Last Christmas all together 2006
Richard grandkids minus Robbie
Three and a half years ago my Grandpa Richard died. Besides losing one amazing, funny and full of life man from our lives we also in a way lost our grandma who quickly started having major memory issues and moved into an Alzheimer's unit. So, it seemed in a matter of days we lost what seemed to hold our family together. It's hard to realize and accept these things, especially when those holidays come around and the little things just aren't there. At the Richard house it was always about the food. Ask any of the kids and grand kids, what holidays meant was AMAZING food (I am worried about what my grand kids will say about me...haha)! Grandma always made sure she had your specific favorite and every body's favorite her homemade dinner rolls (i know, sounds strange but they are SO DELICIOUS!!). Plus, she made a cookie plate that puts Martha Stewart to shame and I am sure she and grandpa started working on it well before Thanksgiving. Food was their thing, my grandpa had some health problems so he sat in the kitchen helping her prep the food, make lists and shop. It was one of the ways they built the family whether they knew it or not and now it's those tastes that bring me right back to them, tucked in safe and sound right in their little yellow house in the middle of Ashland, Ne. Sometimes it seems tragic to me how quickly all of that was tugged out from under us, especially since there was no time to make sure we could continue those things with out them.
The other day though, I found a sweet little something tucked into one of my cookbooks as I was trying to find a recipe to make cookies for a cookie exchange. It's just as if grandma knew I would need something deliciously easy to make! It was a recipe for these peanut butter dipped cookies that were always on her cookie tray at Christmas. Griff & I made them that night and as he helped me spread the peanut butter, dip the cookies and sample the product I couldn't help but picture grandpa at the table spreading the peanut butter and grandma dipping them and how big of a kick they would get out of watching their great grandchild make their cookies.
It helps to ease the big hole that they left when I can share some of their life with Griffin, it seems like they just keep going. It's such a small little thing...a cookie (and sad for me to admit, it's the easiest thing in the world to make:)!)...but such a big life...big love...big traditions that make a family and live on in those still here. So blessed to have a little reminder of them this Christmas. Love them both so much!
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