Mamaw

     I'm sorry for not updating the blog last week, but my grandmother passed away suddenly on Feb. 11. Though she has had heart problems for years, it was still a shock to lose her so suddenly, particularly after we lost her mother (my great-grandmother) in October. The last time I saw her was in December at my baby shower. We were unable to visit at Christmastime because we were packing and getting ready to move to Washington. 
    I flew to Knoxville  last Saturday to be with my family and to attend the funeral. It was a bittersweet time because although I was there for a sad reason, it was so wonderful to see my parents and my extended family. Being able to have my family get to see me further along in the pregnancy and feel the baby move was really wonderful. But knowing that Mamaw was just two months away from meeting her first great-grandchild was really heartbreaking. She was really excited about having a great-grandson. As a sports-lover, she was probably already picturing pee-wee football games. 
     And I'm pretty certain she was already planning a trip out to see us and, of course, use us as a pit-stop on her way to Alaska. She loved traveling and was also planning a trip with my mom and aunt to Europe this summer. I think that was part of the reason why her death was so shocking. You don't expect someone in poor health to be planning trips out of the country. She will be missed deeply by our family, but I'm sure we will think of her anytime we visit Tennessee or take a long family trip across the country in a mini-van and for me especially, when I eat blueberry yogurt.