Great-Grandma Ison

Tonight we had our sweet great-grandma Ison (93 I think- check the comments- someone reading this may correct me there) over for family night. The kids and I went to pick her up. On the drive home they were so excited to tell her about some of their gifts and what the treat was. Half-way to our house she leaned over and told me that she didn't have her hearing aids in. By now Elizabeth was as fired up as any of them about sharing her important information. Over and over she said, "Gamma, gamma, talk me!" She wanted Grandma to ask her some questions about what she was saying! She was trying to tell her about her castle and that "Santa come my house!" Santa came! She couldn't figure out why Grandma wasn't getting excited. The more Grandma didn't respond the louder and faster they all talked. "Gamma, gamma, talk me!"

Once we got home the chatter picked up its pace. To compound things, now they had visual aids to support all the chatter. "Gamma, come in my castle! Come in! COOOOOOOME!!!!!" Grandma, come see my race track!" "Granma, this is our tree. It's still up! We have a silver spider on it. No SPIDER! No, SPIIIIIIIDER!!!!" Grandma, wanna race on my track?" Somewhere in there Lizzy got on the keyboard and pounded out a little tune that probably fits in some heavy metal song. Our sweet Grandma followed them around looking at everything and understanding very little. Always smiling.

Our lesson tonight was on testimonies. We talked about how a testimony of the gospel may start small and simple, but as we share it and learn more, it will grow. Dean and I shared the things we remember being the earliest parts of our testimonies (The Book of Mormon for me and Eternal Families for Dean) then we gave Grandma a turn. She said she remembers feeling very strongly about how important her baptism was going to be. She also spent some time stressing to the kids how important it is to listen to the words of the Sacrament Prayer. "You have to really listen and try to understand those words." Micaela was very focused on what Grandma was teaching her. They were almost nose to nose. We are so blessed to have such a sweet and wise Grandma.

By the way...I CANNOT believe Jackson is looking at the camera. Grandma must be a magic fairy too!