I didn't have anything planned to write about today.

I just found out that Kristin's Papa died, so I'm busy thinking about her family and my Grandma that passed away this summer. The husband and I both lost our grandmothers within 3 weeks of each other a few months ago. It was a tough summer for us, but we got to make two trips back to Missouri and see family that we hadn't seen in a long time. (and I got to meet some of his family that I had never met) I knew ahead of time what the future held for my Grandma, so I got to go back and help take care of her a few weeks before she died. It was the best few days of my life! I got to see aunts and uncles step up and act like adults for the first time. I got to see Grandma relax and let others take care of her, instead of her take care of everyone else. We all made jokes and laughed like never before. We ate like hogs and enjoyed every minute of it! There were stressful moments and there were moments when she was in so much pain that we all wanted it to just happen right then. I was in Virginia when it did happen, but she was surrounded by my parents and a half-dozen or so more family members. I heard it was a really peaceful moment, and it happened in her home, so she wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Her children and families took turns spending days and nights at her house taking care of her in the months prior to her death. She had taken such good care of everyone else, that nobody questioned what to do when it was her that was in need. She was obviously a special lady! I had so many memories and so many thoughts I wanted to share with everyone, so I wrote them down. I had already decided that I would speak at her funeral, even though I knew it would be hard. I knew I could do it, though. My Grandma survived the loss of her husband (the father of her children), a son during Vietnam, and then her second husband. She lost her first husband when my father was just two. He was the youngest - and a twin. She had seven children and she was a single parent. If I wasn't able to talk about her in front of those that loved her most, then I wasn't nearly as strong as she was! I compiled some of my favorite memories (along with my cousin who spent as much of her childhood at Grandma's house as I did) We were very close to Grandma. Of her 30+ grandchildren, we were probably the closest to her. We could giggle and crack jokes with her non-stop, no matter what was going on around us!
Here's what I said at her funeral...

For those of you that do not know me, I am the favorite grandchild. Okay, so I
was the only one that ever said that. (Grandma never corrected me, though) Today, I just want to share a few memories and lessons I've taken from getting to know my Grandma Irene.

Grandma lived a remarkable life. One that inspired me greatly. Her happy demeanor
made her a wonderful person to know. She was patient and generous with her time
and love. To know her was to love her.

I believe that all the lessons I ever needed to know, I learned from Grandma Irene.
I will share some of them with you today, and I hope they bring a smile to your
face.

Grandma taught me:

* The more, the merrier! There will always be enough food on the table for 2 or
3, make that 5 or 6 more people. If you know someone that hasn't eaten yet, bring
them with you! No invitation necessary!

* Size doesn't matter! Even though Grandma's house was small, it never met
its maximum capacity; there was always enough room for a few more relatives! When
I explain Christmas with my family to my friends, I often compare Grandma's house
to a clown car.

* I also learned about teamwork. When the cousins work together, it's
amazing what they can accomplish. If you thought that we couldn't get the neighbor's
fat cat in a grocery sack, oh yes we can! While learning about teamwork during
this activity, us girls taught one of the boys a lesson or two. When two of us
girls put our heads together, DO NOT trust us, especially when we utter the
words, "Come on, just do it" Not only did we get that big cat in the sack,
we convinced one of the boys that it was a wild animal, and he should
open the sack and let it out.

* One of my favorite lessons is that we should all be practical. We didn't need
a snowsled as long as we had a Hefty sack to sit in and slide down the hill on the
snow. Being practical also comes into play with shoes. If you have to wear them,
go for the comfortable/inexpensive ones. And, when you catch them on sale, go ahead
and buy a pair in each color! But, shoes are always optional - I learned this from
Grandma, too!

* Work hard, and then play hard! I remember helping rake leaves in the fall, and
then getting to jump in them before they were burned. We always looked forward to this!

* Grandma was proud of our talents and thought we were all stars. Whether we sang
out loud (there were exceptions to this one) or used sign language to sing a song
(I think there were times when she wished more of her family would have sang using
sign language), danced a jig in the middle of her living room, or listened to the
grandsons talk about a successful hunting or fishing expedition, Grandma loved getting
to see us showcase our talents. Her living room was sort of our stage.

* Sometimes, you do get a second chance. During a big snowstorm, a few of us got
snowed in while spending the night at Grandma's house. KY3 (our local tv station) drove by, but didn't stop. We thought our big television debut had passed us by. Then, we noticed them
turning around down the road. Something must have caught their attention, and they
came back and filmed us building our ridiculous snowman. Our big appearance lasted
probably 5 seconds, but Grandma was still really proud of us!

* Grandma taught me that reading can be fun. When I was in my early teens, I'd
sit and read the personal ads from the back of the Penny Power to Grandma. We'd
giggle at the goofy things they said, and then decide together which one sounded
the best. A couple of weeks ago, I was helping take care of her and her hip started
hurting. I went in her bedroom and rubbed it for a while, then sat down on the
couch by her bed to wait for her to go back to sleep, just in case she needed me
again. She closed her eyes for a few moments, then opened one eye and told me that
I didn't have to watch her sleep, I could go read a book or something. This reconfirmed
Grandma's passion for reading.

I learned so many things from Grandma, but the greatest of all is Love. Treat your friends
and neighbors like they're family

Grandma was truly the rock of our family. Always taking care of everyone and worried
that you didn't have everything that you needed. And, you were guaranteed to
always leave her house full! Whether it was biscuits and gravy or macaroni and
cheese from a box, it always tasted better at Grandma's house.

I'll miss the warmth she extended to everyone she met.

This past Tuesday it was time for Grandma to say goodbye to us for now, and today we all
gather to remember the life of an amazing woman. Just as I expected, I know that
as I leave here today and say goodbye, I will leave Grandma feeling full. Not
with biscuits and gravy, but with memories I have with her and the strength and
love she has shown over the years.

I'm sure she's kicked her feet up and made herself at home by now! Her funeral was perfect! They played a slideshow of pictures from her life with the Brad Paisley/Dolly Parton song "When I get where I'm goin" playing in the background. What a perfect song! We all hugged and laughed and ate like hogs afterwards because, well, that's just something our family does. That's how we commemorate any occasion. It was really a celebration of her life and her family and all that we've taken from knowing and loving her. I don't know of another family like ours. They're one-of-a-kind! We all know within minutes of an illness, troubles, or even a bad case of gas. The family is a communication system in itself! You gotta love 'em!

I hope that Kristin's family feels the feeling of peace that mine did when we lost my Grandma! I know that her Papa is really special and I'm thinking about them right now.