Bittersweet

Today has been bittersweet. It has been a day that I have been dreading for a while. A man who has always been there for my family passed away. He has been our family home teacher since as long as I can remember. He was one of the most spiritual men I know, President Law.



The only times he ever missed doing his visiting teaching was when him and Sister Law were on their full time missions for the LDS church. Him and Ted would never miss a month. When Pres.Law wasn't able to be there, Ted would come with Al Lemons or his wife Fay when she was still alive.

Growing up, I have VERY fond memories of Pres.Law. Whenever he would go out of town and needed someone to help with his farm chores, he would call up my dad. We would go help with his chores. I still remember the smell of the utility room in their house where we would get the milk bucket. We would then walk out to the farm. Pres.Law would have the baby pigs that he would allow us to play us. Whenever the pigs would have their babies he would call us and tell us to come see them. I remember feeding the slop to the pigs, going into the chicken coop. Getting the grain out to feed them, picking up the eggs. Most of all, learning how to milk the cows.

Pres.Law was a spiritual, honest man. He was a seminary teacher for MANY years over at Canyon View. Everytime he would come to do home teaching, he knew he could never go without hearing the slack from the Labrum's on why did he have to work in Canyon, SRJH is so much better (thanks for the correction mom) He was eventually the patriarch of the Castle Dale Stake. I was HONORED to have him give me my patriarchal blessing.

Whenever I would go home and go to church, I couldn't wait to see Pres Law at church. As soon as I saw him, I would go up to him and try to shake his hand. I could tell thatParkinson's disease was really getting to him and it broke my heart everytime I saw him. He wouldn't allow me to just shake his hand. He said he always gets a hug. He would still go to my parents monthly. Not a month went by that he didn't go and he would ask my parents about the kids and how they are doing.

He has been like a second grandfather to me. My heart is saddened by the loss of him but he is no longer in pain. The world has lost a great man. Heaven has gained a great man.

When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. ~Author Unknown

A year has passed

I can't believe a year has passed since Grandpa has passed.It was actually yesterday (Saturday). So many emotions came back. I remember that dreaded call I got from dad, I didn't believe what he said, I had him repeat it a few times and I finally broke down and just bawled at my desk. I left work early because I just wanted my mom. I had called Mitch, we decided that we would travel together. We would meet at the 7-11 by my house and follow each other down to Orangeville. The whole way down I just thought about my mom. I wanted to make sure she was ok. I knew she was with my dad, and he would make sure that she was ok. I just wanted to put my arms around her. I wanted to hug her, I just wanted to be with my parents.

When I got down to Orangeville, my mom was still at my grandparents house. They were starting to look through papers and the Watson/Wilsons were there. And Ruanne was there. They were talking about the obituary and how that would go about. They were meeting with Faucett Mortuary the next morning, Linda was coming down that morning to be there with the family. Kent and Landon ran over to BK's and picked up pizza for everyone.

That next morning, I went with my parents to the mortuary. A lot of the funeral plans were already made, Grandpa did that before. He wants RED ROSES for his flowers so that made it easy for us to pick out flowers. Kristi soon came. We all walked downstairs and looked at caskets. It didn't take long, we looked at the casket and we knew THAT ONE was "IT". We then all met over at Gordon's for the flowers. The grandkids decided on making a wreath to set at Grandma and Grandpa's headstone every year for christmas. It had christmas bulbs on it with all of our names on it. Just thinking of it makes me cry. It is something that we will always have of up there. We also put pinecones and holly berries in the red roses arrangements. It looked beautiful.










The funeral and burial were beautiful. Grandpa would have loved it! They Orangeville City had the Bell ringing while driving up to the cemetery, gives me chills. That was Grandpa's doing, HE brought the bell back! It snowed so much! The cemetery was so peaceful with all the snow (very cold too). Hearing the horn play since by grandpa was a Veteran. It was the most beautiful graveside.

It was so nice to have the family there. Yes were were missing some people, but they were in our hearts. Now that a year has passed, I know that it doesn't always get easier. But at least the first year is gone. I have missed my grandpa so much this past year. He was an amazing man. There are times I will sit and think that my grandparents are watching over me. I have angels, I have 4 up there!

I miss you Grandpa! Your legacy lives on. We all miss you (grandchildren picture we are missing Todd and Nancy, great-grandchildren picture we are missing Tyler)

What a week!!!

The past week has been a roller coaster!

I started getting a cold the weekend of OV days. Not sure if it was because of the cold weather, but it started out with a massive migraine! I thought it was just a headache. Then the next day I started getting really congested and then it just spiraled downhill from that. I got the yucky sore throat and nasty conjestion. I went to the Dr (Carol Cheney, she is a Nurse Practitioner) that I go to up here in Salt Lake at the Holladay Family Practice, she is the only I trust at that place!! She was sure I was getting something in my throat because it was BRIGHT red, but of course, NOTHING! I have gone through 6 boxes of tissues and my nose hurts so bad! 3 boxes are the rough tissues from work that feel like sandpaper. I started feeling better, then it started up again.. People at Myriad kept asking me why I went into work yesterday, as soon as 3:30 came, I was out the door! I slept as soon as I got home. I worked 4 hours today because I just feel so awful! I hope this cold goes away soon! I can't handle it anymore! I just cough all the time. I am at least not conjested, it is a runny nose now and I am coughing. So at least it is loose. But the coughing just hurts so bad. It makes me get a really bad headache and it hurts my chest. But I know that I am on the mend of it... so hopefully soon... :)

Friday a co-worker passed away unexpected. That has been so hard on me! She was at work and did her full 8 hours of work on Thursday. I am still in the shock stage. Kitty was such a great friend. Just shocking and really hard to grasp. Her viewing was Tuesday and it was so hard to go to but it wasn't her. That is really hard for me to go to see the body and the body looks NOTHING like them. Lately the grieving is starting to set in with me. I met with my therapist today about it and it was really good meeting. He is FABULOUS!

Monday, I had to buy a new tire. Of course, I had a flat tire! I am KNOWN for getting flats! Well, I had to buy a new one! What a great way to start the week out!

Yesterday, Dad had his knee replaced. I heard the nurses didn't take good care of him at Castleview Hospital and that really makes me mad! He got sick and he didn't even have a pink tub to throw up in. So thank goodness we had our dear Tiffany (Tyler Jeff's wife) to get things going. My mom said that dad was just miserable. And of course, they ended up having the same nurses TONIGHT! I wish I was there to take care of my dad.

I can't wait to get Tammy and Josh to move up here! They will just be around the corner from me! AND, next week, me and Tammy are going to the Tim McGraw concert. So maybe that will help me relieve stress. My Therapist says that I do suffer from anxiety and a lot of things have made me stressed out lately.. So having family around will help that I think.

I am really looking forward to this weekend where I can just relax. Last weekend I had to work on Saturday. I am going to help out the Friday late shift, but Saturday, I am going to do nothing but relax!

Other then that... I hope the rollercoaster is over the loop-de-loops and is starting to come to the straight path to slow down! :) I am tired of the big roller coasters. I'm ready for the little fun rides, like bumper cars or the carousel.. Where it is steady at one pace and actually kinda boring. :)

I'll be better at writing I promise. THis past week has really got to me with emotions. It has also really got me thinking a lot about death. You never know when it is your time. Kitty's family is going through much. I don't know what I would do if that happened to someone in my family. Kitty was younger then my parents. That is where it is so hard on me. I don't know what I would do if I lost a parent like that. Just one day they went to bed and didn't wake up. I love my family so much! I hope everyone in my family knows that I do love them. I want my nieces and nephews to know that Aunt Nicky loves them. With everything I have had to go through the past week, I want to make sure that they know EVERYDAY that I love them. I want my own sisters and brothers to know, not only my blood family but my brother in laws and my sister in law, I want you all to know that I love you. I love you guys all so much. With things that I have seen on the news and seen just here in my life... Things change SOO fast. I look up to you guys so much! You are my family, you are my heros. You have done so many things that I could never do. You are wonderful..
Mom and dad.. Please take care of yourself! I don't want to lose my parents at such an early age! Yes, you are young! :) you can frame that, I said you were young!! :) I love my family so much! I want everyone to know that! I want to yell it on the mountaintops so EVERYONE can hear. I am proud of my family and proud of the family I come from! :)