Grandma

Mary Jane's 4 great-grandchildren

Mary Jane's 4 grandchildren

Mary Jane's 2 daughters

Giving kisses

Looking at family pictures together

Cousins Kelli & Ella

Miss A's 2 great-grandmothers

1 year ago today my grandmother passed away from complications surrounding her Alzheimer's disease. What a horrible, horrible disease. But today is not to talk about being sad. There is no question that we miss Grandma. She was the true word of a homemaker and Christian woman. She sewed all of my mother and aunt's clothes, she was an amazing cook, she kept an orderly house, supported her husband's business and she was a devoted member of her church. Mary Jane was a loving mother of 2 daughters, 4 grandkids and 4 great-grandkids. She was a woman of the depression years and she believed in saving everything and valuing a dollar. In her younger years, she was a beautician and she had fond memories of running a beauty shop with her sister and these were stories that came out more vividly in her last days. Grandma's true love though was animals and plants. She never met a dog, horse, cat or bird she didn't love and didn't love her. She had a true green thumb and could grow gorgeous flowers from a crack in the side walk. It was amazing!

I feel very blessed to have had 29 years of learning from my grandmother. There are so many songs that I sing to Ash that Grandma sang to me and I will never watch an I love Lucy episode and not think of her and how we loved to be silly together! There is no question that I value Ashton's relationship with my parents, Chris' parents and GG as I know how much she can learn from them and they love her as unconditionally as we do. I miss all of my grandparents very much. They were all unique people that made me who I am today and I know that Ash is being shaped by her loving family as well. Ash does remember grandma and tells me when she sees her picture that "Grandma is sick". Obviously we are still working on that concept but I love that I have pictures of them together and that even in my grandmother's altered mental state - she loved my little girl and always lit up when she saw her.

So... go out and hug and cherish your grandparents today!

We love and miss you Mary Jane Longley Butler!!!!