My next door neighbor is like my second mom, and best friend.  She is always there when I need support, and always knows the appropriate thing to do.  This special person is my grandmother, or as I call her, Gran.
     Gran has been my neighbor ever since I can remember.  She loves the outdoors and nature.  She especially likes to work in the garden and spend time with my sister and me.
     I remember one night when I was about for or five; she came up to my house filled with excitement.  She picked me up and carried me outside.  Her beautiful hazel eyes glowed in the dark as she showed me the moon.  Although I had no idea what was happening, I soon found out that we were watching a lunar eclipse.  This memory is special to me because Gran has always taken pride in telling me what is happening in nature and what it means.  This experience was a perfect example of that.
     Another thing that we do together is every Christmas, Gran lets Jessika, my sister, and I decorate her tree however we want.  We also get to inviter friends over to help us, and afterwards we roast marshmallows.
    Another Christmas memory that I have of Gran is making cookies.  We first make sugar cookies using different cookie cutters.  Then, we decorate them with icing and sprinkles.  Even though we always make a massive mess, she still lets us do it every year.  Both of these Christmas experiences have helped me greatly in learning the importance of doing things with your family and making them a tradition.
    Something that I will always remember about Gran is her cooking since my mom doesn't get home till about 5:30 to cook supper, Gran usually has something ready.  She doesn't cook every night, but she does cook often.  The best thing that she cooks, in my opinion, is her mouth watering chocolate pie.  I like it right when it comes out of the over.  The chocolate is always smooth and runny, and the meringue is soft and foamy.  With her great cooking skills, Gran has taught me many cooking facts that will help me in the future.
    If you know Gran, then you must know her pup, Mac.  His is a tiny toy poodle and weighs three pounds and seven ounces.  We gave Mac to Gran last year for Christmas.  Ever since then, he has been hooked on her.  It seems like he takes every step that she takes.  One thing that we all three do together is play this little game.  I will go over to Gran and hug her, and Mac will get very jealous.  He will run over to us and stand on his back legs.  Finally one of us will pick him up and he licks us Gran and me all over!
    As you can tell, Gran has been a huge influence on my life.  I feel as if she always puts Jessika and me first in her life.  She is always willing to help me whatever I do, loving me unconditionally.