Nothin Like Family

My parents were in town all last week and it was so great having them here. My brother was here for baseball camp but flew home right after because my brother-in-law needed help on their new house and so Dallin went home to help. I was sad but when family calls, family calls.

And my work gave me the day off on Friday so I could hang out with my Mom and Grandma. And for lunch….they wanted to go to Legends! Can’t they choose somewhere else to eat since I spent every single day of winter semester there! Oh well, my Dad came too and of course they really wanted to see all the sports memorabilia. My dad was definitely in his element. And then we went shopping after lunch and I found some super cute stuff so that is always fun.

My Uncle Larry and Aunt JaLene flew in from South Carolina on Saturday and I love spending time with them. My uncle is a history professor and knows everything and has the best stories especially about the civil war. There isn’t anything he doesn’t know about that time in history. And of course he has that super dry personality which just makes me laugh all the time. I could listen to him forever. And my aunt is just adorable and so sweet and I really wish they lived closer.

I went up on Sunday after church and I had an interesting experience. My Grandma is 86 and my Grandpa has been gone now for 7 years. I try to go up at 3 or 4 times a month and seems every time I go, she is getting just a little bit older especially compared to even a year ago. She repeats everything like 5 times to me and I find myself talking really really slowly. She just doesn’t have the energy she used to have and what I remember as a kid. And of course it’s hard for my mom to see her mom like that. I can’t imagine the day where my mom will be like that because there really isn’t anything my mom can’t do. Anyhow, my Aunt Jeri and Uncle Max came over too and I sat in on them, my parents and my Uncle Larry and Aunt JaLene going over my Grandma’s living will. All her assets, the house, the car, the investments, the bonds, the interior of her house and on and on and Grandma is just sitting on the couch between my mom and aunt and I just kept thinking how it was so strange to think that some day my Grandma won’t be here anymore. We have become so close these last few years and I will be crushed when her time comes. But it all was just a reality check and we kept commenting on how weird it was to talk about this with her sitting right there. And of course her response, “it’s ok…I know I am going to die soon.” Weird to hear her say that! But how great it is to know that life goes on and I know she is anxious to see my Grandpa and her parents and siblings.

And one of my mom’s projects while she was here was to go through all my Grandma’s pictures and write names of who and where things were. And as I was looking through the pictures of my grandparents as children and their wedding and their parents and siblings, I kept thinking about family history work and how important it is. What a blessing to know who you came from and to see the person you were named after, and who you looked like as a baby and it made me grateful for my family history. Which is probably why I am so big on journaling and picture taking and all that fun stuff. Someday, my grandkids will be doing what I was doing Sunday. Looking through pictures and thinking….wow look what she was wearing! No I am just kidding. Hopefully they will be thinking more then just that! Anyways…family sure makes everything right!