Celebrating a Life Well Lived

Our Goomie passed away this week. She was 92 and living in a nursing home.  I was sad and happy for her at the same time.  I am happy that she is free from her decaying body and mind; happy that she is reunited with her dear ones on the other side of the veil; and happy that she is still part of our eternal family. 

 Most of all I feel a tremendous sense of gratitude that she was in our lives.  She just lived a few miles down the road from our childhood home.  Close enough that we could go to her house every Sunday for dinner. And she worked for the school system so she had the same holidays from work as we did from school.  We had sleepovers at her house and went on trips together.  She was always there for us, ready to help and praise and make us feel loved. She came to all of our band concerts, plays, recitals, sports, and pretty much any milestone you can think of.  She knew what each of our favorite treats were and kept them in the cupboard for us when we would visit her. She took us to cultural activities in the community like the Mark Twain Musical Drama, to see the Budweiser Clydesdales, the Pumpkin Farm, and to see the Lipizzan stallions when they were in town. She made us each cross-stitches for our big achievements as well as one for each grand child that says, "Goomie loves (fill in the child's name) "    I think that was the message that came through the most as we shared our memories of her during the memorial. She was a constant in our lives, always making us feel special and loved.

 All my siblings came for the memorial as well as many old family friends and colleagues of Goomie.

 The church's Relief Society sisters prepared a delicious lunch for us.

 I met my nephew and my kiddos were happy to see what a new-ish baby looks like.

 Grandpop took some fabulous pictures while we were together.

 Big sister A practiced her baby holding skills.

 Brother S copied Grandpop's model cars.

 Daddy and the two older kids played an epic monopoly game.

 A few of the shots taken by Grandpop:

 Aunt S played with A's hair.

 It looked super when she was done:

  We had a wonderful visit with lots of time for conversation and catching up in between events.

 

 Miss L looks like she could be my sister S's daughter. She found that necklace and matching clip-on earrings in Goomie's jewelry box. Some days she is a tomboy and some days a diva.