As a kid, your Grandma is someone special because it’s a Grandma’s ordained duty to spoil her grandchildren. If you’re lucky as I was, your Grandma remains someone special throughout your life, and lives until she’s 90 so you get to enjoy her for a long time. I always enjoyed talking to her about gardening, her pinochle skills were legendary, and probably one of my favorite memories was when she was in her 80s, watching her take a spin around our yard on my ATV. The lady had spunk.

If I had one complaint about Grandma, it was that she really didn’t like having her picture taken which is why I don’t have that many pictures of her, I gave up trying after awhile. But this one, taken at her 90th birthday party last year is one of my favorites even though she’s partially obscured by the balloon. I grabbed this shot as she was grabbing some candy, and noticed the smile on her face. Of course as I repositioned myself to get the balloon out of the way, she saw me and her expression changed as if she was being hunted by paparazzi.

I’m glad we got to spend as much time with her at Christmas as we did. I’ll forever remember our little strolls around the neighborhood of the nursing home enjoying the gardens of others with her. Spoiling me till the end, she even finally let me win a game of pinochle.