Oma

My Mom loved being a grandmother.

She relished every moment she had with her grand kids.
From the moment she met them, she loved
them. At first, she was nervous about becoming a grandmother
to older children. She shared with me that once she
started making their Easter clothes, she
realized these were her grand kids.
After that, heaven and earth couldn't have
kept my Mother away from the kids.
Shortly after the kids came to live with us, my parents bought
a house closer to us. My Mom started counting
down the years until she and Dad would
be here full time, and she could spend
every day with her grand kids.
Despite the distance between us,
she made LOTS of trips to visit.
We took trips together to zoos, museums,
parks. My Mom was up for anything. She loved
hearing all about the kids and my time being
their Mom. I started this blog as a way for her to be
more a part of our daily lives.
I also counted the days until she and Dad would live here
full time.

The first Christmas we had our kids,

my mother went out and bought them chocolate

advent calendars. She wanted them to enjoy the experience of

counting down for Christmas. This year, the last Monday my Mom was alive,

I was shopping with the kids. I saw chocolate advent calendars

like the ones she'd given the kids before. I told them,
"I'm going to get these calendars for you, because if Oma were

out shopping with us, she'd want you to have these."

It never occurred to me that she wouldn't be here

to count down Christmas with us. She was so excited about

the prospect of being with us on Christmas Eve. Usually

my Dad has to preach. This year he took Christmas Eve off. We both

thought Mom would still be here to celebrate with us.

Every night this month, we're counting down the days until Christmas.

Every night I'm thinking about those first chocolate advent calendars

from my Mom. Every night I'm wishing those hadn't been the

last. I know that if she were here right now with us,

she would be just as excited as the kids. She would be sitting

with them and talking to them about Christmas and Santa and

Jesus' birthday. She would love to read their Christmas lists.

She would be planning what she would buy them

this year. She would be loving every moment of

being their "Oma".