Today is my Grandma’s birthday. My boys are excited to make donuts tonight for family night to celebrate and remember her. She was the last Grandparent my husband and I had. I am so thankful she was around to meet my four children. I miss her and I am sad she isn’t here for important earthly events but I know that she is in a wonderful place. And that she is watching over us.
Just the other day I told Draco that angels must have been keeping baby girl safe and he told me it was Grandma Norma. I love how they think of her and care about her. She was such a good great grandma to them. She had 20 grandchildren and at least 20 great grandchildren. And she was so good about giving them a card for their birthday. She was so good at remembering them. And when she was around she was playing with them, sometimes even on the floor. And she loved to hold my babies. She loved that she would always have babies around. It was hard to get a picture of her looking at the camera because she always wanted to look at her great grandbabies instead.
I am thankful for her love and example. She had a hard life but was so positive. She loved to share stories and life lessons. And I loved sharing our love for family history together. I loved having her over for dinner. She would visit and talk and never upset if it was running late due to crazy family life. She just loved being around family.
I admire her social nature and her ability to make friends. She moved down to Orange County a couple years ago and I was concerned she was going to miss her great group of friends. But in no time she was playing Bingo at her apartments and doing her visiting teaching and driving others around. She worked in the Newport Beach temple even though it was more of a challenge than her temple service in the Los Angeles Temple. Her old ward (or group of church friends) missed her and threw her such a great party when she left. I think someone even wrote her a song. I know she was a great example to many.
She loved my children dearly. And she loved The Lord dearly. I am thankful for her testimony and great example of service. Just last General Conference I was thinking about her when Elder Callister mentioned his mother making dinner for the elderly. And he remembered thinking, “You are the elderly.” That is what my Grandma did. She visited and made meals for others all the time. Even though some of them were younger than her. That’s how I want to be. Busy doing family history work, loving my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. I want to exercise and take care of myself. I want to continue to serve others especially in the temple.
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| Pictures of my Grandma. Bottom left by Shari Hanson |
I love the top right picture. I was pregnant and had just moved two large bookcases in my boys room thanks to my BBF Julie. I was trying to combine the boys room to get ready for baby girl. And my grandma stopped by to say Hello. She was so sweet to tell me the room would look great. And seeing how tired and focused I was on my task she just played with my sons, who probably needed some attention since I was hard at work. Yoda was trying to get her to play Buzz and Woody and I am pretty sure she didn’t know who either of them were. But she was there. And happy to give them her time. It was what they needed. And what I needed.
I am so thankful for my Grandma and for eternal families. Can’t wait to find out my kids favorite memories of their Great Grandma are.
