Thank you for your prayers for my family over the last week. Although it was under sad circumstances, it was wonderful to be together again as a family as we celebrated my grandpa's life.
My father was with grandpa when he passed away. That was a blessing. My mom traveled up from Florida with my older brother, Peter. Andy and Elissa, my brother and sister-in-law, and their two boys traveled south from Wisconsin. Jamie, my sis, traveled with Gerson, Jayden and me. We all stayed at my grandpa's house on the farm where my dad was raised. It was hard to be there realizing we weren't going to be visiting Grandpa in the nursing home, but at the same time it was wonderful to remember all the good times we'd spent with Grandpa while he was alive.
The funeral was touching. I was out of the country for 2 of my grandparents' funerals. When my Grandma Dorothy passed away last winter, I was unable to truly grieve because as I sat through her funeral, the thought went through my mind was that the next funeral we might be attending could be of our baby Jadyen. At that time he was in critical condition in the hospital. Therefore, I couldn't really concentrate on grieving my grandma's passing. So, this was really my first opportunity to grieve all four of my grandparents.
During the funeral, it was beautiful to hear what people remembered about Grandpa. There weren't too many people who shared, but those who did captured in their few words who Grandpa was. I was especially touched by those who remembered my Grandpa as their Sunday school teacher and what he had taught them. My brother Andy sang "The Old Rugged Cross," one of Grandpa's favorite hymns. Gerson sang "Amazing Grace" in Spanish.
The gravesite ceremony was also very special. Grandpa was a World War II vet, so he was given military rights at his burial in honor of his service to our country. The most touching moment was when the bugle began to sound, my brother Peter, who is in the Army and was dressed in his Army dress uniform, stood and saluted my grandpa's casket. Tears were running down my cheeks as I thought of not only my grandpa's service to his country, but also his faithful service to our Lord. I am proud to be his granddaughter.
I praise the Lord for 4 grandparents who loved the Lord and lived godly lives for all to see. That is the most amazing heritage a person can leave on this Earth. Although they have gone on to meet their Maker, they have all left a huge mark in my life and a testament of faithfulness to God. I will always cherish the precious memories and treasure the times I was able to be with them while they walked their journey of faith.
Hello, friends! It's been a long time since I've been able to share with you. My parents have kept me very busy as we've traveled all over the USA! We've traveled to Illinois twice, Pennsylvania, and Iowa by car. I've spent MANY hours in this car seat, many of those hours dozing. It's a good thing I don't mind being in it! We've met so many neat people!
My parents also took me to Texas. We had four flights and I took turns on my parents' laps. The stewardesses were always a bit concerned when they saw me; I think they thought I would be a crier. Well, I surprised them! The lull of the plane's motor always put me to sleep. I slept all four flights! No crying from me!
One of the times we traveled to Illinois was for my great-grandpa's funeral. I had a fun time getting to know my uncles, aunts, and grandparents better. This is my uncle Peter. He played with me quite a bit. He's in the military and he may take me parachuting one day. I can't wait!
I also got to spend time with my Grandma Cookie. She took every opportunity to feed me and hold me. Of course, she had to share her lap with my two cousins as well, so we all had to take turns being the center of Grandma's attention!
Grandpa Harvey surprised everyone by having the magic touch. I was being crabby (so they tell me) and was fighting sleep. Grandpa picked me up and I got all cozy in his arm and feel right to sleep! 
I also enjoyed getting to know my cousins more. This is my cousin Joshua. He's 2 years old and he liked being near me. He's talking in complete sentences now and running all over the place. I hope I'm just like that when I'm his age!
My cousin Johnathon is a few months younger than me. We just looked at each other a lot. We also smiled at each other. He's going to be a great playmate someday!
I also witnessed my mommy and her siblings being very silly. Have you ever heard of the "ha, ha" game? They put their heads on each other's stomaches and then said, "ha". They weren't very good at the game; they laughed too hard and weren't able to play! It was funny to see adults being so silly!
