my grandma avery.

thanksgiving. the grand kids with my grandma avery. her last thanksgiving. she passed away from this world on sunday, april 27. she was very sick, but it was quite a blow just the same to hear she was gone so quickly. we had been making plans to celebrate her 90th birthday this june. the doctor told us to move the date up. it was decided to keep the date and give her hope that she would see that celebration and all her family with it. it was not to be. the LORD allowed her to escape the deepening pain she was experiencing with her recently discovered cancer. for this we are all thankful.
she was my last living grandmother. having moved closer five years ago, we all, including my littlest of children, were able to have holidays and summers with her. to get close and enjoy each others company. all this makes her death a hard one for me to journey through.
my grandma avery was a woman of grace. she raised a few of her siblings, as her own mother died when she was only 13. she lived through the depression, as well as the realities of world war II. she raised 3 beautiful children that gave her 9 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren. she is survived by all except for one great grandchild who gave his life for his country 2 years ago in Iraq. i trust they are together now.
i love the photo above. grandma loved to watch the children and seemed to enjoy the hustle of them all. she often chided me that analise never wore socks... and how amazingly special that my oldest was 12 and got to know her like he did. i never knew my great grandparents. we are so blessed.
grandma, i love ya. hope you have a garden plot in heaven to raise your vegetables and grow your beautiful flowers like you use to. i will miss your homemade pies, especially lemon meringue. and thanks for that snickerdoodle recipe...i have loved them ever since you gave that to me. i will miss your notes. even though you always sounded so lonely when you wrote, i know now you are with grandpa and lonely no more. you will be missed.