On May 20, we took our bags and our expert-kid-flyers and headed down to Wichita, Kansas to see Bryan’s grandparents for our annual spring visit. Melanie and Bryan’s dad were driving up from Texas to meet us at the airport. Bryan’s mom had been in Wichita for the last week, providing support to Grandma Jo and Grandpa Harvey – both of whom were having a rough week.
Grandma Jo (that’s Mark’s mom) has been living in her home on the golf course, working at Economy Corner, visiting the gym, and generally living a pretty active life. She’s been having some health problems recently, and she’s been in and out of the hospital these last months. She’d gone in to the hospital the week of our visit, and she had decided to move into an assisted living facility when she was discharged. So LuAnn spent the week before our visit getting her new place set up. Fast action! And while I’m sure it will take a while to feel like home, all the homey touches LuAnn prepared really do make it feel like a loving place to be.
Our visits with Grandma Jo were at the hospital, which was a little sad for everyone, but it was nice to see Grandma Jo in high spirits and in good color:)
Grandpa Harvey (that’s LuAnn’s dad) has been having kind of a hard time since his wife of 70 years died last May. He’s been in an assisted living community, and while he’s a real sweetie to everyone, he’s increasingly losing touch with the “whens” and the “whos” of life. He really can’t seem to hold it in his head that his Lola Mae is gone.
The day of our arrival, Grandpa Harvey had some sort of further incident. Perhaps a stroke (although they said it wasn’t) or just a jump in the confusion of the mind. So he was moved from his assisted living home to a hospital as well.
And thus, Mark, LuAnn, Melanie, Bryan, Andrew, Sylvia, and I traveled from hospital to hospital to visit our dear sweet grandparents.
Before we get to that, though, I thought you’d like to see some pictures of Melanie and the kids goofing off.
Here’s Andrew being crazy silly with his super-ooper-duper favorite Aunt Mel.
There’s Sylvie playing with some dollies she found at Grandpa Harvey’s hospital waiting room.
These next ones are silly. This is Sylvia posing while Granny and Melanie take photos of her…
Adorable! Granny, looks like you were getting a good shot there!
Total ham!
Here’s Melanie reading the kids their bedtime story. It all looks so peaceful.
Now it’s funny! Ahh, the giggles:)
Much laughter was had. Mel, you’re a great story-teller.
Here’s Sylvie trying on some new purple flipflops from Aunt Mel. So sparkly!
And here’s a little tour of Grandma Jo’s apartment.
The bedroom complete with lots of pictures.
Andrew and Sylvia had fun trying out the organ.
Here’s a great wall of images. From the top-left counter-clockwise: Gordon and Betty Jo on their wedding day, Gordon, Grandma Doll (Grandma Jo’s mom), Betty Jo, Bryan, Melanie, Grandma Jo working on a plane during WWII (see the close-up below), family photo when Andrew was a babe, Uncle Thane (Grandma Jo’s brother), and…hmmm…not sure about that last one. Maybe Grover Gordon and Jennie Dotzour.
And here’s a picture of Grandma Jo as a Rosie the Riveter at the Boeing plant in Wichita.
This is a nice picture of Dandy and Grandma Jo that’s now hanging above the organ in the living room.
When I took these pictures, Grandma Jo hadn’t yet seen her new place. And we were off to visit her at the hospital…