Maren, Greg and Boston had the opportunity to spend a week at the Cooperstown Park where Boston was tutored and trained in all aspects of the baseball game. Maren said that every day he played baseball games. What a wonderful experience for Boston. I hope he appreciates what his parents are doing and providing for him. These are the pictures that were sent to Neal and I.
Another grandchild has completed their twelves years of school and officially graduated from high school and on to college. Neal and I did not fly to California to attend Lexi's graduation but Tucker sent us some great pictures. Lexi we are so proud of you and all you have accomplished so far in your life. The time goes by so quickly. When you are your age, time seems endless but believe me it is gone in moment. Try and enjoy and live these young adult and college years with fun and purpose. Your future is yours to create. Pa and I love you!
How do you say goodbye to a loved one? How do I say goodbye to my beloved sister? How do I convey the feelings that are the most tender part of my heart and soul? I don't think it even possible. I knew this day would come but it never seemed like it was really going to happen. I've so many memories with Lila Mae.. .. .. so many memories. The list grows longer and longer. I am so thankful that we had those times together. My heart is heavy and it hurts. Life won't be the same without her. I'm not signing her off, but I'm trying to prepare myself for that inevitable phone call.
Since my retirement, I've been busy cleaning, going through files throwing 'stuff' away but finding treasures along the way. I found these two emails written to me by Emmi. I wish I had what my responses were but at least I saved these. Emmi, do you remember?
"January 5, 2009
Good afternoon GAM!
I just got home from school about 5 minutes ago. It had started to snow about 15 to 20 minutes ago. I was walking from the bus stop to my house. I was carrying my mom's late Christmas present, a green and yellow dirty spoon holder thing, like her Seattle one, and some snowflakes clearly landed on the green base and I could distinctively see the shape of the snowflakes. Heavenly Father sure has one heck of an imagination! That's amazing that every snowflake has a different design."
Then she goes on to say: "That sounds like a fun tradition. My mom or dad would probably have to come with us. 4 cute little blond girls in a public place with no parents or security. Anyways, that does sound like a very fun tradition!
Your Emmigirl"
I have no idea what tradition she was talking about because I don't have my email to her. But the thing I loved was her comment about Heavenly Father having an imagination. I would bed she brought a smile to His face when she thought that.
This email is dated January 5, 2009. So I'm guess she wrote this late that evening.
"Hi GAM!!!
I have some pretty big bruises in my knees from sledding. It was totally worth it though. The best hill is called SUICIDE. It is the steepest and second largest hill there! One kid he was probably 14 or 15, had the one board that was half skateboard and half snowboard. SUICIDE also has a fair sized jump at the bottom if you can make it down without hitting the bushes. Anyways, He was standing up on the strange board up on the entire thing, made the jump, and face-planted it in the snow every time! It was quite funny, because he did it about 20 times before he finally landed it. I LOVE SLEDDING!!! So thankful for snow.
And I love you Emmi girl and I'm thankful for you!
Abby, do you remember this pin cushion that you made me? Another treasure that I found today while going through stuff. Some things grandmothers just never throw away!
The note inside the flower said, "Happy birthday Gam. I love you so much. Love Abby"
And I love my little missionary namesake. Amazing that she only has 2 1/2 months left on her mission.
And while we are walking down memory lane, Annie sent me this picture. Jeffrey and Lynda Ann with their grandmother, Grace Hintze. Very cute picture of all of them. I believe Grace genuinely loved all of her grandchildren. Some may have been a little more spoiled than others but she loved them all. As I do all of mine.
I've made some headway on this huge stitching project. This is one that I will have to post each month to see how much I've done. Everyone always asks how long a project took and I have no idea. I've tried to keep track of the minutes and hours but it never works. I just randomly pick my stitching up here and there through the days. I can only tell you how many months or weeks it took. Well, I can estimate. Even tracking that is nearly impossible.
Neal had a mole on his shoulder that the doctor thought looked suspicious so they removed it and took a biopsy to have it analyzed and sure enough, it came back with cancer cells in it. So another appointment was made and he went up to the University of Utah Cancer Building for surgery on Thursday morning. He didn't have to go under anesthetic. They were able to just localize the area and do the surgery. Then he had to wait for 4 hours for the results to come back to make sure they got all the cancer. Then he went back in and they sewed everything up. He will have a scar because it was such a huge area. Here are some rather gory pictures.
I think I already reported that Annie and I had done some shopping at IKEA and that I had bought a new desk and chair. Annie had some time last week and came and we (she) put the desk together. I have to say that there were some hilariously funny moments as she tackled the directions, all the different size pegs, screws, nails, etc. For the life of me I don't know how she was able to follow the directions and put this together but she did and now I have an almost finished desk in the guest room alias my office. She still has to put the drawer in and then put the chair together but I'm sitting at my desk right now and loving not having to balance the lap top on my lap or sit down at the kitchen table. So nice to have a central place to index and blog. Thanks to Annie!
And the partially and almost finished project.
Now I need to get all my pictures rounded up and see where I want things hung so the room will look nice and tidy and put together. I'm not a fan of hodgepodge! Thanks Annie, for putting the desk together. I love it!
My sister, Lila Mae is in her 90th year. She has been healthy and active up until about a week ago. She is up every morning at 4:30 making bread for the Dairy Keen in Heber. Goes to work and works for 4 hours and then home. Thursday morning she went to work as usual but came home not feeling well. Stayed home in bed on Friday. Saturday morning she took a shower and fell and couldn't get up. Susan found her about 10:00. Lila had laid on the floor for nearly 2 hours. Sunday Susan took her to the emergency room and she was admitted to the hospital in Heber and then transferred by ambulance to Utah Valley Hospital in Provo.
Lynda Ann and I along with Hayley drove to Provo on Wednesday and spent the better part of the afternoon with her. We did stop and have lunch with Mallory before going to the hospital.
The prognosis isn't good. She has been in the hospital for a week now and they say will probably get to go home either tomorrow, Sunday or Monday. She will have to be on oxygen and hospice. Neither are a good indication that she is getting better. I'm afraid that I'm going to lose my last living sibling. Lila Mae and I have been so close our whole lives. This goodbye will be a very hard one for me to handle.
I just talked to Susan and she said that Lila Mae's white blood cell count is really low which makes the doctor fear that she may have cancer. Another bad news moment.
I called her mother a couple of times. I guess because I remember doing this very thing with mother and because Lila Mae looks so much like mother. Very sad times.
I've been trying to get the roll top desk out of my house for a few months. I had posted it on our ward face book and told anyone who wanted it, to come get it. I had one taker and then she told me that her husband said they just didn't have room for it. I was done trying to give it away so I called on two great, younger than Neal and I by far and much stronger, men in our ward to come get it and haul it off to DI. They came last Saturday around 3:30, brought a little truck and the two of them hauled it downstairs, out the front door and into the truck like it weighed nothing. When I saw them drive out of the driveway it was a hand wave of relief and deep felt thanks. Neal and I gave them a gift card to eat out with their families. Both of them wanted to decline that gift because they said they wanted the blessings. I told them they would get lots of blessings and the gift card was just a little bonus blessing. So grateful for people who are willing to help. Actually kind of weird to be on 'old age needing help' side of my life. But, I am, and I shall gracefully accept the fact.
Joseph Hurst and Robert Curtis. Love these two!
I bought a new smaller desk and just need to wait for Annie to come and put it together. Then I can set up my office in the spare bedroom with a small desk and my lap top that doesn't take up the whole wall!
I've never really though about retirement. Somehow didn't think it would ever come. But, it was time to begin thinking about it and making the decision. It was a hard decision for me to make and honestly, not one that I looked forward to. The timing seemed right to step into this new chapter in my life. I've worked for the Salt Lake County Health Department for 20 years and at 77 I think I've earned now to be able to not have to go to work every morning and basically do what I want and enjoy doing. People keep asking what I'm going to do now that I'm retired and my answer, at this point, is "whatever I want to". Seems like an honest answer for someone who has worked all the years that I have. Neal is one year away from retiring and from there, we will see what the future brings for us.
The County threw a wonderful retirement party for me. We had all kinds of pies, root beer floats, brownies and rice crispie squares. Lots of people came to wish me on my way and what I didn't think I would enjoy I have to admit that I loved every minute of it.
They gave me two gift cards. One to Talbots for $150.00 and another for Market Street Grill for $160.00 plus an envelope with $120.00 in it. Eric told me that they had never raised that much for anyone's retirement. I was deeply touched by the generosity of my co-workers.
I think Neal looks forward to this every Spring and is sad every late Fall when he has to cut the plants down and put the flower pots back in the garage for the winter months. He spends a lot of money and does a beautiful job of making the patio and the front porch colorful and very happy looking. I heard him outside this morning, early, so had to step out quickly and get a picture of his beginning project.
More pictures will be posted as the project is finished. It usually takes him a couple weeks to get all the flowers picked out, purchased, brought home and then planted.
Another grandchild is graduating from high school and moving on to a new chapter in her life. Jamie posted some fun pictures of Lexi through the years, so I borrowed them to put on my post. Miss Lexi your Gam and Pa are so very proud of you and what you beautiful young lady you have become and look forward to seeing what great things you will continue to accomplish in your life. We congratulate you on this milestone in your life and wish for you a fun filled summer before your college years begin. Love you so much.
Mallory called me and as we talked she mentioned that she was asked to teach Gospel Doctrine in her BYU ward. She asked if I had my lesson put together and I told her that I did and would be happy to share it with her. So I sent it to her first thing Friday morning. It was fun to think that me and my granddaughter would be teaching the same lesson on the same Sunday at almost the same time. I couldn't help but think about how blessed I was and am to be able to share the gospel with her.
As I thought about Emmi's experience at the Rome Temple and spending time talking about the gospel with Mallory, my Sunday thoughts became clear. They are the words from our last general conference:
"Coming unto Christ means more than just thinking about Him or talking about Him or even loving Him. It means following Him. It means living the way He teaches us to live."
"We were born at this time for a divine purpose."
"Even though you may feel alone as the storms of life are raging, you can shine a light in the darkness. Your light of faith in Christ can be steady and sure, leading those around you to safety and peace."
Tuesday, May 31st will be my last day at work. Excited? Yes. Mixed emotions? Yes. Am I going to miss many of my co-workers? Absolutely. But, I am so looking forward to jumping freely into a new way of life and a new adventure. Neal is going to teach one more year and then he will retire. It will certainly be different to have every day free to do whatever I want. I plan on stitching a lot, walking a lot, doing needed house hold projects, reading good books, watching good movies, spending time with my sister, Lila Mae and being available to attend grandchildren events.
This is the congratulation announcement that the county sent out. I chuckled when I saw the picture. Where they found it, I'll never know. It is a much younger Jeannine and it is Jeff's shoulder that I'm leaning on. Maybe that is Jeff's way of cheering me on.
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I'm glad that Emmi has had a chance to explore some of the world that she might never ever get a chance to see. Being on the Truman aircraft carrier for weeks at a time is hard and depressing so getting off the ship is so needed every now and again. One of her top priorities was to get to the Rome Temple and be able to go in the Celestial Room and feel the love and Spirit of her Father in Heaven. She has been praying for answers and felt that getting to the temple would really help. She had to go early in the morning as non of the people she is touring with are LDS and would have no desire to travel the distance to the temple and wait outside for her while she did some initiatory work and then spend time in the Celestial Room. She had to take a cab to the temple and back, which cost her $150.00 but she said it was so worth it.
The famous picture of the Apostles and President Nelson.
