This was a very very busy week. My Aunt Kara and Uncle Bob arrived from Colorado on Monday morning. We spent the week running errands and finishing the funeral programs for Grandma's funeral. Aunt Paula came in on Wednesday. I also spent the week moving furniture and cleaning in anticipation of my Dad and Yvonne's arrival. They were driving in from Virginia. Liz came over and helped clean so by Wednesday afternoon I felt ready.
Ashtyn had her first track meet on Wednesday. She decided to switch to the distance team a few days before the meet because she is the slowest sprinter on her team and it made her feel self conscious. Unfortunately it didn't help that a few jerky kids were making fun of her and her friend Baylee that she runs with. Then the day before the meet she decided to switch back and do sprints because that's what she had trained for. She wouldn't let me invite anyone because she was so embarrassed by how slow she feels like she runs. She ran in the 100M and 200M races. She did great and she wasn't the slowest girl there- so I think she felt good about her performance. It was such a nice day and the weather was perfect so I hadn't even thought to put sunscreen on her and her shoulders by the end were fried. There were so many heats in each event that it went for several hours. I ended up having to leave to get home and finish setting up the living room for the funeral luncheon so I told Jeff to come after work and watch her final race. He got there ten minutes too late and missed it. Luckily our friends recorded it. I am proud of Ashtyn for sticking with it even when it feels too hard.
Can you see Ashtyn in this picture? I'll give you a hint- she is wearing black shorts, a turquoise tank and hot pink spikes.
This was after her race.
I kept getting texts from my dad saying that they were going to be getting to my house later and later and I was getting worried that they would be zombies the next day from going to bed so late. Then I got a text saying they had been in an accident. My step sister texted me that my dad had a hurt arm and that my step mom had bruising and that the car was totaled. Then she said they were on their way to the hospital and wouldn't make it for the funeral and the car had rolled. I was freaking out. That was around 7 PM and then I didn't hear from them again until almost 11 so I was worried sick. Rachael texted that she was getting discharge but that my dad and Yvonne had to stay over night. That was the last I heard. I had been talking to my uncle to try and figure out what we were going to do about the program because my dad was suppose to speak. We finally decided that I would write the talk because I had all my grandma's histories on my computer and that my aunt would give the talk. I was up so late and couldn't even sleep. The next morning I texted them but they didn't respond and we had to leave to go to the funeral.
My grandma looked so good but it was really hard to see her. Normally every time I have touched a dead body they have felt cold and hard to me, but she felt soft and warm- not warm, but room temperature. Her hands felt just like they did when she was alive. She looked like she was just sleeping. It felt good to be in the same room with her one more time. Several people from my ward came which was so nice and then some of her friends and nieces and nephews came as well. It wasn't a huge crowd which was also nice. I said the family prayer. We got started late because my sister Melinda got there late. That frustrated me, but I know she gets anxious at these sort of events so I don't think she wanted to be there any longer then she needed to be. I said the prayer and then anyone that wanted to tell her goodbye could come up. My brother went up which surprised me- I don't think he ever felt super close to her- but he was crying and I know it made my grandma feel good.
Grandma picked this spray out.
These were all the pictures we were able to display because the rest were in Colorado. I also filled my cake plate with items she had made.
This is Dorothy grandma's best friend and her daughter Janice. Dorothy is 99 years old.
Here I am talking to my dad's cousin Paul Kelly and wife Vicky.
This was my Uncle Bob(right) and Harold a boy Grandma use to babysit.
Regan and Greg
Schafers, Atkinsons, Boyds
Paul and his sister Louise in the middle
Another cousin Cheryl in purple and black and her husband
This is Jamin- a missionary that served from Grandma's ward- she wrote to him and he would visit her all the time. She loved him. Here he is with his fiance.
I went up and leaned over so I could whisper in her ear and tell her how much I love her and would miss her. I stroked her face like I use to do and it was soft. It was one of the hardest things I've had to do. She was more then just a grandma to me. I adored her. So many people came up to me and told me how much she adored me and it made me feel good but also even more sad because I knew she did and it made it that much harder. My aunt and I put her vail on her and tied it under her chin before they closed the casket. Then we all followed it into the chapel. The whole middle section was almost full- I was worried there would only be a few people and how sad that would have been for her because she loved a big party- so it was nice that so many people came. Jeff's parents and Kristy came which was thoughtful. We asked Tom to be a pallbearer because we didn't have enough. Ethan even got to be one.
The service was great. Kara spoke then my kids sang a medley of "Love is Spoken Here/Families Can Be Together Forever". They each had a solo part and did amazing. When we practiced the night before Ethan was being super stubborn and not cooperating so I didn't know how it would turn out- but then he decided that he wanted a solo part that morning and he and the girls practiced and it turned out amazing. My grandma had requested that they sing at her funeral and I know she was proud. Then Bob spoke and shared some memories. Then our bishop- Bishop Rich- got up and shared some beautiful words about love, which was perfect. This was his first funeral because he only became the Bishop a month ago, but he was perfect. He was so caring and kind throughout this entire process. He called and came over multiple times to offer his love and help. He really went way above and beyond and he led her service perfectly. Yvonne was suppose to say the closing prayer so instead we asked my dads cousin Paul Kelly to do it and when he got up he started giving a talk instead which was so so awkward, but he only shared two short stories so it ended up being fine. Grandma had actually wanted him to speak but we couldn't get a hold of them until the day before because they were on a cruise, so maybe that was her way of getting what she wanted. We followed the hearse to the cemetery and my uncle dedicated the grave. Then we played the Lawrence Welk theme song and brought my bubble machine and blew bubbles- this was another one of her requests. After we went back to my house for lunch. The relief society helped and made it so nice. We had planned for 40 but only about 15 people came- just our family, so we had a ton of food left over. We had ham and potatoes and salads and hot fudge sundaes for dessert which were her favorite. It was a really really long but nice day. I am so glad we got to celebrate her and the amazing person she was.
We let everyone take a rose from the spray on her casket to remember her by.
Friday was St. Patrick's Day, which I love to celebrate but with everything going on I completely forgot. I had to take my Aunt Paula to the airport so we grabbed lunch on the way and she showed me her green shamrock socks that her son had given her and I remembered that the leprechaun had totally forgotten to make an appearance. It was fun to catch up with her. She is so sweet and we talked all about her life. The leprechaun came later in the day- so it wasn't a total loss.
When I finally was able to talk to my dad I found out that their tire had fallen off their car which is what caused the wreck. My dad and Yvonne ended up having to stay in the hospital until Saturday afternoon. My dad has a friend he went to high school with that lives in Cheyenne so my aunt called him and he came and took them to his house until they can get a flight out. Rachael went home on Saturday. My dad still has to go look in his car at the junk yard and see if anything is still in it. Every time I tried to talk to him he was so out of it. I know they must be in a lot of pain. His shoulder ended up separating from the clavicle, his hip is bruised, his lung is bruised, his face was all cut up, his arm is swollen. Yvonne fractured her sternum and her lung and chest is all bruised as well. She also has a small pocket of blood behind it they were monitoring.
They told us that right after the accident happened a bunch of people had stopped to help and two of them were retired medical professionals. The EMT's had to cut their clothes off and when they saw they were wearing garments they called the hospital and talked to an LDS doctor there that was able to get another LDS anesthesiologist and give them all blessings. Then they called the traveling bishop over the hospital and all kinds of ward members came to see what they could do to help. It is a miracle they are alive. They were definitely being watched over and protected. Rachael was driving and she came away with a seat belt burn and that was it. What a horrible ordeal to have to go through- but they lived.
It was a week of mourning and miracles.
