Grandma Doris

We drove in to Utah early in the morning Aug 1st.  We were supposed to head to our new place in Orem.  As we were somewhere in the desert on our way to Utah, the landlord texted to say the floor was not done yet, and he was so sorry, but it would be best if we found a place to stay for the night.  He felt really bad as he had promised us we could drive right in and crash for the night. He even offered to get us a hotel.

Well, no big deal, we decided we'd just drive 100 miles out of the way for the night.  Chad, who drove the Uhaul, could go home and we would go visit Grandma in the morning.

You never know how blessings pop up. Grandma passed away the next week, and that unexpected trip was the last time Ben got to visit with her.  The kids and I went up again that weekend for a great visit, not knowing she would be gone two days later.

Grandma had a stroke 2 years ago and her health had not been the same.  She was still witty and able to live at home, but she needed help and did not enjoy being dependent on people. There were many times over those 2 years that she went downhill and we thought it would be the last time we saw her, but she always managed to pop back up. This time we had told Kimiko that if she wanted Grandma to meet the new baby, Lilli, she better hurry and visit, as Grandma once again was not doing well. Kimiko and her family couldn't decide if there really was an urgency or not as this had happened so many times, but finally decided to make the drive.  We felt a little silly when she got here and Grandma looked better than ever. But then we realized what a blessing it was that Grandma was coherent and happy and was able to enjoy the visit. And we realized even more what a treasure that visit was when Grandma was gone 2 days later.

Grandpa and Grandma lived around the block when I was little.  They were always there within walking distance for ice cream or just to visit.  We saw them at church.  They took us places when they could, like a family camping trip one year.  They were great people and it was so hard to say goodbye 9 years ago when Grandpa died.  Grandma missed him terribly and one part of us wanted her to be able to be with him, and another knew how much we'd miss her once she was gone. 
And we do. 

The funeral was very nice, and we got to see a lot of family.  My brother Allan, who lives in St. Louis and doesn't visit often, was able to come, as well as Grandma's relatives in GA, HI, AZ, and CA.

Grandma hoped to be able to make it to the new Brigham City temple before she died. We were excited that tiny Brigham City would have such a beautiful and special place right in the middle of town.  She barely missed it and it opened to the public the day of her funeral.  I was sad as we drove past it and on to the cemetery.  But I can only imagine that she and Grandpa visit there together now.

 

I'm so glad to have known wonderful grandparents in my lifetime, and so grateful for those visits we were able to have over the summer.  As my 4 year old says, "I miss her, but I'm not sad.  I'll see her again."