Grandma McKnight

Really, a month since I last blogged? I promise we are still alive. I don't even know where to begin. March was a month that I will always remember. It started a few weeks ago. I got a phone call Thursday March 24th that Grandma McKnight was in the hospital and her kidneys were failing. I went up to the hospital with my cute cousins Tony and Natalie, and we sat in Grandma's hospital room unsure of what was to come. She was still cracking jokes and seemed to be in good spirits. She was asking the nurses if the hospital had K-Jazz because she was so nervous that the Jazz were playing and she didn't want to miss a game. My Grandma is the biggest Jazz fan, she doesn't miss a game...cute, right? Well, I gave her a big Hug and Kiss and tried not to break down in tears in front of her as I said good-bye, wondering if it might be the last. I got a call Friday morning that they moved Grandma to ICU and she was refusing the IV's. She just wanted to go home and be with family. So they took Grandma home and we got hospice to help. When she got home Friday she wasn't going to sit around and feel bad for herself, she put on some cute clothes, fluffed her hair and put on a little make-up to make herself presentable for any visitors. Saturday morning we went out to visit Grandma. We had a wonderful visit. Before I went to leave, grandma said, "Well, I don't think I am going to be able to make it to church tommorow" I started laughing and said, "Grandma I think Heavenly Father will understand" She said she wanted it in writing. I just love her! I had been talking with my parents quite a bit that week by phone, since they live out of state, and every conversation I had with them, it just broke my heart that my parents were so far away, and that my dad was not able to with his mom.

Sunday, I went to church, and after the closing prayer I felt this hand on my shoulder and I looked back and it was my dad. He kept it a secret that he was flying in so he could spend time with his mom. It was the funnest surprise!!!! Dad stayed out with Grandma quite a bit, and was able to take care of her. On Tuesday morning Grandma woke up in pain and asked my dad if him and one of his brother's could give her a blessing, releiving her of this earthly mission. The priesthood is an amazing thing. We went out Wed. afernoon, and this would be the last time that I would see my Grandma. We sat by her bedside. She was sleeping most of the time, but I rubbed her feet and she woke up and smiled and tried to talk, but all she could do was smile! She wanted to talk so badly, but was so weak. It was interesting to watch Isabella. She wanted to sit right by Grandma's side and you could tell she was so concerned. She looked over at me and said, "Mom is Grandma going to die?" I knew Grandma could still hear everything, but I knew she was ready to pass on, and I knew how strong her testimony was about the plan of salvation. I explained to her that Grandma's body was tired and that she was ready to meet Heavenly Father and Jesus again, and Isabella just got a big smile on her face. Sometimes I think the faith of a child is so much stronger than an adults.

Some amazing things happened in the last few days of Grandma's life. It reminded me how thin the veil truely is. My aunt had a conversation with her son on the phone about how my cousins little boy was a little nervous to come and see grandma. Grandma woke up on Wed. and told my other cousin, to tell my cousins little boy that Grandma understood if he was too scared to come visit, that she understood and wanted him to know she loved him" There is no way grandma could have known about this conversation. My grandma was such a spiritual person, and you could tell she didn't want to leave without letting EVERY single family member that she loved them, and she was ready to go. Friday morning, my dad was at my house and he received the call that Grandma had passed.

The last few days of Grandma's life, when you went into her home, you could feel the spirit so strong. It makes me teary eyed just to think about it. The house was quite, calm, and PEACEFUL. I know there were angels waiting to help her to the other side. One day she had visitors and grandma's lamp kept flickering on and off, and no one could figure out why. In fact, once she opened her eyes, and looked up at my relatives who were visiting at that moment, and she said, "Nope, wrong people." and closed her eyes again. She cracks me up, she was so ready to be reunited with those on the other side that she has missed. It just makes me smile so big to think of her and my grandpa holding hands againg!

Her funeral was amazing and uplifting, mainly because she was an AMAZING and uplifting person. Every morning Grandma woke up early and went to the gym at 6:00 am to get her work out in. She did this just up until about a month ago. A couple weeks ago she was given an award from the gym in Preston, because she had the best attendance in that gym in 2010 out of all the people who had a gym membership...and she was 89 years old.....it puts me to shame. After her work out on Monday, Wed. Thursday, and Friday she went up to the elementary and volunteered her time to help the kids read. She received the Utah Apple Award last year for her service. And, Tuesdays were always reserved to attend the temple. My Grandma's life was full of service. She was always seen walking the Cornish highway picking up trash on the side of the road, her and my grandpa received a community award for their service.

Some of the things I am going to miss the most:

-Calling my Grandma on the phone and hearing her sweet voice and her little Cornish accent answering, "McKnight's" I know those phone calls will never happen again.

-I will miss her voice calling me "honey"

-Her homemade bread with lots of butter, and her cookie jar filled with Pepperidge Farm cookies

-Grandma always came to birthday parties, and baby blessing and has always been such a big part of family celebrations.

-I will miss Christmas morning and going out to her house. I have done this for the last 31 years. As soon as we opened our presents we would get dressed and go to grandma'a for a big breakfast and then open presents.

-I will miss my random run ins with her at Lee's grocery store, and Walmart. It always made my day to run into her at the grocery store and get a big hug.

Here are some pictures I wanted on here since this blog is my family journal.

This is the last picture we had taken, the Saturday before she passed away.

Eva's baby blessing I think this is the sweetest picture. I'm going to miss her big heart.

Grandma had 5 children, 17 grandchildren, and 36 great grandkids, and 1 great great grandkid. Every picture I have seen of her holding one of her grandchildren, she has the same glow in her face. She loved every one of them!

This picture was taken last July, there were only a few people missing that day. Grandma with her kids (dad, Uncle Chris, Aunt Paulette and Unce Brad)...uncle Kent passed away 15 years ago, I'm sure she was so excited to be reunited with him again. I just love this picture I had to post it.

Love you Grandma!