On Sunday, September 9th Josh and I packed the car and headed north with the Larsens and the Russells for a Chiefs football game. Not long after we parked at the stadium, I received a phone call from my cousins with the news that our wonderful grandmother had suffered a stroke.
It was a hard, sad day. We all pulled together and made it through with lots of tears and a few laughs. She spent the remainder of the week in the hospital and was moved to the hospice floor on Thursday when she couldn't swallow any more. It was her time and we all knew it.
The following Saturday, the 15th my cousin Kathryn was going to be married in KC. The twins flew in on Thursday and Friday and we had all said our goodbyes. We struggled to say the least, trying to put on a happy face and celebrate what was to be one of the happiest weekends of my cousin's life. What we all knew Grandma would want us to do.
More tears, more laughs and lots of time together was just what we needed. The wedding was incredible - we all celebrated, and on Sunday morning, with her children around her, holding the man she has held for the past sixty plus years - my grandmother slipped away to heaven, my grandfather said "just in time for Sunday school."
We spent the day together, eating, telling stories, flipping through pictures and making plans for what would be a very meaningful service to remember her. A day I will never forget.
I can't begin to type what this woman meant to me. She was our fearless leader - always laughing, always singing and dancing. Always encouraging, always praying - she was a true inspiration.
I miss her daily and watch for the signs she continues to send my way. I know she is watching, smiling down on us in a way only she can. I strive to make her proud and thank Jesus daily for blessing me with such an incredible woman I was lucky enough to call my grandma.
