Blessing # 19...Reconnecting

I have been reconnecting with a lot of people from my past lately thanks to Face book! I have enjoyed it a lot. There are people that I didn't really know that well that have added me as a "friend"??? but there are people that I have been able to get in touch with that I have wondered about for years and have been able to reconnect with and find out some cool things about them that I would have never guessed about them. I have really loved it! I have to admit that I limit myself to checking it just a couple of times a week because I could totally get addicted to all of this. I already have my blog and I am not sure that my family and my YW would appreciate suffering from my negligence to the more important things in life. With that being said, I have this amazing friend that I had lost touch with for many years. Well, let me rephrase that...we send Christmas cards every year, but haven't spoken and haven't seen each other for YEARS!! Kathryn Weaver Tomany. I think that the last time I saw her was in Boise at her wedding reception before I even had children!! That is not ever going to happen again because reconnecting with Kathryn has been amazing!!!!! I loved her from the day that we met when I was just turning 12 and her big sis was my YW leader and Kathryn came to stay with her sister in IN for the summer... we hit it off so quick!! We had a lot in common and reading her blog has reminded me of how incredible she was then and still is! I am so grateful for her and grateful for the way that she touched my life then and now again with her sweet life experiences that she shares on her blog so many years later! My children did an exchange with their Uncle Jon this week and so I had his daughter with me and he had my boyz down in Utah and when we exchanged today in Ogden, I decided to go and see my long lost friend Kathryn. It was as if we were 16 again! She looked exactly the same (minus the poofy bangs)! Beautiful as ever inside and out. Instead of us doing flips off the diving board, talking about gymnastics, bugs in our cups at girls camp, the hippest music, the New Batman movie with Val Kilmer, and the cute boys in the FW ward, we were talking about potty training, Binky's, the loss of a beloved child and father(s), our husbands, siblings, houses, jobs, all of the grown up stuff that we could think of! It was so much fun to follow through with the "reconnecting" Thank you Kathryn!! So~Here's to reconnecting with those we have loved and who have touched our lives. With such uncertain times for all of us, isn't that what is most important? All of the people in our lives that have touched us in one way or another. What would we do without each other!!!??? Get in touch with someone you haven't talked to for a while today!!! Blessing #19...Reconnecting

Saying Goodbye

Saying goodbye to dad was a special time for all of us with many mixed emotions. We were glad that he wasn't suffering anymore and we were sad that we were going to be missing him so much. The day of the viewing, mom and all of the us kids went to go and dress dad and then mom sat with all of us by dad and gave each of us letters that dad had written to us and a letter from her and a copy of Dad's patriarchal blessing which after I read it, realized that dad had fulfilled his mission on the Earth. It was like a check list with everything checked off! We had the viewing on that night of the 17th and then the funeral on the 18th. My older kids sure had a hard time that night. I felt for them. They are some of the oldest grand kids and have a lot of memories with grandpa. It was an emotional time for them. After the viewing was over, Jeff said that to listen to all of us, you would have thought that we were having a party instead of a viewing. There was a lot of memories shared with those that walked through the line and to see dad and even laughter. That's how dad would have wanted it. My mom said that he would have liked that party. It was so precious to meet some of the people that dad and mom talked about and have them mention how special dad was and the impact that he made on their lives.

The next day at the funeral, was harder than I expected. Someone came through and said that this is the hardest part and in my mind I kind of laughed at her, but then when we followed dad into the chapel, the floodgates opened and I didn't stop crying until it was over! I guess that it was bound to happen sometime. It was amazing though. Being on the stand with my only sister and all of my brothers and sharing that time in unity remembering dad was something that I will cherish forever! Daddy (the cruise director) was very prepared and had given us topics to speak on and even time limits so that the funeral wasn't too long. Everyone did such a great job! When I would look down at mom, I knew that she was going to miss him, but the joy that I could see on her face for her family overpowered that day and she was smiling knowing that dad was there smiling with her. Everyone did a great job remembering and honoring dad.

Thank you again for all of your support, kindness and friendship that we have felt through this time. I don't know what I would have done without all of you that helped and gave us kind words and offers to help.