getting older

It was so fun to see my little brother-no-other graduate high school.  The day was definitely eventful.  The morning of graduation, we got a call that my Grandma Kenning (my dad's mother) died that morning.  So we went over to see her one last time and to see how my grandpa was doing.  She was old and has been ready to go for a while now, so her death was actually a blessing because she is with family that she's been wanting to see for a long time, including three of her children.  I'm sure my dad was waiting for her!  They died almost to the hour exactly 4 weeks a part from each other. 

My grandparents are thankfully in a home, so there wasn't much we had to do and they did there funeral arrangements years ago, so that was an added bonus.  It amazes me how much death has been a part of my life lately.  Seeing my grandma's body didn't affect me too much because I was around my dad's body a lot after he died.  And my Grandpa Dick (my mom's dad) passed away last October.  Needless to say, we have had our fair share in the "passing on" experience...I am definitely in need of a break from it!  So John's day started out a little sad, but then quickly got exciting as the minutes approached such an exciting moment for my brother!

The graduation was extremely boring...my mom, sis, and I were texting each other for part of it...It was great! (And yes, we were all sitting next to/in front of each other:)  Even though it was boring, I'm SO glad that we were able to be there for him and we had a big bbq for him the next day and that was a blast.  I spent days making decorations for the backyard and we had the yummiest food!  We also had fun catching up with friends and visiting with family.  My dad's best friend Bob Haaga came and it was so fun to hear him tell stories of he and my dad.  I never wanted that to end!  After the bbq....my brother was long gone at endless parties for the dad, my family and the Delano's spent the afternoon on blankets under the trees in the back yard.  It was so nice to-just-be.  It was almost like time stood still for the weekend.  I LOVE being with my family.  My sister, Terrill, my mom, and I also helped out at Grad Night.  We checked kids in at the door and then we walked around and got food and hung out with my brother a while.  At one point, he came running to us and excitedly proclaimed, "I got a haircut!"  It was hilarious...there was haircutting, massages, pedicures, along with the typical games that are at grad night...I loved it!  I never went to mine, so I vicariously got to live through my bro:)  It was a fun short weekend, but I'm glad that we made it.

Sunday night, my family, my mom, and brother went to visit my dad's grave.  My mom brought a blanket and we put it on the grass next to my dad and spent about an hour there.  It was so peaceful and relaxing and I felt closer to my dad.  It's moments like that when I've felt such a strong connection to the spirit world...basically that whole first week after he died was like that.  Things like magazines, tv, and anything worldly was non-existent and almost seemed like a sin to partake in any of that.  It was interesting and so intimate for my family and I'm thankful for my dad in helping us all become even closer now.  I have a desire to visit his grave often in hopes that I'll feel him stronger there.  It was funny because one day only a few days after the funeral, my brother got off work and stopped by the cemetery to visit my dad...Since we don't have a headstone for him yet and the grass was almost completely grown in, my brother couldn't find him...He was walking around going "Dad, where are you?  I can't find you!"  It was hilarious to hear my brother talk about it...I can just imagine him walking around the cemetery trying to find my dad!  I'm glad we can find the humor in all of this:)