Grandma Powell's Funeral

Today we said our final goodbyes to my Grandma, and celebrated who she was and the life she lived with a giant room full of people who knew her as a friend, sister, mother, grandmother, and so much more. We talked about all the beautiful lessons she taught us, and the example of service and love she was. We also watched her large number of great grandkids play together at the luncheon, and in the snow at the graveside. It's amazing the impact on the world one woman can leave behind. I got to hear new stories about her from the people who loved her best. And I also got to spend time with so many of my favorite people. I got to watch my kids around their family. During the viewing, I watched Owen con the nice man from the Mortuary to come into the chapel and accompany him on the piano so Owen could practice singing "I Am a Child of God", the song the great grandkids would be singing during the Funeral. It was beyond hilariously adorable -- he seriously talked this nice man into coming and play the piano for him through several rounds of practice, while he proudly took center stage and belted out his song in the empty chapel. He would cue the pianist, ticking off '4-3-2-1' on his fingers to the man, then start singing when the music started -- then give his accompanist occasional 'thumbs up' between verses to show his approval of the man's piano playing. The man walked up to me at one point (after we'd talked Owen into kindly excusing the man to go back to his other funeral duties, those beyond unexpectedly accompanying a slightly bossy 7 year old in his rehearsals), and said, "Well, that kid's gonna be a star one day."
After the viewing, funeral, graveside service, and then luncheon, we spent the rest of the day with my parents and all my siblings, nieces and nephews. Ellie was THRILLED to have a large cheering section at her basketball game, and the kids were so excited to spend the afternoon and evening playing with cousins at Grandma's house. I am blessed with more incredible family than any one person deserves.