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It was such an honor to be able to go with my dad to visit my grandmother in Texas.  Her health has declined, and sadly she is not as cognizant as she used to be.  I wanted to see her, to hold her hand, to thank her for the amazing grandmother that she has been to me over the years, and to tell her just how much I love her.

I have so many memories of her and she and my grandfather helped shape me into who I am today.

• ice cream and Hershey's syrup in Tupperware dessert cups
• pot roast every Sunday
• holding my hand  (in the second pew on the left!) every church service
• taking me clothes shopping
• babysitting me
• watching Family Feud with host "Mr. Kissy-poo"
• sleeping over our house every Christmas Eve
• staying at her house during a hurricane
• her putting Grampy's elastic stockings on him
• playing in her patio
• "helping" her plant her flowers in the spring
• her comforting me when my puppy got hit by a car
• milk delivered to her front door
• her letting me play upstairs in the extra bedroom 
• taking me to school every day
• going to be with her after school in the lunchroom 
• birthday cards
• wearing her high heels and walking around her kitchen to hear them click when I walked
• the smell of cloves in her den because she hung up the decoration that had cloves in it that I had made in school 
• telling her all about my boyfriend
• staying with her and Grampy in SC so I could be closer to Matt while we got premarital counseling and planned a wedding
• her being at the hospital when Brianna was born
• her staying with me in SC my first days home from the hospital with Brianna until Mom could get there
• the smell of onions and hamburg being fried on the stove
• taking my kids to Build-a-Bear
• crying on the phone with me when she heard we lost our son- knowing that she had been excited about his arrival and proved it by sending the cutest blue teddy bear beforehand
• always saying "I love you so much, dahlin'"
• knowing she truly did love me

I remember the first night being there, going into her room after she went to bed.  I stroked her hair, told her how much I loved her, and prayed with her.  She held onto me so tightly.  

I enjoyed getting her breakfast and sitting and eating with her.  

I asked her what her favorite Christmas song was and she said "All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth" :)

One morning as I was getting ready to read the Bible to her, she requested that I read Psalm 23.  She didn't interrupt at all as I read God's Word to her.  

She always held my hand.  

She did not want me to leave.  Told me she didn't know what she'd do without me and couldn't I please stay.  I know that she was just expressing her love to me.  And I loved her so much at that moment I thought I would burst.

Saying goodbye to her was way more difficult than I thought it would be.  

I am so thankful for all the ways she invested in me not only as a child, but all throughout my life.  I love her more than words can express.

 eating snowballs that mom made

 brothers.....never too old for some Madden!