Though Bubbee was fighting two forms of cancer, you never would’ve known she was sick until the past few months thanks to her spunky personality that was still in full force when we visited her in the hospital this past spring. Not many people would laugh and smile and play cars with their great-grandson on the edge of their hospital bed the day after emergency surgery, but Bubbee did and she didn’t miss a beat, showing Chase how to roll his truck up the bedrail and hide it under her sheets.
It’s impossible for me not to think of that moment and cry both because it was the last time I saw Bubbee and because I remember the conversation we had moments before. Bubbee looked me in the eyes and told me how sorry she was about our miscarriage, an experience she could personally relate to, and told me I would be okay.
These are words I heard from people before Bubbee, but for some reason, when they came out of Bubbee’s mouth, they really, really touched me and I believed her. Thank goodness Chase ran up to her with his truck and wanted to play moments after this conversation because I was a mess inside.
Ryan and I have been together for 13 years and I feel so lucky to have known and loved Bubbee for so long. In so many ways, she felt like a grandmother to me and I always felt such a strong connection to Bubbee and enjoyed every enthusiastic conversation we had together. Bubbee had a way of lighting up when she spoke and making everyone around her feel important and comfortable.
She treated me like a member of the family from the moment I met her and I’ll never forget her telling me that she knew I was a keeper when she saw how much I ate at family gatherings. I loved talking to her about anything and everything from books (we shared a similar taste!) and food to dogs, the early years of her life, Ryan’s childhood and more. Bubbee owned and ran her own restaurant when Ryan was growing up and made the kind of food that always tasted like it was cooked with a lot of love… and a lot of butter. The best!
Bubbee was an incredible mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and loved her family fiercely. She was such a pivotal part of Ryan’s childhood and his life and the relationship she had with her daughter was nothing short of the most beautiful kind of unconditional love and friendship. I feel lucky to have known her and will always remember her for her bubbly and upbeat personality and the way she made me and everyone around her feel included and loved.
After Ryan received the call from his mother on Saturday morning, he said good memories of Bubbee almost instantly began flickering through his mind. I think that the incredible number of happy, funny and joyful memories we all have of Bubbee is such a testament to the way she lived her life and the impact she had on those who knew and loved her most.
Our Weekend
I offered to take Chase off on a mother-son day of adventure to give Ryan some time to be alone and process everything on Saturday but he said he wanted us with him and so we spent the rest of the weekend together as a family. We hiked, took the boat out, made cookies and laid low together.
I smiled when I thought of Bubbee watching over us on Sunday as we swam in the lake. She was an avid blog reader and never missed a PBF post which meant the world to me even though she told me she always hated it when a post went up “all about that fitness stuff” and just wanted to see pictures of Ryan and Chase and check out my latest book recommendations. (I told you she was spunky! Haha!)
Bubbee, we love you and we miss you so much. Thank you for being such a strong force of positivity, love and joy in our lives. We will treasure memories of you forever.
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Sending prayers to Ryan and your whole family. So sorry for your loss. <3
Sending my love and thoughts to Ryan and your family, I’m so sorry for your loss. She was a beautiful woman and so wonderful that she got to spend time with Chase.
thank you <3
So sorry for your lost! Chase has another angel looking over him! Prayers for the family!
So sorry for your family’s loss. Grandparents are so special, it’s a difficult loss. How wonderful Chase was able to know her.
She sounds like such a beautiful and special person 🙂 I’m so sorry for your loss.
Sending only positive thoughts and prayers to Ryan, Chase, Sadie and you!
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What a beautiful testimony to a beautiful lady. You made me feel like I knew her.
Prayers for the whole family as you remember and honor her life <3
Sorry for your loss. How wonderful that you have so many memories of her though and that Chase got to meet his great grandma.
We really do feel so, so lucky that Chase was able to meet her. Whenever we were together, she would always position herself right next to him and said she could stare at him for hours. It was so incredibly sweet and special. <3
I’m so sorry for your lose, she sounds like an amazing woman. Thinking of you, Ryan, and Chase!
Julie, I am so sorry to hear about your loss. She seemed like a wonderful woman. You all will be in my prayers this week. XOXO
This is such a loving, touching tribute to Bubbee. Bless you, Ryan and your family. Hugs to all.
I’m so so sorry for your loss 🙁 But I have a story that might make you smile. When my grandparents were alive, my grandfather constantly tried to convince my brother and me that my Grandma wanted to be called “Bubbee” or “Bub” for short. This was always followed by the retort, “No I don’t! Don’t call me Bub!” I sadly have lost all of my grandparents, but it’s memories like this that make me smile on the hardest days.
If you ever need to talk, I’m here.
Sorry for your family’s loss. May we all enjoy a long life filled with so much love and joy. <3
I am so sorry for your loss! Sending love to your family! Grandparents are so special and I know they watch over us when they leave this earth. Hugs to you all!
So sorry for your loss. She sounds like an incredible woman – loving, spunky, and full of life. Thinking of you all during this difficult time.
I am so sorry for your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you and Ryan and your family. But how wonderful that you have so many beautiful memories of her and how she has impacted so many lives!
Julie, I am so sorry for your loss. Bubbee sure sounds like an incredible woman and I’m sure her light will continue to shine through you both. I am sending all the love and prayers your way today xoxo
I am so sorry for your loss. Grandparents are so special, and Bubbee sounds like such an amazing woman. Praying for you and your family, sending you many hugs and much love! Xoxo
I am so, so sorry about your family’s loss. It was always obvious through your posts about Bubbee how much you and everyone else loved her and felt loved by her. What a blessing that you all have so many happy memories to remember her by, even from the end of her life when her personality never waned. Sending you and your family love and hugs during this difficult time. <3
I’m so sorry for your loss. Glad you have such wonderful memories to keep your hearts full today.
I am so sorry for your loss. How wonderful to have so many great memories to live on. I’ll pray for strength and lots of memory sharing and laughs as your family prepares for her funeral. I had to go look back on your last visit post as I remembered you saying how important that moment at the hospital felt (it really stuck with me at the time you posted it as I connected it to some of my own important memories). What a telling experience you had the last time you saw her…looking back on your words then……. : “Have you guys ever felt like you can almost feel the significance of certain moments in your life as you are living them? Moments where you feel almost overcome with a certain emotion? Watching Bubbee gaze at Chase and hide his truck under her blanket to make him giggle filled my heart with so much love. Watching the youngest and oldest members of our family play, smile and laugh together meant so much to me and I really hope it meant a lot to Bubbee, too.” …. wow. Beautiful words for that special time.
Thank you for this comment, Crystal. That really was one of those moments that felt incredibly significant in my life. <3
I am so sorry! I remember thinking how sweet that post was of her when she was playing with Chase in the hospital. How precious she read your blog everyday! Prayers….
I’m so sorry for your loss. My heart and thoughts go out to all of you.
It’s so wonderful that Chase got to know her and will have pictures and stories with her as he gets older. I lost all of my grandparents, including my Nana (my maternal grandmother, who I was especially close to) long before I was married or had even met my husband. I wish so much my boys had been able to meet all of them, and especially Nana, because they would’ve brought each other such joy.
Hugs to you all as you celebrate the life of someone who clearly brought so much joy to so many people.
So sorry for your loss.
I’m so sorry for your loss. She sounds like an absolute dream grandma – what a blessing her life has been.
What an incredibly beautiful and touching tribute. I am so sorry for your family’s loss.
I’m so sorry for you and your family’s loss. What a wonderful tribute to someone who sounded like an amazing woman. May your memories bring you comfort during this difficult time.
Thank you, Ashley! She absolutely was one of the good ones. <3
Oh Julie, I am so sorry. I’ve always loved your family posts, you always make us feel like part of the family. Sending my love.
Precious memories, I am so sorry for your loss. Losing a grandparent is so hard 🙁 They hold so much wisdom and love. I love the last image of her holding Chase. Some of my favorite photos of my grandparents are the closeups of their hands. For some reason, their hands are just beautiful, and I know they hold so much life experience.
She sounds like such a sweet woman. So sorry to hear about this, Julie! 🙁
I’m so sorry to hear about Ryan’s grandmother. She sounds like her family was important to her. You guys are in my thoughts today.
I’m so sorry to hear about your loss. She sounds like such a charismatic and caring person. I hope you find comfort in all of the large and small joys she brought to your lives over the years and the fact that no one will ever be able to take away the memories you shared.
This is such a sweet post, Julie. Thank you for sharing. It immediately brought tears to my eyes, because the way you portray your relationships with both sides of your family reminds me so much of mine. Family is the most important, and our matriarchs, especially, are fierce, funny, and headstrong women! Bubbee reminds me of my Granny, whom I fiercely miss every single day. Sending love to your family during this time, but hooray for brand new angels. Maybe our grandparents have met and are exchanging butter-laden recipes in heaven. 🙂
I am very sorry for your family’s loss. Thinking of you guys. Sounds like she was a wonderful woman and had a profound impact on everyone’s lives.
What a life and legacy. Feeling your heartache. Prayers and hugs to you & yours.
Thinking of you, Ryan and Chase!
Thank you for letting us read the touching account of how you are remembering Bubbee. We received s similar call this Saturday morning around 4 letting us know that my husband’s beloved Grandma passed away. We are trying to process it still but she was always welcoming to me and made an effort to truly get to know me the last 5 years. I feel grateful for having known her and it is amazing how our husband’s families really become our own. I am thinking about you and your family in this time of sadness.
So beautiful Julie. Grandmothers are very special ladies and you captured her love and spirit so well in this post. I’m so glad you had the experience of knowing each other. I am wishing your family peace as you navigate through this loss.
Awww, so sorry for the loss to you and Ryan and his whole family. <3 Bubbee sounds like she was an amazing person who gave so many great things to those she loved – her cooking, her advice, her support, she sounds like she was amazing and kind and fun person. And I love all the pictures you shared – so cute when she was holding tiny baby Chase! What a great tribute – I feel like if she was a regular pbf reader that she would love this post. <3
Also – was that little white dog her dog or Ryan's mom's dog? Such a cutie! What a great tribute, and again, so sorry for your loss. <3 <3
So sorry for your loss, she sounds like an incredible woman!
I’m so sorry for your loss. She sounds like a wonderful woman, love her spunk. Sending thoughts and prayers to you, Ryan and his family.
I am sorry for your family’s loss.
Thank you for sharing her with us. This was a beautiful post.
I’m so sorry Julie. I make the glazed carrots recipe you shared from Bubbee every holiday and I’m sure you will always think of her when you eat those delicious carrots made with love and butter. Prayers for you all.
My prayers go out to you, your loved ones, and your grandmother who truly loved you and your family. My aunt is currently battling an on-and-off breast cancer virus that I always fear in the back of my mind, because it could always come back. Not only that, my family lost a very dear family friend of ours just half a month ago to breast cancer. But it only goes to show that the presence of any human being, no matter how brief or prolonged, is precious. This was such a beautiful commemoration of your lovely grandmother, who exuded such a giving, loving, and valuable heart. Her spirit and joy will live on through your family with the love you all treasure within each other.
My deepest condolences to you, Ryan and the rest of the family. What a warm and amazing tribute. You have such a way with words.
What a beautiful post to honor Ryan’s grandmother. Sounds like she was a truly incredible and loving woman. Prayers to you and your family <3
So, so, sorry for your loss. What a beautiful post to honor what sounds like an amazing woman. I will be keeping you all in my prayers, no matter then age it truly is always so hard when someone you love passes.
So sorry for your loss of Bubbee. It sounds like she was an amazing woman who left many memories for your family to cherish.
I’m so sorry for your loss, Julie. Bubbie sounds like a lovely woman. May your family be cheered by the many happy memories you have.
I’m so sorry for your loss! She sounds like a remarkable woman.