Happy Birthday Grandma Nielsen!

This is my grandma Nielsen. Isn't she beautiful! This is my only living grandparent I have left. She just turned 94 on Friday. Can you believe that? Her mind is as sharp as a whip. She can remember things from long ago which always amazes me! My dear Aunt Connie sent me this picture of her with her cake. I was so happy to get it! I can't get the picture to upload for whatever reason...I will keep trying! You will just have to imagine her beauty!

My grandma means the world to me. I have always felt close to her. She was always loving and kind to me. She let me stay with her as a child when my parents went away. She fixed the best foods! She makes the best candies! We used to have family parties with all the cousins and sit around and watch old movies of our parents when they were young. I loved spending time with the cousins...playing in the barn...milking cows...gathering eggs with grandpa. Grandpa and Grandma would take us up to the ranch and we would spend many hours exploring the ranch, swinging in the metal bed swing. Grandma would sit in her trailer with us and play spoons. I had a great childhood with many fond memories! Grandma always throws a New Years party every year. There is always great food, games, puzzles, visiting with everyone. It is a tradition! While I haven't been able to go very much, the times I go I love it and amazed that grandma always stays up for the new year too!

A few years back...in fact 7 years ago March 14th...my grandpa passed away. I can't believe it has been so long. My grandparents had a great relationship. My grandma lived to served him. She took care of him in every way. I don't ever recall them EVER being angry with each other. They may have, as I know most couples do, but I don't remember it. I remember him loving her....wanting to hold her hand always. Grandma had a hard time when he passed. Didn't much want to carry on without him. His picture sits right on her dresser and she wakes up every morning to him looking at her. She tells him she loves him and misses him. At that time I decided to try to help her with her lonliness and write her a letter every week. I did it really well for over a year....then I am ashamed to say I let "life" get in the way and stopped. I vowed once my grandpa died that I would never let there be any question how I felt about my grandparents. I had a hard time dealing with grandpa and my papa and grandma cowley passing away. I still miss them more than anything. I think about them alot. So I didn't want there to be any doubt in my grandma's mind how I felt about her. I hope that I expressed to her how much I love her...how much I am thankful for how she helped me growing up.

I adore her and love visiting with her when I can. She is so funny as she gets older. I am purely entertained every time I visit her. I am thankful that she is my grandma and is still alive and kicking! I know she wants to be with my grandpa and I know that will happen sometime soon probably. But for now my Dear Sweet Grandma Nielsen....be amazed what you have accomplished in your 94 years on this earth! You are beautiful, funny, loving, caring and I hope that I am just like you when I grow up and am your age!