Yesterday was my Papa's birthday. He would have been 82. I miss him and Granny so much. We visited their graves yesterday and it made me so happy to think of all the memories I have of them. They were such great people and loved their family so much. I loved that Papa and I shared a love for cooking. I think of him a lot when I'm cooking. I remember when I was a teenager, he would bring out recipes and all the grocieries for us to cook. Once we made tamales that were so delicious. He brought a huge sack of masa and we made pork filling and wrapped them in corn husks, it was the real deal and they were tasty. Another time we made cheesecake. Fresh graham cracker crust with a lemon cream cheese filling that baked in a water bath. It was incredible cheesecake that we topped with a homemade orange sauce. I think I need to make it again soon. I even have the springform pan we used, Papa let me keep it. These are such special memories for me.
Granny's birthday was in April and she would have been 83. She was such a classy lady and always so put together. She loved shopping and had great taste in fashion and food! She loved to shop and I loved running errands or going to Broadway Plaza with her. Whenever we would go shopping at the mall, she would get me a strawberry banana surf city squeeze smoothie. They are so good! There is a mini mart that opened up near our house a couple years ago and it has a surf city squeeze. Anytime I get one, I think of Granny and shopping with her. I also remember brass bear sandwiches in Alamo. Granny loved the turkey and lettuce on sourdough. It is a simple sandwich that tastes so good!! I can't think of my Granny without thinking of strawberry cake, her favorite. We had some this year on her birthday. It was her favorite and she made it for any special occasion. I recently came across a birthday card that she gave me for my 18th birthday. It has the sweetest message in it. She wrote me a note in it and I am so grateful I saved that card. It is such a treasure. Seeing her handwriting and reading her message brought me to tears. I'm so grateful for their love and the relationship I had with Granny and Papa.
Grandma Hill's birthday was in January and she would have been 102. She was such a faithful, hard-working woman. She loved her family so much. I loved our visits to Idaho growing up. She was a great cook and always had a special baked treat for us to enjoy while we were there. She would let me help her in the kitchen anytime and I loved it. She had a green thumb and we always got to enjoy fresh produce from her garden. My favorite was her raspberry freezer jam, the best ever! I also remember she loved when I played the piano. She would sit in her recliner and close her eyes as she listened. She was such a great example of service. Always taking food to a neighbor or calling to check in on a friend, I really admired that. I also found a letter I received from her when I was in Nauvoo for a semester of college. It is such a treasure to me to have these notes and to read their messages to me. I miss and love her and Grandpa so much. Even though I didn't know Grandpa Hill here on earth, I know I will get to see him again and I am so very grateful for that knowledge.
I've realized how important it is to hold on to things that are special to you. I'm so grateful I kept those birthday cards and letters. At the time, I was grateful for them but I did not realize how much they would mean to me until now when both my grandma's have passed away. Reading those messages made me feel connected to them. It brought memories to my mind that I hadn't thought of for awhile. After going to the cemetery yesterday, finding these cards, cooking eierdatsch this past weekend, and doing these things in honor of my grandparents, I have felt a special closeness to them. My memories of them are so special to me and I have so much to learn from their examples. I know that although they are not physically here, I can still feel them near. I'm so grateful for this knowledge and it brings me such comfort and joy.
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