GG DEL Was In The House

We were blessed to have GG Del here for a visit. She was able to come for 10 days and I think we all really enjoyed her company. When it was time for GG Del to go home, the kids asked why she had to leave and wanted to know if she could just stay. I melts my heart to know my kids love her so much. GG Del is very special to not only me but to all of us.
GG Del stands for Great Grandma Adele. She is my Dad's mother although my kids don't get that as they asked GG Del when she was here if she had any kids. I tried to explain it all to them but I am not sure they truly understood.
I love my Grandma Adele for so many reasons but the biggest reason is that she is a strong but simple woman. My Grandfather passed away in 14 years ago. At the time they had been married for 52 years. I still cannot imagine what that must have felt like for my Grandma. To have your life partner for all of those years and then having to move on with out that person. I think we were all worried about how my Grandma would do since she did not have a drivers license and she depended a lot on my Grandpa to driver her where ever she needed to go. I am happy to report that she survived and thrived. She is an amazing woman and at the age of 86 she still goes to exercise class (she walks to class) 4 times a week. She also volunteers her time at the high school as a hall monitor, sings in the church choir, plays cards about 5 days a week, and loves to watch reality TV. Survivor and Big Brother are her latest favorites.
Growing up, we lived about 5 hours away from my Grandma and Grandpa so we did not see them very often. I don't remember being very close to them but all of that changed when I went to college. I selected a school that was only an hour away from my Grandma. This ended up being great for both of us. My grand father passed away the fall of my Freshmen year at college. I am disappointed that I did not get to know him even better than I did before he passed away but I think that event helped my Grandma and I become close.
I would go to visit her a lot when I was in school. Especially when I was feeling homesick. We would play cards, make dinner, and sometimes even go to church or out to eat together. It was during these visits that I learned so much about her and her life. That is when we got close and I realized that we both thought a lot alike. We would always solve the worlds problems over many games of cards.
After I moved home from college, I did not get to see her all that much but we would still keep in touch. Jon and I got married and she was the only Grandparent on either side that was able to attend the wedding. Jon and I were so grateful that she was there. She loved Jon from the first time she met him and I remember her telling me that he was "just like us". She always felt comfortable around Jon and I am always so grateful that they really enjoy each other.
Grandma Adele was in town visiting when we got the big news that we were expecting triplets. I am glad that she is part of that memory. She did not say much for the first few days after we announced the news but I think she needed some time to process it. I know she was very nervous for us, the babies, and my health.
Now that the kids are here and they are all doing well, she is a proud Great Grandma to them. We gave her the nickname of GG Del as it was easier for the kids to say. She loves to come and visit and we love to go and visit her. I am so grateful that my kids have had a chance to get to know their great grandma. It is so much fun to watch the bond that they have formed with her. I love how proud she is of the kids and she really gets involved with them when she is here. I have pictures of her dancing with them and reading books.
Grandma Adele is doing very well. She has her mind, her health, and lots of family and friends. However, it is always hard for me to say goodbye to her after our visits. I love her so much and I just wish she was closer so we could see her more often than we do. It was amazing to me to see how hard it was for my kids to say goodbye to GG Del this time too. Just today I was talking to GG Del on the phone and all the kids wanted to talk to her too.
We are all so lucky and blessed to have Grandma Adele (AKA GG Del) in our lives. I have learned and I am still learning so much from her.