Saturday, May 23, 2009

Well it's been a busy couple of weeks. Mother's Day didn't start out so well...surprisingly enough, I was ok, but it was Kris who I found in tears in the closet. He was ironing Jacob's shirt for church, and thought he should be ironing one for Grant as well. It's simple things such as this that come up that normal folks do everyday without a thought; but for us, it's a big deal. Anyway, Kris didn't feel like going to church after that, so we headed down to see my folks for the day. I would like to interject that my father-in-law sent me the sweetest email, which I read right before we left. It was just what I needed to get through the day.

We had a nice time at my folks, celebrating my mom-- and Jake got to play with his cousins for a couple hours. I feel that Kris and I are really blessed in having the parents that we have. Both sides have completely surrounded us with love and understanding throughout our whole ordeal. They continue to pray for us and check on us when they can.

This past Sunday, we left for a family trip to sunny California. This is a trip that we had planned last year to take Jake and Grant together this spring. Because of the added financial strain that we have been put under, we almost canceled it. After a rather lengthy discussion, we both decided that we needed this trip and that we were going no matter what. Jacob has had to endure what no kid should have to endure- cooped up for months in the house b/c I was on bedrest, and then being told that the brother that he was going to play with was going to go to Heaven instead. After that, there was the actual arrival, funeral, and everything that came after that emotionally. Many folks told me, "he's young, he won't remember, etc." But he DOES. He told me he thinks about Grant when he wakes up in the morning. He draws pictures of his brother; and just two weeks ago, he informed his cousins that his brother Grant died in August. Sure, it doesn't come up everyday, thank goodness, but it does come up, and it breaks our hearts.
So that being said, we wanted to take Jake somewhere where there is a lot of happiness and where we could just be together as a family. So what better place than Disneyland? So, we literally rolled up every single piece of change in our house and took it to the bank. I found hotel accommodations for $47 a night- I'm not sure you can get a hotel any cheaper than that. Super 8 ROCKS! And so off we went! We really had the best time. We relaxed, walked and rode and walked some more- exhausting, but we didn't mind at all. We were able to be all together for four days in a row so we enjoyed every minute of it! The only part I had trouble with was the first ride we went on when they asked, "How many in your party?". I wanted to scream, "Four!"
And then watching the huge spectacular Celebrate Street Party parade was hard for me b/c I wanted both my kids to see it...however, I told myself "Just think of the Street Party he is seeing in Heaven!!" Even more spectacular than this-- and this was pretty spectacular I might add.

After two days in the parks, we found a beach to laze around on. Cabrillo Beach, which was not too far from the port of Long Beach. Since it was a chilly time of year for the beach, not many people were there. The water was very COLD!!! But once you get past the part where your legs feel numb, it's really not too bad! =) We splashed around , made some sand castles, and took a few pictures. Later that evening, we headed back to the hotel and got cleaned up for dinner and a walk in downtown Disney. The next day, we went back to downtown Disney for some last minute souvenirs and then it was homeward bound. Four days was a short trip and I think I'm still in vacation mode. I have absolutely no motivation whatsoever to do anything! I better get it in gear because next week my nephews will be here for a few days.

Today is Kris's birthday, and he was able to get off work early so we could celebrate. Jake and I got him a cake at the grocery store and a small balloon. The cake was delicious and Jake now has a new balloon to play with. =)

Enjoy the pics below, and if you are on Facebook please visit my page and view some more. I still have more pics I need to upload there as well. I hope that everyone has a safe and happy day of remembering this weekend. Until next time...

1 comment:

  1. Very neat photos, I tried to imagine them as you talked about em...I'm so glad you made that trip to CA! Happy Birthday Kris!!

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