Grandma Jo Veenker

I think I mentioned this earlier but this deserves its own post.  My dad's mom, Josephine Verplank Veenker moved in with Clint, me and my parents on April 25, 2011.  She broke her hip about 6 months ago and has been in a care physicality in California since then.  Mentally she has declined since she broke her hip, so my parents decided that it would be better for her if she was living with family.

I get to help take care of her a couple times a week and I'm so thankful that I have.  She is such an amazing person and even though she can't remember who I am, I still enjoy spending time with her.

In spite of her mind not being all the way there, she still has her personality.  I'm sorry to break this to all of you ladies, but that paranoia of your weight will never change, even when you're 94.  The other day we were trying to get Grandma Jo on the scale and her first concern was that we were going to be weighing her with all of her clothes on (all 104 pounds of her).  Then once we got her on the scale  she yelled at my mom, "Oh Carlene, don't hold onto me, you'll make me weigh more!"  It was so funny and also a little depressing.  I hope that if I make it the the age of 94, weight will be my last concern.  I want to enjoy all that I can at that age.

The next funny story happened on Saturday.  We were at Los Hermanos to celebrate Grandma's 94th birthday.  Earlier that day I had asked her how old she was going to be and she said that she was somewhere in her 70's.  So I was telling my dad this story when we were in the waiting room.  My dad turned to my Grandma and asked, "Mom how old are you going to be?"  And she looked at him and said, "In front of all these people?"  As if that was the rudest question someone could ask.  She has a lot more funny stories and we've been keeping track of them so that we can make lots of money from the funny things she says.

So it's been wonderful having Grandma here.  I didn't get to spend a lot of time with her growing up since she lived in California and I lived in Utah, and even though I don't get to spend time with the "Real" Grandma Jo, I have enjoyed being able to help my parents out and especially Grandma Jo.