Happy 70th anniversary Meme and Papa!

This past weekend we went back home to celebrate the 70th wedding anniversary of my great- grandparents. We had a lot of fun and got to see some family that we hadn't seen in years! Naturally I only managed to take a couple of pictures! :(

I have such fond memories of my sister and I staying with Meme and Papa when we were little. Meme used to take us on long walks, we would go down to the little bridge and throw rocks in the water, we loved sitting on the swing with her while she sang to us, she always let us help make 'no-bake' cookies, we would get to eat ice cream out of these pretty, little, shiny bowls (she still has them, I believe), and we always got a warm bubble bath.... she always made our stay as special as she could.

Meme has been struggling with Alzheimer's for over 10 years now, and for the last few years Papa has been taking on all of the household chores like cooking and cleaning. He is such a wonderful person, very patient with her and always doing whatever he needs to help. My Grandma calls him a saint. I can't even imagine how hard it is for him, not just the physical part of helping her to the bathroom, with dressing, walking, bathing, etc., but also the mental and emotional aspects of it too..... watching your spouse slowly fade back into a child-like state is certainly a difficult thing to do. But what a perfect example of unconditional love!

There are some days when Meme will cry out for Jesus to come and take her home, and our family has said, how wonderful that even in her confusion she knows where she's going.

I love my great-grandparents very much. I am so thankful for them, and for the example that they have set for us. I'm also thankful for the wonderful memories and will always hold them close to my heart!

*The first picture shows the 5 generations, and then the cake I made for the party.