Babi

Me and my Babi...see any resemblance?

My Babi

I've been hunting for pictures for about a month now, and I keep putting off this blog post because I know there are more. SO many more. And I think I am afraid if they don't go all in one post, that I will forget them..or forget her..  And honestly, I can't type for more than a few minutes without completely losing my composure.  Its been almost 2 months...and yet, its just still so very hard to know that she is gone.

You know that saying, 'You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family.' Well, I can say that I am so so very grateful to have had the kind of connection with my grandmother that I had.  Have.  Will always have.

Babi comes from the Czechoslovakian word for "grandmother" and its basically the only name we called her.  Even my friends call her Babi! Her 'given' name was Elizabeth.  Something I get to carry on as my middle name ;-)

Babi always said we had the same gorgeous legs, and that short skirt could go just a bit higher.  She'd laugh and tell me stories about her dancing and sunning herself (followed by the warning of how the sun damaged her skin and not to mimic her behavior) I think I have similar facial features, especially my nose, and there are too many similarities in our personalities.  You'd have to ask our family for those ;-)

Patrick was adopted into her 'grandsons' pretty easily. In fact, Babi was the first person we called after my parents when we got engaged that night.  He hasn't had any living grandparents for a very long time...so Babi became his grandmother too.  ;-)

Playing at Watkin's Glen in upstate New York when she was really climbing and moving!

Joy.

The next few collages are just some of the things that made her unique.  She was determined and opinionated.  She refused to take medication and was always researching her magazines and newspapers for things she had to share with us.  We spoke on the phone every. stinkin. Sunday since my senior year in high school.  In fact, if a Sunday afternoon went by without my call, I was assured a very worried voicemail. Or, if the weather was bad somewhere in the 'area' (and my area I mean, Texas was about the size of a small town to Babi) we'd get a call checking in on us.  Hurricanes, Tornados, flooding, droughts...all things she would see on the news and we'd promptly get a phone call. Now THAT is real love ;-)

My Babi loved a good cup of coffee... you know, the coffee that still had the grounds at the bottom and could very easily be described as thick.  She liked the long conversations over that cup of Joe, and always ALWAYS had something sweet to go with it.  We were lucky to be able to take her for coffee quite frequently this past year.  Both discovering some pretty neat places in Tulsa that would brew a cup strong enough for the both of us.

From two weeks to two years, my Babi got to experience as much of Cohen as we could get in !

Babi and Cohen.  Yup. That's about all I can type without totally losing it over here.  And to be honest, its not just Cohen.  She loved those babies...any spare moment was asking about them.  She would have rough days there the past few months, but man her spirit would just LIVIN up when we would bring them. Cohen was old enough to ask to go to Babi's house each week, and he would climb right up on her lap and love on her.  I'd like to think they had a special connection.  If you missed that post, its here.

Have I mentioned she loved to dance? She was the life of the party, always, and made all three of our weddings pretty amazing.  Such a party animal ;-)

Babi and I got to go on a European tour just the two of us.  I visited her families, her hometown, and we still reminisced about that trip almost every time we spoke on the phone.  I have several albums of that trip, but only this ONE picture of the two of us.  I am so so so grateful that I had this time with her.  The last time Babi and I were alone, I went through this album with her.  She didn't really know what was going on, but I'd like to think we were back in a 'normal' conversation about how we were going to take another trip 'back home.'

Ah, her family.  These are obviously just a few pictures and her sons and my cousin aren't even in here...BUT she was definitely the glue that held us all together.  We called her OUR Babi.  Or we'd just smile when she'd say something we all understood...ahhh...OUR Babi ;-)

But she DID have great nails ;-)

A blessing and a curse really...I will just say that this past year was such a blessing.  And yet, so hard to see the Babi I knew be taken hostage by physical illness.  The moments that I got to spend with her in the hospital, in her room, and holding her hand are seared in my memory.  We never talked about the "C" word, or the negativity.  She didn't want us to worry and in her lucid moments would just sit and enjoy being.

Only because the rest of my family will understand, I put this picture here.  Babi has said for the last 20 years that she wouldn't be alive to make the next family event.  For me, she would say - I won't make it to your high school graduation...I won't make it to your college graduation, or your wedding, or the birth of Cohen. I SOBBED on our wedding day because I was just SO grateful she had 'made' it. Looking back she was healthy as a horse 10 years ago.  ;-) Such a silly Babi

Hanging out in Hawaii with a 2 week old Cohen.

Gorgeous

This is HER outfit.  Anyone else remember this?  

Laughing with me and Audrey...I think we had a little bit of wine that day...

The world was her oyster...she did what she wanted..when she wanted it.

Always a good sport.

Getting our hair done by Audrey...for Laura's wedding.

This picture above was the first time we noticed anything about her dementia.  She had spent the day at the salon with all of us getting ready, for several hours.  When we all got back to the hotel, she took a shower forgetting that she had already done so in preparation for Laura' big day.  Its been 3 years since that point...


Honestly I should have put this picture first.  She HATED being in pictures.  She'd never let us take pictures of her and it was rare that we'd convince her to smile otherwise.  (So Babi, if you are reading this, I know you don't like your pictures taken...but I had to share these!)

We enjoyed pampering her with pedicures and manicures ;=)

Have I mentioned her fashion? Or that she did what she wanted? Her favorite color was red, but she'd never wear it.  Or she'd only wear ONE piece that was bright.  She loved animal print, long skirts and long blouses....preferably cotton or silk.  None of that 'fake' stuff and surely nothing made in China.  When I would buy her clothes, I'd cut out the tag saying where it was from so she wouldn't take it back ;-)

Helping us move into our house. At 89 years old...still wanted to help!

I mean, seriously! GORGEOUS! This was a few months ago Summer 2014

Grandparents - Grandpa, me, Babi and Deda...about 8 years ago.

Attending my college graduation

Audrey's wedding...drinking her manhattan...

Happy Tears

Babi, you always said I was too busy and to take time to enjoy the birds and the flowers.  You loved my crepe myrtles in Houston and here in Tulsa.  You were my friend, my confidant and my grandmother.  You continue to inspire me to 'not gain on weight' to not consume the chemicals, and to be careful about what medications I put in my and my family's bodies.  You were the gift giver in our family, but really YOU were the best gift of all.

I don't think Heaven quite knew what they were getting this October.  I can't wait to join the dance party there with you.  

Happy 90th Birthday, Babi!

I miss you.  So very very much.