luved her grandchildren, all 16 of them. she had the way of making you feel like you were the most important person in her life. she was fun!

*she luved party's and family gatherings...every birthday Angel Food cake and confetti sprinkled over the head of the one celebrating.

*grams was a best friend to me growing up. after granpa died, i spent usually 3 nights a week over at her house to keep her company. she spoiled me...5 course meal breakfast's, night shows of Green Acres/MacGyver/Murder She Wrote., the countless conversations - how did she put up with me, helping me with school projects (Madam Currie), her example: her love and devotion to God, Terrific Tuesday's, her piano, her Honda, her red lipstick, her laughter.

*my grams passed away this past week after a very long 9 year battle with Alzheimer's. i feel so blessed because i was in town visiting my family when she left us. i had the chance to sit by her bedside, hold her hand, and rub her soft arm. i got to say good-bye. i'm so happy for her because i know she was tired and ready to see my grandpa...

she had an amazing life...

i will always miss her.

*i wrote this last year as a tribute to grams for her 80th birthday.

I think of grams a lot...most of the time the memories just pop into my head for some reason and I instantly miss her. Last week Cameron and I were walking home from the San Diego State Basketball game…it was a beautiful day…and as we were walking I noticed all the leaves on the ground. Immediately I was taken back to my “world class” leaf collection that grandma helped me to put together in the 5th grade. When she brought me back a cotton leaf from her trip to Arizona (to see John and family), I knew an A+ was headed my way. That was the thing about grandma…she always made you feel like you were the most important thing in her life. I remember watching grandma get ready for bed…washing her face, the smell of her Oil of Olay face cream, the water pick, etc. I remember one night watching her tidy up her eyebrows by using a shaver. It seems like yesterday, that after she got snuggled into bed, I got up to “use the bathroom” and wanting so much to be like my grams I shaved the first fourth of my left eyebrow right off. I immediately started to cry and grandma comforted me – I bet she was laughing loud inside but she hugged & calmed me (and yes, she even penciled it in a little for school the next day to make me feel better…the life of a sixth grader). I think a lot about the year grandma lived with us in Provo after my freshmen year of college. It wasn’t the easiest time but I remember some of the conversations we had together at nighttime and they are some that I will always hold sacred to me. I hope that I can be like her in so many ways… sweet, patient, loving, funny, beautiful, smart, and humble. I hope that someday when I have grandchildren, they will love me as much as I love her. I think of grandma every night before I go to bed when Cameron is either rubbing my arm or I am rubbing Savannah’s…because it was grandma who would rub my arms for hours before I feel asleep. I miss my grams and I hope that she knows how much I love her. Happy Birthday – “Woman to Woman”.