Memory Eternal, Grandma Edna

Today, Christmas Eve Day 2011, Grandma Edna passed away. I think I'm realizing the larger implications of this loss more and more each moment. Because she was a part of our daily life. Because she was a wonderful mother-in-law to me, and mom, and grandma, and wife. She was a lover of Jesus to her very core. She was a servant even at her own expense, putting others always before herself. She loved my girls so much-- all her grandchildren-- and hoped the best for them, that they know Jesus and serve Him, and learn and grow as much as possible. She would notice that another child in Adessa's preschool class could write all their numbers, and ask if I had been working with Adessa on numbers? She was gracious and compassionate with people of all kinds and life situations, never speaking ill of anyone she encountered. She delighted in her family. She was never one to brag, except when talking about her family. She LOVED to tell people she has 16 grandchildren. She fed us healthy food and encouraged us to exercise and take walks and go to the park. She fed the homeless. She babysat our kids so we could go out on dates. She did childcare weekly for my girls so I could work. She checked up on widows and did errands for them. She gave good neck rubs, with surprisingly strong hands. We will miss her. We will miss her so much.
One of the big ways we feel her loss is thinking forward, that our girls won't get to know her as well as we wished. We wish that she would be around as they grow up, to be another loving voice pointing the way. That she would share her legacy of servanthood and love with our girls. We will, of course, share it for her, but it would have been easier if she were around to teach them herself. I hope we can impart to Adessa and Eliana how very much she loved them. They're so little, they might not believe us. Neither Calvin or I have lost someone who was so much a part of our daily existence, and we keep looking at each other and saying: "Wow. This is going to be harder than I thought." Yep. We love you, Edna.

At our wedding, 2005.


Holding newborn Adessa.


At a Mt. Hermon Christmas dinner, 2007.


Holding Eliana for the first time.


Reading with Eliana.


At the Mt. Hermon Community Dinner a few weeks ago.


A portrait of Grandma by Eliana.

November, 2011

Here is the rest of November, folks, quick before more fun things start happening worthy of record.

November Ballet class:
Attempting to do turns.

The Ballerinas after their class. They were a little tuckered out, but posed for a picture to send to Daddy at work.

Playing ballerina at home.

Dress up time!

Adessa and I had a mother-daughter date at The Nutcracker. She was riveted, and as each new scene opened, she would ask: "Can you please buy me a dress like that?"


Baby, it's cold outside. (Already!)
Eliana making mama proud and wearing her scarf during a chilly morning walk in the woods.

New clothes! I finally hid all summery clothes and dresses and the girls have a new wardrobe of warm clothes. We have done so well with hand-me-downs that I've rarely shopped for the girls, but it was time. The four or five things each would consent to wear became few and ridiculous as the weather got cold.



Thanksgiving:
Uncle Ben is always a hit!

Thanksgiving fun with cousins, uncles and aunts and Grandpa.


A most successful fall-tree family photo, hooray!