Thursday, June 3, 2010

Thankful Thursday!

I am so thankful that I have both sets of Grandparents are a major part of my life. I understand how lucky I am to have all of them alive & sharp. They are so important to "Hub's"& I.  The one thing that makes me so happy is the fact that all of them love "Hub's" like he is really their grandson. All of them have welcomed "Hub's" into our family.  It is great that he now has Grandparents because his all past away when he was a young boy.

Like Chris most of my friends didn't get to see their Grandparents like I have gotten to. 
I have different relationships with each of them. The picture on the left is of my Mom's mother and step Dad. Her dad past away when I was 5. It made our family a little displaced & not the bond that one would think you would have with your family. The big shoes to fill of my mom's dead.  In all the meanings of the word Grandpa is what Ed is to all of us kids.

I didn't have the typical Grandma/Grand daughter relationship. When my Grandma married Ed we felt the shift in our family and over time the void was filled for our family.  We became a close family, even gaining a step uncle. Being a blended family has been such a blessing. We may have our ups an downs as a family but through it all we love one another. About 10 years ago my grandma & I became very close. Over the years we have had the chance to really get to know each other & shared our lives, it has been an amazing experience.

I am blessed to be able to have that bond now, It is something that we both needed, working towards a relationship as two adults has been very rewarding and not hard at all. I think that its very sad that I don't have the memories that my cousins do with my Grandma, but I don't think we would have the bond that we do know if we would have had the same relationship, that they have with her. IIt makes me feel so happy knowing that I got this chance to love my grandma.

We had barely any family when we got married, but there they were Grandma Mom & Grandpa Ed. There are no words that can explain what that felt like and how very much it meant to me, and also to "Hubs". We have built many great memories and continue to make ever more. We moved pretty close to them now and we get to see them at least once a week. Having them in our life makes it so much richer.

The couple on the right is my dad's parents. They are and always have been a big part of my life.  I can't ever remember not having them in my day to day life. When I was in 3rd grade they moved down the street from where I grew up. I feel that because of them I am who I am because they were such a big part of raising me. 

Seeking their approval has always been so important to me. In fact I talk to "hubs"first then my parents, and then to my grandparents. In many ways they were a second pair of parents.  If I was upset the first place I wanted to go to was their house. There is just something about being in my Dad's side of the family that makes me feel so loved.  My Grandma is the glue that holds the family of our together. If one of us isn't getting along she steps in and gives the other person a what's for.

If and when we have kids I want to live close to my parents so that they can be a big part of his/her life. My Grandma took care of me with anything I needed,   Every July they would take the four of us older grandkids to Kalaloch to camp. We always stayed in B-11.   I am the only grandchild that she has ever spanked, being that we are so very much a like made me get into trouble.  growing up I would  always push it to the edge. I guess I had a talent.  I wish all the years I wasted being that self centered busy teenager I could take back and truly take the time to spend with them and realize how special the times I have had with them are.

Yes, this Thursday I am thankful that I am able to still have both sets of Grandparents. That as an almost 33 year old I have a relationship with all of them.  These moments and memories will last a life time and I will get to keep them in my heart and mind forever.