Grandma Edna..

The other day my dad sent out an email to the three of us kids about our Grandma.  Grandma is way old - I forget exactly how old..  Birthdays are hard for me.  Anyhow, she has been living with my parents for the past 5 years or so.  It has been so neat to see her every time we go to visit.  I am so thankful that my boys have had a chance to know their great grandma.

We grew up about 5 miles away from my grandparents and saw them at least once a week, if not more.  We had sleepovers regularly.  Grandma would fix as a bed time snack and usually it was homemade vanilla ice cream (YUM!!!) with saltine crackers.  Every once in a while, Grandpa would roast us marshmallows in the wood stove.  He was the most patient man on earth!  Our marshmallows were always perfectly golden all the way around.  Each morning, we would eat breakfast and then have morning devotion all together.  Grandpa would read a passage from the Bible, his big hands skimming the words as he read, then read the day's passage from My Daily Bread.  I remember helping mow their big lawn, raking the lawn clippings into huge piles to jump into.  Grandpa would use a rotary, push mower on sections!  He was a crazy hard worker.  Grandma and Grandpa had a huge garden each summer and we would all get to enjoy the fruits of their labor.  They were both beyond generous with the things that they had.  They were amazing examples of who we as believers are supposed to be.  The stories could go on and on..

My Grandpa passed away just before Eman and I were married, almost 11 years ago.

Anyhow, Grandma's mind and body have been slowing down over the past few years, but things have progressed in the past few months.  My parents have called hospice to have Grandma evaluated to see what the next step will be.  They are having a hospital bed delivered to my parents house as well as nurses coming to help daily care, as they are needed.  Grandma's heart rate is really low (48 beats/minute) and her blood pressure is low enough that it is not registering on a blood pressure cuff.  She has also started to get congestion in her upper chest - not to the point of pneumonia, but her heart is starting to fail.  It is hard to say when she will end up passing away, but it will happen in the near future.

So, Eman and I have the task of telling our boys what is happening to their Great Grandma and deciding whether we need to take them for one last visit before she passes away.  For the most part, Grandma was always a bit cranky with them, since she couldnt keep up with them physically or mentally.  The boys were usually sweet and polite back, thankfully.  I knew this time would be coming, but was not prepared for how to deal with it and the boys.  I am hoping that Eman and I will get a chance to talk about how we should tell them, before the conversation actually happens.  So, if you think about us, please be praying for the boys to be ready and understanding.  Also, my prayer is that Grandma would pass quickly and not be suffering as her heart gives out.