I'll Be Seeing You

When my mom, sisters, and I went to see The Notebook, we decided it would be best to not take my Omi with us.  She had just lost her husband and an emotional love story was probably not the best thing for her to watch at the time.  When we left the theater, my mom mentioned that the one thing Omi would have liked was the song "I'll Be Seeing You" by Billie Holiday.  I believe it was when Omi was in college, she and some girlfriends went to see the movie I'll Be Seeing You.   When they left the theater, they vowed to always remember each other anytime they heard the song, which was featured throughout the movie.  Now whenever I hear that song, I think of Omi and her friends.

Omi being held by her grandfather

I spoke to my mom on the phone earlier this week and she notified me she was getting ready to head back east.  Omi's health had all of a sudden declined and my uncle wasn't sure how much longer she'd last.  I must be honest in saying, every time my mom called, I expected her to say Omi died.  She's been ready to pass for over 10 years, ever since her husband suddenly passed away.  I've been grateful that she's hung on for so long, to see all of us get married and have kids but now I'm grateful that she's reunited with so many people that she's missed for so long.

One of which was her mother.  Some time after Omi's dad passed away, MooMoo came to live with her.  As long as I could remember, Omi and MooMoo were always together.

Omi and Opa on their wedding day with MooMoo and Daddy MooMoo

They moved from the Bay Area up the coast to Fort Bragg in the late 80s.  There, Omi had a beautiful home built, where MooMoo had her own space downstairs and Omi had her's upstairs.  We took many vacations up there and I have nothing but the fondest memories spent at Omi's.

We would go to the beach, play in the wooded area in her front yard, feed Buttons, the horse, next door, go bowling, rent movies from the movie theater that also doubled as a video store, get chicken tenders and potato wedges from Safeway, go to Mendocino, go to the hobby store on the edge of town, watch slides on Omi's bedroom wall, watch Overboard time and time again, and visit Omi at her various jobs.

Omi had quite the résumé!  While living in Fort Bragg, she worked at the local radio station, a local shell shop called "Just the Shell of It," the yummiest bakery ran by a Dutchman, and I've been told she worked at a hotel (but I don't remember that).  She worked at banks and for a company called Fairchild, which took she and my mom to Germany (which is how my parents met). Omi was very independent but loved taking care of people.

Like the time she watched my four siblings and me while my parents spent their 10 year anniversary in Europe. I'm told she tried giving me cheese but I refused to eat it. She always took great care of MooMoo, preparing her coffee and milk toast every morning. And when she remarried later in life, you could tell she took great pride in serving her husband who had fallen ill from a stroke.

Omi was a huge 49ers fan and was especially fond of Joe Montana. She always wore a ribbon around the neck of her collared dress shirts. Purple was her favorite color, and I can still picture her in her strappy purple dress shoes. She was the queen of SkipBo and Yahtzee. Her Dodge minivan had a very distinct smell, not bad to most but I'm sensitive to scents. She always hung blue candy canes on her Christmas tree. She had a full head of white hair by the time she was 35, and it was always set in curlers. Her short term memory began to dwindle not too long after her husband died but she could tell you anything about her childhood. She was able to travel the world. Her prayers were always the sweetest and most sincere. If I ever had to identify her by her hands, I'd bet money that I could; they were arthritic but her nails were always sculpted. She loved Christmas and I'm so blessed to have many of her decorations, including her Santa collection. She loved cream soda and ham. It was guaranteed that at 7:00, she'd turn on Jeopardy and follow that up with Wheel of Fortune. She had D&C 82:10 posted on her bathroom mirror and I have it memorized because of her.

There are so many things I will miss about her being here on earth but I know she's in a much happier place. So, Omi, to you I say, "I'll be seeing you!"

Doodlebug - Tally Mark 15

-Loves stuffed animals. We went to the Disney store a couple weeks ago and he spotted a Pluto stuffed animal. With open arms, he marched right over to that thing, picked it up, and proceeded to hug it the entire time we were there.
-Says "awwwww" when he sees something he likes.
-Loves pushing the button to cross the street, pressing the button to close the garage door, and pressing the button to turn the A/C on.
-Had everyone eating out of the palm of his hand while we were in Utah. They couldn't believe how well behaved he was. They should have spent the following week at home with us.
-Loves swinging the yellow plastic baseball bat around. He tries to use The Lime's metal bat but we don't want to send anyone to the ER.
-Got his first molar (LR) at the end of July.
-Has been hitting and biting more frequently. Not cool.
-Is so ready to be out of his baby car seat. Soon, Doodlebug, soon!
-Makes Sacrament Meeting (okay fine, church in general) really hard to enjoy. He always wants to move but is also extremely tired. Makes for a lovely combination.
-Loves homemade cookies and knows which corner of the kitchen to go to if he wants one.
-Can still wear 6M shorts and 9-12M onesies/shirts.
-Is up and down with his sleeping.  Sometimes he sleeps all night, sometimes he wakes up 1-2 times.  He usually gets up for the day between 6:30 and 7:00.
-Still nurses at least 4 times a day.
-Must be super in-tune with the Spirit, as he always seems to know when you need a hug or a kiss.

New Chapter

To my sweet Lime,

You have now been at school for over an hour and the house is too quiet! Doodlebug is napping and will soon wake up, and probably wonder where his Big Bro is.

You're off on a new adventure; kindergarten!

You had a hard time going to bed last night, as I'm sure you were feeling lots of emotions. You've been nervous that you wouldn't have any friends but thankfully, you have three friends from church in your class and we met another classmate on Sunday night when we were scoping out your classroom. Not to mention, you're a pretty cool dude and lots of kids are going to want to be your friend.

You were also nervous last night that you would do something naughty and the school would kick you out. But you know what? You're a good kid and as long as you follow the rules and are nice to everyone, you'll be fine.

I haven't told you this because I didn't want to make you worry, but Mommy has been REALLY sad thinking about you starting kindergarten. I'm so excited for all of the fun, new things you'll learn, and the confidence you'll gain, and the friendships you'll make. But I'm also going to miss all of the time we were able to spend together. From here on out, you'll be at school and we'll never get that time together again.

But I'm so so so happy I got to have you all to myself for those 5.5 years (as you're quick to point out). We had so much fun together and I will treasure those moments forever.

Now you're starting a new chapter in your little life. One that will lead to so many great things. I am anxious to see where it takes you!

Love,

Mommy

P.S. I promise we'll ride your bike tomorrow! You did NOT like walking today.

Nut Tree

As one last hoorah before school starts, my sister and I met up today at the Nut Tree for the kiddos to visit and play.

Growing up, when we'd drive up to Sacramento to visit my grandma, we'd always stop at the Nut Tree for our bathroom break. Downstairs, you can do some light shopping (we always bought a loaf of the most delicious bread) and then upstairs was everything airplanes. I remember the models hanging from the ceiling, attached by clear fishing line. My dad would spend f.o.r.e.v.e.r. up there and one of us usually had to physically pull his arm to get him to leave. So many fun memories at that place.

But it's been YEARS since I've visited, and they've changed it drastically. Now it's filled with various shops but still has the carousel and train, which is what we wanted to see.

While we waited for the train, the kids played on one of those manual/small/you-push-yourself merry go rounds. I hate them because I hate things that spin, but they couldn't get enough of it.

The carousel was completely empty so we hopped on. I bought three tickets, thinking each of us would need one but they only collected one for The Lime. Doodlebug was free and I was free since I "technically" wasn't riding. The safest way for Doodlebug to ride, in my mind, was for me to sit on the horse and have him sit in front of me, then wrap the seat belt around the both of us. The old man manning the carousel objected and had me place Doodlebug on the horse by himself and I stood next to him. Agh! Sometimes I hate all the rules we have to follow, especially when I feel like my way is better. Nevertheless, Doodlebug had fun as did The Lime and my niece.

After a quick potty break for my other niece, we heard the train whistle and it was time to board! The Lime was especially sweaty from all the running around so it was a nice break to sit and let the breeze hit us as we chugged along.

While we were on the train, The Lime yelled, "Daddy's machine!" We always get really excited when we see a piece of LaVor's equipment. When it's being used, it breaks, then he has to fix it, which means he's working and getting a paycheck.

By this time, everyone was starving so we headed across the street to Fenton's, where we were told for such a "big party" (6 of us!), the wait would be about 10-15 minutes. It was right after 12:00, so that was understandable and not a problem at all. It ended up being 45 minutes, which was a problem. The service (or lack thereof) from the front of the house was reason enough for me to never return to that location. Not to mention, the price you pay for the quality of the food is a bit much. Thankfully, the mirror in the room we were in provided enough entertainment that all wasn't lost.

We took our time eating and after almost two hours, everyone was a little worn out and ready to hit the road to head home.

We had so much fun with my sister and nieces, and The Lime is begging to go back on Saturday. We'll see!

Road Trip

LaVor had to work in the Bay Area last week, which worked out perfectly because we were already planning on going to visit my niece for her birthday.

As I was sorting laundry, preparing to wash it before we left, LaVor called me with the news that his grandfather suddenly passed away that morning.  We didn't know much but knew that we'd most likely be heading out of town later that week for the services.

Have I ever mentioned that I've never driven to Utah?  Have I ever mentioned the huge amount of anxiety I get whenever I think about driving that far, especially with a 14 month old who hates his car seat?  I knew I had to suck up my fears but I spent the rest of the week worrying about what was to come.

The boys and I went shopping on Wednesday to stock up on snacks, packed our bags, and had everything ready to go for our early departure Thursday morning.  We planned to leave around 4:00, with the intention of both boys sleeping several hours.  But of course, The Lime stayed awake and Doodlebug only slept about an hour and a half.  Then, as soon as we left Reno city limits, The Lime threw up.  Poor kid gets that from me.  Needless to say, the trip was starting off on a rocky foot.

But, we made it!  And that's really all that matters.  The fact that Nevada is one of the ugliest states, and most boring, and that we stopped numerous times for potty breaks, and that a certain baby screamed and cried, and nobody really got any sleep doesn't matter.  We got there safely.

Seriously, someone needs to put up billboards with trivia questions or SOMETHING to break up the 6 hours of nothing.

We got into Utah about 3:30 their time and settled into Grandma's place while the rest of the family was finishing up some things for the funeral.  It was hard for me to be in Grandma and Grandpa's apartment, knowing that she'd have to return there without her sweetheart.  I think that might be one of the hardest things about death, is having a "norm" (for 60+ years in their case) and having it taken away in a flash.

When LaVor's dad, aunts, and grandma arrived, they were all visibly worn out.  We visited for a short time and then made our way to the rec center down the street, to get out of their hair but to also give the kids a chance to release some energy that was bottled up for 11 hours.

This place was neat!  Lots to do and their pools were way more exciting than ours.  Unfortunately, after only taking three photos in about 30 seconds, the lifeguard standing next to me said, "Ma'am, you can't take any photos."  I looked at him and said, "For real?!"  He said yes and I asked if it was okay that I just took them of my kids.  He said no.  I get it, especially with social media and the privacy of children, but it still stunk.

Practicing for when he's a real firefighter

Doodlebug was having a blast!

They had a water slide in the indoor pool that The Lime was able to go on (he's a smidge short for the slide at our pool) and he had so much fun! Unfortunately, no photos.

We grabbed a bite for dinner with LaVor's aunt and her family and then settled in at LaVor's great aunt's house where we literally all crashed.  I just remember laying my head on the pillow and then waking up around 4:00 when LaVor turned the ceiling fan on.  We got a couple more hours of sleep before Doodlebug woke up.  We were presented a delicious and healthy breakfast and were amazed at the view from the home.  Again, no picture (not because the aunt didn't allow, I just forgot) but it was gorgeous.  From there, we met up with LaVor's brother and his family, who drove up from Provo, at Temple Square where we got in a little visit before we had to go back to Bountiful.

I think I took this exact same photo when I was in Utah 15 years ago.

Shortly after we got there, I recognized a man and gently tapped him on the knee and asked what his name was (even though I knew). He told me and I told him who I was (my mom was his seminary teacher). He had no clue about me but knew my parents and older siblings. A moment later, his mom arrived and she looked exactly as I remember seeing her at stake conference. The world is small and I just knew we'd happen upon someone we knew.

We walked around the visitor center and continued around the grounds before it was time to leave.

Pointing to the big kids, running around the flowerbeds.

Some of the furniture used in the temple over the years.  The craftsmanship amazes me!

No net, no harness, nothing!  Can you imagine?!

Cousins enjoying throwing coins into the fountain.

The sister missionary that took this photo is from a town about 25 minutes from where we live.

Us, LaVor's mom, LaVor's brother & his family

All of the foliage around the temple was gorgeous!

It just so happened that one of our dear friends was working in the same town where we spent a majority of the trip. We were able to meet him for lunch and catch up on the (almost) year since we saw him last. It made us miss having good friends around!

We had Hawaiian food for lunch, and The Lime was willing to try it but quickly said it made his throat itch (we think it's the Teriyaki sauce) so he ended up getting ice cream for lunch. Lucky kid.

His usual - cotton candy ice cream with marshmallows and sprinkles

My boys and their blue eyes

That night was the viewing at the mortuary. I've never seen a deceased body before and avoided it at all costs when my grandma passed away earlier this year. In this case, Grandpa's body was propped up a bit in the casket and was easily seen from anywhere in the room. It wasn't as uncomfortable as I expected but there is a vast difference when the spirit leaves a body. Of course, Doodlebug wanted to see what was going on and made me stand at the casket for several minutes as he pointed and tried to touch.

We were all tired and hungry and decided on Cafe Rio for dinner. Neither LaVor or I have ever had it but heard wonderful things about it from friends and family in Utah. Maybe it was because The Lime was starving and on the verge of passing out, or maybe it was because the place was jammed pack and super hot, or maybe my expectations were just too high, but both of us were completely let down by the food. It wasn't the worst Mexican food I've ever had but it certainly didn't live up to the praise it's received. To Cafe Rio, I say "been there, done that."

Our next plan was to take the kids back to the hotel because nobody got naps that day but my body had a different agenda and we quickly drove the five minutes back to the mortuary where I hung out in the bathroom as people kept trying to open the door (there was only one toilet). Not my idea of fun.

After the viewing, LaVor's dad wanted to take everyone to Pace's, a diner that LaVor has been telling me about for as long as I've known him. They serve slushees with soft serve on top. Had it not been for Cafe Rio, I would have loved to finally try this yummy treat but I got to visit the restroom instead.

He opted for just an ice cream cone.

We woke up bright and early (not by choice, but because Doodlebug slept awful) Saturday morning and got ready for the funeral. A family viewing preceded the service, where we were able to gather everyone together for a photo.  Again, it wasn't the ideal circumstances to gather together but I finally had an opportunity to meet family members for the first time after almost nine years of marriage.

What a wonderful legacy - because of two people, all of this was created

I rocked Doodlebug to sleep in the back of the chapel, next to my parents who kindly made the trip down, all while listening to the wonderful stories friends and family shared about Grandpa. When I married LaVor, I was so thrilled to finally have grandfathers since both of mine had been deceased for many years. Grandpa completed the amazing task of preparing over 100,000 names to take to the temple. I can only imagine the number of people waiting on the other side to thank him for his love and service.

After the service, we all caravanned to the burial site.  This is the hardest part, in my opinion.  It makes things absolutely final, in terms of the person physically being here.  They didn't lower the casket while we were there, which I think helped (it was quite emotional at my grandma's funeral when they did that), but it was still hard knowing that was the last time we'd be with Grandpa in this lifetime.

LaVor and his male cousins were the pallbearers.

I loved all of the tulips they had at the services.  Grandpa also served in the Navy prior to serving a mission.

Grandma with her children.

From there, we headed to a luncheon that was held at one of the church buildings Grandpa built. When LaVor's dad was a young teenager, their family moved to Europe where Grandpa built several other church buildings in Holland and Germany.

While we were there, LaVor's dad took us around and shared with us the family's rich history in this particular area. Several extended family members still maintain residence in this area and it was neat to know they're "keeping it in the family."

The home where LaVor's dad grew up

LaVor's grandfather (Grandpa) built this second home for his parents.

This was the first home Grandpa built for his parents.

The home Grandpa grew up in - built in 1930

The family dairy

Built in 1925 - Home sits on same property as dairy

Our friends kindly drove down to the area so we could meet up for a quick visit. The kids instantly picked up right where they left off (a year ago when they dropped by our place) and LaVor and I had a wonderful time catching up with Jason and Nicole, and Nicole's mom. Again, it made us desperately miss having great friends nearby!

On the way back to the hotel, we caught an amazing sunset. The sky seems to be a bit closer in Utah than it is at home. The moon looked magnificent every night, too.

We made it to the hotel just in time to grab a bite of pizza and let the kids play with their cousins for a bit. A bit ended up being until 11:00 but everyone was having such a good time, we didn't want it to end. Honestly, I don't remember the last time we laughed so hard as a family. It was a nice ending to a somber weekend.

Sunday morning arrived way too soon and we packed our bags, filled our bellies, and said our goodbyes to Grandma before we hit the road.

Since we got married, we've been promising Grandma and Grandpa that we'd come visit them. We never had a reliable enough car to make the drive to Utah until we bought our current vehicle. So we decided this would be the year to visit. We are kicking ourselves because we waited until it was too late. We all know this life is temporary but now, more than ever, I want to take advantage of every opportunity given to me so I don't have to have any regrets. Don't hold grudges, be appreciative, love until you can't love anymore, be kind, and enjoy every moment given to you.