My grandmother died almost a year ago (March 31, 2010), We were extremely close and it was really hard for us to lose her.
Tonight my dad gave us a check and told us he was sharing his inheritance with us. The only string is that we have to use it to do the house projects we've been talking about. This means we'll soon be ripping out the wood deck and pouring a stamped concrete patio, installing a fireplace insert so we can heat with wood, and looking into replacing the flooring in our house. We never would have used our own money for these; my job is far too volatile right now for us to even consider using our savings for these kinds of projects. Having this money given to us with that condition is a huge blessing. I am so excited to be able to do this, and so thankful to my dad and grandma.