Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve I went to visit my Grandma after work. Met my dad at the nursing home. My grandma had pneumonia which is never good. She really was not well. She couldn't speak during our visit and was barely able to say her sweet "Thank you for coming" when we left. Her roommate had informed me that when someone came from the church that morning to give her communion the woman also tried to give to my grandma. My grandma could not eat and could not even handle the host and so she was blessed with the anointing of the sick.

Christmas morning I waited for my sister to wake me to open presents. When 10am came around I was getting hungry and decided to go downstairs to see where she was... First stop was the bathroom downstairs after discovering there was no toilet paper in our upstairs bathroom. My dad greeted me at the stairs and had me see something in his room. One of our cats was getting a special breakfast on the table in his room. I laughed and then turned to go back down the hall to the bathroom. He then stops me and tells me that Mimi passed away in her sleep Christmas morning. I nod, and he asks, You knew? No, I told him, but after seeing her yesterday it is not a surprise and almost a blessing she isn't in any pain.
My dad said it was very special to die on Christmas and it was the best Christmas gift his dad's gotten in years (he passed away 21 years ago). I agreed and cried, hugged my dad, and then went to the bathroom for some needed tissues now.

Thankfully my sister was already at the house with my niece Emma who definitely helped all of us with our smiles on Christmas morning. My Mimi, as we called my grandmother, was just one of the sweetest people. She had a great heart and I will forever miss her. Even tho I was not a fan of the nursing home I was always a fan of our time together.

Life goes on and our family continues. Just check out this cutie that made my Mimi a great grandmother : )