This Christmas/New Years was a whirlwind and life back home here in Utah has taken all two of these months to recalibrate. I will let pictures do the talking about our Christmas with the Dobbins here and then our New Years in California with the Hanaikes. It was a very special year all around for us.
My Grandma Hanaike passed away on Christmas Day. I don't have words for how I feel. My mom's words from her blog help express my feelings so I'm going to post them here.
Reggie's Mom passed away this Christmas night. It is so hard to think about a loved one dying until you see them suffering. Then you are just praying to God to take them home. Last night, Christmas Eve, she was suffering; most of the family convened at her daughter's home, where she was staying, to take turns visiting her in her bedroom. I don't think there has been a Christmas Eve in the last 60 something years where she was not surrounded by her posterity, so I'm glad we were together. I don't know how aware she was of her family being there and loving her through it all, but it is a night that I'm sure none of us will forget but always cherish - especially knowing that the night ended with her receiving enough more medicine to relieve her pain. It makes the phrase "sleep in Heavenly peace" even more meaningful.
And now she is with Jesus. I can just imagine the big hug she got from him just hours ago. She lived a good life. She loved and raised her children alone, through thick and thin. As the grandkids started coming she was able to sit back and relax with them and be the happiest, sweetest and most fun grandma ever. For me, she was the best mother-in-law I could have hoped for - I always felt secure, supported, and loved. And now I feel lonely being the only Grandma Hanaike but I also feel determined to carry on her good name.
For this year of 2019 Reggie was able to spend some really important time with her - of course, we didn't know how important and fleeting that time was until about 3 weeks ago. As many Saturdays as possible this year Reggie took his Mom on outings. They would go get breakfast, or go out for a drive, and on the last one they went up to our Oakland Temple. I am so glad they had that time together, and that he was able to be with her when she passed.
So we will miss her. We will miss her voice, her greeting of "hey Babe, what's doin?", our celebrating her 18th birthday with her every year, watching her chase the great-grandchildren around the house, her funny and gentle sneeze, her crocheting of blankets. We thank God for putting us in her family. We thank God for seeing her through and taking her home. We thank our Savior for making it possible for us to be with her again someday.
I was able to fly into town with Eli a few weeks before she passed and it was a time I treasure. We got pictures and videos of her with him, playing peekaboo and giving him chocolate kisses. That special time he got to have with her is something I will be showing him and reminding him of throughout his life.
A few years ago Grandma's brother Uncle Al passed away and I was shocked to learn that he was 9 years younger than her. I felt a panicky spiritual prompting, realizing that I didn't know enough of her stories. So, I started to ask her questions about her life and record her telling her stories every time we visited California once or twice a year. There were some times that it didn't seem very important as she didn't seem to be going anywhere any time soon. But of course when the time came I was amazed at the peace that came with not needing to feel the regret I would've if I hadn't acted on that prompting. Now I have her voice forever and her stories to tell.
I loved her and will continue to love her and can't wait to see and talk with her again someday.
My Grandma Hanaike passed away on Christmas Day. I don't have words for how I feel. My mom's words from her blog help express my feelings so I'm going to post them here.
Reggie's Mom passed away this Christmas night. It is so hard to think about a loved one dying until you see them suffering. Then you are just praying to God to take them home. Last night, Christmas Eve, she was suffering; most of the family convened at her daughter's home, where she was staying, to take turns visiting her in her bedroom. I don't think there has been a Christmas Eve in the last 60 something years where she was not surrounded by her posterity, so I'm glad we were together. I don't know how aware she was of her family being there and loving her through it all, but it is a night that I'm sure none of us will forget but always cherish - especially knowing that the night ended with her receiving enough more medicine to relieve her pain. It makes the phrase "sleep in Heavenly peace" even more meaningful.
And now she is with Jesus. I can just imagine the big hug she got from him just hours ago. She lived a good life. She loved and raised her children alone, through thick and thin. As the grandkids started coming she was able to sit back and relax with them and be the happiest, sweetest and most fun grandma ever. For me, she was the best mother-in-law I could have hoped for - I always felt secure, supported, and loved. And now I feel lonely being the only Grandma Hanaike but I also feel determined to carry on her good name.
For this year of 2019 Reggie was able to spend some really important time with her - of course, we didn't know how important and fleeting that time was until about 3 weeks ago. As many Saturdays as possible this year Reggie took his Mom on outings. They would go get breakfast, or go out for a drive, and on the last one they went up to our Oakland Temple. I am so glad they had that time together, and that he was able to be with her when she passed.
So we will miss her. We will miss her voice, her greeting of "hey Babe, what's doin?", our celebrating her 18th birthday with her every year, watching her chase the great-grandchildren around the house, her funny and gentle sneeze, her crocheting of blankets. We thank God for putting us in her family. We thank God for seeing her through and taking her home. We thank our Savior for making it possible for us to be with her again someday.
I was able to fly into town with Eli a few weeks before she passed and it was a time I treasure. We got pictures and videos of her with him, playing peekaboo and giving him chocolate kisses. That special time he got to have with her is something I will be showing him and reminding him of throughout his life.
A few years ago Grandma's brother Uncle Al passed away and I was shocked to learn that he was 9 years younger than her. I felt a panicky spiritual prompting, realizing that I didn't know enough of her stories. So, I started to ask her questions about her life and record her telling her stories every time we visited California once or twice a year. There were some times that it didn't seem very important as she didn't seem to be going anywhere any time soon. But of course when the time came I was amazed at the peace that came with not needing to feel the regret I would've if I hadn't acted on that prompting. Now I have her voice forever and her stories to tell.
I loved her and will continue to love her and can't wait to see and talk with her again someday.
