We had the wonderful opportunity to get to stay at my parents for a couple of nights and be with Grandma so she would not be alone while they took their annual trip to St. George to go to the Tuacan shows. It was a great thing I got to help get some things done around my parents house for them, but also some good one on one time with Grandma to visit. The kids loved writing on this dry erase board and Tanner was writing for quite a while and then just came and put it on the table and had written this. I almost cried I thought it was so sweet the things he was thinking of that he was thankful for. The kids and I would be with her during the day and Jason would come after work. Sunday he had meetings and came after his Sunday meetings.
I asked Grandma a few questions and got to hear a few stories that I had heard before and a few I had not heard before. I asked her how she met Grandpa Miner, she said his brother lived just up the street and after Grandpa Curts wife died they asked her if she would want to come and play cards with them since they lost a player, she said she had never played cards and didn't know how, she said that is OK come over for dinner and we will teach you. They told Curt to come over for dinner as well and he said he was not wanting to be set up so don't even think of it. His Sister-in-law said "Oh don't worry about it she is Presbyterian, so you have nothing to worry about." He came and they had dinner and played cards, Grandma said they may of well just played without her because she was never any good at any of the games they played, but it was a lot of fun. She said that night she had to get going as she was going to the temple early, and Grandpa gave a funny look on his face, and realized that she wasn't Presbyterian. He asked her if she needed a ride home and she said no she could walk, he insisted and said he had to drive right by her house anyway. She took the ride, and then Grandpa Curt was getting out to let her out and by the time he got around to let her out she had already let herself out and was at the door. From that time forth is when they started to date. She said she had a dream that she would marry her eternal companion and it was a guy in a suit with a hat at her doorstep. She said a while after they had met they were invited to go to Bear Lake and he came to the door with the same suit and hat on that was in her dream and at that moment she knew she would marry him. They were married on Grandma's Birthday March 11th a few months later.
She told us the first time she remember getting her testimony, she sat on the front row at her meetings so she had easy access to take the kids out if they needed. She was listening to the speaker and got an overwhelming feeling throughout her entire body and just new without a doubt that the church was true.
She said all her family growing up didn't go to church, she said she lived 3 miles from the church and a lot of times would have to walk. She said her older brother Mark was the biggest tease and just mean, she didn't like him for a long time because he was so mean to her and teased her all the time. She said when they grew up he was always their for her through the tough times of her first marriage with Grandpa Bowen that didn't work out. He would leave her and not take her to church because he wanted to get to church early so she would have to walk and wouldn't always make it. She said he would always give her a ride home though.
She said they had a nice house and she loved her kitchen and her first house didn't have running water, but when they moved to the other end of Beaver Dam that is when she first got running water and hot water too. She said just off the kitchen they had a closet like a pantry, but it was pretty good size and a lot of time that is where the kids would play, but they really liked to take all the pans out of the island bar and play in the cupboard. She said Thursday was Pie day, she would bake all day and make pies and freeze them for the week. A lot of time she would have enough food in the freezer if a meal needed to be taken to someone in need. She had different days of the week that she did different things like laundry, etc.
Grandma said she didn't have any friends until she started school, then she had lots. She was even a cheerleader. She had lots of girl and boys as friends. Prior to going to school her mom would play with her and sometimes her grandma when she came over would play with her. She loved Dolls and loved paper dolls too. Brylee had some felt paper dolls that she played with Grandma Great that first day we were there.
Grandma lived on a farm and so because she had killed so many chicken, she is not too fond of chicken. Her favorite is pork chops, so Sunday I got the fixings for pork chops. She doesn't eat a plate full anymore, but one thing is she does NOT like any of her food touching. She said her Dad was the same way, he would have his meat on a plate and then bowls of everything else around his plate. When I made her tomato sandwiches for lunch she wanted a slice of bread on one portion of the plate then the bacon and tomato all separate and she would take a bite of each instead of it all together in a sandwich. She LOVES tomato sandwiches and said she could eat that every day. The three days we were there that is what she had for lunch too. She does not like lots of sweets, but loves grape tomatoes to munch on and fruit. Tanner on Sat and Sunday made sure she had plenty and would go pick more outside if needed. Sunday morning he even came into me in the kitchen while Grandma was coming out and said "Mom I will go get her oxygen ok." He was such a good helper with Grandma and even mopped the entire floor.
Grandma does not like to be left alone, she is OK to be left a lone for a little while, but not too long. She said she doesn't like Sundays too much because that day she is alone for the longest because it is about 4 hours that she is alone. But when the family comes over she loves seeing the family. She can't see or hear very well, so she does get bored easy too since not much she can do. She calls Brylee little Betsy Bo because she can never remember her name and she says she looks just like me when I was little, so she just calls her little Betsy Bo. She thinks we are crazy for naming our kids these crazy names what happen to the normal names. hee hee!!
We talked about death and I asked her if she thought she would live as long as she has the 90 1/2 yrs, and she said "Heck No!" She said "I thought 77 was old and that was old enough and I decided that would be my death age." She has lived a good life, she said she made a lot of mistakes, but don't we all. She said she is not afraid of death, but she does wonder how it will be when her spirit leaves her body. I never really thought of that, but it made me think how that will feel too. She said she hopes to just die in her sleep, but who knows. When we talk about the future she will always say who knows if I will be here still, but if I am.
I LOVE MY Grandma and I will miss her when she is gone. I can't imagine not having a relationship with my Grandma, Family has always been so important to me, and having her live with my parents I have cherished each time that I go there that I get to spend time with her too. I feel lucky to have my Grandma still. I felt the same way when my Moms parent lived with them. I don't feel like I will have any regrets when she does go. I try to visit her each week as I know it can get lonely for her and she loves visits and phone calls. I wish other cousins/aunts/uncles/etc would take more time out of their busy life to just take 5 minutes for a phone call or even when they drive through take 15 minutes for a personal visit, but life is busy and I don't have any control of anyone but me.
What is most important? Family is Everything and the relationships with family and friends plus the knowledge we have we will be able to take with us when we die, but the money and all the worldly things we will not so how we live our life here on earth will depend on what matters in the next life.
I asked Grandma a few questions and got to hear a few stories that I had heard before and a few I had not heard before. I asked her how she met Grandpa Miner, she said his brother lived just up the street and after Grandpa Curts wife died they asked her if she would want to come and play cards with them since they lost a player, she said she had never played cards and didn't know how, she said that is OK come over for dinner and we will teach you. They told Curt to come over for dinner as well and he said he was not wanting to be set up so don't even think of it. His Sister-in-law said "Oh don't worry about it she is Presbyterian, so you have nothing to worry about." He came and they had dinner and played cards, Grandma said they may of well just played without her because she was never any good at any of the games they played, but it was a lot of fun. She said that night she had to get going as she was going to the temple early, and Grandpa gave a funny look on his face, and realized that she wasn't Presbyterian. He asked her if she needed a ride home and she said no she could walk, he insisted and said he had to drive right by her house anyway. She took the ride, and then Grandpa Curt was getting out to let her out and by the time he got around to let her out she had already let herself out and was at the door. From that time forth is when they started to date. She said she had a dream that she would marry her eternal companion and it was a guy in a suit with a hat at her doorstep. She said a while after they had met they were invited to go to Bear Lake and he came to the door with the same suit and hat on that was in her dream and at that moment she knew she would marry him. They were married on Grandma's Birthday March 11th a few months later.
She told us the first time she remember getting her testimony, she sat on the front row at her meetings so she had easy access to take the kids out if they needed. She was listening to the speaker and got an overwhelming feeling throughout her entire body and just new without a doubt that the church was true.
She said all her family growing up didn't go to church, she said she lived 3 miles from the church and a lot of times would have to walk. She said her older brother Mark was the biggest tease and just mean, she didn't like him for a long time because he was so mean to her and teased her all the time. She said when they grew up he was always their for her through the tough times of her first marriage with Grandpa Bowen that didn't work out. He would leave her and not take her to church because he wanted to get to church early so she would have to walk and wouldn't always make it. She said he would always give her a ride home though.
She said they had a nice house and she loved her kitchen and her first house didn't have running water, but when they moved to the other end of Beaver Dam that is when she first got running water and hot water too. She said just off the kitchen they had a closet like a pantry, but it was pretty good size and a lot of time that is where the kids would play, but they really liked to take all the pans out of the island bar and play in the cupboard. She said Thursday was Pie day, she would bake all day and make pies and freeze them for the week. A lot of time she would have enough food in the freezer if a meal needed to be taken to someone in need. She had different days of the week that she did different things like laundry, etc.
Grandma said she didn't have any friends until she started school, then she had lots. She was even a cheerleader. She had lots of girl and boys as friends. Prior to going to school her mom would play with her and sometimes her grandma when she came over would play with her. She loved Dolls and loved paper dolls too. Brylee had some felt paper dolls that she played with Grandma Great that first day we were there.
Grandma lived on a farm and so because she had killed so many chicken, she is not too fond of chicken. Her favorite is pork chops, so Sunday I got the fixings for pork chops. She doesn't eat a plate full anymore, but one thing is she does NOT like any of her food touching. She said her Dad was the same way, he would have his meat on a plate and then bowls of everything else around his plate. When I made her tomato sandwiches for lunch she wanted a slice of bread on one portion of the plate then the bacon and tomato all separate and she would take a bite of each instead of it all together in a sandwich. She LOVES tomato sandwiches and said she could eat that every day. The three days we were there that is what she had for lunch too. She does not like lots of sweets, but loves grape tomatoes to munch on and fruit. Tanner on Sat and Sunday made sure she had plenty and would go pick more outside if needed. Sunday morning he even came into me in the kitchen while Grandma was coming out and said "Mom I will go get her oxygen ok." He was such a good helper with Grandma and even mopped the entire floor.
Grandma does not like to be left alone, she is OK to be left a lone for a little while, but not too long. She said she doesn't like Sundays too much because that day she is alone for the longest because it is about 4 hours that she is alone. But when the family comes over she loves seeing the family. She can't see or hear very well, so she does get bored easy too since not much she can do. She calls Brylee little Betsy Bo because she can never remember her name and she says she looks just like me when I was little, so she just calls her little Betsy Bo. She thinks we are crazy for naming our kids these crazy names what happen to the normal names. hee hee!!
We talked about death and I asked her if she thought she would live as long as she has the 90 1/2 yrs, and she said "Heck No!" She said "I thought 77 was old and that was old enough and I decided that would be my death age." She has lived a good life, she said she made a lot of mistakes, but don't we all. She said she is not afraid of death, but she does wonder how it will be when her spirit leaves her body. I never really thought of that, but it made me think how that will feel too. She said she hopes to just die in her sleep, but who knows. When we talk about the future she will always say who knows if I will be here still, but if I am.
I LOVE MY Grandma and I will miss her when she is gone. I can't imagine not having a relationship with my Grandma, Family has always been so important to me, and having her live with my parents I have cherished each time that I go there that I get to spend time with her too. I feel lucky to have my Grandma still. I felt the same way when my Moms parent lived with them. I don't feel like I will have any regrets when she does go. I try to visit her each week as I know it can get lonely for her and she loves visits and phone calls. I wish other cousins/aunts/uncles/etc would take more time out of their busy life to just take 5 minutes for a phone call or even when they drive through take 15 minutes for a personal visit, but life is busy and I don't have any control of anyone but me.
What is most important? Family is Everything and the relationships with family and friends plus the knowledge we have we will be able to take with us when we die, but the money and all the worldly things we will not so how we live our life here on earth will depend on what matters in the next life.
