Dear Grandma...

I write this with a very heavy heart this evening as my Grandma Olenech peacefully left us today. I feel very blessed to have had such a wonderful woman in my life for the past 34 years. My grams was a lady full of life and full of love and wanted to share it with everyone around her.

My mom, dad, Uncle Chris, Aunt Maryls and Aunt Ellen have spent most of the past two weeks at the hospital making sure my grandma was never alone and feeling scared. They held her hand, rubbed her head and told her stories. I know that my Grandma knew that she was so loved by all of her children, six grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

I spent some time with my grandma at the hospital last week. I loved sitting in her room holding her hand and telling her stories and showing her the most recent pictures of Jackson and Aubrin. Her eyes lit up with joy as I showed her pictures of the kids, as they always have done when their names are mentioned or when she would spend time with them.

Jackson and Aubrin loved their Great Grandma. Each time we saw her they would both have something for her that they made, usually being some type of fancy jewelry with mismatched beads. But you better believe that each time we saw her she would always have all of that mismatched jewelry on. I feel very lucky that Jackson and Aubrin had the honor of spending time and loving their great grandma and I know that my Grams felt equally as blessed to have them on her life.

I have so many wonderful memories of my grandma from when I was very young, having sleepovers at her house, playing Pickle on the sidewalk and always getting yummy desserts...even when I didn't finish my dinner. I remember coming home from MSU for the weekend and my Grams would always have two or three shopping bags full of food for me to take back with me to share with all of the girls. My most recent memories of my Grams is just spending evenings at her house having dinner with the kids. We kept it very simple over the past couple of years as she didn't always feel well.

As I left the hospital on Saturday I knew that my grandma and I were sharing our last good bye with each other. Although my grams is not here with me, I know that I now have a new angel looking down on our family, keeping us well and guiding us through the new adventures life will bring us.

I love you Grandma.