Grandparents

A couple of weeks ago on Facebook I saw that it was "Grandparents Week" and I knew I needed to write something about my grandparents, so i'm extending "Grandparents Week" a little. They are all truly incredible people and hold a huge spot in my heart. If you have noticed by now or if you know me well enough you know that I have a very extended family which also means that I have more grandparents than most, and i'm very grateful for that! 

My Grammie and Grampie Bowman are two of the most hard working, down to earth and supportive people I know. Between their kids and their grandkids they sure have been thrown through some loops but there isn't a day that they wouldn't show up with a smile on their face. My Grampie is a world class farmer and an award winning "tinkerer" he's always up for a project and won't stop until it's done (I feel I have a little of that in me). If you don't find him tinkering you can find him out in the hay fields haying because he just can't give that up. Although I didn't ever go out haying with him I did spend numerous hours as a kid playing in his hay barn and even broke my leg in it as a child...that's a whole story in it's own. My Grammie is one of the hardest working ladies I know and she can probably out do any of us in the amount of stuff she does in one day. My Gram has worked for the local grocery store for as long as I remember, talk about awesome tenure! Now, let me just tell you now...if you haven't had a "Grammmie Roll" you are MISSING out! I hope one day she'll teach me how to make them, but i'm sure with my lack of baking skills they will never be as good as hers. When things go wrong in my life i'm always a little afraid of letting my Gram down...but truth is she would never be disappointed as she says "life throws you those things" and she is very right. I admire my Grampie and Grammies lack of technology in their life, I remember not too long ago they were excited because they got a tapeless answering machine! Gram tried out a track phone for about a week and decided it was too much for her. When I am with them, their lack of technology makes me want to shut everything off and enjoy every story we share together. I love these two and do my best to keep in touch and make them one of my first stops when i'm home.

My Nanny, my Nanny is the most spirited lady I know. My Nanny was born in England and ended up in Canada many many years ago and she now lives on Ste. Catherine Street in Montreal (the not crazy part) and has lived there for as long I can remember. She lives in a very small apartment with an even smaller kitchen, and she is a-okay with it. Nanny walks the city of Montreal everyday and this is what has kept her so young for her age, she never stops being active whether it's mentally or physically. She has the greatest accent ever, I'd describe it as a English Accent mixed with Canadian French...quite comical. Nanny is a very intelligent lady knowing more than most people about what's going on in the world and about what makes people who they are. She is a very witty yet funny lady and I hope to be as healthy as her when I am her age! She doesn't miss a beat, that's for sure. Some of my best memories with Nanny are from when I was younger when and continuously telling her that I could take away her wrinkles (she's still waiting for that to happen) and having tea and crumpets with her at Christmas time at Dads. 

Sandy and Big Lou have always been in my life, but it wasn't until 2009 that they officially became my grandparents. Big Lou is a retired school teacher who continues to find new things to keep him busy. He's built many of houses over the years, and I believe that I have lived in a couple of them now :) Big Lou is a man of intelligence and wit. He sure knows what he's doing when it comes to business but he's also good for a good glass of red wine and listening. You can often times find Big Lou on the golf course whether it's in Newport or in Lady Lake, FL where he goes for the winters. It's sometimes been a joke in the family at how long it takes him to actually swing at the golf ball, but hey patience is a virtue right? Sandy is also a retired school teacher, although she was never my teacher I believe she did teach a couple of my siblings. Sandy is the most warm hearted lady I know. She holds her family very close to her heart and I admire that! My Step Dad Patrick put Sandy through ALOT when he was a kid and I'm not quite sure how she survived it, but she did and for that she must be one strong cookie! Some of my best memories with Sandy and Big Lou are from when we used to visit them at their Florida home. We would drive around the town in golf carts (that is the normal in Lady Lake), enjoy family dinners and have some good laughs. It feels like Sandy and Big Lou have watched all four of us kids become adults, i'm sure at times we've scared them!

That's really all I wanted to do for this post, I cherish my grandparents as I feel everyone should! I should say that I have some fond memories of my Memere and Pepere that passed way several years ago as well as my Grandpa McLean, they were all incredible people that are missed but left their mark on who I am. I also have some step in "Grams", Gram Poutre and Gram Pauline--thanks to Emily, I gained a couple more grams! Both are ladies that have stepped in and have fed me some meals, brought me on a few trips and allowed for many sleepovers in which sleep never really happened. 

I hope everyone finds themselves having a great week!