Never Forgotten . . .

This past weekend I traveled down to my home state of NJ to honor my Gram "D".  Agnes D'Andrea was an incredible woman, mother, and grandmother.  We often times forget the importance of Grandparents and the influence they have on our lives.  As children, they are the most important "pillar" that we have to lean on.  Always there to help us, spoil us, and enjoy us even when we are not at our best.  I fondly remember spending every Sunday at my Gram's house.  The smell of roast beef, potatoes, and fresh baked pie filled her home and the sounds of Sunday football were all that could be heard coming from the living room.  A devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, she would open her home to her entire family and their friends.  Every Sunday meal would host 20-25 guests (and that's a conservative guess!) Holidays were no different. Baking Christmas cookies with Gram was a tradition that my mother and mother-in-law have decided to carry into the next generation.  My children bake cookies with their grandma the same way that I baked cookies with my grandma.  From Christmas, to Easter, back to Thanksgiving, and the occasional stop on Halloween, Gram was always there, always inviting her family to get together.  That is something that her family still enjoys doing.  Of all the incredible attributes Gram possessed, the one that stands the tallest was her Faith in God.  Gram's faith was like none I have ever, nor will  I ever see again.  She was in constant prayer.  Constantly asking God to bless her ever growing family and asking for whatever was needed for each family member.  Her prayers often extended beyond her family and friends as well.  I have often used her faith as a role model for my own and will continue to strive to live out my life as she lived hers.  Loving God above everything and loving her neighbor as she loved herself.  And so, I'd like to leave you with a few pics of my beloved Gram D. Second to no one, she will forever hold a very special place in my heart and in the heart of her family.  We love you Gram!

Here is my Gram D talking to my Gram G. (Gram G is 95 years old and still going!)

Always the life of the party. Gram loved to be with her crazy family and often times she partook in the craziness.

Here is Gram conducting the Twelve Days of Christmas.  Our family sings the twelve days of Christmas as a tradition after every Thanksgiving Day meal.