Remembering Grandma

Two weeks ago tonight, I sat down and did a "catch-up" post, detailing all of our latest news, and big weekend and birthday plans, as well as the promise for new pics to be posted soon. Just a little over 24 hours later, I received some news that not only changed my weekend plans, but my life. My sweet grandma left us for her much-anticipated Heavenly home early Saturday morning.

 Even as I sit here typing this, I can hardly believe it. So much of it seems like a bad dream. Although losing my grandfathers was hard, I had a special connection with grandma that made this loss especially painful. Perhaps it stems from the fact that she and grandpa took me home from the hospital and cared for me my first week of life while my mom was critically ill, and then they remained very involved and very much my "2nd" parents for my entire childhood. I have SO many happy memories with my grandma. She was so playful, so fun, and had an energy that just made her "stand out" from the average grandmother. If I had to pick my favorite thing we did together, it would be watching movies, and to the day she died, she would tell you that she and I had the exact same taste in movies...and we did! Some of our favorites to watch together were What About Bob?, Groundhog Day, Sarah Plain and Tall, and of course the Anne of Green Gables series. Once the Lifetime channel came along, she and I could pass hours watching those cheesy made for TV movies together! We would turn off all the lights, snuggle up with blankets, and eat orange sherbet while watching movies. We would giggle and giggle at the silly movies and cry and cry at the sad ones! Those are still my very favorite movies today! She was also always up for taking a walk down her country road, playing a board game, or going on a shopping trip. At night we built tents in her big living room and slept in the floor (her too!), or sometimes when I was the only grandchild staying overnight we would sleep together in her guest bedroom, staying up late working crossword puzzles in bed until we fell asleep. She was FUN. And, to top it all off, she thought I (along with her 4 grandsons) were absolutely perfect!!!  She spoiled us rotten! On cold winter mornings when I had to get up early for school, she would wake up early and heat up the bathroom with a space heater so I wouldn't be cold when I showered. If any of us ever mentioned something that sounded good to eat, she would cook it, no questions asked. I never remember a single time that I got in trouble at her house...but I think I was always too busy having fun to even think about misbehaving!

One of the things I'm most grateful for is that she lived long enough to know and love my children, and that they loved her back :) A month ago when we were visting Mena, Ayden asked 4-5 times a day (including the moment he woke up), "can I go see grandma now?" Since she had moved in right next door to my parents after grandpa died, we were very blessed to get to spend lots of time with her everytime we went to my mom and dad's house. I will cherish those memories forever and ever. Also, about 6 or 8 weeks ago, my mom came to NWA for a doctor's appointment and grandma came with here and stayed with me and the boys for a couple hours. She sat in that playroom floor and played and played with my boys. Not just passive observation. Not just reading a book. She played pretend games and laughed and tickled and sung and danced. Just a few weeks ago! I remember when they left that day thinking it was just a precious time for us all. I had no idea just how precious it would be a few weeks later. I am so glad I have memories of her in my own house! She spent last Christmas with us too, and again, I never realized how much I would treasure that memory until now.

I could continue this post, or even start a whole other blog, about the wonderful woman my grandma was, but I know in my heart I will never forget the 31 years of memories she gave me. Selfishly, I wish I could have had her longer, but I know and believe more than anything that she is where her spirit has longed to be for some time. She is at total peace, with NO memories of her traumatic young adulthood, no physical pain or weakness, no longing to be a little girl again, and no more lonliness for grandpa. She has everything that her precious spirit has ever wanted, needed, and deserved.

In loving memory of my amazing Grandma, Edith Pauline Wiles.

January 30th, 1940-October 6th, 2012

Grandma and I in June of 2006 on a trip to Kansas
to visit her best friend

Grandma helping Ethan learn to walk
last Christmas. She walked him all over the house :)

Grandma with both my boys last Thanksgiving.
They loved her so much!!

 

I love you so much, Grandma. Thank you for everything were to me. You will remain

in my heart until the sweet day I meet you again in heaven.

Too Blessed to be Stressed!

As you may have noticed from my serious lack of blogging lately, things have been a bit nuts around here! In our almost 11 years of marriage, and 5 years since we've had a kid or kiddos, the last 5 months have absolutely been the most time-challenging and busy for us! Obviously it's because I am working full-time hours, between 36-48 hours a week. I have never felt so pressed for time, always needing more, and NEVER finishing my to-do list, but just crossing things off and adding even more! Chris and I have split all the household tasks right down the middle, and he has seriously impressed me with his lunch packing, laundry-folding, grocery-shopping, bath-giving abilitlies! We literally meet at the door most days and give each other a quick re-cap of what's been done and what hasn't, and then do it again 12 hours later!

Even though this is a stressful and busy time for us, it's a good kind of stress! We have good jobs and great kids and this whole experience has actually brought us even closer as a couple and family, because we have learned to appreciate our time together even more! We have also been in church since January and really look forward to going each week (Chris takes the boys on the weekends I work), and I know that our closer relationship with God has given us the extra strength and patience we have needed!

All that being said, I am (and have been!!) on a waiting list since August to go part-time! I never dreamed when I took this job in May that #1, it would be so difficult to work 1 or 2 extra nights a week or that #2, it would take this long to switch to part time!! I am trying to be patient because our unit is short-staffed right now, and I LOVE my job, but I'm gonna need a change to come soon! However, I just used some of my full-time earnings to book our first Disney World vacation next April!! I am SO excited! We are surprising the boys and I can't wait!

As for the rest of the family, Chris is doing so great since his surgery and has lost 103 pounds! We need to go buy him some more new clothes...it's one of the things on my to-do list! He stays ridiculously busy at work, and comes home and works until midnight some nights. He never complains, but rather thanks me for how hard I work. He's such a good guy!!

Ayden is doing super in his pre-K class at Mom's Day Out. I am so impressed with how much he has learned just since August, and how great his writing skills are getting to be! He has lots of fun and is such a good boy, I'm so proud of him! He is also rocking on the soccer field!

Ethan loves school ("gool") too! Everyday when I am driving them to MDO, we pass several schools and lots and lots of school busses. At the beginning of the year, Ayden started counting them every morning. Recently, Ethan has joined in the game, and he will sometimes spot the first one! He hollers from his carseat, "There is it! Bus! 2!"(like he's counting, lol!) It's so cute! He is good at MDO except he won't nap!

At home, Ethan has earned the nickname "Mc Screamy". His screaming starts early and peaks around 4-5 pm. Everything is "MINE!" and the answer to every question is "NO!" and in between he screams just to scream I guess. It's HIS way or the highway, and there is no "distracting or redirecting" this kid, his mind is set on what he does or doesn't want to do and he is going to kick and scream and fall on the floor and go limp and whatever else it takes to prove his case. Good times! ;) Needless to say, we don't go a lot of places with him right now! Somehow in between his screaming fits he weaves in an amazing amount of cuddly preciousness to keep me sane! He loves crawling in our laps to read and will sit and look and listen to books for a long time now. He is saying new words and phrases almost everyday, and Ayden will often say, "wow, Ethan is talking now!" lol!

I am going to wrap up this post for now (it's a rare afternoon where BOTH boys are napping!) and hope to come back in 1-2 days to post a ton of new pics (I'm SO behind!!) I am on the first of FIVE DAYS OFF! Looking forward to our neighborhood block party, date night, the pumpkin patch, and celebrating my 31st birthday! It's gonna be a fun weeekend!

Lots of laundry, dishes, shopping and cleaning to do too......but too blessed to be stressed!