Memories:
* Arriving at Grandpa and Grandma Schmidt's house in Minnesota every Christmas to yummy Ham and Bean soup. Followed by "sauce" for dessert which was homemade canned peaches on top of vanilla ice cream.
* Being called a "little shaver" by my dear grandpa.
* Grandpa making us toast for breakfast and always having Braunschweiger smeared all over the toast. (actually bought some several weeks back to honor grandpa...it didn't taste like I remembered it).
* On top of the oven was a glass bowl of hard candies and a basket that held walnuts that needed to be cracked open in order to eat them. So there was always a nut cracker in that basket too.
* Church....Grandpa was a minister so I remember him preaching often when we were there visiting.
*Both Grandpa and Grandma wore Vicks on their eyelids and under their nose when they would go to bed at night. Sometimes as a little girl Id go get some from them and do it too. Needless to say it kept my eyes closed at night:).
* Grandma would always have yummy homemade pickles for us to munch on....and we would eat several quarts worth during our christmas stay. I now have her recipe and I also grow the pickles and can them using her recipe. Yum!!
* Grandma and Grandpa's basement was the best. Lots of creative times down there with all of my cousins. From dress up, to hide and seek, to playing "santa clause", to eating at the very long picnic table the width of their basement and to playing battleship.
* Grandpa and Grandma had this "hill" behind their house that we would sled down each winter. When I was back in Lafayette Minnesota where they use to live, I had the opportunity to drive by their old home......wow, that "hill" seemed so much bigger when I was a kid!!
I am sure I could come up with many more wonderful things I remember of my Grandpa and Grandma. Oh how I loved them dearly. This past Christmas our family went up for Christmas basically as a "goodbye" to my grandma. We knew her health was failing her and so we went to see her what we thought was our last time. Even took 4 generation picture with her. Grandpa was his usual self and knew us and was still active trying to care for Grandma.
It was only about 8 weeks later that my Grandpa's health declined rapidly and he passed away on February 22nd, 2015
His funeral and visitation was large. All 30 1st cousins were there. So we took a picture since it had been YEARS since we last were all together.
The yellow butterfly resembles Rachel who is the ONLY person in the immediate family that has passed away prior to Grandpa and Grandma.
Then 4 weeks and 3 days later my dear Grandma went to be with Jesus as well. So thankful that her and grandpa could reunite so quickly. Sure will miss them dearly but so thankful they are "HOME". They had a wonderful life of 73 years of marriage!!
