Remembering Grandma and Grandpa B.

There are certain things that remind me of my Grandma and Grandpa B.

The smell of coffee brewing.
Even though they didn't drink it, grandma loved the smell of it, so she would brew a pot of coffee the way I use my scentsy, to fill her home with its aroma. I was always fascinated with her pot of coffee as a girl, I liked watching the coffee chug through the clear part of the lid... it wasn't your typical coffee maker!

Ducks.
I was fortunate enough with the opportunity to be babysat during my early childhood by my grandparents. Their influence on me has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. My grandparents were both retired and therefore, they spent their days with me doing the things that I wanted to do. They would frequently take me to the park to play and to feed the ducks.

Air-dried linens.
My grandma owned a clothes dryer that she hardly (if ever) used. Even when her kids all pitched in to buy her a dryer, she still hung her clothes out to dry. Whenever I put things out to dry (like bed comforters) I think of grandma. I love the sweet smell the fresh air leaves on the bedding, it can't be duplicated.

Clover Club potato chips.
I am positive my grandparents ALWAYS had a bag of Clover Club brand potato chips. The funny part about that is they kept their chips stored in the dishwasher that was also bought for them by their children. They didn't see the need to have a dishwasher and therefore, continued washing the dishes by hand.

7-up.
My grandpa kept loads of 2-liter bottles of this stuff under the counter on the other side of the kitchen. It was the cure to tummy-aches.

Standard-size poodles.
Taffy, I miss you and love you. Thanks for chasing grandpa and me around and around and around the kitchen and living room... circle after circle after circle. I never tired of this as a kid.

Stollen.
I tell myself every year that I am going to learn how to make this german fruit cake. As a child, I looked forward to this every Christmas. Fortunately for me I was the only one who liked it in the family, so I basically got the entire loaf to myself.

And finally, that leads me to the thing that reminded me of them yesterday...

Grandma's sugar cookies.
These aren't your standard sugar cookies. They are the thing that reminds me most of going to their home. Grandma always had her cookie jar full of these cookies. I remember as a child walking into their home and looking to my right at the top of the fridge where the apple cookie jar sat. Grandma would pull that cookie jar down and give me one. I don't even remember ever asking.

I baked those cookies yesterday. I took one bite and my mind was flooded with memories of my childhood. All the smells and sounds of grandma and grandpa; the feeling in their home, their sweet laughter that filled my soul with delight. Their gentle touch, the bear hugs and "this little piggy...". Oh how I loved my grandparents. I had quite a bit of turmoil in my life at home as a little girl, but grandma and grandpa were ALWAYS there... constant and secure. I had stability with them. I miss them dearly. I feel them with me from time to time and I relish in those moments. I take comfort in knowing that though they have passed on from this life I know I will see them again.

How grateful I am for our Savior who made that possible. So a public thank you to my Lord, my Redeemer, my Friend. Your sacrifice was great and I honor you and love you as much as this heart can possibly hold. Thank you for building a way for families to be together forever. What a wondrous blessing and gift. For without family, what is there in life?

And thank you to grandma and grandpa. You have truly been a great gift in my life. I owe much of who I am today because of your love and examples to me. I only hope I can be the kind of grandparent (and parent) that you were!