90.

This weekend was all about celebrating this beautiful lady, my Grandma S. When I think back on Grandma's 90-year life, I am amazed by all that she has lived through and accomplished. The number-one attribute that comes to my mind when I think about Grandma is FAITH. She has always lived out a tremendous faith in God, through good and trying times alike. My grandma raised four children in a house without plumbing....they washed clothes and took baths in a metal washtub and had an outdoor outhouse, many years after living this way was considered antiquated. I think that she just preferred to keep it simple. I remember when we visited as kids, thinking that it was such an adventure to play in the attic and watch the old lava lamp and use the outhouse outdoors and take warm soapy baths in the back room in the old washtub. Grandma befriended a family who moved to her street from Laos to escape persecution, and these people became some of her closest friends. Grandma stood by my grandfather through multiple health problems leading up to his death. Granda worked hard. Most photos that I have of Grandma depict her with a serious, often stern expression. That is why rare photos like that above are so beautiful to me (I always have to remind her to smile before I snap a photo!).
Grandma turns 90 on August 15th, and we got to spend the weekend celebrating her life. It was heartwarming to attend her party and see her re-connect with so many from across her lifetime....friends, family, neighbors, church members, and people who she had not seen for years. At one point, when asked how she was doing, she responded "I'm just soaking it all in."
I am so thrilled that my children have gotten to know Grandma and to learn a little bit about her life. I am happy to be able to have the opportunity to snap photos like these so that they will always remember her influence.
Here are myself and my three siblings with Grandma. From left to right, my siblings are my sister Haley, my brother Mitch, and my sister Kendra. We love you, Grandma, and are thankful for God giving you the strength and faith to live a long and full life.

Grandma's moments of clarity are increasingly fleeting as she battles Alzheimer's Disease. She needs reminders about some names and especially matching her great-grandchildren to her grandchildren/parents. She often gets confused and perseverates on some topics. But we love her and are so very thankful for her. Happy 90th, Grandma, and Thank You, Lord, for her life.
And the photo above is one I shot at the party of my favorite little-one-year-old photo subject...she had on the sweet dress that accentuated her blue eyes.......could she get an sweeter?