Nothing Like a Great Set of Grandparents

All of my grandparents were awesome but today I want to focus on my mom's parents, my Grandma and Grandpa R.
Remember me telling you how my grandpa made me a little four wheel skateboard to use right after I had polio.  Well two years later, when I received my first pair of braces, he made me this amazing little desk with wheels.  It was like a babies walker only for a four year old.  He would go on to make many keepsakes for our family.  I have passed on to my grandgirlies some of my most precious gifts from him but the toy box he made me still graces my family room.  It's hard to believe I use to empty all the toys out and climb inside and shut the lid when an MRI machine terrifies me today.  
My grandparents lived in a huge three story house with a large backyard.  That yard was lined with a brick wall along the back that was flooded with my grandpa's roses.  He had built a little rock garden with a small goldfish pond.  Next to the pond was a concrete bench with a rose trellis over the top.  It was beautiful!.  Then he made us our own goofy golf game that we played in their backyard with croquet ball and mallets.
Now grandma was the master at games.  It didn't matter if it was a board game, card game or golf game, she was out for blood.  So needless to say, when our family gets together to play games, it's serious.  Thanks to grandma and her "no mercy" genes that she has passed on to most of us.  I loved that house.  I have so many fond memories of sleepovers with my cousins in that house.  Grandma and Grandpa both were great cooks.  Grandpa had gotten hurt and had to quit working so Grandma opened a Hat Shop in our town and Grandpa took over preparing the meals.  Even today, when my husband and I are out at a restaurant and they bring french fries peeled and fried just the right way, we lick our lips and say "Mmmm, Grandpa R. fries." 
I have, on many occasions tried to follow one of my Grandmothers recipes to make one of her famous dishes and it never tastes like hers. I don't know if she spit in hers or what but there diffinitely was another ingredient. Must have been made with love. 
So I mentioned Grandma's Hat Shop.  It was downtown, right across from the Montgomery Wards.  You talk about play land for a little girl..there was nothing more fun then a Saturday at the Hat Shop.  Mom would take my cousins and I there and we would try on every hat in the store.  EVERY HAT!!!!  My cousin would be the clerk and I would pretend to be a million different customers.  It was such fun.
My grandmother was a woman of huge faith.  She would put a bible tract in every hat bag.  She was a wonderful example of a prayer warrior.  She loved missionaries and would spend hours a day praying for them.  
Grandma led me to the Lord one Sunday afternoon after church.  We remained in the car after everyone had gone on into the house.  I don't know if I had questioned her about something that I had heard that morning or not but what I do know is that I trusted Jesus as my Savior that day.  I was seven years old.

Grandma and Grandpa loved Oral Roberts and just knew if they could get me there to see him, I would walk again.  So when I was five we took a rode trip to the New England States to follow Oral Roberts Tent Meetings.  My Grandpa would stand in line every night holding me in his arms, as Mr. Roberts made his way down the line to lay hands on people.  At age 16 she was still dragging me off to see a faith healer.  Thank goodness for his honesty and he told her that there was nothing he could do for me.  She knew God could heal me if He wanted to, but she was determined she would see me walk in her lifetime and she was running out of time.  This picture was taken the day we left on our trip.  Grandpa had built a platform for the backseat so I could lay down or play.  Even at such a young age, I remember that special time I had with my grandparents.