Friday Favorites

I wanted to do this last Friday but as I was on my trip and "herding cats," I didn't get a chance.

My Friday Favorites today are my grandparents. They are actually Jason's grandparents but I am extremely close with them. We lived with them while we (Jason) attended BYU (I worked). The two years we spent with them are some of my most fondest dreams. Unfortunately, Grandpa now has Alzheimers. It is such a terrible disease, affecting not just the person who has it, but their family.

Grandma and Grandpa are what I consider to be the perfect grandparents. They even look like the perfect grandparents. :) They are so loving and from the first time I met them while Jason and I were dating, I always felt welcomed and loved by them.

There is something about going home to them that fills my soul. It fills my bucket, so to speak. I visited them last Friday (thus my reason for wanting to highlight them last week). It was so great to see them, even if it was only for a short time. Since I was toting four kids around that day, it was hard to stay very long because it was hard to keep them entertained while I chatted and I was ultra paranoid that they were going to break something. :)

I admire grandma for her patience and endurance. Grandpa is at a stage in his disease that he requires 24 care and supervision.

One neat experience I had with him was last year when I was visiting, Grandma and I were watching TV and talking. He suddenly started speaking (he doesn't speak much anymore). He went on and on for a long time which was very bizarre. The neat thing about it was that it was like he was giving a fireside or a talk at church. (He was a Bishop many years ago.) He talked about obedience and faith. After more than 30 minutes of his talking (again, highly unusual for him with this disease), we had a "closing prayer" with him to help him get out of the circle of thoughts (his thought process got stuck in a loop and he couldn't get out of it so he would start his talk over and over). It touched (and still touches) my heart though because it reiterates to me what his in his heart. He has always been a great example to his/our family and even in the grips of this horrible disease, he still continues.

I wish I could live by Grandma and Grandpa to help them. I can't imagine how hard it is for Grandma to care for the person she has spent her life with, knowing that he doesn't really know her or anyone else anymore.

I love them so much and they are definitely my Friday Favorite. :)

:)