My Adventures and Travels

I had a plan for this blog. See, I have these gorgeous flowering trees right outside my classroom windows. So it was to be a "Hooray, Spring is finally here!" type of entry. Unfortunately, spring in Colorado means that it's snowing-really more like a blizzard-today. And so that has taken the wind out of my springy sails. I no longer want to tell about all of last weekend spent in shorts, reading out on the porch. Nope. I am just not in the mood.

I absolutely love this post from my Aunt Deb! Ah, childhood memories...yes, you can see what I looked like at about age 9, all decked out!

In what could only be considered a strange combination, last Sunday was both the actual funeral, and a send-off at no other than....Casa Bonita? Yes, it's true. Us grown-up grandkids all remember the excitement of going to Casa Bonita, which we only got to do when the cousins were in town. Oh, how we loved it all...the diving, the sopapillas, and especially the cave. (We never ate the food so that wasn't an issue) So we decided, once more, to go there. This time, as a bit of a tribute to Grandma, and also, a chance to hang out for just a little while longer before everyone started leaving town. Luckily, my 3 second cousins gave us all the excuse we needed to act like kids again. The weirdest thing of all is that Casa Bonita hasn't changed one bit in the nearly 20 years since some of us have been there. The unidentifiable food, good sopapillas, the cheesy acting with pretty cool diving...and dang if that cave wasn't still scary! (Brave Calvin wasn't afraid in the ca...

After this somber occasion, we headed to Maggiano's for an Italian feast, and a family reunion like none of us has seen in many years. It was possibly the first time that all 10 of us cousins have been together since 1991. I met a couple of my new second cousins, too. My grandma would have loved that we were all together. spouses, kids, and my boyfriend, myHere are the most traditional and expected photos: the 10 cousins (I was dismayed that I have become the shortest, being the 3rd, I used to be up there! Drat!). The whole family along with dad and his sister, and Andrew & Timi playing with the newest baby, Ingrid-practicing for their own little one due in only a month! Then the other pictures... Aunt Deb brought out Grandma's jewelery for the granddaughters to go through and pick out some pieces. Oh, and of course, there was the hokey pokey with Deb and her great niece and nephew, the adorable Calvin and Ava. (For the most part, Ava was a dedicated participant, while Ca...

This was for me, by far the most difficult and emotional part of the weekend. It also meant the most to me. For the burial, my grandmother was buried next to my grandfather in Crown Hill Cemetery. After Wes said a few words and a prayer, the family shared memories of Grandma. I don't want to forget what was said here. I started out by writing what I recall being said, until I realized how personal this process was, and that it might not be appropriate for sharing unless it's voluntary.Therefore, I invite family members (even those who don't often comment), to help me share and remember the words said about Grandma, if you are comfortable doing so. Here was my contribution. So many of my memories of both grandparents revolve around the big house they used to have in Arvada. It was such a welcoming place, and they so cherished having family around. I have so many family memories of playing with my brothers and cousins, celebrating holidays and birthdays, and just hanging ...

I'm not sure how to even begin cataloging this weekend. It has been really, really sad. But, in addition to all of the expected activities that go along with a funeral, it has also been an amazing reunion. I don't often blog about more personal stuff, but there are several family members that check in with the blog (and even have their own!) so I'd like to share some of the ways we honored and remembered Grandma this weekend. Some traditional, some not. Instead of an epic entry, I'll do several short ones, showing the many things we did. It's been emotional, so we'll see how far I can get!

On Monday, my grandma passed away. Her health had been failing recently, and at 86, her body gave out. She lived a long, good life, devoted to her family and church. We'll miss her. Deb, I "borrowed" some recent pictures from your blog-none of my pictures of Grandma are digital...I hope you don't mind.

Tomorrow I will go to my first ever opening day game! I am taking a personal day, which means that even if my principal reads this, I will not be in trouble for ditching school. I'm meeting my mom downtown for lunch before the game. Although it was a drizzly rain/snow mix all day today, the weatherman assures me that it will clear up and be close to 60 degrees tomorrow. Let's hope! Pictures to follow sometime...but it is Toni's birthday weekend so it'll be a busy one!