Yesterday we bid farewell to one of the happiest, silliest, amazing hearted women ever...sweet G'ma Margaret. A lady who truly lived, laughed, and loved...and we will miss her dearly. Some of my favorite memories of G'ma include: Her big, dangly earrings - she loved her costume jewelry (maybe where I got my adoration for it) and as a kid I was always amazed at her earrings. She loved to play pitch and was a cheat! As my cousin fondly remembered, she only needed the "ace/deuce" to win a hand, which she usually did. The lady hated to lose and was fiercely competitive. We played a lot of dominoes in the last few years and I remember she'd sneak pieces out of her stash into the "bone pile" to go out faster. She loved ice cream (something I may have inherited as well, darn it!) and I think might have eaten it for every meal if she was allowed. She was such a doll with her scratchy voice and easy laugh. I was touched at all of the memories shared at her funeral. Memories I shared with my cousins and some from before I was born, yet I was delighted just the same. Such a doll...I will miss her to bits. One of the things I hate about funerals is seeing grown men weep...and my tough guy cousins were all brought to tears and it was heart wrenching, but clearly the woman was cherished by all. And leave it to my Jack Jack to bring a smile to my face...after I read a scripture and was leaving the podium, he says for all to hear, "Good job, mama," then reaches for a big hug. Wow, I love that kid. He kept telling us he missed Grandma Margaret and that we needed to be quiet not to wake her. Such a sweetie. He never misses a beat. Someone said to me today, "It's easy to be lighthearted around children." And it's true - they make the toughest situations easier to swallow...xoxo G'ma Marg.

I keep thinking of things lately that I need to mention. Things about Jack that I am afraid I will forget...like at the sitter's when he and B get married and do their wedding dance while I watch. Or how they played brother and sister and "slept" on the floor for a slumber party. Today he smooched her cheek while she giggled helplessly. Or how he walks past and says, "I can't talk now, I have to go to baseball practice," or "Mom, I'm going to football practice, I'm on the Chiefs." The way he jumps around the room shooting an imaginary gun because I won't let him play with a real one or using the vacuum cleaner attachments as baseball bats. Always asking me who I want to be - will it be Princess Leia, Alicia from Diego, Ariel, or any of the other female counterparts to his male heroes. We are always pretending. He often pretends he's his cousin, Cade - Charlotte is Riley and hubby and I are my sister and her husband. Our house is a fantasy land of characters and the hilarity of it never gets old. What are my favorite colors? Do I like purple, orange, or red (I think we all know the answer to that one). The way he says, "Mommy, come sit by me, I love you," or "I missed you while you were gone today." These words have become so frequent lately and I hope he never loses that soft-hearted little personality I adore. I love you, Bubby!