Spreading the love!

These two here are my grandparents. They are my dad’s parents. These two here are why ADEDAR is what it is today. These two here have no idea, but they make what I am doing possible. This weekend is Thanksgiving weekend, and I have so much to be thankful for, but I thought it was about time I give a huge thanks to these two amazing people in my life, Virginia and Ray Nurrenbern. My grandparents had so many stories. I remember I used to mow the lawn at the farmhouse (their house), and it would take the WHOLE afternoon, meaning a good 5 to 6 hours… and that wasn’t because I was mowing the whole time. I would mow for a good 2 hours, then it may have been a good 2 hour break before I got back out there and did the trimming, etc. Breaks included sitting in the kitchen, getting cookies from the cookie jar and drinking a can of pop, all while talking and talking and talking with my Granny! We could talk for ages. One story I remember most is how her father made their barn into a dance barn as she was growing up (I think I got my dancing genes from her). One night she said when she was 8 years old she tried the drinks all the adults were drinking. 8 years old and she was drunk. Not on purpose, but she didn’t realize what was happening, that that was what drunk was. She wasn’t alone, her sister was drunk with her also. . . Grandpa, we think he was made of rubber. As he got older, he would fall sometimes, but never broke a thing. The theory is it was the soup he would make. Any and all kinds of leftovers went into this ‘soup’ that stank so bad! It is famously known as Grandpa’s soup. Nobody else ate it either… He would always catch us as kids with his cane, pull us in and we had to somehow escape his legs. It was harder than you think! These two started from zero. Grandpa’s parents died when he was young and was basically raised by his oldest sister. They made it to where they were with a LOT of HARD WORK! Grandpa worked on the farm. Granny helped on the farm where she could, and kept the house going which isn’t easy with 4 rascals running around (my aunts and uncle and dad!) She also has made some amazing quilts (each grandchild received one at least). Unfortunately, both have passed. But their memories are with me. I want to thank these two soooo much because they make ADEDAR able to still be running. They have been my initial funders to make this dream of rugby in Mozambique happen. Whether they know it or now, THEY are AMAZING. (or as my other Grandma would say, THEY ARE WONDERFUL!) I have definitely been given a life of opportunity, and I hope I am using it to its fullest.