Gratitude Week--Post #3

A Tale of Two Women
(and others, too)

I really should have written about these two great women sooner.

This is Brad's mom, Grandma Janie. She has come to help me with all my babies from Ben down. I always feel bad for her when she's down here, because her attention is pulled in so many directions. Two of her daughters live close, so she has to divide her time accordingly. But when she comes to help with babies, that's her top priority. Her approach to helping is this: She made dinner, watched kids while Micah got his cast, took Hyrum to the park and cousins' houses, and straightened. She really loves to do the baby stuff. Every night, she gave Eve her bath, and every day when it was bottle time, that was Grandma time, too. She also, fully meaning what she said, offered to take the baby at night when she was awake. Unfortunately for me and for Grandma, Eve slept every night Grandma was here. Too bad she wasn't here Sunday night! Just the idea that if the baby got too cranky I could hand her off was huge.

This is Grandma Tucker with Eve as we were leaving the hospital. When Grandma T comes, she admittedly needs her sleep at night, so we always try to give her that. But during the day, we run her ragged. She makes breakfast, gets kids out the door to school, cleans up everything, makes me take it easy and rest as much as possible, makes dinner, drives kids around, holds the baby whenever possible, encourages kids to help her (in a way only grandmas can), plays games whenever asked, and asks for kisses and hugs from Hyrum, who rarely agrees. She also brought a beautiful quilt (I would include a picture here, but Karen took it to show her friend . . . hint, hint, Karen!) and the most amazing handmade blessing dress and bonnet (which didn't fit, and she had to alter before she left). She mended Brad's temple pants and painstakingly sewed buttons on the cuffs of his new suit jacket (this was a lot harder than it sounds!). She also enjoyed Survivor, The Amazing Race, and Dancing with the Stars with me.


Between these two wonderful ladies, I was able to recover quite quickly. I hope that one day (not too soon!) I'll be as helpful to my kids and their new babies.

And they haven't been alone. I've had at least 3 loaves of bread dropped off, numerous visits, and one extremely thoughtful friend brought dinner to my sick and weak family last night. I keep thinking of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's talk from October 2008:

"When we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with—here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our own neighborhoods. Some of them gave birth to us, and in my case, one of them consented to marry me. Indeed heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind."

Epiphany #104--Angels surround us and minister to us daily. It's up to us to recognize them in their earthly forms.

Thank you, ladies.