Idaho

We'd originally planned to go down to Idaho at the end of May to visit my Grandpa, but his failing health led us to change our travel plans (no easy feat!) Fortunately, Lem was able to use sick leave to get a few days off school so that we could get down there ASAP. My dad was already in Idaho so we got the added bonus of the girls getting to visit with their Grandpa while we were there, too.

From the first moments of our travels, God's hand was truly resting on our trip. Despite the added leg from Anchorage to Juneau that changing our tickets created, it was about the smoothest flying we've ever done since having kids. Adding that extra leg broke the trip up into roughly three two hour segments which worked really well for the girls, giving them a chance to get their wiggles out before they were totally "done" with being cooped up on the plane. And, every leg of our flight down benefited from a nice boosting tail wind that got us to all three airports ahead of schedule. To top all that off, BOTH of the girls slept on the plane, even overlapping their naps about an hour on one leg of our flight down! We certainly did enjoy the blessings of God's traveling mercies upon our family.

We spent much of our time at my uncle's house visitng with my Grandpa and other family. The first day we were there was really the only day my Grandpa was really awake and able to talk. I got one good day of visiting in with him, and he was able to see both the girls and know we were there, but after that first day, he pretty much started to fade-sleeping and not really waking up all the way again after that.

The girls in Mommy's very special chair at Popper's house

(someday soon this chair will come to our house)

Sycely got to go to the neighborhood park (actually this same park was the first park she ever went to when she was just 6 months old!) and enjoyed time on the slides and swings. We did some outlet shopping (Mommy's fave) and took a trip to the Boise zoo with my dad. We also got to enjoy all our favorite eateries: Olive Garden, SONIC-yum!, and Texas Road House.

She had her very first swing ride on this same swing 3 years ago

Always her favorite, the penguins REALLY loved her and showed off their swimming skills

Grandpa tries his hand at navigating the double stroller

The morning we were supposed to come home I got a phone call from my dad around 7:15. He told me they thought Grandpa was going to go real soon and if I wanted to be there I should head on over. I threw on some sweats and headed to my unlces (he lives just across the main road so it's a real short trip). Within 15 minutes of me getting there my beloved Grandpa took his last breath. I'm so blessed to have been holding his hand when he went home to be with Jesus and to be back with my Grandma again. I will never be able to express the importance of the influence this dear man had on my life. I truly would not be the Godly woman I am without the direction he gave me growing up and I'm so grateful for all the sacrifices he made for me.

That development, of course, changed our travel itenerary (AGAIN!). Kudos to Lem for handling all the dealing with the airline for me! Instead of flying home that day, we instead would be staying in Idaho another 4 days then flying to California for 2 days, then finallly flying home. We had a couple days before the funeral so we did some more shopping (we all needed something to wear to the funeral since we hadn't packed for that) and lots more eating. Why is it that when someone dies EVERYONE feels the appropriate thing to do is the bring the family COOKIES?!

We had a viewing the night before the funeral; by that time Nanny Kate had arrived so we had pizza night afterwards. The funeral went well and was a nice tribute to a very special man of God. The next day we flew to California so we could attend my Grandpa's burial/graveside service.