Life as a mom in the South: Grandma

Well, I've been out in Illinois since March 25th. Sawyer and I flew out here Monday afternoon. We were able to see Grandma and say our final goodbyes. She passed away March 26th around 2:30am. I can't stop thinking about her. She's everywhere. We played liverpool last night (Mom, Dad, Opa, Shawn, Bek, Meaghan, Dum Dum, Dean, and myself). I must say, it feels so wrong to play without her. Even entering her house seems so strange. She was always sitting in the living room waiting to greet whoever walked through her doorway. Pr Ball delivered an excellent homily for her funeral services. Thankfully, all of her children, their spouses, and her grandchildren (with the exception of Dorothy's husband, Chris) were able to make the trek out here for a final farewell. Her sister and two nephews were also able to make it down. It was hard. I think about her often with sadness in my heart. I wish we had lived around here when she moved out here. I think I was the only grandchild who didn't get to spend a few years living nearby to her (and Opa). I was so thankful this summer for the month we were able to live in their basement. By the time she moved here, I was already at college in Nebraska. I didn't even live at home during the summers (Mom found some letters I wrote to her during my time at Concordia and at Camp Wartburg). We did live closer when we were in St. Louis, but we didn't get home as often as I would have liked. I did thoroughly enjoy that when we'd come home to visit Mom and Dad (Bek and Dum Dum) that they'd be within walking distance (or at least a 2 minute drive).

Miss you Grandma!!

Here are a few pictures I found.