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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

The Newest Member of Our Family!

Shaun and I recently have added another member to our little family, a Chihuahua/Yorkie (aka Chorkie) puppy. Her name is Zoey and she is SUPER cute! We are already completely in love with her. She has brought a lot of joy to our home and also a lot of learning. She will definitely get us ready for a human baby (because she definitely is still a baby). She will be 4 months old tomorrow (She was born July 10th).

Things we love about Zoey:
      • She is a awesome cuddlier (she is currently cuddling with me as I type this)
      • She is good about going into her crate when we are leaving or going to bed
      • She has the cutest little face. I love that her eyebrows are white on one side and black on the other side of her face
      • She loves having her belly rubbed
      • Her ears... They are just SO cute! 
      • She is really cute when she "buries" her treats. She digs at the ground, puts in her treat and then uses her noses to cover it up
      • Her army crawl
      • How she walks sideways sometimes
We are excited to be parents to our little Zoey girl.

Checking out the yard
What's over there?
Hi Daddy!
Her new jacket
And her new coat

Monday, November 8, 2010

My Grandma Nina

My Grandma after during a Chocolate Demo at a Macey's store
Over the last few months we have watched as my Grandma's health declined pretty rapidly. After many test and a few hospital stays they diagnosed her with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. By the time it was found it was already at a stage four. She did one round of chemo, but didn't react very well to it. After her last time at the hospital she was transferred to Aspen Ridge for rehab, but while there her health continued to decline to the point she needed more help then Aspen Ridge could give her. They transfered her to CareSource hospice, where she spent a week before passing away on October 20th.

It has been really hard one me to watch my Grandma slipping away from us. She has always been such a strong woman, someone I looked up to. I wish I would have spent more time with her, but I will always treasure the memories I was able to make with her. I know that her mission here on Earth was complete and that she has returned to Our Father in Heaven to do more work there. I also know that she is with my Grandpa again, after many many years of being apart. I am sure it was a joyous reunion up in Heaven. My Grandma will be missed by many, especially me.

The funeral for my Grandma was held on Monday October 25th and it was a beautiful service. I had the honor of doing a life sketch on her! What an amazing woman! I have included the life sketch below.

At the graveside services the Coast Guard was there to do their ceremony. It was so touching. I know that my Grandma would be very happy and honored by it. The 21 gun salute was neat!

Grandma, I love you and miss you! I do know that you are where you are needed at this time and that you will be watching over us down here on Earth. I know that I will be able to see you again someday! Thank you for the wonderful legacy you left for us. You trust were, and still are, an amazing woman!

Here is the Life Sketch :

My Grandma Nina was born in West Warren, Utah. She is from good pioneer stock. Her father died when she was 3 days old and her mother later married her uncle, so one of her sisters is also her cousin. She has 3 sisters and 2 brothers. She was raised in West Weber and in Murray. After graduating from Murray High school her first real job was at the Army Supply Depot in Ogden, but after about a year she returned to Murray where she worked at a bank as a bookkeeper on personal checking accounts.

Grandma loved the work that she was doing and the people she was working with, but she felt that she needed to do her part for the country during the war, so as soon as she was 20 she was sworn into the United States Coast Guard as a Spar. Grandma went to boot camp and later Storekeepers school in Palm Beach, Florida. She was stationed in San Francisco, California for the remainder of her service, which ended up being just 1 year and 8 and a half months. She has signed up for overseas duty but, with the end of the war ended her career in the Coast Guard. In the life sketch grandma wrote about herself she says she never regretted her decision to sign up.

In the fall of 1946 my grandma enrolled at BYU. While at BYU she was a member of the Valkeries and they won the bowling tournament that year at the Y. Also while at BYU she met Bob Despain in her English class. Their first date was on Valentine’s Day 1947. They climbed to Squaw Peak. They were married on September 19th that same year. Instead of continuing her education, she decided to stay home and be a homemaker and mother. By the time Bob graduated in 1950, they had two children, Pam and Robert (He was born the day after Grandpa graduated). Bob had stayed in the Naval Reserves so his unit was one of the first to be called up in the Korean War. He expected to be in the States for awhile, but shipped out within one month after Nina moved to Ventura, California. She was all alone with two children and mice, so she decided to come back to Utah. (Since she is not here to explain, we will assume that it was bad)

Shanna was born just after Grandpa was discharge in May 1952. In the life sketch she wrote about herself she wrote “I wanted a dozen kids, but already I was beginning to change my mind.”  Knowing my aunts and uncle I can definitely see why she was feeling this way. However she started feeling baby hungry again in 1955 and by 1960 there were three more girls added to the family, Cindy, Kaylene, and Cory. So in case you lost track that is 1 boy and 5 girls.

The family lived in Murray and Kearns where Grandma served as both a Ward and Stake Relief Society President. Later, the family moved to her home on Gumwood, where she spent the remainder of her life. 

Grandma didn’t go back to work until Cory was in school. For a while she worked as a Tupperware dealer and then she started working for C. Kay Cummings Candies. After working there for a few years, she was given the opportunity to be a medical assistant which she did for the next 20 ½ years with the same doctor. In 1987 she retired to be home to take care of her husband who had become seriously ill. He passed away in October 1988.

Grandma’s life has been full of services, dedication and love of the Gospel. She faced many trails in her life, but she always remained true to her testimony. She worked doing Spanish Name extraction for over 30 years.  She was also a member of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers, where she volunteered for many years. She loved working in her yard and even when her health wasn’t the best she was be out working in the yard. She would even go over to many of her neighbors’ house to shovel, rake and water their yards. During her life she was also chairman of Girls Scout Cookie Sales, Cancer drives, Heart fund drives and many other things. She was a firm believer that when you tell someone you will do something you follow through. Grandma was also a good cook. She catered dinners and weddings.
Grandma loved to camp and do anything outdoors. She also loved to travel and was able to come all over the country and to other parts of world. She also loved the Alpine slide, river rafting, a good movie, a good book, putting together puzzles, Ferrero Rocher chocolates,  the Tabernacle Choir, going to the Temple, water skiing, horse back riding, ice cream (even on top of the mountain when it’s snowing) and a cup of hot chocolate. Grandma had, and I am sure she still has, a good sense of humor and liked a good joke.

I will always remember my grandma for her fabulous carrot cake and her yummy candies she made. Her peanut butter chocolates were my favorite!


Coast Guard doing their part
Being presented the flag
My Cousin Adam playing Taps
My Mom with her remaining sibling (Robert, Cory and Cindy)

October has come... and gone...

I always say that I am going to stay on top of updating our blog and then a month goes by without an update. I will try working on updating more often, but I make no promise. Anyhow, here is our month of October.

On the 8th, Shaun and  I were about to have a little date night. We were invited by our friends, Christie and Matt, to a Strenghtening Relationship Seminar that was put on by the Sandy Institute. It was a really enjoyable evening. John Bytheway was our speaker and he had some great things to say.
The next day we were able to attend the baptism of Maddie, my cousin Aaron's daughter. I am so proud a Maddie and her decision to become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She looked so pretty and you could just see how happy her choice made her.

The following weekend we headed out to Tammy and Andy's house for a Halloween party. It was an evening filled with food and fun.

On the 19th I decided that I would go for a bike ride, because it was a nice day and I didn't know how many more nice days we were going to have. I decided that I wanted to ride to Liberty Park. Everything was going great! I wasn't tired and I was looking forward to my return trip until I crash. I was trying to pass a lady and went on to the grass and the return to the sidewalk didn't go well. My bike didn't make it back to the sidewalk, at least not upright... Needless to say I ended up calling Shaun because there was no way I was going to make it home on my bike. He ended up taking me to Instacare, where they took some x-rays and found the I had fractured my pinky. They put me in a splint and send me home with a number to call a hand specialist (more about that appointment to come).

On the 20th My sweet Grandma Nina passed away. I will do another blog entry about that.

That Friday I headed to Time Out for Women in Las Vegas with my friends Christie and Brook.  On the way down we stopped at Cove Fort and the cheese factory in Beaver. Once we got to Vegas we meet up with five of Christie's aunts, her mom and her Grandma. That night we went to the opening portion of TOFW and then spent sometime talking. Saturday we headed back to the next session and then spent the evening with Christie's brother and then went back to the hotel played games and talked. The whole weekend was a lot of fun and way very spiritually uplifting. It was a lot of fun getting to know Christie's family.

The 25th was my Grandma's funeral.

I had an appointment with the Hand surgeon on the 26th. After over an hour of waiting we were taken back to the room. I was taken to get some more x-ray's. This time it was of my elbow, because it had been bothering me. The PA come in and starting pocking and prodding my arm and hand. After causing me some pain and discomfort they looked at my x-ray's. They easily identified my fractured pinky and decided that they are pretty sure I also fracture my scaphoid and my radial head. I now have a removable brace that I get to to wear for 3 weeks, when I go back for a follow up and more x-ray's.

Also that night the counselors from our new bishopric came to pay us a visit. While here they extended a calling to us (we had officially been in the ward 10 days!). Shaun and I will be serving as Cub Scout leaders. We are excited. It is definitely something new for both of us.

The 29th we had our second annual Pumpkin Carvenival. We didn't have a huge turn out, but it was still fun. We ate yummy food and carved pumpkins. It is always nice getting to spend time with friends!

Well I think that about covers October :)

Picture time!
Brook, Christie and I on our way to Vegas
Brook, Our tour guide and I in front of Cove Fort
Helen (Christie's Mom), Christie, Me and Brook at Time Out for Women


Brook's pumpkin wasn't feeling well
Courtney, Shaun, Brook, Matt and Christie's Pumpkins
I LOVE Christie's Pumpkin! So cute!