Less than a week after we returned home from Utah we received news that Grandma Thompson's health had taken a turn for the worst and she was being put on hospice. Knowing that Grandma Thompson was in her final hours I spent a lot of time wondering if Ellie was part of the welcoming committee that was waiting to greet Grandma and I wondered if her spirit was close by during those final moments when the veil becomes so thin. I would have given anything to be there and experience feeling close to Ellie again. After years of struggling with chronic pain and 4 years of being without Grandpa Thompson, on January 10th Grandma Thompson peacefully passed away surrounded by her children.
We are so grateful for the fresh memories our kids have of spending time with Grandma on Christmas day. I'm grateful for the understanding and testimony my kids have developed of the Plan of Salvation and that death is not the end, but just a brief separation before we will see each other again. They were so happy to think of Grandma Thompson in heaven with Grandpa Thompson and especially with Ellie.
I was so grateful we were all able to go out for the funeral. Scott's mom and aunts did a wonderful job with the displays at the viewing. I learned so many things about Grandma Thompson that I never knew before.
At her funeral Scott's aunt shared everyone's favorite memories of Grandma. There was definitely a common theme of Grandma's Treetop apple juice, playing games around the kitchen table, and her making everyone feel special and loved.
All of the services were a wonderful tribute to an incredible woman who was very loved.
Second only to saying goodbye to Grandma Thompson, the most tender part of the weekend was visiting and saying goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa's house. I have only been in the family for 10 years and it still makes me sad to think we will no longer be sitting in the front room visiting with them or cramming everyone into the basement for the Christmas white elephant exchange anymore. This house is such a big part of all of my memories of Grandma and Grandpa Thompson. After the funeral we met at the house with much of the extended family as we all shared our good memories and each of the grandkids chose a few sentimental pieces they would like to have to remember Grandma and Grandpa Thompson by. Scott and I choose some of Grandpa's old medical and pharmacology books to add to the nearly century old nursing books that had belonged to Grandpa Thompson's mom that were given to me as part of our wedding gift. We were also lucky enough to receive the children's encyclopedias from the 1950s that our kids were so excited about. Below are some pictures of our favorite and most memorable places in Grandma's house. The piles and boxes everywhere were due to the process of sorting through things. Grandma's house was always immaculate.
The low ceilings, especially going down the stairs.
The many many movies Grandma had recorded off TV onto VHS and a classic treetop apple juice container.
The glass kitchen table.
The front room.
Saying goodbye to Grandma Thompson is bittersweet. We will miss her beautiful smile and infectious laugh, but we know that she is happily reunited with her mother and husband and free from all her pain.
