Yesterday our adored Grandma Marie passed away. She truly was one of the most amazing women I have ever known - she made life magical. When she found out that she had cancer a little less than a year ago and she was about to begin chemo, she decided to have a little fun and have her hairdresser dye her hair a mixture of pink and tangerine.
She was an amazing gardener and artist, and the inspiration for my own profession and love of art. In the 1950's she taught art classes on television, a program broadcast into the local schools. She made countless creations with watercolor, pen and ink and stained glass. When her neighbors caught on to her talents you could soon see her entire street filled with stained glass windows she had created for them (usually just for the cost of the glass).
She shared stories of her father, an inventor, and his creations, and she herself brought true enchantment to life through her creativity. My most favorite and whimsical childhood memories are of being with her. I remember a time when she was excited to show me a little basket she had hung in a tree as a swing for my dolls. And just this past year, she did the same for Canaan in creating a little "wooded" area in the alcove of her room for him to sleep and play in, with branches all around, glow-in-the-dark stars up above, and a little swing for a stuffed teddy bear.
She was also one of the most generous people I have known. She was so generous, in fact, that we knew not to mention that you liked something of hers (which of course, were many things as her art, stained glass, home decor and mid century furniture was amazing) - as she would be quick to offer it to you with insistence. She was an amazing cook (with of course, attention always brought to presentation) who would hardly take no for an answer when serving meals or snacks. If simply became expected to leave her home with a full belly! Above all else, she loved her family and showed us her love in so many ways. She raised four incredible children, adored her grandchildren & great grandchildren, and was an inspiration to us all in the way she lived life.
We were all so blessed to have known and loved her, and to have been loved by her.
A few months ago our family created an album with photos and Grandma's artwork. If you'd like to take a look you can view it at http://www.mixbook.com/photo-books/all/the-artwork-of-marie-vance-7533364?vk=u1OdILOTCB.
It was a difficult night after learning about Grandma, especially knowing that at 6am the next morning BJ and I would leave for my CT scan and scope to see what might be wrong with me. I slept very little, but we made it fine and the appointment went well. Although the scope was painful, both procedures showed preliminary positive results. We should learn more next week when the official CT results come back, but my urologist saw nothing obviously wrong. This was of course a huge relief to us!
After the procedures BJ and I took advantage of a kid free morning and got our wills and adoption agreement notarized. We also got the final piece of paperwork that we needed sent over to BJ's primary doctor. With this ready and my tests completed, we are hoping to finally be able to finish this medical paperwork and apply in the next week or two!
We also made a decision regarding our medical conditions checklist that I would love to share - but I'll save it for a separate post.
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