She was so vibrant and full of life. Her obituary reads, "Meme was a true jack of all trades; baker, painter, wine maker, barber, famous cake decorator, snake wrangler, you name it and she could do it. But most of all she was the best mother, meme, and great meme." Those words are so true.
I was blessed to marry my best friend who just happened to come with a pretty great family too. I don't know the exact moment when I looked at Meme and felt like she wasn't just his meme, but mine too. I only know that in my heart she became my family in a very real sense.
I met Michael on the "slab" in front of her house in Crystal Springs.
I loved hearing her comments and way of saying things... she has made my cheeks hurt from smiling many, many times.
We brought her first great grandbaby to her house and the memory of them smiling at each other is still fresh in my mind. She very nearly came to visit all her great grand babies shortly after they were born between Utah and Missouri! And they sure did seem to quiet down when she held them!
She loved her critters. She not only took care of Emma, our first "fur baby" after we decided apartment living wasn't the best life for her, but she loved her for us. Emma was a part of our life and it was neat sharing that love with Meme.
You know I've heard many say that there was a time when everyone knew not to cross Meme. I guess I never saw that side of her because I got to know her later in life, but there was this one time she scolded me good! I was super pregnant with Logan and at the time Michael was away a lot with clinicals. I had complained on facebook about my super, nasty bathroom floor (and I still remember those floors... normal dirty apartment bathroom floor, plus not mopping for months, plus a potty training little boy, a dog, a lot of hair spray film.... everywhere). There was no way to clean those floors without getting on hands and knees to do it. I can't remember what I said on facebook exactly but I had explained the hard reality of scrubbing the floor on hands and knees while pregnant. Boy, she called me up and told me just what she thought! I loved her every bit more for it.
She made trips out to Utah to see her family, and I'm so glad we were there too! She flew all that way to see her grandkids and great grandkids and I know we all feel so blessed by each and every trip. Visiting Zions National Park as a family is one I know we will all cherish. Meme hiked the Narrows with us! How amazing is that?
Our kids love going to Meme's house! ..."Meme's is the best place in MS" is what Logan told me yesterday, and then they all agreed. Yes, Meme's house sure is a special place and it will always hold a place in our hearts.
Before Michael and I were married, while I was still in high school I got to work with her in a bakery! It was then that I got see first hand how talented she was in that setting. I developed a desire to decorate cakes and she was my biggest supporter.
I loved our cake makin' talks and all her tips she would give! She helped me make several cakes in person, over the phone, or internet. She came to Missouri for Logan's birthday to celebrate with him and help me create a dinosaur out of a teddy bear pan. She always made kitchen work look so easy!
A few years ago I was at her house struggling to finish Ella's birthday cake. I wanted a little "rubber duckie" to be on the cake, and all attempts on my part were anything but useable. She showed such patience with me and finally came over to show me how it was done. I'm telling you it took less than 5 minutes in her talented hands to take sculpting fondant and turn it into a super cute duck.
I made this blog for myself, but it was Meme who inspired me. I told her I wanted to get better, and she said "You can do it...it's not all talent. It's a lot of practice. My hands just know what to do by now!"
The last time I was at her house, I made a point to spend time with her so she could show me how to make flowers from fondant and help me remember to make a rose. I spent time sitting there in her kitchen with a rose pin remaking an iced rose over and over. She cooked chicken and dumplings while I made an icing mess all over her counter.
She had this apple slicer/corer in a box. She said she had it the longest time and couldn't figure the thing out, so I grabbed the box and went to work putting it together for her. Once it was put together, I showed her how it worked we went to peeling apples! We must have went through a whole bag that same day. It made me feel good to be able to do something that made her smile after all the extra time she spent on icing roses that day. The memory brings tears to my eyes, and maybe it always will; but I suppose it is meant to be that way. I know I loved her and I feel exactly how much by the ache that loosing her in this life has left behind.
This blog was always about me having a place to put pictures of the cakes I make, to remind myself of what I liked and what I could have done better, but it was also a way of sharing it with Meme. I felt like it was "our" thing and she made me want to continue and improve.
Thank you for being my cake makin' supporter, but most of all the best Meme for us, our kids, and whole family. You are deeply loved and sorely missed by so many. This blog is officially dedicated to you because there will not be a cake I make, or see that won't cause me to immediately think of you. Always.
