Happy 90th Birthday Granny!!!
I have so many amazing memories of you. The highlights:
Snuggling with you and Grandad in your bed. Playing office with Leah and Emily in the Apple tree and you bringing us all the supplies and apple slices we could ever dream of. Faking sick from school just so I could get the special treatment on the couch: Clean sheets, a steamed potato with milk and just the right amount of salt and pepper, a show, and you on the other couch for companionship checking on me every few minutes. The famous 7up floats, orange jello salad, toast with applesauce, and pork n beans with hamburger. Going out to Kirtland and spending the night with you while you took care of Aunt Peg. Talking me through an extremely hard time when I was in 7th grade. Holding my hand as I was going in for surgery. Stories all about the Aunts and Uncles- I made you tell me these over and over and you never acted like you minded. In fact I think I loved it so much because we would sit and laugh and laugh about all the "stupid" things they would do. Bringing us the Aunts clothes out of the closet so that we could pretend like we were going to all the dances. Getting our special poems for our Birthdays. Getting us the big floor pillows so that we could be comfy every time we watched a cartoon. A visit EVERY time I was sick accompanied with a mason jar full of homemade soup. Leah and I decorating the Christmas tree with you and Grandad right before Christmas. Leah and I standing in the back of the El Camino holding the new refrigerator all the way from Sears and you being so mad at Grandad for letting us do that. Helping us get ready for all the garage sales in the carport with Grandad (who would just end up giving all the stuff away and we made a $2.00 profit when we could sneak in a sale). Picking me up from all my basketball practices at McKinley. Helping me with my talks-this is when I would give them. Always knowing exactly what I needed to hear and telling me that some of my boyfriends were interesting.
I think the biggest lesson I have ever learned from you is service. You never pushed it on anyone but you were constantly doing something for someone. It wasn't always convenient, in fact it never was but you did it ever since I could remember. Fixing smashed dinners for Grandpa Tanner, Aunt Peg in the bedroom being moved every 30 minutes so that she would not get sores, Taking care of Aunt Elsie when she had alzhiemers, changing Grandpa Jones' dressings on his head when he had cancer, taking care of Gwen and all the hours spent over at their house, taking care of the Bloomfield's, Always making sure Deedo had a fresh tablet and sharp pencils, You truly knew how to make a person feel at home, comfortable, and loved. I could go on and on.
I guess the main thing is that I really love you and have such a deep respect for you and words will never be able to depict the effect you have had on my life.
