Reminiscent Overload!

I don't know what it is but for some reason I've been reliving sweet memories more in the past couple of days...not sure why maybe because it's nearing grandparent birthdays and an anniversary of my Nana's death. For whatever reason I'm glad that these sweet memories are flooding back in my mind so I can take the time to document them for my kids. Mark was the only one of my babies that got to meet my last grandparent left on this earth, Memaw. He was 15 months old when she passed away so he won't ever remember her, but I do have cute pictures of them together. We were also fortunate to get to enjoy a Chickfila meal here at our home with her and my parents shortly before her tragic fall that eventually took her life. Sad thoughts but precious memories that the Lord granted us with her before she went to see Jesus.

I'd like to just list highlight memories of each grandparent as they come. That way I have a flow chart to elaborate more on with my babies when they ask about them later on in life.

Memaw:
1. Learning how to cook with her at her house. Especially salmon croquettes mashing while sitting on her countertop.
2. Her portable dishwasher is a random memory I have but she didn't have that long because we hand washed everything.
3. Making holiday pottery with her. She had a kiln in her garage.
4. Helping to set up her tree after Thanksgiving and always giving her a "Grandmother" ornament every Christmas
5. Helping make Ganga's lunch with her and putting his medicine on his tv tray before he came home from work
6. Wrapping her Christmas presents for her
7. Sleeping on a pallette next to her bed when I'd spend the night. She held my hand from her bed while I fell asleep.
8. Watching Family Feud and Jeopardy with her.
9. Hearing the clanging in the kitchen the morning after you spent the night with her.
10. Her huge yard was the first yard I ever mowed.
11. WMU
12. Vacation Bible School help. She was the director.
13. Wednesday night fellowship at her church. She was in charge of pretty much everything at First Baptist Forest Hill
14. She would take me to piano lessons.
15. She taught me to crochet.
16. Grown up talks with her in her living room sitting across from her in Ganga's chair.
17. She would always steal my french fries from McDonald's
18. Bank Christmas Parties
19. She wore underwear on her head at night to protect her hair do
20. Trips to the beauty shop. Charlie was her hair dresser and she my Nana's too

Nana:
1. Building play houses out of dominos
2. Mint leaf plants in the flower beds in the back yard
3. Taking adventure walks in her backyard behind Honey's workshop.
4. Swinging in the swing with her.
5. Hiding Easter eggs in her house well after Easter
6. Frankfurter sandwiches
7. Her jello with fruit cocktail
8. My room where I had a tv and she kept trying to get me to take naps when I was too old because she wanted to take one...now I get it! Then not so much.
9. "I Think I Can" book which I bought for Mark and love reading to him because of this memory
10. She was a storyteller at nursing homes or where ever she could go to tell stories. She collected stories from different journals.
11. She was a character. Wearing wigs especially when her brother in law came in town...they were hysterical like that.
12. "Hard Harded Hannah" song
13. She would wait until Honey was taking a nap in his recliner before she would rewash the dishes that he had just washed because he didn't use soap.
14. Her fun drawer of fuzzy white winter hat, scarves and gloves.
15. Counting her money
16. Her many coffee cups
17. Her vanity with neat jewelry, especially pins and watching her put on makeup.
18. My imaginary friend, Jerry, always taking showers in her shower and her always pretending she was shocked he was still taking a shower.
19. Her dancing to Gershwin while unloading the dryer.
20. She typed everything!

Ganga:
1. Listening to him play the guitar in his bedroom.
2. Getting his lunch together for him and watching the Andy Griffith show, the Beverly Hillbillies, Gomer Pile or that other show with the cocky, smooth talking military dude with a bunker with hiding places....what is that show?! I'll think of it later.
3. Christmas parties at the Wideners and him singing with Bob.
4. Him taking me to piano lessons and he wouldn't say a word...it was so awkward :)
5. Him kicking me in the bottom as a laid at his feet while watching tv.
6. His cute smile and contagious giggle.
7. "That's enough Erma."
8. Alan Jackson, George Strait, Ricky Van Shelton...
9. His cowboy hat he wore so well.
10. Hid dedication to be the first at church on Sunday mornings to turn on the AC and lights.

Honey:
1. His work shop where he put together puzzles and framed them.
2. Iced coffee...my first experience with the greatness!
3. Him pretending to get my hands with his "spider" hands at the dining room table.
4. Him washing the dishes without soap...he thought he was helping.
5. Also another great smile and laugh.
6. Super long fingernails...still can't figure that out but maybe that's where I got my nice nails from.
7. He took naps in the living room in the recliner.
8. Sweet and sad talks with him after Nana passed away...he sure did miss her.
9. He drove straight up and so close to the steering wheel...it was pretty freaky really and ultimately led to his death.
10. His large thick glasses...such an integral part of the face I will always remember.

Some of these memories are sad to remember and some make me feel like I'm still 5 and there in the moment...each and everyone of these memories I will forever hold near and dear to my heart. I hope to one day be able to share what amazing people I had in my life to my children. The ones that have invested in us and have gone before us help shape so much of us. I hope I can get the chance to put sweet memories in my kids memories banks and God willing into the minds of my grandchildren.

Thank you Lord for the vast amount of blessings you have given me and my family!

Stephanie

Sweet time to reflect

I was rocking my baby girl to sleep tonight as I do every night after the crazy hustle and bustle of life but tonight was different...

Molly had been through a tramatic event tonight, which was probably more tramatic for me than her. She slammed her thumb in the drawer a little over a month ago and has been losing this nail for a while. Today it must have been on it's last thread because while I was putting on her pjs she screamed. I pulled her hand through the sleeve and low and behold she was bleeding...ah! and the nail was barely hanging. Luckily for Molly and my stomach a good bit of nail had grown underneath the wounded nail. Awe tear...she lost a part of her that was there when she was first born. She's growing too fast...ok back to it. So I trimmed the rest of the nail away and calmed my sweet baby girl. She skipped her normal ritual of 2-3 books and pawing at me while she giggled to snuggling right into my arms. She was looking for comfort. She took a deep sigh and laid right on my belly.

I imagined her much smaller and in my womb where she was wonderfully and fearfully knit within my womb. I know it sounds hokey, but this is my sweet sweet baby girl whom the Lord has gifted me for these days on Earth. Here she is this sweet innocent baby that I'm supposed to raise and reflect God's love to! Instead of my usual freak mode from realizing the immense responsibility, I took the time to breath slowly in pace with her sweet breaths and snuggle on her as we unwound from the hectic day.

After laying down my little princess, I exited her room and began my life all over. Clean, pickup, laundry, put away left overs. Lather, rinse, repeat. My day hadn't stopped and my responsibilites only waited for me outside her door, but oh how sweet those few moments of bliss.

AND my #1 son reminded me of the funnier things in life...he came running to me stark naked requesting more food. Here comes another growth spurt! At least he asked for strawberries...my sweet little man.

Oh and I can't even make this flow with my almost well scripted blog, but I have to point out some more Markisms...
1. He keeps David and I in line when it comes to how we share and treat Molly
2. He loves to serve us at the dinner table, so much so that he often forgets to eat his own meal
3. He is such a feeler, which is sweet when he worries about his sister, but is hard to see when I see him so hard on himself.
4. And he hates it when we are "serious" he sometimes throws it around as a threat about being "serious" I guess I should watch my tone :) BUT sometimes I have to be serious with these crazy kids!!!

Signing off to finish "Mockingjay"

S