February started out a little bittersweet. We made a trip to Brad's grandmother's house in St. Louis to help her pack and get ready to move out of her house. Brad's grandfather died in 2007, and since then his grandmother has lived in the country on 20 plus acres of land by herself. The family started talking to her about moving closer to town and closer to her family a few years ago, and she just wasn't ready at the time.
It's easy to understand her resistance seeing as how she has lived in that same house for 55 years. It's where she made her life and her family with her husband and children. It's where all of the family got together and celebrated different milestones and events. And quite simply, it's just her home!!
However, I can also see the point that the rest of the family was trying to make. She was at least 45 minutes away from any family in case something happened. And things HAD started to happen, she fell a couple of times and even broke both wrists. It was also too much for her to upkeep...I don't even know that I could take care of 20 acres out in the country with an older house and an in ground swimming pool.
So, last year, the family finally won her over and convinced her to sell the house and move, and it sold earlier this year. We made the trip up there so that Brad could help load some of the heavier things on to the moving truck and so that we could be there for moral support. All of her children and most of her grandchildren were there for the final weekend in the house. There was a lot of talking and laughing about good memories and good times. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Brad's grandmother though, as all of her things were being moved around and gone through, and she had to leave some things behind. I can't imagine what she must have been feeling. She has many great memories to take with her though. And the family that bought her house is using it as a weekend getaway for his kids and grand kids, so I think that made her feel better too...to know that they would use it to celebrate family just as she and her family had done. While I'm sure it wasn't easy for her to say goodbye to so many memories, I know that she is thankful to have so many great ones to take with her!
Here are a just a few pictures of the house and family over the past couple of years:
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| Grandma, Brad and me |
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| Grandma with the grand kids and great-grand kids on Thanksgiving 2009 |
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