Last Week

This is more of a journal entry than a normal blog post.  I am not very good about journaling, so I'm going to take this opportunity to document what I consider a pretty important week.  

On January 2nd, Aaron's grandfather passed away.  The next day, Saturday, we found out that the funeral would be on Tuesday, and plane tickets were not looking too affordable for this whole crew of Minnesotans to get out to Utah.  Seeing as how I have a 12-passenger van, it occured to me to offer to put it into service to save a few thousand dollars in airline tickets for the family.   After frequent calls among Aaron's family (seriously, the call-waiting kicked in during almost every call), we determined that this was the best option, and it only hinged on my getting a sitter.  I got ahold of my mom around 11:30am.  Thankfully, she could take the kids for all but the first day.  My sister dropped everything and brought her three kids over for the first day.  I'm pretty certain that was the first time she has ever taken care of ten children at the same time.  In fact, that probably goes for my mom taking care of just my seven kids, too.  That was an amazing sacrifice on both their parts, and I am so grateful that they were willing to help out.  

I also had some help from the Primary President, my friend Kristen Johnson.  I called to let her know I wouldn't be able to make it to Primary, and she asked if I needed anything.  I told her I next needed to find rides for my kids to get to church, as my sister needed to get back home in the morning, and she couldn't have gotten them all into one vehicle even if she did want to take the kids to our church.  Kristen said she'd figure it all out, and she enlisted the Primary Secretary's family (the Beckles) to help pick up the kids that wouln't fit in her vehicle.  I hear there was a nice-sized caravan to get them home after church.

We started out with Merle and Emma meeting us at our house.  They arrived around 2pm, and we left about a half hour later.  We drove through sleet to Mankato, following a snow plow that was spreading sand for the first half hour.  It was a little slow going.  We picked up Jessica and baby Daniel around 4pm.  Our drive to Worthington to pick up Amy and baby Andrew was worse, but we survived it.  It took until after 8pm, which means it took us over twice as long to get there from Mankato as it normally would.  We drove straight through, with only stops for gas, food, and for Jessica to nurse Daniel.  Luckily, the precipitation stopped once we left Minnesota.

Aaron did the driving until around midnight, and then I drove overnight, with Amy keeping me awake.  She and I both have the misfortune to not be able to sleep in the car.  This could be looked at as an advantage, as I would rather drive than be driven on a long trip, and Amy is happy to keep a driver awake, because she's awake anyway, and doesn't want to drive herself.  That girl knows how to talk.  She kept me alert throughout the night.

Emma took a turn at the wheel the next morning.  I was so tired I actually fell asleep for a little while, but then the roads got icky, so I took over again.  I just can't handle being a passenger on bad roads, and Emma had never driven a 12-passenger van before, anyway.  The forecast before we left was really good, so I was surprised at the road conditions.  It seems they don't do such a good job at plowing in the mountains, as it was a beautiful, sunny day, and there were thick patches of packed snow and ice all over the place.

After experiencing Sonic for my first time (oh, gut bomb!!!  terribly greasy food, but good slushies) in Evanston, WY, we arrived in Provo, UT around 6pm.  We met Aaron's dad and other two sisters at Matt and Melissa's apartment, then Aaron, Amy, Andrew and I checked into the Hampton.  It was nice.  Aaron and I were able to work out the kinks in the fitness room before retiring for the evening, and the bed was fabulous.  It was seriously the most comfortable hotel bed ever.  I slept soundly every night we were there.  I guess this could be due to the sleep deprevation, but I'll give the bed some credit.  Aaron says the heater's blower kept cycling and waking him up all night, but I never heard a thing.

Amy and I both got calls saying we had children throwing up on Monday.  We felt really bad for our family at home taking care of our sick kids.  But, we had things to do, and we were able to prepare for the funeral ahead, support Reo through a tough day, and get another good night's sleep on Monday night.

The funeral affected me differently than I had anticipated.  

I really liked Grandpa Pratt.  He was always very caring, and interested, and funny.  He gave me some silver scraps once and told me about how he got them as a lithographer.  He also made me a walnut box, a good size for keeping cards and small keepsakes.  He wrote me back every time I sent him a letter, even if it was just a short note with pictures of the kids in it.  I knew he was very musical, and he played the horn for me on one of our visits.  He loved to hear us play and sing for him.  I have experienced a few funerals in the past couple of years, and I was expecting to feel about the same - pretty calm, reflective about the life the person lived, and comforted, with my knowledge of the plan of salvation assuring me of the sweet reunion in the future.  

However, about three-quarters of the way through it, I suddenly realized that so much of what was being said could be said about Aaron.  It could almost have been his funeral.  His love for music, his brains, his sense of humor, his sense of priesthood duty, his strong belief in singing hymns in Sacrament Meeting being a reflection on a person in the church.  

One brother talked about how when the choir had been struggling with singing "Oh, Say What is Truth," he taught them what the words meant, which is exactly what Aaron would do.  While anyone else would bang through parts, they would teach doctrine, with success.  Aaron had recently had our family sing this same hymn before scripture study a few times in a row, which was the first time I can remember ever singing it.  

I was awakened to the grief that I would be feeling if I were attending Aaron's funeral.  It also brought on a moment of self-examination.  I wanted to repent of my faults and become a better wife, a better mother, a better friend.  I made some mental notes on ways to improve my faithfulness to the covenants I have made, and strive to be found worthy to enter into the celestial kingdom when I leave this world, so that I can be with my loved ones.  I got a little choked up and teary-eyed, realizing how I would miss this great man, and also realizing how far I have to go.

We spent one more night in Provo.  Strangely enough, we went bowling that evening with Aaron's parents and all of his sisters, and ate some really good mexican food.  I actually scored around 130 each game, which is pretty impressive for me, as I haven't bowled in a decade, and I can't remember breaking 100 before.  

Aaron took off early the next morning with Nancy for Salt Lake City, as he had to catch a plane to Las Vegas for a trade show, and she lives and works in SLC.  Emma caught a ride with a friend up to BYU Idaho right after the funeral, so with the addition of Reo, the rest of us headed back home.  I drove all but a few hours of it, with Reo taking the wheel for a few hours before we decided not to push through and to stay the night in a hotel.  The babies had pretty much had it, and we moms of small children suddenly realized how much better off we'd be if we came home well-rested.  I was particularly in favor of a good night's sleep, as I was going to be without Aaron for the next five days.

I made it home at about 3:30pm on Thursday.  My house was clean, my kids were bathed, and my mom was looking ready to go home.

I am so thankful for this experience.  I feel so blessed that I have family and friends who are willing to step in when I need them.  I am greatful for Aaron's grandfather, who has been so influential in Aaron becoming the great man he is today.  I am also thankful for my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which gives me peace, rather than pain, at the losses of so many dear ones this past decade - especially when so many have passed in the last year.  I know I will see them all again, so my sadness is confined to just missing them, and sympathy for those whose lives are affected most by their deaths.  

"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." - 1 Cor 15:22