Some Memories of Grandma Proctor

My cousin Mandy had a great idea of compiling a bunch of memories of my Grandma Proctor to make into a book for my Grandpa this year for Christmas. After spending about 10 minutes on facebook preparing an email, I lost it. So alas, this is a medium I can use that I can keep and I can save a draft to come back too.

For as long as I can remember my grandma and grandpa would go swimming at the Orem Rec center. My grandpa still goes. On our days off of school they would sometimes take the grandkids. I remember getting up early and waiting in our living room for their blue buick to pull into the drive way to come pick us up. It was always so exciting. Swimming was very fun whether it was with some of the cousins or just with brothers or sisters. After we went swimming, we would go back to her house and she would make us a pancake breakfast and we would watch The Price is Right. I'm still not totally convinced that it was a coincidence that she died the year Bob Barker retired. I have to admit, I can't watch it anymore with the new guy.

I remember Sunday nights at their house watching 'America's Funniest Home Videos' and we would be eating all of her cookies and we would try to get the younger kids to go ask for some ice cream. I also remember her having the johnny-jump-up that would hang between their kitchen and living room for the little babies.

I remember being somewhat little and playing back in the back room on a Sunday night with my cousin Mandy and we made a 'salad' out of about 4 or 5 potted plants she had in that room on a tiered planter. We pulled off several of the leaves and put them all in a bowl. I remember my mom being upset, but I don't remember my grandma getting too mad.

I also remember playing with her drawer full of buttons in that room. It was always fascinating to pick out your favorite buttons.

I remember at her mom's funeral, Rachel Hale, we were singing 'Families can be together forever' and I remember crying and looking up at her on the stand and her smiling at me. I think she took me home that day from the funeral and she gave me a fake bird that had been on one of the floral arrangements. I kept that bird for years. ...probably eventually gave it to Martha. haha.

I remember one summer I went to help her after she had a hip replacement. I got to spend a lot of time with her and talk to her a lot. I remember her asking once for me to go get her brazier and I had no idea what she was talking about. haha.

I also remember during that time that I told her that I hated how my mom would always make me clothes and I wouldn't get name brand clothes. Kinda funny now that I'm a mom considering I would have rather had something bought than a tailored item that my skillful mother would make. But at the time, it was a big deal to me. At the end of the week my grandma gave me some amount of money for me to go 'buy something name brand.' I remember trying to be so careful with the money so I would have enough left to buy her something. I ended up buying her that elephant soap thing that I think still sits by their sink.

I remember going to Clear Creek for school one year and because my great aunt and uncle ran it, my grandma and grandpa had come up in their 5th wheel for the week. I remember her summoning me from her trailer and saying, 'You never know who is watching.' haha. It was very fun to have her there.

She would always give us candy for Christmas. It was the best!....except for when she would give us the raspberry sticks or orange sticks. I preferred the box of m&ms or the bag of Reese's. It was such a treat to have our own candy!

I remember Proctor in the Park Sunday's when we would all get together and play with our cousins. I loved those Sunday's and I would always look forward to the cakes Grandma would bring with the store bought frosting. Yum. Those were good.

Something that my husband remembered was on an early, cold, winter morning standing on 5th east in American Fork. We were waiting to see the Olympic torch run by when someone tapped us from behind. We were startled by a small person in a full faced ski mask who said something like, 'Good morning.' It was funny to hear her voice come from a person in a full faced ski mask.
I remember her last Christmas with us, we were at her house and my son Heber was 3 and he wanted to play with a cat she was babysitting. She took him and helped him catch the cat! Heber still remembers her for this experience. I love that she took the time, when all of her family was there, to help a 3 year old discover the fun of a cat. It was also at that time that we found out that Heber is allergic to cats and he broke out in hives. haha.

I remember soon before she died and the last time I saw her, was at my cousin Mike's wedding. I'm still grateful that they got married when they did so I could have this special memory of her. I was about 8 months pregnant and I felt like a whale. I remember seeing her on the way up to the sealing room standing there with my grandpa and she told me I looked beautiful. That is the last thing she ever said to me and it summed up a lot of her sweet character. I love that my last memory of her is watching her in the temple in the sealing room on the front row holding my grandpa's hand. They are such a wonderful example of love. I don't know that I have ever seen two people hold hands more than them. There have also only been about 10 times in the last 3 1/2 years where I haven't seen flowers on her grave when I pass the cemetery.

How I wish my other little kids could have known her. I'm sure that is how it is with so many generations. There is just something about being a generation removed that makes them so special. With your parents you battle it out, but with grandparents...at least with my grandparents, it didn't matter what their faults were. In your mind they were the sweetest, most perfect people in the world.