Arizona for Gram's Funeral

My Gram’s after living 91 years in her own home (32 of those alone as a widow) recently fell and hit her head and suffered a stroke and passed away.  She spent a couple weeks deteriorating in the hospital.  My dad and Kathy were able to go out and visit and care for her before she passed.  We planned a date for the funeral that would work for all my siblings to attend.  Unfortunately, the day before we were headed out Nathan notified us that he had to cancel his trip because Benazir had come down with mastitis and was too sick to travel and too sick to care for herself and their new baby. 

Thursday evening we stayed and watched Liv play in her softball game.  We had the car loaded and ready to go and left straight from there for St. George.  The boys of course jumped in the pool when we got there and Babi had food set out and ready for us when we arrived. 

We got up early Friday morning to continue the journey to Arizona.  We checked into our hotel and I ironed everyones’ clothes for the funeral.  Then we went to the Arizona National Memorial Cemetery (where Grandpa is also buried) for the funeral.  It was short- just 30 mins.  Dad shared some words about his Mom and how she pushed him hard to succeed and finish his eagle scout award.  He talked about how smart she was and how principled.  He talked about how she was such a great wife and balanced out their dad.  He shared a story about how she always got As in college and Grandpa said it was just because she took education classes and they were easy.  So the next semester she took accounting just to show him and got and A.  

Ky shared some words about how Grandma was the primary mother figure in her life and took her in when she needed a place and taught her and exemplified independence.  I spoke about how my Grams was present.  Always there to take my phone call and listen to me talk and my life updates, always there when I needed an Arizona grams trip or to spend any holiday with her.  She would stock the fridge with my favorite snacks and research fun stuff for us to do together.  She was present for my kids she always played whatever new game they wanted to teach her, was the one who got us onto easter egg hunts with coins in the eggs.  My kids remember her as the lego grandma that sent them legos for every birthday, Christmas, and would have lego sets ready and waiting when we came to visit.  It keeps sticking in my mind how the first time she met Derek we wanted to go on a hike and she totally came with us at probably 75 years old.  Derek made a good impression by holding her arm and helping her up the mountain the whole hike.  When I was pregnant with Liv, Derek and I planned a baby moon to her cabin.  She met us there and we went to the Grand Canyon and some Indian cave dwellings.  She came out for Liv’s birth and to see the new home we had purchased.  But mostly she always opened her house to me and there was nothing that felt more like going home than going to Grandma’s house.  Then, Liv sang Amazing Grace and that was it.  She now lays on top of my Grandpa at the National Cemetery in Arizona. 

After the funeral, we all went out to Aunt Kathy’s for dinner. 

She had out all the photo albums and she said we could take any phots we liked.  So I searched through all of them and got some gems.  Grams was great at keeping photo albums she seemed to have one each year that would have pics from her travels and also any pics we sent out to her.  That evening we spent the night at Ky and Jordan’s Air B&B.  The kids swam in the pool and we had pizza.  Then our kids slept there and Derek and I got the hotel to ourselves.

The next morning, Jordan and Kylie convinced me to make cottage cheese pancakes.  Then, Jordan, Dean and Derek and my kids went to the zoo. 

Kylie, Ava and I stopped by the cemetery to see Grandma and Grandpa’s resting place.  

Then, we went to Grams’ house to help Aunt Kathy get stuff ready for an estate sale. I was doing pretty well with the passing of my Grams until I had to face saying goodbye to her house that I will never go visit her at any more.  I found a bunch of genealogy stuff and I took her China set and some tea cups from another as well- Derek was thrilled to pack that all up for me to bring home and store at our house.  Liv came over to the house and went through all of Grandma’s jewelry and found some great vintage jewelry and watches.  Ky and I found matching purses from Italy.  One initialed S.R. for Grams and another G.H.  for Gamme (I took Gam’s and Ky took Gram’s).  Ky also took Grandpa’s green military bag that has his name on the leather name tag on the back.  The boys found a bunch of DVD to watch in the car on the ride home. Grams always had the best movie collection to choose from.  We also found an unopened book light for them!  Nay says he wants an elephant, a duck, and maybe the landscape painting Grandpa did that hung on the wall (everyone always says was not very good- but I think it is cool my Grandpa painted it and Gram had it hung on the wall).

That night Derek, the kids, Jordan, Dean and Dad and Lynn all went to a Diamondback Game.  

Ky and I stayed back at her place with Ava who is the sweetest most smiley baby girl.  

After she went to bed Ky and I cooked up some fillets and veggies they had in the fridge for dinner. Then, Sunday morning the kids and Derek and I drove home.  We met Mom and George and Kota at Mt. Carmel for lunch.   It was a great trip and a great send off for Grams.  I’m so grateful to have had her in my life.