This time last year

Last year Labor Day weekend, we were in Panama City, but we had to come back early because of Steven's job. This year, Steven has been on call all week and is on call tomorrow (Labor Day) and worked yesterday in Savannah and today in Charleston. But all of this is small and insignificant. I started looking back on the photos from last year when I realized that our visit last year was the last time I would see my grandmother alive. Mumsie was a vibrant, loud, kind hearted lady who always wanted to make sure everyone was fed and happy with whatever we wanted. She loved her kids dearly, adored her grand kids and would have given the world to her only great grandchild Jimmy who was also named after her son and late husband. That last visit was just doing the "normal rounds" of visiting everyone and not a thought was given that we wouldn't be able to do it ever again. We knew that she had survived a lot and that her health was not good. Auntie was a saint, taking care of her 24-7 always looking for the best thing for her even when Mumsie didn't want it. I was very blessed at having spent three months with Mumsie earlier last year while I was waiting to take my massage exam and Steven was in Savannah. She was a handful, but I was able to have some great adult memories with her and she was able to be apart of my current life. Lauren and I took her to Super Target one day and she had so much fun picking out things for each grandchild and step grandchild. My fondest childhood memories with her was going to Tallahassee and spending a few weeks at her house where she would spoil me rotten with sugar cereals, dollar store toys and eating out. I was an only child there and I could watch what I wanted on TV and play on her organ. We played a lot in her pool at her PC home right up from the car wash. She would bring out sugar free Jello or Crystal Light for us to drink. Jimmy's Restaurant food was normally ordered and Dad would come up from the car wash and jump in to cool off. There was a great slide and we played tons of games together like Marco Polo and the Food Game. I still think about Mumsie surprisingly a lot almost every day, but I know she is happy with her new "thin", pain-free body in heaven and that one day I will see her again. I wish she could see cute toddler Jimmy now, her next great grandchild due in February and Lacy's wedding some day. We love and miss our Mumsie~