Grandma and Grandpa's Mansion

My grandparents lived in a century-old farmhouse in Utah for their entire married life. It is a funky old house, and even though it’s small, I always thought of it as a mansion. There is no entry way (you walk straight into the kitchen), there is no dining area (you have to scoot around the kitchen table as you prepare a meal), the master bedroom has teal carpet and the family room has shag carpet. The bathroom is the most, er, unique. You have to walk through the bathroom to get from the kitchen to the family room and the bathroom is directly off the kitchen. So, a little awkward!

In spite of its odd layout and dated decorating, it is the house I love the most. I have moved 10 times in my life, which means I’ve lived in a lot of places, but Grandma and Grandpa’s house was mine and my siblings’ favorite – and constant – place. The surrounding farm, my Grandpa’s roses, my Grandma’s candy dishes, the sugar cereal she set out for us every morning, faded antique pictures of my ancestors, games and Barbie from the sixties, my aunt’s extensive record collection, and a funny exercise bike in the family room all contribute to a house of a lot of love, full of cherished memories.

My Grandma died in 2008 and my Grandpa just died a month and a half ago. I miss them and I so wish that Tate would have known them – in this life. My grandparents are together again, which is all that my Grandpa wanted since her passing. I love them, I love their memory, and I love their house that so encapsulates all the wisdom, love, cheer, and purpose they had in their lives.

My family at my Grandpa's funeral in February.