Bestemor

While we were all packing up to go home from our vacation, we got news that Josh's Grandma had passed away in her sleep. She was known to all of her grandchildren as "Bestemor", which means "Grandmother" in Norwegian.  She lived a long and full life, mothering 12 children and several foster children. I first met Bestemor at a baptismal service for Josh's young cousin, James. I remember I was wearing a cream sweater set and she hugged me after we were introduced and said, "You look positively Celestial!" 

Always warm and positive, she made everyone feel loved and welcomed. She loved song and performance and every family event I attended had either a planned or a spontaneous sing-a-long. I credit her with the family's ability to do 8-part harmony to the song "Happy Birthday". It's really something. I usually take the melody...someone has to!

While we were dating, she called Josh on his birthday and had us come over to their home so they could celebrate his birthday - complete with root beer floats and a birthday song. I thought it quite touching that they would still remember one of their MANY grandchildren who was turning 24 and a full-grown adult! It was really sweet. Here are a couple pictures we took that night.

Last Saturday was her funeral - filled with song and happy memories, as I'm sure she would have wanted it. 

Bestefar 

Following the dedication of the grave, balloons were handed out to those in attendance to release (Boo insisted on keeping hers). A common saying of hers was, "put it in a balloon", meaning to let those things that don't matter just go. Not to say that her life was not meaningful or significant, but it's a great comfort to know that it is only a brief part of our eternal life. 

She is surely reunited with her son, Leif, who died shortly after Boo was born in a motorcycle accident. I'm sure the reunion was a "grand" one, indeed. We love you, Bestemor!