One Month Later

Exactly 1 month later, this is how full my M&M jar is.  My friend suggested I measure my family as well.

Hank's funeral

Not long ago I blogged about going to see Hank because he was supposed to be dying.  I was glad to have made the trip but I didn't believe he was very close. He died the morning of Valentines day. I had to teach Young Women that day and random things kept making me cry. It was a rough day. 

The funeral was Friday in Boise and I had to speak. It was very difficult to find good things to say, but it was a great thing for me to do.  I had the opportunity to remember the good times and the good things Hank did.  He was not completely evil, he was a great drum teacher.  His methods would have him in jail these days, but his students revere him. Three of them played at the grave side ceremony.  It was very touching.

There was a military ceremony that was very touching.   A soldier played Taps, and the flag was folded ceremonially and given to Jane, his last great love.  It was great.  I liked this part better than the funeral.After the funeral, there was dinner at the church for the family.  I saw lots of family that I had not seen for decades, some that I had never even met, ie stepbrother's children etc. I also saw family that I love to bits, like my Danelle.

It's over. Hank is gone. Strangely enough, I think I will miss him.

Valentines Day

He went to Jared!

My valentines gift from Jim.  What's up?

23 bags of M&M's

I got this nifty Jar for Christmas.  It was originally filled with lemons and limes and has all my grandchildren's names on it.  I put shortbread cookies in it for awhile and a few M&M's that I had.  Which led to the question, How many bags of m&M's would it take to fill it? I got a bunch of M&M's on clearance and went for it. Hannah, Kendall and Caleb guessed how many it would take and Kendall was SPOT ON! 23 bags!

M&M's  are everybody's favorite thing to have in the jar, but nobody is content to look at it as you can see.  The next poll is "How long will 23 bags of M&M's last in the jar?"

Family Theme 2010

Jim, Mom and I went to Boise to see Hank. He is frail and in a lot of pain, but was still sharp and witty. He had a hard time functioning through the pain and it was obvious he was a demanding and frustrating patient. Poor Jane is worn to a frazzle. She put him in a Nursing home temporarily so she could get some rest. She feels very guilty about it. If Hank could get comfortable, life would be easier for everyone. I don't think he is as close to death as people have implied. I think he is months away, much to his dismay. He is tired and in pain and ready. I am very glad I went to see him. I remembered how good he was to me. He sent me to college and was present at every important event in my life. My poor excuse of a father never bothered. Hank was a mean, violent selfish man, but could also be generous and loving. I will try to remember the good times. The bad thing about this picture is that I lost 25 pounds and still look like a porker. I just started back on my diet.

My cute friend April inspired me to have a Family Theme this year. I used President Monson's question, "What did you do for someone today". I bought and painted a magnet board to put it on. Underneath is a quote form Elder Uchtdorf.

Sorry it is sideways, I forgot to turn it around before I imported it. I love the thought that the number of prayers we answer may be more important than the number of prayers we say. We ask each other what we did for someone today whenever we think about it. I actually woke up the other day with the thought "What can I do for someone today". That is the idea, to make it be a natural part of our thought process each day, make it be a habit. It is a little hard for Caleb since he is at the "ME" stage of adolescence, but I think it will really help him. Thanks for the idea April.