Some never have the love of a grandmother. Most do. I sure am glad I had the best grandmother of anyone I know! MeMa was some kind of special and I think about her and miss her every single day.
Nothing hurt worst than losing my MeMa on October 1, 2011.
The fondest memories of my MeMa are those at her pink house that is nestled right across from the middle school in my hometown. Countless memories happened in that house.
She sang us to sleep. All kinds of songs from She'll be coming around the Mountain when She comes to Minnie the Mermaid to Yankee Doodle Dandy. She also told us stories- the most popular was the one with my sister Ashlee. Her duck that my dad had shot was kept in the freezer and she played with it for a while. When it started thawing out, they put it back in the freezer! one day, it's head fell off. Ashlee quickly looked up at MeMa and said, It's ok Daddy will fix it with his screwdriver!
My favorite memory- I would wake up in the middle of the night and she would be gone from the other twin bed that was shoved up next to mine. I would listen... and she would clear her throat from the den. She always did that... but my favorite part. The next time I was over there I would grab her thumb and hold it really tight and tell her "I'm going to hold onto you so you don't leave me in the middle of the night!" She would always laugh so hard. Little did I know, the moment I fell asleep my grip would disappear.
I use to dig for worms in her flower garden- I loved digging for worms.
We use to draw on her driveway with sidewalk chalk- hop scotch to sunshines to horses.
I was
always allowed to bring a friend over. Brittany was always my top choice. We would play dress up in her long, elegant nightgowns from the 80s probably. They had lace and were made of silk.
Linsey and I wore her high heels and her jewelry. We always put on a fashion show.
One of her bathtubs was sunken into the ground. I thought that was the neatest thing ever!
She always had the fun bath tub toys. I had a blue wooden whale that had a hole in the top of his head that let out air bubble when you put him under water. I wish I could find that whale...
Then we always had the numbers, letters, and shapes that stuck to the side of the tub.
And you can't forget her stockings and hose hanging over the bathtub!
She always had a little heater in the bathroom and would always turn it on when I was in the bath so I wouldn't get cold. I can still see that heater sitting on that lime green wicker shelf with the glass balls that looked like giant grapes.
She always had a tongue scrapper and a rock for deodorant.
In the room next to the bathroom, there was a huge great dane figurine under the bed. He always scared me... but now I would love to have him. MeMa is responsible for my love of Great Danes... she had one named Goliath and now I want one. I just may have to name him Goliath just like my MeMa's.
Every morning for breakfast we always cooked pancakes. Drip Drop Pancakes. Circle pancakes. Any kind of pancake. Cottage cheese pancakes. and I always had fruit. I could eat a
huge bowl of fruit. It was always so yummy at MeMa's house! Grapefruit was a big hit as well.
My siblings and I would always get on tricycles or bikes (whatever our too long of legs would fit on) and race around the house. She had a perfect circle that went from the kitchen through the den through the foyer and back to the kitchen. It was like our little racetrack.
She had a miniature table next to her bookcase that was just for us. We played GOfish, OldMaid, colored with beeswax crayons, and did puzzles. That little table is in my house for Blair and Faegan... I remember that table being so huge when I was little!
MeMa loved lions and roosters. They were all over her house.
We had huge bean bags in front of the tv that we always sat in.
We always watched 'Savannah Smiles', The Munsters, and played the old nintendo game with the duck hunting game.
Christmas Eve was always celebrated at MeMa's. MeMa was as good to us as Santa Clause was. She got us anything we wanted and loved watching us be spoiled.
I can't think about MeMa without thinking about her gum bag. She had a little green velvet bag that had 5 or 6 different flavors of gum. Everytime we went somewhere, we always got to choose a piece of EXTRA gum!
We also played the time game. When we left the house we would try to guess down to the minute what time we would get to our destination. Whoever got the closest won the game. We never won anything, just the title of being winner.
I will never forget MeMa's black station wagon. It had a little pop up seat in the very back that came up out of the floor... Brittany and I always sat in that seat and begged the truckers to toot their horns by pumping our fists up and down when we were on our way to the movies.
We always went to the movies with MeMa. She took me to the movies well into middle school!
She loved those kids movies just as much as we did.
MeMa was also known for going to the beach with us. She taught us how to make drip drop castles and I always looked forward to the long back scratches on the way to the condo!
We would always have our own bike or rollarblades or scooter at MeMa's house. She would go on a walk and we would all go with her on our bikes throughout her neighborhood.
When I went off to college, I always received a letter from my MeMa. She always called me her precious angel and always was trying to send me money. Even if she didn't have it!
I will treasure those letters and every bracelet, earring, necklace, ring or little figurine she has ever given me. Little did I know that all those little gifts would mean so much to me now, but before I only thought of them as 'little MeMa QVC gifts'.
The most important thing to me is knowing that she was able to meet and get to know Josh, and that Josh was able to meet and get to know her beautiful soul. Josh and I use to spend hours at her house.. just sitting and talking. Maybe watching criminal minds, law and order, or the news.
She had the best advice and the best stories.
I always pictured her at our wedding sitting right there on the first row and it breaks my heart knowing she won't be there.
She was classy, silly, beautiful, honest, happy, forgiving, patriotic, and full of smiles and laughter.
How I wish I had more pictures of the two of us together. You never really know how important those things are until it's too late to get them.
I miss my MeMa so so so so much. I wish that they could stay with us for forever... At least my big brother is able to have her now and get to know her the way I knew her!
I love you and miss you MeMa!
