Miss Grandma Great

 Missing Grandma Great

 Wednesday

September 17th 2012

 

My Grandma Straley was such an amazing women. She was so incredibly kind and giving, we never left Grandma Straley's house empty handed. She loved to see us happy. She was also very funny, she would say the wittiest things, her humour always made us grand kids laugh. I knew she was a wonderful Grandmother but I never realized the extent of it until I had Brody. I don't know if its because I was older or because I was able to see her love my child but I saw an amazing side of my Grandmother when my son was able to call her Grandma Great. My Mother, Brody and I made lots and lots of trips to Seattle to visit this sweet lady. It was always such a treat to be with her. Brody would play in the front room and Grandma would just sit there and stair at him for hours. She always loved just looking at him, she would say how beautiful he was...and then she would always laugh and say she could call him beautiful because he was still little. She was always so kind and patient with Brody too, even when he got a little older and wanted to get into all her special pictures and papers, she kindly just showed him the pictures. My Grandma had her phone right by her chair so she didn't have to get up, Brody always wanted to play pretend phone with her real phone, so she found an old phone just for him and the two would play phone...it was so fun to watch. I always remember her having building blocks, the wooden ones that were painted colors. Brody LOVED playing with these, they were the first thing he went to. Grandma always loved watching him too, she would comment on how smart he was and how well he could stack them and build them. At one time Grandma had some kittens in her back yard, and when they weren't there there was always birds or squirls...she always enjoyed standing by the sliding glass door right behind her chair showing them to Brody, he of course enjoyed this too. When we weren't there visiting Grandma would ask my mom when we were going to come next so she could see Brody. She was so loving towards Brody. We all miss her very much. I find myself thinking of my sweet Grandmother often, wishing she were still here. It is so sweet to see Brody miss her too, very often Brody will walk up to me out of no where and say "Mom I really miss Grandma Great" with a sad look on his face. But he knows that Grandma Great is in Heaven and very happy. Whenever he talks about her he always brings up her ice cream. He tells me he loved going to Grandma Greats because she always gave him pink ice cream. I believe he is talking about the peppermint ice cream she had a few times. Grandma passed away in March, and we have been missing her ever since.

 

 

I cant remember exactly but this was either the first or one of the first times Brody visited Grandma Great. She couldn't get over how cute he was, she thought his clothes were adorable too. She would say "I didn't even know they made clothes like that that small." I think she really liked his tiny baby jeans.

 

 

I just love this 4 generations picture. This night we all went out to eat at Apple Bees, when Grandma was around this age she always enjoyed getting out and going to eat with us.

 

Evan and Grandma. She always wore these fun sweaters and those comfy pants. That is exactly how I remember my Grandma. We bought her new clothes a couple times but she always went back to her ones she was used to.

 

I just love these pictures of Brody on Grandmas lap :)

Anya and Grandma in her front yard.

 



 

We all loved going down to Lake Washington to walk around and eat, but my Grandma and I especially loved going because it meant Ivars! We both had a thing for their fish and chips and clam chowder. She was definitely my Ivars buddy. I really miss these days, It was always so beautiful and you couldn't find better company! 

My Grandma was crazy about Bennie babies. When they first came out she would go to the store with all the tons of other people that wanted them and buy the new ones. It was her fun thing that she did. She had most of them put away in a huge chest but the lucky few right here got to be displayed. Brody always loved checking them all out, he thought they were pretty fun. Grandma liked to shared them with him too, as long as he was careful with her babies :)

 



 

I just adore this picture of Brody and Grandma Great looking at each other.

 

Grandma Great would always come outside to wave us goodbye. It of course also always consisted of lots of hugs and goodbyes.

I truly miss this sweet little lady every day. She always seems to cross my mind, I miss her kindness and love. My Grandmother adopted my mother when she was 40 or so (I'm not sure on the exact age). Back then that was very old be to having children. Both my mother and her sister are adopted, I have always admired my Grandmother for this, for her willingness to put her life aside and take two children into her home and love them and be such an incredibly amazing mother. I admire this women so much, she was so smart..always had wise words to share with us. One of her things she would say is to be the bigger person. I will always try to live by that.

 



 

I am so happy for my Grandmother, here on earth she was not a member of the church so the chance that she has had to accept it in heaven makes me rejoice for her...that she is in such a wonderful place. I am so happy for her that she is with our Heavenly father and Christ. But we still cant help but miss her. It really is true that death is only sad for those left here on earth. I am so thankful for the knowledge that we will see Grandma Straley again. Until then we will be missing her.