Sunday, November 20, 2011

Shake it off, Johnson

Not gonna lie.  This has not been a good week.  It's been an emotional and physically intense week.  I realize I'm starting to annoy myself, and if I'm this bad of company for myself then I must be even worse company for my family! :)  I've been watching everyone post their "thankful thoughts" on blogs and Facebook, and I know that thankful people are happy people.  And then I started looking through pictures on my camera and remembering how blessed I am and how much I have to be thankful for.  So here is my therapeutic plan to snap out of it.  I'm going to go ahead and post about my week, and then spend the day posting the wonderful things I've had in my life recently but haven't yet recorded. 

Where to start?  I'm being induced in a week!  Monday the 28th we will welcome the newest edition to our eternal family!  I've been glad it worked out for that day, because my parents were planning to come up for Thanksgiving anyway.  And after we got the induction scheduled, we figured my mom would already be here, she could just stay a few extra days while I had the baby.  So I'd get her a few days before the baby to help me prepare and a few days after.  Which would be especially nice, because I don't carry my babies well and I've been in a LOT OF PAIN. 

Anyway, on Tuesday I started feeling sick.  I don't want to be sick two weeks before my due date.  I do NOT want to go into labor sick.  I'm feeling kind of bummed when my mom called Tuesday night to let me know that my Grandpa Oldham passed away.  That's why I've been emotional.  I'm really glad we were able to see him last month when we went up to Utah.  No way did I think it would be the last time I'd see him.  The really emotional part is not being able to be there.  I wish I could be there for my Grandma Oldham, and of course for my Dad.  I wish I could be there at the funeral tomorrow.  If I wasn't only a week away from the big day, I'd even just send Marty up there for the day to represent our family.  But I can't imagine going into labor without him.  I miss my grandpa.  I miss my family.  Even my brothers and SIL in Alaska are flying out.  And I'm here.  And it's Sunday, and I'm still miserably sick, at home missing my little girl's primary program.  I should be running around cleaning everything, making freezer meals, getting ON TOP of things the last week before baby comes, but instead my house has fallen to pieces and I'm about as behind as I get. 

See how good I am at feeling sorry for myself?  Ok, now that's out of my system.  Let's start over:

I'm grateful for the opportunity that I had to know and love my Grandpa O for 27 years.  I'm grateful that my family is together for this.  I'm grateful that as one family member leaves the earth, another is coming in just one short week (maybe they'll get to high-five each other on the way in and out!).  I'm grateful that although my parents won't be here for Thanksgiving now, my mom will still be able to fly out and help when the baby is born.  I'm thankful that my husband is a saint.  He's GOT to be getting sick of this pregnancy.  It hasn't been an easy one and this week I've just been at the end of my rope, but he never complains.  As soon as he walks in the door he knows he's on duty and I can ask him for anything and he treats me like gold.

And now a short tribute to Grandpa:
(Can you tell from the picture how much FUN my grandpa was?  Always joking, teasing...I love this picture)



Robert Jay Oldham

"Humor Even in Adversity"

Robert "Bob" Jay Oldham slipped peacefully from this life Tuesday evening, November 15, 2011. He was surrounded by his dear wife, children and grandchildren.

Robert was born April 27, 1929 in McGill, Nevada, the first child born to Verlin Henry Oldham and Ruth Lucille Madsen. He grew up on horseback in Mt. Pleasant, Utah and spent most of his youth working on the family farm. One of his fondest memories was his time spent working as a cow puncher on a ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

He was a sergeant in the Army during the Korean conflict. After returning home he married Gloria Ann Sperry in the Salt Lake City Temple, his sweetheart and best friend of 58 years. He worked primarily for Hill Air Force Base on the F16 fighter jets. He received various awards for his work there.

He loved fishing, hunting, and motorcycles. He was a hard worker and always willing to help others. Although he spent most of his life dealing with pain he never complained or let it stop him or slow him down. He will be greatly missed by his family members for his example and love.

He is survived by his wife, Gloria; son, Allan (Debra); daughter Barbara Davies (Edwin); sister, Beth (Melvin) Jones; brother, Jerald (Mary Ann) Oldham; brother in-law, Jay Sperry; sister in-law, Elma Sperry; grandchildren: Corey, Justin (Helen), Emily (Marty), Christy (Eric), Brent (Melinda) and Eric; great grandchildren: Anthony, Kathryn, Molly, Brynn, Bryce, and another great grandson expected any day. He is preceded in death by his parents and sister, Phyllis Sperry.

Funeral services will be held Monday, November 21, 2011, 11:00 a.m. at McDougal Funeral Home, 4330 South Redwood Road where a viewing will be held Monday, 10-10:45. Interment, Mona City Cemetery.

Published in Deseret News on November 19, 2011
 
 
And here are a few memories I e-mailed to my cousin.  I didn't think at the time that I'd be posting them publicly or I would have written them out better.  But here they are:
 
There are a few things I always looked forward to when visiting Grandpa. First of all, I loved playing with his smooth, shiny rocks. I loved getting new rocks from him and still have several bags of rocks from Grandpa. I also remember a couple times when he gave us a geode and let us pick some figurines to glue in. Another thing I couldn't wait for was to hear him call Grandma "Button." I don't know why I loved that so much. But the main thing I absolutely couldn't wait for when I went to see Grandpa, was to be teased by him. I loved being teased by him, and he knew it. I felt special, he made me laugh. It was kind of like our love language. One time that sticks out in my memory was when he started taking the food off of my plate, taking bites, and putting it back. I couldn't believe he would do that! But again, I absolutely loved that. I also loved that he called me "Emmy" for most of my life. Even as a "too-cool-for-that" teenager I loved it. I was either Emmy or Em, I don't remember him ever calling me Emily and that was something else that just made me feel special and loved by him.


Another random memory was when he and Grandma were (sweetly) bickering over whose spoon was in the sink and who should wash it. I think Grandma thought she had won, but we came in a few minutes later and found the dreaded spoon, hanging from a noose over the sink. He had to have been entertaining to live with!

And now I'm so grateful that my kids had a chance to get to know and love him. Especially Bryce. He is only two and might not remember Grandpa as he gets older, but we will make absolutely sure to talk to Bryce about him throughout his life, because they truly had a special connection. Bryce had acid reflux and was a really fussy baby, so when he melted into Grandpa to drink his bottle I was kind of surprised, but of course thought it was really sweet. Then after that, it always stayed that way. After Bryce learned to crawl, he would crawl to Grandpa. He was content on Grandpa's lap. This last summer, there was a bulldozer out by grandma and grandpa's street. Bryce loves those, and he was so excited. He ran back to Grandpa, grabbed his hand and practically dragged him over to see it, saying "C'MON, Grandpa!". It was this nail-biting moment of "He's going to pull Grandpa to the ground!" As Grandpa has said, "I took a step, skipped a step, took a step, skipped a step." For how little they were able to see each other, they just seemed drawn to each other. As Bryce's personality has developed, I think those two have some definite similarities.

Ok.  So there is the heavy stuff.  Onto the lighter moments of the last couple of months that are missing from my blog!

2 comments:

Nicole said...

Emily I just love reading your blog. I love how real you are and your example of faith that is evident in every one of these posts. And I love that it's obviously just a natural part of who you are and the life you live. Thank you for your example of a happy family life centered on the gospel. You have no idea what it means to me.
Nicole Lyman

Melinda said...

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about your grandpa. I didn't know him too well so I am grateful to read things you loved about him. Good luck with your delivery! We are excited to see the next member of the Johnson Family.