We're Back

Here's something you don't ever expect to hear yourself to say: It is so good to be back in the South!

Our trip was good, all things considered. Jimi was quite the travelin' trooper, first on the 8 hr flight out west and then the 12 hr drive to California from my parents' house. We split the drive up into two six hour trips, as per Dapo's request. He really loves us and didn't want anything to happen to us because someone got tired while driving. It is nice to have someone care so much for you!

Jimi and I left here Tues am, arriving PDX at noon. My mom, Jimi, my niece Makenna and I left that night for CA and stayed in Medford, OR. So we got to the hotel in CA on Wednesay afternoon.

When we arrived to CA we spent most of the trip at my aunt Sharon's farm house. The kids really had fun picking walnuts and riding around on the forklift with whichever adult was not clairvoyant enough to realize "once a driver, always a driver". I had not been there since I was a kid myself and a lot of memories came back to us.

One in particular was my cousin Kristin, me and my brother and a friend of his went white water rafting in Truckee. My brother, his friend and I fell out of the raft. My cousin kept telling me to hold on to the raft going down the rapids! Ow. She finally had the where-with-all to pull me inside! My brother, Dan, and his friend did not hold on to the raft, and he went down the rapids mano-a-rocko. What a day.

Since Friday was the memorial and graveside service, we spent all day Thursday preparing for the after service wake at the Ione VFW Memorial Hall. If you have ever heard of Ione, I do not know how. We're not even sure it has a Police Dept. We got to the hall around 5 and worked until around 9 to prepare all of the food.

Friday was the funeral service. There were lots of people there I guess I am related to. Lots of cousins...first, second, third, etc. My mom's aunt Marcellane was so fun to have there. She is a lot like my gramma, who was always cracking a joke or a prank. She, too, is in her 80s and someone asked if she was Marcy and she cracked, "what's left of her". Smart as a whip.

I spoke at the service on behalf of my mom and then spoke on behalf of myself. My mom told a story about a beautiful dress she wanted as a teenager, which at the time was over $100. My gramma told Mom no, of course, but promised to make her one just like it. My mom said within a week my gramma had made her own pattern and created an exact replica of the dress from Cabella's. She was so proud of that dress because it was so beautifully crafted.

I told a story about moving to AL and speaking to gramma about cotton. Gramma was from west TX and hated picking cotton! But I loved hearing her talk about it. I also read a poem for my mom and then read the 23rd Psalm myself.

We left on Sunday afternoon, after dropping my dad off at the airport. He is a HEAVY smoker and would not be able to spend that many hours in the car without smoking. In fact, he booked a smoking room at the hotel for me and Jimi to stay in, because he thought we'd be staying with him. Hello?? Dad?? I'm pregnant, and don't like smoke even when I'm not! Neither does my mom, who is also a smoker. Anyhow, we changed the reservations to a non-smoking room for the week. He was upset because we "inconvenienced" him, but he got over it.

We got to Roseburg, OR around 9pm Sunday night. We got to Portland around noon Monday and stopped at Costco to do shopping for the following week. We also got to stop at my favorite type of cuisine, Mongolian BBQ. We don't have any Mongolian BBQ restaurants here in the south. Anything BBQ here has some kind of wood smoking involved.

On Wednesday we went shopping for WARM clothes, as it was highs in the 50s in SW Washington! When I packed, the forecast was mid to upper 60s. We had dinner over at a friend of the family's, Vince and Cindy. They, too, are heavy smokers, so I spent the most of the evening outside in the very cold but FRESH air until dinner.

On Thursday I went to see my nieces' games. Makenna plays volleyball on her middle school team and Lindsey plays soccer for a rec league. That was fun to cheer them on. Jimi liked it, too. I saw my old trophy and team picture that they were making fun of my 80's hair in. It was pretty 80's-riffic.

Saturday my aunt Charlene (my dad's sister) and uncle Joe came up from Vancouver to visit. Dan, Jody and the kids came over as well as Jody's parents. Both of my nieces brought friends over, too. It was nice to visit with everyone again. One thing my aunt Charlene told me is that another cousin of mine who is also pregnant with a girl is going to name her daughter Lila Joanne. Remember I want to name my girl something with Jane? I had an idea of LilaJane. I really like it and may stick with it in spite of learning my cousin's intent to name her daughter Lila. Her idea is a first name, second name. My idea is a middle name, compounded. Oh, it would help to know that my grammy on my dad's side's name was Lila. Funny that we both thought of that, eh?

Yesterday was the worst part of the trip, as Jimi did not nap on the 5 hr flight to ATL, and employed two full fledged temper tantrums on the packed plane. He wanted down then once down, wanted up. Once up, wanted down. Wants toys, throws toys. Hungry, not hungry, tired, not tired. Ugh. Exasperating for me and I'm sure he wasn't enjoying himself, either. We made it literally by the grace of God to Atlanta. We had a 2 1/2 hr layover, which I was finally able to get him to sleep by the 2nd hour of.

We finally arrived HSV at 430. I walked right by Dapo (absence may make the heart grow fonder, but it doesn't help your eyes!) and heard him call after me, "Honey!" While he was catching up, I unbuckled Jimi from the stroller and when that boy saw his Daddy, he was so happy, it made me cry. That Daddy was also so happy to see his boy! Oh, and Mama, too. Jimi did not let go of Dapo's neck, even when Dapo had to retrieve my 50+ lb bag from the conveyor belt. He did it one-handed and I helped make sure it didn't get away.

It is nice to be back together as a family again, even though I was with family the whole time. In light of that fact, I am reminded to live each day as though it will be my last, and I will then be standing before the judgment throne of Christ giving testimony for my life.