Bringing us together

Funerals do, that is.

Not that anyone deliberately chooses a death/funeral in their family to manage to get together, but it is one of the inevitable things that seem to bring families together when life keeps us all busy and occupied doing other things that keep people from taking the time & effort to spend time together.
Somehow we all let the days & years get away.  No time.
Well, that's what happens.  Next thing you know the time is gone and no more opportunities.
When a family funeral is planned everything else that you thought was important and "had to do" gets put aside, and you want to get together bad enough to make it work.

And, I'm thankful we do.

Not preaching at anyone here, just telling it the way it is in our life too.
But--Don't miss the opportunity to visit & connect with those you love when you have the chance, because
tomorrow it may be too late.
Tomorrow you may be taking a family picture with someone missing because you couldn't take the time before.

I've taken millions of pictures over the years.  Silly, serious, formal, on the sly.  Those special birthday yearly photos & the "real-life" daily photos.
For years I've taken pictures of our family every time we were all together--at least once a year, maybe more.
My kids have tormented me, made fun of me, skipped out on the photos, deliberately and accidentally, and looked goofy, stupid & silly....and still I persist.

Every now & then I look at them.  A record of our family thru the years.  Most of them not perfect by any means, but I love them & it shows we were together.  It helps to bring the memories close.

Once again as we were gathered for the day of grandpa's funeral we took the opportunity for photos.
Not just our family of course,
but a record of our blended family ties
Cousins we have in short supply (mine--not my kid's first cousin generation)
Siblings, which I know some didn't quite believe that we girls actually had a brother-
and last but very importantly the two very special mothers in our life.

 First cousins. All here except for 6 of them.  (mine)- Derek (Gay's)- Heidi, (Luanne's)-Matthew, Andrew & Rebecca (Varrel's)-Victoria.

We kids are short on first cousins.  We have 2 that we've not seen since they and we were very young and then just 5 more.  Our Uncle Joe's kids, Jason, Brett & Lynsy and Uncle Fay's kids Karen & Todd (who managed to leave before we got our pictures taken)

 My 3 siblings and me.  Varrel, Gay, Maxine & Luanne

Step siblings--

 With our mom-

With our step-mother Jane & her boys Henry & Paul

Just on a ending note here--We were thrilled to have our brother & two boys with us for the day!  It's a LONG ways between here & AZ along with a LONG span of time inbetween visits!  We missed having our  Sister-in-law Sandi & niece Victoria here too!!  Don't wait so long next time! ♥



A  "P.S." from many years ago.

 My grandpa and me

My dad & Mom, Luanne, Gay & I.  Gma & Grandpa Herndon, Uncles Del, Joe & Fay

Pages in time.

 My grandpa.
The last of the 2 sets of grandparents and 2 sets of Great plus 2 other great-grandfathers that were still alive when I was born. Although I never got to meet those two Great-grandfathers (my maternal grandmother and grandfathers, father's) I did know and remember well all of the others.
I always considered it quite amazing that I had 4 grandparents and 4 great-grandparents for all of my childhood years. I knew many of my friends who only had one or two.

How can you adequately put into a few words your thoughts, feelings & memories about someone, or the part they played in your life?
I really can't.
My Grandparents each fill a different spot in my memories of childhood/teens & young adulthood.
I hope someday to have my grandparent-scrapbook completed to a bit better pass on my story to my children.

My Grandpa was in a nursing home for the last several years of his life.  Suffering from that horrible disease we all hate. The one that steals away your memory, reasoning & quality of life.  Alzheimers.
 Quite a few years before this, Grandpa lost track of his many grand/great-grandkids along with names. (Well, considering how many we alone gifted him with, I'm sure you could understand!)
One of the things I love remembering about him is how he would say "I can't remember your name, but I know you're one of my "kids".

Grandpa's birthday was in July, and the last several years as many of us as possible had went to have a birthday party for him at the nursing home.  Meshayla would be gone this year, and so I was happy that it worked out to stop by and visit Grandpa before she left on her trip.  As it turned out this also was the last time Jeanne got to visit him.  Lyrah had on her squeaky shoes that day, and grandpa got the biggest chuckle out of seeing her run around & hearing her shoes make noise.  It really made him laugh.

Top--My two sisters and I w/grandpa  and  Derek & Zander w/grandpa at his birthday party.
Bottom--our visit the end of May--Jeanne & Lyrah, Grandma Jane and me with Grandpa, and Grandpa w/Meshayla.

 Grandpa was 97 in July this year. Pictures like this aren't the way we like to remember him in our minds, but I'm glad to have them regardless.

My uncles, Grandpa's two remaining son's.

Not so long after this day we got a call that said Gpa wasn't doing well and might have to be moved to a different facility.   We were unhappy to hear that, & glad it didn't have to be done.
 
Life has strange and amazing twists to it.

a couple weeks later
One Sunday morning,
my step-mom called to say he was gone.

Peacefully,
quietly.
Around 7 a.m.
Sunday August 21, 2011

Right near the time that our 8th grandchild, Derek's 2nd son was born.
Around 8 a.m.
Sunday August 21, 2011
Life and Death. 
Joy and sorrow interwoven.

Neveah & Serenity with their new baby brother Wyatt Ray.
Derek with his two boys--Zander & Wyatt--
Derek & Dawn--Neveah, Sernity, Zander & Wyatt.

We're happy to have these sweet grandkids near by to see often!

Welcome home!

In June they left.
These two teen-age best-friend/cousins
to fly alone across the sea
to spend 8 weeks with Laura in Finland.
(also Sweden & Denmark, with a quick side trip to Germany.)

Sometimes time flies, other times-generally in the case of when you're waiting on something or someone, then it can just drag pretty slowly!

August arrived, and found us back in Omaha, waiting for the kid's plane to arrive.  It had been delayed several hours.  An airport late at night isn't the most interesting, happening place!

Laura found out just days before the kid's return that she would get to come on her home visit back to the states this year, and could fly back with with them.

It might have been the middle of the night, but it was a pretty special homecoming welcome.

We had a special weekend to help welcome Laura home.Our kids were all home except for our ND ones.  A beautiful summer weekend.  Food, fun, cousins, grandkids, music & naps! We had the tents set up for sleeping space.  We ♥ living in the country even if our house is small!

We enjoyed a evening of friends & food & listened to Laura talk about Finland.


And of course no family gathering is complete without a photo of us all!!

Grandkids except for Dalayna's three.

Kyrie, Zander

Trey, Sernity, Lyrah & Neveah.

Our kids that were home. (minus Jana and Dalayna) We missed taking the picture while Jana was here.

left to right-Kaela, Meshayla, Lynisha, Relyssa, Derek, Laura, Kara, Ryan, (Alishia) Jeanne & Morgen.

Favorite things

Sparkly eyes and cute little toesies
fingers in frosting smeared on the faces
Cupcakes for birthdays happy song singing
These are a few of my favorite things.

Brothers and sisters laughing and loving
Family gathering together for meals.
Little girl kisses and chubby hands waving,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Playing with kittens and long country lanes
Warm summer days and pretty green grass
Sunrises, sunsets and hours in-between--
These are a few of my favorite things.

when winter is here
when the sky is gray
when I'm feeling blue 'cuz there's too much to do
 I try to remember my favorite things
and then I'm smiling again.

More July memories

Our July Birthday girls.  Kaela 10 and Kara 12.

 Grandkids!  Neveah & Zander

 Serenity and Zander

 Jeanne came a couple days to help Leon on a job and so I got some Grammie time with Lyrah.
She loved playing with the kitties.  They didn't seem to mind being hauled about by her a bit.

 Goodbye kisses for Grammie & Papa

Come again soon!

2011

Is fading fast!

How can it be Dec already?  Our little Barrett boy turned two today.  He's #4 in the line up, and that means 5 grandbabies born since he came along!  We're waiting for #10 to arrive this month (any day)

Flashback to July....
While the grandkids were here on their visit I made Jessi and Kyrie new matching dresses.  I wonder why it is that I seem to accomplish something like "extra sewing" when I'm in the middle of having 3 grandkids here along with everything else that goes on. Maybe it has something to do with having so many kids around for many years, and just living busy?  Anyway, they turned out pretty cute, and the girls were delighted with them.

The kids had so much fun together, and Grammie & Papa love having them all together here!

 

 

All too soon it was over, and time to take Jessi home.  On my way to ND I made a "detour" thru MN 

 stopping to visit a sweet friend & her family there.  It was interesting to see some new country, as I've not visited that state before.

Kaela and Jessi had a grand time playing with the little girls.

We had a shopping trip and bought Jessi's (belated) birthday present.

Have I mentioned lately how adorable this little Raya girl is?

Jessi, Raya & Barrett -- All three just the sweetest things ever!

#6 and #12 Sisters!  Kaela and Dalayna.

 

And then for the long trip back home--
"Oh beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain...."

On the way home we went west from Sioux Falls and then south down into North Nebraska thru some of SD country that I'd not seen before. It was beautiful!  Kaela was enthralled with the scenery and took pictures out the window with my camera.


Kara had been gone for a month at this point, visiting Jana and some other friends, and coming home via North NE was a good way for me both to meet up with her and visit Jana too.

 And another set of sisters! #2, with #11 & #12.

Time spent with my children is precious, no matter how brief.