A Rough Couple Weeks

The past two weeks have been pretty close to hell around here. My grandmother, my Nan, had a big stroke two Wednesdays ago, and since then things have been upside-down and sideways in our little world. I stayed overnight at Nan's hospital bed on both Wednesday and Thursday nights that week, although she was not verbally responding to us, she would turn her head in the direction of a voice or make slight facial expressions in response to someones voice. I don't know for sure if my being there either night was a comfort to her, but it was comforting for me. Just being able to quietly hold her hand and tell her I love her whenever she was restless was important to me.

We decided to bring the kids in to see her on the Thursday, since they have been so close to her we thought it needed to be done. At first they were nervous, but it was so special to see her react to their voices and their kisses, and to see the kids come to an understanding that it was still their Nan, she just was "sleeping". That Friday night she passed away. She was 93.


It's a strange mix of emotions I feel about Nan's death. She had lived a long, full life, and had said numerous times she was not afraid of death, but was looking forward to the banquet awaiting her. Nan was intensely devoted in her faith. But she was my Nan, whom I had seen weekly or more often since before I can remember. My Nan whom I loved deeply, and respected deeply, and will miss deeply.




Following her death that Friday there was (of course) a whirlwind of family togetherness and funeral planning, punctuated by a lovely course of pinkeye and strep-throat! I was the lucky one who had pinkeye (in both eyes) the worst, I could barely see through my swollen eyelids on Tuesday. And boy was I a sight to behold on Wednesday for Nan's funeral! I'm sure everyone thought I was just red-eyed from crying non-stop. Of course pink-eye lovingly made it's way through our entire household, slowly, knocking us off one-by-one, and is still hanging on with Gavin (the last to get it), and myself (reinfected)!!!!!

Now, one would think that might be enough to deal with, but nope - there was also my dear Levi's third birthday on the Saturday following the funeral and Easter on Sunday, the day after his birthday!!!! I wanted so badly to put on a big party for Levi, but had to cancel last minute as the plague had not yet lifted off our home. We still had a small party with our family (not as worried about infecting them, they've been exposed to our bugs all week anyway) so we were able to use up some of the food I had already purchased and to make Levi the cake he had been really looking forward to.

And now I have oodles of blog posts backing up, and will hopefully be getting some done as the craziness of this past couple weeks settles, and I'm stuck at home with some time on my hands.