Trading hards

Here are the good  and tender things from the week.

• Watching Lucy play volleyball on Monday morning. She played so well. It was fun to see her doing well and helping her team have more energy and momentum.
• Being with my parents and Marian at the end of Evelyn’s life.
• Glen informing and gathering all the kids and coming to Evelyn’s before her body left.
• Extended family gathering to say goodbye to Evelyn before her body left as well.
• Looking through so many pictures that Evelyn took trying to find the pictures with her in them when she let someone else snap the picture. 
• Getting Evelyn’s obituary written with the help and edits of extended family. 
• Lucy receiving the third quarter service award at school. 
• Spring is coming. Daffodil day happened on Easter. 
• Everything is waking up and getting green, which is Evelyn’s favorite color. 
• Spending most of Thursday with Lilly. I took her to Aunt Maridean’s in Mount Pleasant to practice the song they are performing at Evelyn’s funeral. 
• Finding a green dresses, skirts, ties and shirts to wear at Evelyn’s funeral. 
• A date to Super Chix with Glen on Friday. 
• Lilly being around a lot for the weekend. 
• Acing planning and things to prepare for the funeral but also time to rest and sit and reflect and cry. 
• Figuring out I still had tears to cry over Evelyn passing after all the ups and downs. I wondered if I had grieved for her all ready but having her really gone is definitely an adjustment.
• Thinking of the happy reunion Evelyn had with her family. It’s been about 75 years since she was with her mom and 40 for her dad. 
• Another week of sacrament meeting only for the wards in our building.
• A Sunday evening walk with the whole family.

The hard and heavy things of this week were-

• Mourning and grieving Evelyn. It’s the best worst thing. Her body gave her everything it could. 
• Losing my job after 18 years and 7 months. Realizing how much mental and emotional energy was going in to caring for Evelyn. It all just went away but my brain is having a hard time adjusting. 
• Managing my emotions and feeling and trying to keep my mouth shut as others grieve in a different way than me. 
• Crying headaches.
• Flooding in our meeting house from the fire prevention system, near the primary and Relief Society rooms. 
• Being in Evelyn and Roberta’s house with out them there.
• Holding both happiness and sorrow, relief and grief. 

Spring is beginning to spring

Evelyn promised Marian she could paint her toenail green after she died. Marian fulfilled the promise. 

Cheryl helped. 

Goodnight to the last day

Tuesday

Looking for a green dress. This wasn’t the one.

Some favorite memories

Sunset on Monday night taken by Ruth or Beth

Looking for a green dress for me.

Ali and Lucy had already planned to play in a volleyball tournament. It was a good distraction. They played in a tougher division and took silver. 

Probably my funeral dress. Forest green

Lucy’s sacrament meeting sketch 

Lucy getting her award. This is what Glen wrote to be read- 

Lucy loves to make people smile and service is a big part of how she does it. She loves Silverrush! Even before she was a student at RHS, she would save her money throughout the year so she could donate. She also helps out with the Festival of Trees in the sweets shop and prepares trees for delivery. Lucy is a member of Riverton's PLT which gives her opportunities to serve around RHS and at the Karie Sue School. One of her favorite ways to serve is through her own top secret service shenanigans. She likes to surprise people with treats she's made, or just a fun visit or note. She also loves to support her fellow silverwolves at performances and sporting events!

Sunday stroll

One of my favorite pictures

We used a picture Willa took last May for her obituary.  I am so glad she got those shots.