I think we can all agree that family connections – whether blood-related or not – are incredibly important. They teach us unconditional love. They help us hone our bargaining skills and improve our patience. They also build memories that make a difference in our lives – moments together that helps guarantee we will each live on in the memories of the next generation.
One of those family connections I’m thankful to have memories of is time spent with my great grandma. She passed away when I was a teenager. We didn’t live very close to her when I was a child, so I didn’t see her that often. But I have many wonderful memories of her, and most of them have to do with crafting.
Great Grandma loved to work with her hands. She was skilled at making quilts, crocheting, tatting, and was always making something that she shared with others. I still have a quilt she made for me, a doll she sewed, and some gorgeous doilies that she tatted. I’m also blessed to have many of her crochet hooks and even her tatting shuttle.
I remember there was a time when she offered to teach me how to tat. I wish I’d had the opportunity to take her up on that. But while I never did learn to tat, I do crochet, and I’d like to think she would have enjoyed visiting about our crochet projects if she were still here.
This last weekend, I was so thankful that my daughter and I had the opportunity to fly out and see my grandma – my daughter’s great grandma. She’d met her great grandma in person once before, but didn’t remember it. This last weekend, she got to build a whole host of memories that I hope she’ll hold close years from now.
Memories of walking through the garden and talking about flowers. Of putting a puzzle together and posing with it when they’d finished. Memories of those precious hugs and moments together looking through photo albums and boxes of treasures.
Memories that will last a lifetime.
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GIVEAWAY – Do you have a treasured memory that always makes you smile? Share below, and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $5.00 Amazon gift card. A random winner will be chosen Friday evening, June 7th, and notified by e-mail.
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Speaking of families and memories, that was one of the things I enjoyed most about writing the Love’s Compass series. Among the many endearing characters in the books, you will meet four generations of the Chandler family, from Grams all the way down to her young great grandson, Gideon. It was so much fun to show those interactions between them all and illustrate how important those family connections truly are.
Melanie D. Snitker is a USA Today Bestselling Author who writes inspirational and sweet romance novels. She and her husband live in the beautiful Texas Hill Country with their two children who keep their lives full of adventure. They share their home with two dogs, a guinea pig, two lizards, and four frogs. In her spare time, Melanie enjoys photography, reading, baking, computer games, and hanging out with family and friends.
I can recall vividly, it might be the bruises, of my father teaching me to ride a bike. He was so patient. I am one of 7 children, so having the one on one time with him was rather special.
Christmas dinners at Grandma Schmoker’s house with all the aunt’s & uncle’s & cousins. An enormous table groaning with food made with love.
Hi Melanie! Your family are in my thoughts and prayers. So glad you had a chance to travel with your daughter and make those extended family memories. The memory that makes me smile is when my son around Halloween took his family to my father’s assisted living facility to trick or treat and my 95 year old dad held his 3 week old Little Pumpkin (granddaughter). So special! Dad had three grandsons and two great grandsons who he adored, but our Pumpkin was the first girl in our family since I was born. Little Miss Pumpkin was our Kathe Kruse doll (a German doll – similar to American Doll). My mom had passed six years earlier and mom’s birthday was Halloween, so fitting that our Pumpkin was also born in October. Wishing you a peaceful summer and thanking God for answered prayer on your behalf.
Hi Melanie- what beautiful memories. I remember going to my Nana’s house as a kid and the times we had together. She would make my sister and I a treat- arrowroot biscuits with warm milk and condensed milk. It sounds odd now but it was such a special treat when I was small. Nana didn’t have much, but she always made us feel special.
Blessings:)
My cousins would come and stay with us over the summer and we had loads of fun playing outside as well playing the board game “Risk” using “house rules”.
What a wonderful memory, Mary, of your father helping you learn to ride a bike. <3 <3
Carol – Those Christmas dinners sounds amazing – and like so much fun!
Good morning, Renate! Thanks for your kind thoughts for my family. I appreciate them! Oh, I love that your father got to hold his little granddaughter when they went to his assisted living facility for Halloween. What a special memory!! <3
Thanks for sharing, Wemble. Those biscuits sound amazing. It sounds like your Nana was a wonderful woman!
That sounds great, Susan! Cousins can be so much fun – and to have them stay with you for the summer. :-D
My Grandfather taught me how to ride a bike. Best memory ever.
What a great guy – and an amazing memory to have!
My great grandmother tough Me how to crochet my grandmother though me how to sew I do both and love making thing for the next generation.
What a lovely post! I have very vivid memories of both my Grans, mom’s side and dad’s. They were about as different as two women could be, but I loved them fiercely. My favorite memories are of learning to cook from them both. My Italian cooking skills came from each of them and to this day every time I am in the kitchen making sauce or eggplant parm or cheesecake I think of my beautiful Grans!
That’s wonderful that you learned something so important from both your grandmother and your great grandmother! <3
Oh, that’s just lovely, Paula Marie! How wonderful to have regular memories of them while you’re cooking. I’m sure they would both love that, too! <3 Thanks for sharing!
Summers at the lake with my cousins!
It is so wonderful to have these memories. I have so many with my mom. She taught me to sew and quilt. She taught me about the Bible and why it is important to live it each day. She taught me about people and to love everyone no matter what. Mom taught me so many things that I passed onto my children and I hold dear today. Oh and she was able to teach both of my kids many things that they hold dear to this day. From the time I became a freshman in high school, mom and I had a once a month date time. Even after I got married we kept it up and when children started to come, well, I would find a baby sitter, those were our times. My kids got weekends and sometimes weeks with grandma and grandpa.
I have lots of memories of my parents. Mama popping popcorn and putting drinks in Tupperware cups to take to the drive-in theater. Making snow ice cream and playing board games, sledding with a bonfire, etc
Thank you for sharing.
Every time I visited my grandmother(Ma) she had Brown Sugar Cookies for me. She always smelled like lavender and now it’s my favorite scent. Your pictures are very sweet.
It’s hard to choose a favorite. However, I was remembering just yesterday how my special aunt (deceased) always called me Dear. She did many great things for me as well. She was like a second Mom to me.
Anything that involved my grandmother. We lived beside my grandparents and I spent every free minute I had with her. I remember sitting on a stool in her kitchen talking to her while she cooked. I have Dutch Doll quilts from her as well. We had a huge garden to gather and put up. Just lots and lots of things. She was the finest Christian woman I know and I named my daughter after her.
Melanie, what wonderful memories your daughter will have. The quilt reminded me of the quilt my daughters made for their grandmother using photos from her life.
I have quilts that my grandmothers grandmother made as well as tatting she’d done. I used one of the tatted collars on a dress I made. If I ever get rid of the dress I’ll take the collar off. I have a book on tatting that I mean to open and learn some day. I haven’t met anyone who does tatting now.
I don’t have many memories of my maternal grandparents, but the ones I do have, I cherish. My maternal grandfather died when I was four, and my maternal grandmother died when I was five. I have a ring that my grandfather whittled for me, though! I never knew my paternal grandmother, she died when I was two. I do have memories of my paternal grandfather, though, and cherish them, too. I have some quilts that were made by my mother and grandmother, and quite a few doilies that my Mom crocheted as part of my Christmas presents one year. I have two full sized afghans and a throw that Mom has crocheted for me over the years. The throw she did for me just last year, which is extremely precious since she has age-related macular degeneration and has no central vision in her left eye.
For a few years during my childhood my grandparents (My mother’s parents) lived in the same town as us. It was so nice to just be able to hop on my bike and ride over and visit them.
I remember my grandmother always having a snack ready. She would often give me a ‘sink sandwich’. This was saltine crackers with a slice of cheese in between. But the crumbs would make such a mess you needed to eat it over the sink =)
I remember visiting my grandmother in the Summer. She had a huge brown teapot that my aunt used to make a special iced tea in. She added Sliced lemons and oranges and sugar.
So many good memories! One of my favorites is of my mom playing UNO with her great-grandson when he was about 5.
I fell in love with Chandler family from the first book <3
Memory that makes me smile… my mom’s comment after we’ve announced that we’re expecting our second child: “This is the last time I’m helping you…” lol This same comment she repeated two more times afterwards ;)
She was there every step of the journey for her grand babies! Love you Mom! Thank you for your support!
That sounds wonderful!
I love all of that , Lori! Thanks so much for sharing. Your mom sounds like an amazing person! <3
These are great, Lucy. Thanks so much for sharing! Oh, I remember those Tupperware cups. We often drank out of those when eating popcorn, too!
The cookies sound amazing, and lavender is such a great scent. <3 That's wonderful you have those memories.
Your aunt sounds like she was an amazing woman.
Oh, that’s amazing to have so many wonderful memories of time spent with your grandmother! Thanks for sharing, Linda!
Thanks, Merrillee. I love that idea – that your daughters made their grandmother a quilt like that. What a great gift!
Diane – What a great use for some of the tatting. I don’t know anyone that tats now, either.
Thanks for sharing, Trudy. I’m sorry you lost most of your grandparents when you were so young. I’m thankful you have some memories, and also some amazing gifts from them to cherish! That throw from your mom is a huge gift! <3
How wonderful to live so close to them that you could just ride your bike over. And sink sandwiches – I love that!
What a great memory, Paula. And I’ll bet the tea smelled amazing!
What a sweet memory!
Awww, thanks, Natalya! <3 I love the memory you shared – and that your mom continued to help anyway. <3 <3 What a great lady!
I have many great memories of time spent with my 3 grandparents. Although I sadly lost one grandfather in 1966, the other three got to see me turn 32, and become a parent!
Yes, it is!! She had a birthday last month, and is now 95. So blessed to still have her with me!
When I was growing up my grandmother would come for extended visits and I always looked forward to having her around. She was always willing to spend time with my brother and me playing board and card games, playing “mall” with us, and having sleepovers.
I’m glad you have so many memories, and that your kids have been able to meet three of your grandparents!!
That sounds like so much fun, Jessica. Thanks for sharing!!
In the summer of my childhood, I loved playing in the creek behind my house with my siblings and planting a watermelon patch with my mom because I was obsessed with watermelon (and still am).
I had to learn how to relax a couple of years ago in order to recited some physical therapy a couple of years ago. When I was admonished by my doctor to think of “something peaceful–maybe a childhood memory”, my mind automatically took me to the sight of watching my mom putting curlers in her hair. I’d sit either in the bathroom, or just outside the door, watching as she parted a section of hair, combed it, rolled it around a hot curler, and pin it with either the pin that came with them, or something she had fashioned to replace one that had been lost in a house with five children. It was something I hadn’t thought about in many years, but that my mind had saved for me to use at a time that I needed to be still and calm and mindful of the blessing it is to have her as my mom.
I had to learn how to relax a couple of years ago in order to recieve some physical therapy a couple of years ago. When I was admonished by my doctor to think of “something peaceful–maybe a childhood memory”, my mind automatically took me to the sight of watching my mom putting curlers in her hair. I’d sit either in the bathroom, or just outside the door, watching as she parted a section of hair, combed it, rolled it around a hot curler, and pin it with either the pin that came with them, or something she had fashioned to replace one that had been lost in a house with five children. It was something I hadn’t thought about in many years, but that my mind had saved for me to use at a time that I needed to be still and calm and mindful of the blessing it is to have her as my mom.
Oh both of those sound wonderful! I love watermelon as well. Yum!
What a great way to spend some extra time with her, too. What a neat memory! <3