Blessed

God has blessed me in many ways but recently while I was on the phone with my grandma I realized again how blessed I am that at over 30 I still have two living grandparents. I also was blessed to have my paternal grandparents around into my adult life as well. Most of my friends growing up only had one or two of their grandparents in their lives. I am so happy I had mine.

My dad's parents lived close by when I was growing up. My grandparents were retired since long before I was born so they had a lot of time on their hands. We spent a lot of time at their house or at least looking back it feels like a lot of time. They loved their family. They loved to have a bunch of relatives over for cookouts and get together's. My brother and I learned to fish with my dad and my grandpa. My grandma took me shopping. They took us to the fair and the park. They came to Grandparent's Day events at school. They were great. I had an unexplainable bond with my Grandma. I don't quite understand it, but I will always be grateful for her. I learned a lot from my grandmother, even if it was sometimes about how not to treat people. My grandfather passed away when I was 23. My grandmother passed away last fall. They are missed often.

My mom's parents lived a little farther away, but still close enough that we saw them regularly. My grandfather was a farmer and a cattle rancher. My grandmother was
a school secretary. They have worked hard for most of their lives. I remember going to the farm during different times of the year and watching the crops grow. I got to ride in the combine. I also got to help my grandma take meals to the field. I admire their hard work. I see the hardships they went through as farmers. They took what they had and they made sure their kids had what they needed. They scrimped and saved to provide for their family. Their lives were not easy, but they persevered. They love God, they love their family and they love their country. The toughed out the hardships together. They came to visit for all the important events in our lives. They came for our baptisms. They showed us we were important even though they were busy and had a lot going on in their lives.

Not only am I blessed to have known my four grandparents related by blood, but I have had the honor of knowing two of Popeye's grandparents. Popeye's grandfather was ill when I met him. He was living with my in-laws. I didn't know him well, but I enjoyed him. He was happy to be with his loved ones. He loved his kids and his grandkids. He laughed easily with them, he had fun and made jokes. He was thrilled to meet his first great grandson. Before Little Bear was born he sent us what is possibly the ugliest stuffed animal I have ever seen. It was a splotchy rainbow colored creature, but we loved it because he got it for Little Bear. He passed away about 18 months after Popeye and I were married.

I am also blessed to have Popeye's maternal grandmother in my life. She has adopted me as her own. I love her dearly. She is a talker like me. We get along fabulously. We laugh together regularly. She is one of a kind. She would give up anything to help her loved ones. She is generous and loving. She brings joy to our lives. I am so glad I can call her my Grandma now, too.

Then, I have more grandparents that are grandparents by choice. These are the elderly people I got to know through church. If you count all my grandparents by choice I have more sets of grandparents than any woman deserves. These people helped to mold me and make me the woman I am today. They have all been through struggles in life and gotten through them with a shining example. Some of these men and women have gone home to be with our Lord. I am truly grateful for the love and encouragement they shared with me.

The title of this post is "Blessed" for a reason. I am blessed beyond measure. Many people go their entire lives without a grandparent of any kind in their lives. I am grateful that I grew up with four grandparents, by blood, to guide me and encourage me, to be there when I fell to hold me when I cried, to laugh with me in good times, and help me laugh in bad times. I am thankful for my grandparents by marriage, they have blessed me more than they can imagine in the short years they have been part of my life. The blessing of grandparents by choice is a special one. They loved me enough to chose me to be in their lives. That's truly amazing. I am so thankful to have a life filled with the blessings of grandparents.