My grandma died this week.

It came as a bit of a surprise because we didn’t realize how badly she had declined. My brothers and I, after being told by our aunt that we shouldn’t wait until morning, conference called my grandma Monday night. She was in a come and couldn’t communicate, but we’re hoping she heard us as hearing is the last sense to go.

I’m glad we did call then because my aunt was right. At 4:15 a.m. PST on Thursday, my grandma died. Even though we’ve lived apart for many years, it still is hitting me hard because she was such a HUGE part of my life for my first 14 years. We lived very close to her, and I spent a lot of time with her. Today, I want to share just a few memories.

• Riding my bike to her house
• Watching movies and eating popcorn in her basement
• “Fishing” in the pond behind her house
• Trips to the mall
• Drinking Lactaid (ick!) after spending the night
• What a wonderful pianist/organist she was
• How much she hated it when teenage boys wore their pants hanging down really low – she would always tell me how much wanted to just pull them down
• Our phone conversations. Every talk we had ended with both of us saying, “Stay out of trouble!” She was more likely to get into it than I!
• Her love for her family. She loved her kids, her grandkids and her great-grandkids. I wish Lucy had been able to meet her.
• Going to work with her

Those are just some of the many memories I will cherish. My grandma had a spunky personality, and she was one of the most awesome women I’ve ever known. I am so lucky to be her granddaughter, and I will miss her until the day we see her again. I love you, Grandma!