I just wanted to write down some of the things that I thought about/want to remember about Grandma Tweedie...
Friday -- We didn't leave Provo until 7pm and with Peyton wide awake and a little fussy (we had to make a few stops... PS. Gas stations that have playgrounds are now my favorite!!), we didn't get down to St George until 11pm. Grandma T and April stayed up to make sure we got there safely. Ben and I were soo tired (he had to work really late (until 1am but didn't get home until 2 am because the owner of the workshop closed the gate so Ben couldn't drive home. He had to walk!) and I had to drive to Wyoming for work from 11pm to 11am the next day!) and of course, when you get a bunch of really tired people together, the funniest things always happen!
We were laughing about something that was funny when Gma's bird clock went off. This clock has different types of birds and every hour, on the hour, it will go off with the sound of that particular bird. The clock went off at midnight and went "who-whooo, whooo! who-whooo, whooo!" I stopped laughing and looked at Grandma a little strange but I didn't want to be rude so I didn't say anything. Ben saw the look and asked me what the matter was. I realized my mistake and then said, "I thought the clock was Grandma laughing!!" I think we all laughed so hard that there were definitely tears.... It probably doesn't sound funny now and its probably a had to be there moment but it's something I don't want to forget.
That Grandma.... she's such a hoot!!
Saturday -- We mostly hung out and talked stories. It was such a nice day that we were able to sit outside for a few hours too. April brought this mason jar filled with hundreds of random questions. She'll ask Gma a question and record Gma's answer. We did that for a little bit and I learned so much about Gma. It was fun!
A thought that hit me was how humble and grateful this woman is. There were 2 things in particular that I don't want to forget. (1) Grandma thinks that her greatest talent is serving in the temple... how cool is that?! If you ask most people what their greatest talent is, they'll answer something like running, singing, playing soccer, snowboarding, etc. Grandma's greatest talent was when she was an ordinance worker inside the temple... and she was dang good at it too! Seriously, is that not amazing?! (2) Grandma will forever be grateful for her sister Ellen. When she was younger, Ellen and Gma's mother were very sick. They were both in the hospital and the doctors said they'd only be able to save one person. Ellen quickly volunteered saying that Metta and Rosamund needed a mother more than anything else and so, Ellen passed away and Gma's mother was healed. When Grandma told this story, she started to cry. It is so amazing to me how this sister was able to sacrifice herself for her family.
Later that night, we made banana pudding, pomegranate jelly, and apple butter. It's become sort of a tradition with us now. Gma was so proud of herself. Everyone that called or came by to visit, Grandma would proudly say "Oh, me and my Betty made banana pudding, pomegranate jelly, and apple butter!" Grandma did a great job supervising and April, Ben and I had a good time making it! We didn't burn the apple butter this time either!!
Sunday -- On Sunday, I recorded almost an hour of piano music on the piano for Gma. After every song, she would clap and tell me how beautiful the music was or how much she loved the song. It is such a good feeling to be able to give something to a woman who has everything. She was so grateful for the music. I hope that it can bring her comfort and peace during her last while on this earth.
She kept saying that this past weekend was a little heaven on earth and if every day could have been like the past few days, she doesn't mind staying here after all. This woman is amazing. Her stories and lessons will never be forgotten and I hope that I will be able to be half the woman she is someday! I've never really known my own grandparents since they lived in Hawaii and Korea most of my life so I've really enjoyed spending as much time as we have with her. I know I haven't known her for very long but every time I've spent time with her, she's made me feel like I've known her for my whole life.
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