81 years of memories

I saw this post on Abbey's blog, and it led me here. Sixty years of memories inspired me to do something similar for my Mammie. Her birthday is 5 days after my Grandpa's and after losing him last fall I knew this would be a rough birthday for her. Her face was absolutely priceless when she saw her kitchen table covered with 81 jars full of notes, stories, old photos, and little mementos from family and friends.

I love this lady with all my heart. She made me who I am today

random whimsy

today is Veterans Day.

I am Proud of both of my Grandpa's for fighting in WWII.

Yesterday was my Mammie's 80th birthday.

I sent her 29 red roses and gerber daisies.

1 for every year of MY life. 

1 for every year I have had the world's greatest Grandma.

She still doesn't think of herself as an "old person". 

I hope I'm like that in 50 or 60 years. 

new link to my Flickr stream on the sidebar.

that was my Dad's Dad's Ford decorated for the 4th of July parade

on our town square in 1966. They drove it in the parade for the K. of P. Lodge (Knights of Pythias). My Dad recounted the whole day to me last night on the phone. He remembers everything, even that he had a toothache that day. He was 14. His Dad died 6 short years later in 1972. I'm glad he has this vivid memory of a happy day spent with his dad.

1st photo-- supplies: The Tattered Pear template; Storymappers 1 {cropped}  and papers from Sahlin Studio

bounce houses, tutus, and koolaid smiles

this weekend I went home and had some family time. I miss home, I wish I could be there all the time. My cousins celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows followed by a party complete with cornhole, a bounce house, a camo cake and amazing food cooked by my momma.

I'm not a fan of fondant but this cake was surprisingly delicious. 

mashed potato's 

how cute is Annie in her tutu?

me, mammie, logan, and annie

Saturday, November 5th would have been my Pappy's birthday so we all tried to cheer my Mammie up.

Her 80th birthday is this Thursday. Any cute birthday ideas?

I am thinking 80 red flowers and a list of "80 reasons you're the best Mammie ever".

    

funeral boots

My Pappy passed away late Monday evening (October 3rd)  in a ball of fury, and on his own time, just like everything else he did in his life. It was a blessing we had been praying for, him to be able to leave us, and not be in pain anymore. I am thankful I was fortunate enough to be there for those last sweet moments, counting his  breaths and holding his hand. I am so proud of my Grandma that night in the hospital. She was strong, and brave, and dealt far better than I would have leaving the man that had been by my side since I was 16 {they were married 62 years}. She told me yesterday she can't bear to sleep in their room because she wakes up thinking he is calling for her. I always romanticized him & my Mammie to be each others great loves and I really think they were. I like to imagine their fates were sealed together the moment they met during that square dance at the corner grill in Malaga.

My Grandpa's favorite color was red. Mammie's  is blue, but everything he ever bought her was red, and she wore it even though she thought it clashed with her fair skin. To honor him, we all wore a bit of red to the funeral home for calling hours on Thursday. Mammie insisted I wear my red cowboy boots because Pappy would've chuckled at the notion. Over this past week, I remembered why I love being from a small town. I appreciate every antidote and memory that was shared with us about Pap. His rough and tumble days of owning bars, and how he always "traveled with the Lord" {Lord Calvert}. I grew up on Mammie and Pappy's farm so I was lucky enough to have him be a constant in my everyday life. He was Colby cheese and trail bologna waiting on us after school, and he was the best part of Sundays, taking us out to breakfast after Mass. He was a spanking when I got a C on my report card, and he was the bumpiest back road, flying over the railroad tracks. He was whiskey slush on Thanksgiving, putting in hay on Saturdays, and the sports section. He was a family vacation in a RV, and he was fried bologna sandwiches. Pappy was the polka and every Ronnie Milsap song I've ever heard.

that's Mam and Pap on the far left. { Velour and denim }

they took a trip "out west" with my Grandma's brother and sister and their spouses.

Mom and Pap on her wedding day.

now I just have to figure out who is going to Polka with me when I get married.

one of the hardest things I've ever had to do

one of the hardest things I've ever had to do is to watch my Grandpa, my Pappy, the strongest man I've ever known fade away after his stroke 9 years ago. His mind has never failed, not even now, after we've spent the last week in the hospital watching his lungs fill up with fluid, and it getting harder and harder for him to breathe. The doctors said he was going to die last Tuesday, and every day after that. But he is stubborn and still fighting his losing battle. I'm not ready to be without him but I pray that he has the strength to let go and trust that we can take care of his "Normie" (my Grandma). He still wakes up and reaches for her when she walks into his room. Hearing her say goodbye to her husband of 62 years was the saddest conversation I have ever witnessed. Watching my brothers face while he watches his best friend, his Pappy, drown in front of us is a scene I will never get out of my mind. So if you believe in it please say a prayer that my Pappy can stop struggling, that he can go home to be with the Lord, and that we are all strong enough to let him go.

My Pappy during WWII.

isn't he handsome?

my mammie is awesome

My Mammie is the best Grandma ever.

she takes her G-ma job very seriously.

making homemade noodles, strawberry jam (I've never eaten store bought-en jam and I blame her for my snobbiness towards smuckers). Her vegetable soup is magic and can fix any cold.

She can crochet one hell of an afghan and I've always had a

 homemade quilt on my bed instead of a comforter.

she usually has some fun little present for me when I stop over: a kentucky derby glass from 1982, or a pillowcase her mom made out of a feedsack for her when she was little. 

I love her huge heart and how she can still cuss like a truck driver if the situation calls for it.

I get my dog craziness from her (she lets 100 lb Ginger Rogers sit on her lap like she's a toy poodle)

she still hand rolls and hand cuts her noodles.

and there are rules. you can't make noodles on sundays or a day when it rains.

Her and my Pappy have possibly the coolest living room ever.

My pap built it out of materials he got from tearing down an old mason lodge.

(raw wood and sandstone). It's huge.

and they have a whole wall full of their old whiskey bottle collection. 

side note: they used to own bars-- they're not alcoholics. 

[that's only half of the wall]

I am lucky to have such amazing Grandparents. 

They celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary last Saturday. 

They're kind of awesome....

the stuff i love.

2 (or 3) things I love around my house

go to Kassi's blog and link up.

cute Stella and Dot necklace

from A Pina Colada

pretty pink deer from Follow the White Rabbit

she hangs out on my computer desk

wrangler skirt I forgot I had.

p.s. I have the cutest Mammie in the world

(my cousin's wedding)