"Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever. " -Author Unknown

My Grandma Dorothy Schaat passed away Wednesday Oct. 13th.


 She was the last of my Grandparents, and I knew this day was coming, but it doesn't matter how prepared you are for stuff like this, it's still weird and it still makes you sad, and I just would like to take some time to put into words everything that's been running through my mind as a result.


Grandma had a stroke over a month ago which left her with a pretty skeptical recovery, the doctors weren't sure if she'd walk again, but you know you can never trust that kind of prognosis, miracles happen all the time, right? She had several complications while in the hospital. and as a result was only really coherent a few times and was able to somewhat communicate with visitors when they stopped by, The last time I saw her somewhat awake, she told me how sorry she was I had to see her like that. It kinda broke my heart a little.

So, the first week of Oct. early Sunday morning she suffered a 2nd stroke leaving her almost brain dead, at that point my Mom and her siblings didn't have much choice but to have the nurses extend to her comfort measures and just let nature take it's course. For about  a week an a half she hung in there, and we were all really surprised because at the time it just seemed like forever! And we just didn't understand how in such a weakened state, with no food, barely any water, Pneumonia, and no medicine other than morphine that
 her body could hold on as long as it did. We blamed Aunt Francis for feeding her so much garlic!

After a couple days they moved her to a nursing home and It was really difficult to walk into that place I mean it just smelled like depression and death, It made me wanna pull a Patch Adams on the residents there, because I can't imagine it being the most uplifting place to live out your final days but  anyway as dreary as the conditions and reason for being there was I'm thankful for the bounding time I got in with my Mom and my Aunts, maybe that's why she stuck around as long as she did, so we could all come together and share some laughs.



If any of you remember I blogged about my G-Ma Schaat for her 80th birthday a couple years ago and told all my favorite stories regarding her, the time she gave my Dad pear body splash for Christmas, my first lesson in harmonizing, and of course my most favorite the time she trimmed my picture down to make me look skinny. She was the relative I got the most funny material from, you just never knew what funny thing she was gonna say or do next...... I don't know what I'll do without her now!



I feel a little bad because I never realized how much my Grandma and I had in common until l heard about what she was like growing up. My Aunt Marianne said she was the one that knew all the words to the popular songs of her day, and her money was often spent on the purchasing of the latest records, She loved to dance, even up until the very end of her life she hated to miss the dances at the Senior Center every Thursday night. I was always curious where my passion for music came from, I had assumed it was from my Dad's side, but after hearing those stories I really think it came from her. Maybe the genre's of music aren't the same, Grandma really loved country western, and she even learned how to yodel, well I love Hip Hop music, and I like to get my rap on occasionally, but the love for music is the same. Also I certainly hope I live to be the ripe old age of 82 and still find a way to get myself to the dance floor.

I will miss her a great deal, I loved her very much, all her crazy moments aside, I know she loved me and wanted what was best for me! She had a great part in the building blocks of my spirituality and her example of faithfulness will be one that I remember always!

These pictures are ones I took when some of my dear relatives came to visit while G-Ma was still in the hospital, and then the ones from when we traveled down to Rexburg/St. Anthony for her service.


Aunt Marianne, Aunt Elaine, and Madison

Me and My Uncle Pete

Aunt Jenifer, Aunt Francis, and Mom

My Mom and her Siblings

The road trip down was actually kind of fun, I made sure we had tunes the whole family could agree on, and I didn't need to bust out my i pod for personal enjoyment once!



This picture is probably my most favorite from the whole trip!

Halfway through we stopped at this little Irish pub restaurant, it was super delicious!

Mom and I raided Grandma's jewelry box and brought her brooches for us all to wear in her honor. Pictured here is my Cousin Paige, My Sister Amy, Myself, and my Cousin Maddie!

Well it isn't the whole family, but it was everyone that was there!

Just the 4 of Us

My Cousin Jake and I!

True Story....I haven't seen him since I was a Freshmen in High School, so it was really great to reconnect with him! We are very close in age, and he'd often spend the summers in Moses and our Moms would attempt to put us through fat camp by making us walk everywhere and signing us up for things like tennis camp.....well maybe that was just one summer, but anyway We also took drama together in High school, so needless to say we have memories, and I realized I really missed that kid, super glad I got to see him!









This is the video Uncle Pete put together






Thanks for the memories G-Ma Schaat! Until we meet again!