In memory of Granny Willeford.

The past two days have been bittersweet for my precious family. We lost our dear Granny Willeford, and we will miss her so, but we are comforted by the fact that she is suffering no more. I am a very emotional person (as is my mother and grandmother), and we all get that from my Granny Willeford. So, at the visitation, when I saw how beautiful my Granny Willeford looked, I wept. I wept because she has suffered for so many years, and she looked so magnificient. She wore her favorite periwinkle suit that she wore to her 60th Wedding Anniversary party. Granny Willeford always like to look good, and she especially like to have her nails painted. She always scoffed at women with clear nail polish - so of course she had her nails painted bright red.

At the visitation, they had a slideshow playing of various pictures from Granny Willeford's life. I have been told my whole life that I look like my grandmother, but I never thought that I looked like Granny Willeford. Anyways, the very first picture they showed was a picture of Granny Willeford in her teenage years. When I first saw the picture, I gasped. Everyone started saying, "Lena! That looks JUST like you." I wish I had a copy of the picture so I could show y'all how much it looked like me! Hopefully, I'll have my own copy soon.

Even though most people never get the chance to know their great-grandmothers, I am extremely blessed to know that I spent almost 24 years of my life with my sweet Granny Willeford. I know that those who have gone before her - especially my PawPaw Willeford, Aunt Peggie and Uncle Dean - were waiting on her in heaven, and I am thankful that I will one day see them all again.

Here are some pictures from the past couple of days - even though we were all mourning the loss of Granny Willeford, we managed to celebrate her life and have a few laughs - that's what she would have wanted us to do.

Here is a picture of me in my FAVORITE suit that my parents got me for Christmas. I was playing around with some of my grandmother's antique hats - I love old hats! I thought it looked pretty good, but I opted out of wearing it to the funeral - it may have been a little too flashy :)

My absolute best friend, my mother. Through all of this, I have been reassured again at how precious my family is to me. I love this woman with everything in me!

This was after everyone left, I got my grandmother into the hat collection as well. Do you think we look alike?? Someone must have said something funny because we are really cheesing here! I love the hat I'm wearing - it reminds me of something Audrey Hepburn would have worn!

Yesterday was my grandfather's birthday (his birthday is exactly one month from mine), and it was also my great-aunt Lenore's birthday as well! Of course we had to have a cake and candles!

This is the first time I have posted a video - I am going to try and make an effort to video tape things more often - you can hear my southern accent singing "Happy Birthday" - HA!

Thank you again for all the prayers and sweet words - I am forever grateful to you all.

In memory of Mattie Kathleen Alexander Willeford - mother to 5 children, grandmother to 14 grandchildren, great-grandmother to 29 children, and great-great-grandmother to 1 child.

September 18, 1910 - February 19, 2008