The month of November in our home reminds me of the old saying about the month of March, "in like a lamb, out like a lion". This past month started out with new beginnings and great joy.
I am feeling old when my "baby" cousin, Drey (whom I used to babysit) gets married. I feel so blessed to have been present for her sealing. We hosted grandparents, aunts and uncles, and my mom at our house for the event. We are the only other family that live here in Arizona so we were in a perfect position to meet them at the Mesa temple. It was lovely. Isn't she the most beautiful bride?
That is us on the far right. Then from right to left: Larry and Wendy (Larry is my mom's brother), my Uncle Jay (Mom's brother), his daughter and new husband, Travis. David and Mary Lou (David is Mom's oldest brother), my grandparents, and my Mom on the left.
The rest of the month was spent working and keeping busy as usual. We have both been exceptionally busy at work which is always good for the pocketbook. We've also been happily busy collecting, gathering, and organizing the nursery. I think it is coming along rather nicely:
We were fortunate enough to get this nice rocker/recliner at a clearance price during a Columbus Day deal. We went shopping at Ikea for some decorative flair.
Also, we have been fortunate enough to have some friends give us hand-me-down clothes (boys and girls) and this nice changing table. We still need a few essentials, but I'm glad to have a few things to get us started.
Another great event I believe is worth noting: We got to Google Video Chat with some very good friends. Joshua Eckert has been my friend and hero since we were both tots in Kindergarten. Even after all this time, we've stayed in touch. I was so happy to finally meet his girlfriend, Lori. I look forward to many more video chat dates in the future.
Although we hadn't planned or expected to go home to Utah for Thanksgiving, we had to make sudden arrangements to fly home. On Sunday, November 24th, we got the news that Matt's Uncle Jeff had passed away. He had been having health problems for years since his first heart attack. We debated whether we should try to go home for the funeral planned for the next Saturday. We had decided to just wait until our December visit home to see the family.
That is, until the next day when we got news that Matt's sister had passed away from heart failure.
For those of you who may not know, Matt is the last surviving child of four siblings. His oldest brother, Jason, left this world at age 15 when Matt was just 6. His older brother, Shawn, was 19 when he was in an accident. Matt was 18. Our family is heartbroken to see Aimee leave this world leaving her son, Michael, behind. For me, it is comfort that I got the chance to know Aimee and appreciate the sweet person she could be. I know Aimee will be with Mikee and I hope I can find ways to remind him of that as he grows up.
Needless to say, we hopped on a plane to be home for Thanksgiving and for the services. It was one of the best visits we've had. It was a beautiful sentiment to see Aimee and Jeff honored together since they were such close spirits.
Here are some of my favorites when going through the family pictures:
This is a picture of Matt (left), Aimee, and Shawn.
Jena Barber took the last picture
