Remembering Grandma

Don't you love old pictures? This is my husband's grandmother. And even though she is quite a bit older than me she was my friend. I love her dearly. And I look forward to the day when I can see her again and meet her sweetheart. And it won't matter that we are years apart. I imagine her this way when she will be resurrected. Fabulous 40's hair style and full brows. With a glowing smile and a her eyes full of love for her sweetheart, who will be at her side.

I am thankful I spent time with her here on earth. Our reunion will be so much sweeter. This wonderful woman loved our Savior and had a testimony of Him. She was married in the Mesa Arizona temple. She drove all the way to LA after her sealing, or marriage, because she wanted her reception that same day. She raised 4 wonderful children. I am so thankful for the upbringing my father in law had. He is a wonderful guy.  Grandma was a great example of someone who served the Lord. She served for 13 years as Stake Relief Society President in the Huntington Beach Stake. (Relief Society is our Church's woman's group. A stake is a large area which makes up several congregations.) I always loved when sisters would tell me about her when Grandma was RS president. I use to live in the Huntington Beach Stake. Some sisters would tell me how she could do anything. Or how she took them under her wing. They tell me how she helped and encouraged them. She was a very talented homemaker.

I remember at her second husband's service they had a luncheon put on my her ward. Someone asked if they should call someone to put away the chairs. She told them no. Her family can take care of that. And she told them and they went to work. It was wonderful to see the great matriarch that she was. She set a great example for her family.

We shared a love for family history. She told me stories and let me scan all her pictures. I would try and send her pictures of my kids. My mom even came with me one time and helped me scan her pictures. It was hard to keep the kids out of her stuff, listen to her, and scan the pictures. She loved the company. And she was always so willing to give me (or anyone) any of her paintings. She was a very talented painter. I love having her painting in my home to remind me of her. (She told us she wanted all her art at her service luncheon after she died. And we couldn't leave till all the painting were accounted for. I was a little concerned about who would get the clown ones, but my hip niece loved them and the problem was solved)

And I learned even more from her. We loved seeing her at the Kerr Family Christmas. And we would visit her in the fall when we would go apple picking. She always loved when we would come. One time I was going to wake up one of my kids so they could see her and she told me to let them rest. She was so no nonsense about that kind of thing. She told me they needed their rest. And we tried to visit in May for her birthday. It was a little hard being there too long as she had cats and I feel crummy when I am around them. But it was always worth the sacrifice.

As she got older she started to lose her hearing and her sight. I can't imagine the loneliness that would bring. It has to be hard be an older woman. Your life is spent taking car of everyone. You are the center of your children's world. You are active at church and in the community. You then have grandchildren and your life is filled with more love. But then it can be harder to be everywhere you want to be. Harder to take care of yourself. It would be so hard to lose your hearing or vision. Harder to feel connected to your family or ward family. I can't imagine not even having books to comfort me when I get older. And of course Grandma was loved! And invited places. And we loved her. But it must have been lonely. That can happen when you live alone and not all your family is close.

I was talking to my father in law about it one time. I wanted her to know that we loved her and were thinking about her. He told me to call her. I always felt bad when we did because she couldn't hear us and sometimes she sounded frustrated. How can you talk to someone who was losing their hearing on the phone. He said that's not why you should call her. I found out he called his mom everyday. He didn't talk long. He just checked on her. But she knew that he was thinking about her. And I learned an important lesson. I started calling her every Sunday. We didn't talk long. A lot of times she didn't really hear what I was saying. But she knew I was thinking of her. She would tell me to give my kids her love. She might tell me a fun thing that happened that week. And I found that as I did this my love for her grew. And her love for me grew as well.

One time when I called her I asked her what she was doing. She replied, "Oh, just waiting for you to call." I am so thankful for the lesson my father in law and grandmother taught me. Life is busy when your children are young. But if we can take time to remember and show our love to others our lives will be richly blessed. She wasn't just my husband's grandmother. She was my friend. And I look forward to seeing her again. And I hope that when I am in those golden years, when my life slows down, that someone will visit me or give me a call.

Grandma Happy Cake

Tonight we celebrated my Grandma "Happy's" birthday. It all started when my mom threw a bridal shower from me. Everyone invited brought a recipe to give me. My Grandma gave me a recipe called "Better than SEX cake". I guess that is a thing. Or a typical dessert name which I didn't know being a 19 year old bride. It was just awkward. I was like, "Um... thanks Grandma." And she was like, "And it really is." which didn't help the awkward factor.

I didn't really make it. But one year after driving back from visiting her I was thinking about it. And I thought it would be great to make it for her birthday. Clearly she really liked it. But as it turned out she died the next week. I felt bad I never made my Grandma her favorite dessert for her. I decided I would make it on her birthday to honor her. I invited my little sister over and we had it together. That was the beginning of our family tradition to make our Grandparent's favorite dessert on their birthdays. This tradition has helped us grow closer together and to them.

Years later my son Draco would talk about her and how he loved her, which surprised me. Because he wasn't crazy about her when she was around. We didn't see her often enough and he did not like strangers or the elderly. Then I realized he really loved her dessert. This tradition has helped him feel closer to her. Personally it's not my favorite, but I love chocolate. My friend Linda once asked, "How can it be a 'better than sex cake if there isn't chocolate?'

To keep us from wasting a whole cake I now make the cake into two loaf pans. It makes the cake look adorable for one. And we use the other one with fresh strawberries and whip cream.

Better than Sex Cake or

Grandma Happy Cake

1 pkg. Betty Crocker yellow cake mix

1 lb. can crushed pineapple

1 cup sugar

1 6 oz. instant puddling mix vanilla

1 9 oz. bowl cool whip

1 pkg. shredded coconut

Cake Pan 9x13

Prepare cake to directions on box. Heat pineapple and sugar until dissolved. While cake is still warm poke holes in it with a toothpick, then pour inside. Pudding is then spread over it. And then cool whip. Add coconut on top. Add nuts if desired. 

Draco had a great idea to use our snack pack pudding from the garage for this cake. One less thing for me to make. He gobbled it up. He loves this cake. Yoda (my chocolate boy) didn't like it. Baby girl was a fan. And even asked for "more cake". I went ahead and gave her some more. Because that is what my Grandma would have done. She never got to meet baby girl on the earth. But I think she would have ADORED her. My Grandma absolutely loves blonde hair. And she loved the color pink, dolls, and lots of other girly things. And baby girl is one girly girl.

I am so thankful for family recipes! I am thankful we can take time from our busy lives to stop, eat cake and remember those we love. I would encourage everyone to try and preserve and get copies of family recipes. They are such a blessing in our families. I wish I had more recipes.

I am so thankful for the knowledge that families are forever and that I can see my Grandmother someday!!!

How we can love others...

This is my husband's Grandpa. I have never met him, but I feel close to him. It is such an amazing thing. That is one of my favorite things about family history. Even though our family member dies their spirit is still alive. Watching over us. And sometimes the veil, or thing that makes us forget heaven or our pre earth life, is thin. I look forward to the day when I will meet him or see him again. There are things we can do while on this earth to strengthen our family relationships. Because I believe that families really are forever.

I suppose I should share with you why I think George loves me so much. Because I can feel his love. I know he loves me. There are three reasons why I think he loves me.

1. I think he is handsome.

I know that sounds silly and kinda simple. But I think he is handsome. And I don't think I am the only one. I have been blessed to have scanned his pictures and he tons of girls in them. He dated quite it bit before he met his love. (Don't you love the picture above? I love how they are looking at each other) I think George appreciates my good taste and sound judgment. I did marry his handsome Grandson, who shares similar features and qualities. When I mentioned how handsome he was some family members were surprised because they hadn't really seen pictures of him when he was younger. That is one of the reasons I love older pictures. It's easier to relate to others, especially for children, when they look close to your age. When I meet him again I am sure he will be resurrected and be his young self again. I'm not sure what age that will be. But in my head I always picture him like this.

2. I am teaching my children about him.

There is joy in posterity. I love seeing my children experience life. I can only imagine what is will be like watching my grandchildren or great grandchildren. All of us want to share our lives and wisdom with others. I know he appreciates that I take time to teach my children about him even though I have never met him before. And I admit. My knowledge is limited. But my kids love hearing stories about their ancestors. Especially funny stories. I love having pictures of him up in my house so my children can see him. He is my oldest sons namesake. I know Gandalf loves that connection. One tradition that helps us learn about our family is eating that person's favorite dessert on their birthday and telling stories. I quiz my kids, where did he serve his mission? What branch of service did he serve in? What temple did he get married in? What is your favorite story about him? One idea I just had a couple of weeks ago was to have a Facebook post and tag family in it. It's so hard to get everyone to respond to an email and write out a big story. But it's easier to type out a quick memory. This morning I did that and all the responses so far have warmed my heart. It's wonderful to share and remember or maybe learn something new about a family member. As we invest time into our family history, and especially as we share it with our children, something amazing happens. There is a connection. We don't have to wait till heaven to get to know our family. My children will be blessed as they learn of George's faith and testimony. As they learn more about him, their self confidence will increase. They will better understand who they are. And I know that he is watching over them. He is doing everything he can to help them.

3. I loved his eternal companion.

This is probably the biggest reason why. George left this earth when my sweetheart was in high school. Grandma only passed away a couple of years ago. That would be a hard thing. Being alone and not growing old with your best friend. I love Grandma. She is one I would call my friend. Even though there are years between us. I really tried to visit her and have my kids be around her. There of course are plenty who saw her more, or called her more. That is the beauty of big families. There are so many around to love each other. We would visit after apple picking in the fall. And I would try to visit the month of her birthday. Sometimes it was tempting to head home after our full day picking apples. But we never regretted going to see her. My husband would kiss me and thank me for telling encouraging us to go. Even though it was hard, because I would feel terrible every time we left (She had cats and I am allergic), it was worth it. We would leave and stop off at a gas station. I would wash my hands and rinse my face. When we got home I made everyone put their clothes in the washing machine. I would take medicine and go to bed. But it was always worth it. I know he appreciated that I loved his wife, that I tried to serve her. I would call or send pictures. I am so happy they are now together. I am so thankful for eternal marriage and the blessings that it brings.

I know as we try to learn more about our families we can become closer to them. This knowledge has blessed my  life so much. I would encourage everyone to spend time with family. To search them out. Learn and share their stories. Celebrate their lives and remember them. It will bless your life and the lives of your family. We can start small. And we don't have to do everything. I know it is hard to fit everything we want to do in our lives. Especially when we have young kids. And I hope I don't make anyone feel guilty, just inspired. Inspired to work on your family history. Start small and make goals. Maybe it's to write to your grandparents or send pictures. Maybe it's to write down your own stories. Or maybe it's to spend a couple of hours a month on family search learning about your family. As we set aside time, even if it's small, we will be blessed. I know I have been blessed.

Happy Birthday Grandpa!!!

We love and miss you!

Looking forward to eating chocolate chip ice cream and taking about you  tonight!

Remembering my Grandma

Today is my Grandma's birthday. My boys are excited to make donuts tonight for family night to celebrate and remember her. She was the last Grandparent my husband and I had. I am so thankful she was around to meet my four children. I miss her and I am sad she isn't here for important earthly events but I know that she is in a wonderful place. And that she is watching over us.

Just the other day I told Draco that angels must have been keeping baby girl safe and he told me it was Grandma Norma. I love how they think of her and care about her. She was such a good great grandma to them. She had 20 grandchildren and at least 20 great grandchildren. And she was so good about giving them a card for their birthday. She was so good at remembering them. And when she was around she was playing with them, sometimes even on the floor. And she loved to hold my babies. She loved that she would always have babies around. It was hard to get a picture of her looking at the camera because she always wanted to look at her great grandbabies instead.

I am thankful for her love and example. She had a hard life but was so positive. She loved to  share stories and life lessons. And I loved sharing our love for family history together. I loved having her over for dinner. She would visit and talk and never upset if it was running late due to crazy family life. She just loved being around family.

I admire her social nature and her ability to make friends. She moved down to Orange County a couple years ago and I was concerned she was going to miss her great group of friends. But in no time she was playing Bingo at her apartments and doing her visiting teaching and driving others around. She worked in the Newport Beach temple even though it was more of a challenge than her temple service in the Los Angeles Temple. Her old ward (or group of church friends) missed her and threw her such a great party when she left. I think someone even wrote her a song. I know she was a great example to many.

She loved my children dearly. And she loved The Lord dearly. I am thankful for her testimony and great example of service. Just last General Conference I was thinking about her when Elder Callister mentioned  his mother making dinner for the elderly. And he remembered thinking, "You are the elderly." That is what my Grandma did. She visited and made meals for others all the time. Even though some of them were younger than her. That's how I want to be. Busy doing family history work, loving my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. I want to exercise and take care of myself. I want to continue to serve others especially in the temple.

Pictures of my Grandma. Bottom left by Shari Hanson

I love the top right picture. I was pregnant  and had just moved two large bookcases in my boys room thanks to my BBF Julie. I was trying to combine the boys room to get ready for baby girl. And my grandma stopped by to say Hello. She was so sweet to tell me the room would look great. And seeing how tired and focused I was on my task she just played with my sons, who probably needed some attention since I was hard at work. Yoda was trying to get her to play Buzz and Woody and I am pretty sure she didn't know who either of them were. But she was there. And happy to give them her time. It was what they needed. And what I needed.

I am so thankful for my Grandma and for eternal families. Can't wait to find out my kids favorite memories of their Great Grandma are.

Our Family History Traditions: Remembering Jack

Years ago I came across a recipe from my Grandmother that I never made. I decided to make it on her birthday to remember her. And thus one of my favorite traditions was born.

On each of mine and my husbands Grandparents birthdays we celebrate and remember them by making their favorite dessert. It is a great way for our children to feel connected to their Great Grandparents, some of them they have never met. My second son Draco kept talking about my Grandma Happy and how much he loved her. I was kinda surprised because he didn't know her that well and wouldn't kiss her goodbye. (He is my grumpiest child) Then I figured it out!

He loved the dessert we made for her birthday!

Yesterday we talked about my husbands Grandma Jack. We have his picture up in our house. My second son and husband carry his middle name. My kids know him even though only my eldest son has met him when he was a baby. But as we share stories about him over Cherry Cobbler, and I quiz my sons about his life, we feel a connection. And they can develop a love for him and look forward to when they can see him again.

Isn't he handsome?

I love my hubby's grandpa! He was a kind gentle man. He adored his wife and daughters. He was active in his church and loved to play baseball. He loved The Lord and his family. I cherish the time I was able to spend with him. One of my favorite memories was when we were sitting in his living room and I was asking him all kinds of questions he stopped me and said, "You really care, don't you." I assured him that of course I cared, he was family. I knew it touched his heart that I saw value in his life and wanted to know about him. Grandparents are important and aren't here on earth long enough. 

Pictured above is that special day when we were able to go to the temple as a family and seal Grandpa and Grandma to each other forever. I believe that marriage can be eternal. That is why temples are so important. Because they enable family relationships perpetuate beyond the grave. I love Jack dearly and look forward to seeing him again someday. I know that if I invest time and teach my sons and daughter about him they will will know him and will gain strength from his good life. I am sure he is looking out for them. And his heart of full as he sees his posterity remember him.

Cherry Cobbler

From "Grandma Suzie"

Made to celebrate Grandpa Jack 

2 Cans of Cherry Pie Filling (I usually put an extra can or two because my family really likes the thicker filling)

2/3 Cup of Water

1 Yellow Cake Mix (any kind, or even white)

1/2 lb. of Melted Butter (not margarine)

(I added a little brown sugar and oats too)

1 Small package of Chopped Pecans (optional; we use more...like 1 1/2 cups.....or even walnuts)

I add 1/4 c of brown sugar and oats

            Pour Cherry Pie Filling into a buttered or "Pammed" pan (9 x 13).   Pour the water over the pie filling.  Sift the cake mix over the top of filling and water.  Pour the melted butter over all.  Cover with the chopped nuts.  Bake for approx. 45 minutes at 350 degrees.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. 

We love using this special recipe from my dear friend Suzie! She is a great example and lovely in all things. She is so great at gathering with her family and is always cooking for them. I knew I would love her recipe.

 I leave out the nuts. If you half this recipe and add a 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup oats and serve 8 slices you would have about 45 carbs per serving.

Baby girl loves her great grandpa and his favorite dessert