"Tell me a story" she would say

The smell of fresh homemade cinnamon buns, a little giggle and that warm greeting "What yas been doin?" from her .... and a "well" & a grunt from the man of the house.

That's what walking into my grandma and grandpas home has been like my whole life.

My Grandma is so sweet and I never heard her speak an ill word about anyone. She is the grandmas house that you love to visit and hate to leave. I was so lucky that we lived just a walk down the trail from the them since my little sister was born & we moved into the the house they built from the ground up back in the day.

I always remember when I was little & Grandma would talk to the babies she would say "Tell me a story" and she would wait for them to coo at her. and being little I young I would say "Gramma they cant talk, they're babies!" and she would say :Listen they have alot to say!' and she would say to them, "Tell me some more" and I would just laugh at the thought of it!.

Then when I grew up and had kids of my own I found myself saying to them "Tell me a story" out of instinct & memories of my grandma would always come to mind, every time I would look in my babies eyes and listen to all they had to tell me.

Usually we lived away from Home, meaning Michigan and every time we would come back & grandma would meet my babies she would always smile and ask for their story & my heart would warm as I watched them talk.

The first time Grandma met my Jack he was just a few months old and he was being alittle fussy. She asked to hold him and he cuddled down in her shoulder and went right to sleep. I said "you have the touch grandma' and she just giggled and said "Well, I guess so!"

She met my newest right away because he was born here in Mi and every time we visit she always says He is getting to big! Lately he is alittle to heavy for her arms but still she asks for him & I just say let me know when hes to heavy And Again she asks for his story.

My Grandma is not doing very well this week. We all went to visit with her the other day. and she heard us and saw us in her mirror and motioned t come and she asked for the kids she she could tell them Hi. It didn't hit me until I saw her frail body and her weak face.

Well little Jack saw her steps for her dog Tasha next to her bed & decided this was his perch to keep watch over grandma. He sat there and would glance over to check on her for half an hour or more. Once in awhile he would climb down and walk around the room and stop & tell everyone in his 2 1/2 year old voice "Grandmas not feeling well" then he would climb back up.

Last night I was hit with this panic that I didn't have any pictures of me and my grandma, I knew I have some of her and my kids but anyone who knows me knows how important pictures are to me, I have always been the one running around with a camera when we are all together. So I went and searched the attic & I found more then I remembered.

One story I cant believe I forgot until I saw the pictures. Every time my son Ethan was small & we visited Grandma & Grandpa he would run in climb up to the counter and grab a red apple & carry it to Grandma & say "Grandma I want a red apple with no peel please" and wait for her to peel it and he was happy as can be.... I cant believe I forgot that.

I love how pictures can capture memories we have forgotten and as soon as we see them the memories come flooding back. I have another picture that has hung on my wall in black and white for years of my oldest daughter with grandma standing behind her holding her little hands trying to teach her to knit. I'm so glad I captured that moment.

Please don't let little memories pass thinking oh that was trivial or Ill remember. pick up your camera and capture it. Life is to short. Take pictures and let them "tell your Story" for generations to come...

I love you Grandma