Grandma-Great

I wanted to post this before we left for Utah but didn't get a chance. Grandma Great finally passed away last week. I say "finally" because over the past ten years that I have been part of the Menlove family, it seems like every time we saw Grandma (Roger's mom) it was going to be the last time we saw her. Except for this last time we were up in Utah, two months ago, she was at her perkiest. I had never heard her talk so much! She was interrupting all of our conversations and was right in the mist of all the commotion. She had just returned from a family camp out where she sat by the campfire and had smores. She held Joshua and loved seeing Allison and Zachary run around. I am so glad to have seen her this way and remember her in such a happy way. It was Allison's first real experience with death and it was a good teaching tool for us as parents to explain to her that Grandma is in a much better place and with Heavenly Father and Jesus. We told her that it is important for us to be good here on earth so that we can see Grandma Great again someday. She understood it as much as a almost five year could and after many tears and a million more questions she looked at me and said, "okay, I am not sad anymore." She hasn't brought it up since. If only everything were that simple! Well, I am now getting ready for my baby to start Kindergarten tomorrow, and I think it will be awhile before I can say, "I am not sad anymore."