A Month with Grandma

As mentioned in an earlier post, Brendon's psychiatric rotation was in Layton, which requires a 64 minute drive from our apartment (actually, it's 55 minutes when Brendon drives), so we moved up to Kaysville with my Grandma during the week days to shorten the commute time and still be together.

While Brendon was working, Henry and I spent the days with grandma, my Great Aunt Rose Marie (my grandma's sister who lives with her), and Alfie (my grandma's dog). Henry's favorite things to play with were Alfie's water bowl, the plants, and the stairs. One of my favorite things to do with Henry was to stand on the back porch at a glass door with Henry on the inside.  I especially enjoyed it when he pressed his face against the glass and tried to touch my finger through the window.  

Henry was one busy boy and the days were definitely more difficult than being at our own home (so Henry and I actually stayed home for one of the weeks in the middle).  Even though being behind Henry 24/7 (minus nap time and bedtime) to make sure he wasn't getting into too much trouble was a lot of work, it was all worth the once-in-a-lifetime experience of hanging out with grandma and Rose.

Grandma was very busy during the day and so Henry and I were mostly with Rose Marie and Alfie. I loved that Rose called Henry a "sweetheart" about a dozen times a day. "You're such a sweetheart," she would say. She counted how many steps Henry would take every time he walked and was always so proud of him.  Henry and I really enjoyed spending time with her and she said, as we were leaving, she really enjoyed getting to know Henry and having us around.

Alfie, on the other hand, was not so sure about my little man.  Henry loved getting into Alfie's space and playing with his dog tags. Alfie finally realized if he licked Henry, the little guest in his home would quickly back off. For the three weeks we were living with grandma, I persistently tried to teach the meaning of the word "soft" to Henry, but to no avail. Henry shows his love through pulling hair and high fives, no matter who you are.

When grandma came home, Henry always wanted to see her.  He simply loves grandmas all around. When Henry was preoccupied with other things or in bed, my grandma and I were able to talk a lot. I thoroughly enjoyed those sweet moments with conversations about her experiences with the spirit, her trials she has experienced in life, and her life with my Grandpa. After reading part of a compilation of my Great Grandpa Scott (Henry) Dunham (done by Rose Marie), I thought I should take the opportunity to interview my Grandma while we were so conveniently together and put something together. It was a very neat experience. I got to know my grandma in a way that was only possible through doing the interview. In one word, it was tender.

I have always looked up to my grandma for her enthusiasm about life, her devotion to her family, her mentality of being however many years "young" (which just happens to be 82 at this time), and the importance she places on being physically active. I've always loved her happy, sociable personality and also wanted my mother-in-law to have that same personality (lucky for me, I got that). And now, I appreciate her enthusiasm for the gospel of Jesus Christ, her mentality of accepting others' agency, and the importance she places in her family (siblings, parents, grandparents, in-laws, husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren) and the way she supports and expresses her love for each of them. After learning more about her, I know specific things about each of the things mentioned in the previous statement.  I adore my grandma--I have always adored her--but even more so now after learning more about her and her life.