Grandma's funeral

Well, the timing of everything this spring has been both tricky, and also very right.  I said before, I'm so grateful I was able to be with my last grandparent one last time.  The question was how to get the rest of my family back to UT when I was going home Sunday and the funeral was five days later, Friday.  Marty can only take one day off for a funeral so we couldn't get driving to work out, unless we drove through the night Thursday.  So just a few days later we all flew back out, as a family this time.  I agonized over whether or not I should fly by myself with the four kiddos on the cheaper Allegiant flight, which was Wednesday morning.  But after the disastrous flight home with a VERY cranky Camille, I just lost confidence that I could do it on my own.  The big kids are no worry whatsoever, it was just the thought of the two babies.  In the end, it worked out to be home a little more before leaving again, and especially to be able to all come together.  So we arrived Thursday evening on Southwest.

By the way, the plane ride was so. much. fun.  Someday I will sit on a plane and read a book and have an adult conversation with someone that doesn't begin with, "Well, you've got your hands full!"  But then I wonder...I still think flying is cool.  I've lost count of my plane rides, but I still get giddy and want the window open the whole time, and love when you fly through clouds, and love to see all the backyard pools as we fly over Phoenix, and see all the beautiful land (I'm sorry, but I'm not buying the whole overpopulation thing).  So, am I the only adult who might, like, try to act like it's no big deal if I wasn't with my kids?  I guess I'm just saying that being with my kids makes my whole life more exciting.  I LOVE pointing out the pools to them and hearing them squeal as we are going up!  When the kids get really excited they also get really "huggy" and I just can't get enough of it.

I love seeing them interact.  These days I usually pair an older one with a younger one just to help us all out.  It's like the excitement gets passed from the baby, to the older kid, to me, and back again.  Ok, done gushing over getting to be a mom.

Gabe is our little plane lover.  Both the boys love cars, Bryce loves trains, and Gabe loves all things that fly.  So Marty and I just couldn't wait for his reaction.

After we were up in the air, all he really wanted to do was open and shut the window!  And he seemed pretty delighted about his drink.  I think he felt like a big kid.

That night we got the Oldham band back together, which might be the last time in quite a while.  I love it so much.  It's different singing/playing with them, just like it's different singing with Marty.  Your family just has that connection where you...feel the music more than read it?  We played "Somewhere My Love" for the funeral.  I hope it's ok to say this, but my absolute favorite place to sing or play piano is at funerals.  It is just so, so spiritual, and I can literally feel divine help.  The veil is so thin at those times.

Here are the kids trying their very hardest to be good at the viewing.  But funerals are just not a conducive environment to little wiggle-worms.  On top of that, my cousins left their kids at home, so these ones were the only kids there.  They were really so good, but every little thing stood out and was just making me nervous.  So St. Marty took them all took McD's for a cookie until it was time for the actual funeral to start.  Then he sat in the back with them so I could sit quietly with my family, and I just appreciated that so, so much. In these pictures, the Alaskans and I are standing in the background enjoying being together for just a few days.  

It was a beautiful funeral, and my favorite part was that every grandchild had a chance to share a few memories of Grandma.  Honestly, she was a funny lady and I just loved reminiscing with them.

The next day, Saturday, was Bryce's fifth birthday!  We had a big friend party planned for that day and initially I thought we'd just push it back a week.  But I decided to cancel that and make it a Johnson/Oldham SURPRISE birthday party!

I will never forget the very stunned and confused look on his face when he walked in the door and saw the big clan all yelling "Surprise!" at him!  It took him so long to even move, then he cracked a smile, then he decided it was all real and all for him and he didn't stop beaming the rest of the night!

Originally he said that he wanted a Star Wars party, but I asked if we could make it a little more generic, like a water party?  He was totally on board with that, but when we switched to a UT party, a water day obviously wasn't going to work.  So we went back to Star Wars. :)

Driving around the remote control car from Nickelle and Greg.

The next day, Sunday, we packed up and went home.  The little kids crashed and I made it just in time for choir, haha!  I'm so grateful I was able to be there, even for just a few days.  Because Grandpa Oldham passed away the week before Gabe was born, I couldn't be there and that was so hard for me.  It's still hard for me, honestly.  And I'm grateful my kids could be there, too.  All four of my grandparents have passed away in just over two years.  I've been able to watch the kids at all those funerals and see closure, peace, feeling the spirit, gaining a little seedling of faith about the Plan of Salvation.  Right now, I'm feeling so grateful for that plan, and so grateful for my family.  I really miss all of my grandparents.  There were always four people here on Earth that thought I was as special as it gets, no matter what was ever really going on in my life.  It didn't matter, they thought I was special.   But it's such a good feeling to know they are back with their eternal companions and at peace.