Grandma McEwan

My Grandma McEwan had a stroke shortly before we left to Arizona for Thanksgiving.  Matt, the kids, and I went to visit her the night before we left.  We talked with her and the kids loved watching her cuckoo clock.  While we were in Arizona, her health declined rapidly.  When we made it home from Arizona, I actually just dropped the kids off to Matt without even going in (Matt had to fly home for work, so I was lucky enough to have Allie drive with me) and I drove straight to my grandma's house to spend some time with her.  I was so exhausted after driving for so long, but I'm so glad I took the time to go, because Grandma passed away the next morning.  

I feel so blessed to have had my grandma in my life.  There are things that I want to remember about her, and that I want my kids to know, and some pictures that I really liked when we were going through pictures for the funeral.  

Grandma always remembered birthdays.  She always had a card for me, and many times a present.  She never, ever forgot.

(at my wedding)

Grandma picked out a little set of dishes for me when I got married.  Blue glass cups, and plates with flowers on them.  They were not my style, but I love them, and still use them every day, because I was so touched that she took the time to pick them out herself for me.  She wasn't able to get around as well at that point, and it meant so much to me.

One year for Christmas, Grandma bought throws for every person in our family.  She took so much time finding the perfect throw for each person.  I remember the boys got throws with baseball guys on them, and my dad got a golf one.  She really liked to shop for us, and find things that she really thought we would enjoy.

Grandma loved to sing.  She would always sing along when I played the piano, which made me nervous and then I would mess up.

Grandma had many stuffed bears and dolls in her house.  She loved beautiful things.  Pink roses will always remind me of her.  She even had all pink Christmas ornaments on her tree.

When I was a kid, Grandma worked at ZCMI.  We would go there and visit her and get cheese bread in the cafeteria, and always got "sprinkle cookies."

Grandma liked to have the cousins over for sleepovers.  She would invite Marianne and I over, and we would play, watch movies, and have pancakes for breakfast.

We have so many family memories at the cabin.  When I was a kid, it was my favorite place in the world.  I loved fishing, playing games together, going on walks, riding horses, and spending time together.

My grandparents used to work in the baptistry at the temple.  When I turned 12 we would go to baptisms on days that they worked.  I remember going to the cafeteria in the temple with Grandma and feeling so special that I got to do that.

I loved going to Grandma and Grandpa's house for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We had a "kids table" to eat at.

When I was really little, we would dress up in Grandma's clothes and shoes and have fashion shows.  She has the tiniest feet, and we always felt so big because her shoes almost fit.

I lived with Grandma for a few months before I got married.  She was always so nice to let us hang out at her house.  I was not lonely, and enjoyed living there.

My grandpa died about 18 years ago.  My grandma has spent every Christmas sleeping over at my family's house.  She came on many vacations with us.  She was alone for many years, and I admire her so much for staying so strong.  I can not imagine being alone for 18 years.

Grandma loved old movies.  She also really loved Bewitched.  It will always remind me of her.

We would always go to the cemetery to visit Tim's, and later Grandpa's, graves.  Grandma would clip roses from her garden.  She brought her shears, milk jugs filled with water, a little broom, and oil to clean off the headstones.  We spent a lot of time there together remembering precious memories, and making new ones.

Grandma made amazing eclairs.  No other eclair I've ever had has even compared to hers.  In fact, I don't even like eclairs, because they just don't measure up to the goodness of Grandma's.  One year, when Sydney was a baby, Grandma taught my mom, Allie, and me to make her eclairs on Thanksgiving.  Sydney LOVED them.  I'd like to try making them again sometime.

Sydney has always had a special relationship with "Grandma Great."  It has seemed a little bit funny to me, because since Sydney has been here Grandma has been a lot older, and not as mobile.  But Sydney always has loved to talk to her, and tell her stories.  She loved going to Grandma Great's house, and every time we would see the temple, she would ask to go to Grandma Greats.  She even cried when Grandma had to move out of her house for the last few months of her life.  I remember when we were in St. George, and Sydney was just 2 years old, Grandma was out sitting in the sun, and Sydney went out and just sat on the chair next to her, for what seemed like a long time.  Just the two of them.  I am so grateful for their cute relationship... it made me appreciate my Grandma even more in her old age.

Grandma read a lot!  Especially after Grandpa died.  She always had books out in her house.  Books, newspapers, and the scriptures everywhere.  She had a little table in her kitchen that had her Book of Mormon on it.  Her eyesight got so bad that she had to read it with her glasses and a magnifying glass... but she still did.  She truly endured to the end.

Grandma had a hard life.  She had a hard childhood, lost two children to early deaths, as well as her husband, and was alone for many years.  She endured a lot in her life, which makes me especially amazed at her example of reading the Book of Mormon, even with a magnifying glass.  She stayed strong and true through her trials.  The gospel really does help us if we let it.

Every time I drive by Grandma's a little twinge of miss comes to my heart.  Things come about in my daily life, that remind me of her, and I miss her again.  But, I am so happy that she is with my grandpa again, and with her sons.  She deserves to be with them.  I'm so grateful for the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation.  I'm grateful that families can be forever, and that I'll have the chance someday to get to know my grandma even better.