Crazy

This weekend turned out to be crazier than I could have imagined. We went out to Panora on Thursday afternoon, and had a really nice time with almost all of my maternal extended family on Friday. Saturday morning, we were remarking at how much fun we were all having, and how we should do this every year instead of Christmas. But then, my dad got a phone call that his dad was doing much worse, and my sister and I went to talk to him. By the time we found him, he'd gotten another call, and Grandpa was gone. My parents packed up right away and drove up to Holstein, but we stayed to finish out the weekend. It was hard to be having such a good time (sailing, canoeing, swimming, eating, chatting) when we knew my dad was off helping his mom plan a funeral.

There was the standard exhaustion, of course; Emily took pretty good naps but I couldn't make the room dark enough for her to sleep past 6 AM. Plus, the last night we were there, she woke herself - not once, but twice - with poopy diapers. Incredible. I think she had been eating way more than usual because she can't tell me the difference between hungry and tired, so when she's as exhausted as she was she just kept thinking that more food would make her feel better. I can't blame her - I'm the same way!! So, Sunday was really not fun, as we had to clean the cabins, pack everything, and say goodbye, which I suppose is favorable to having some MEAN diaper rash!! We got home shortly after lunch on Sunday, and Emily took a nap at home while I unpacked, put food away, and re-packed for a trip to Holstein. After she woke up, my sister's family arrived and stayed overnight at my house. They spent Monday morning at the Science Center while Trav and Emily and I did our regular Monday morning routine; we all left for Holstein that afternoon.

It was really a lovely funeral, if there is such a thing. Grandma insisted that the funeral should be Tuesday morning, and she was really strong throughout. It's weird - I can't think of any other time that I have seen every single one of my cousins in such a short span of time. It was hard to say goodbye to Grandpa, but it was even harder to see everyone else so sad, including Grandma, my dad, and his siblings. We did our best to really celebrate his life, because if you think about it, passing away in your sleep after 94 years of a life full of wonderful family, a job that he loved (farming) in a town full of friends, it's really the way to go. I looked around at the family today, and I really think he had good reason to be proud of us. He really couldn't hear much at all for many, many years, but he loved to just enjoy the rest of us getting together and laughing, and we did our share of that today. He could tell the funniest, best stories, of which I heard many retold this weekend. There were only a few pictures of him that the family could put together for a memory board, but they were all very meaningful with a story behind them. He and Grandma loved to dance, and I will always treasure dancing with him at my brother's wedding 4 years ago. I don't know if he ever danced after that, actually. Most of all, I really think my dad can feel like he did everything he could. I was most worried that he'd be kicking himself for one thing or another when it's all said and done, and that he'd never forgive himself of that guilt. But I think he's okay.

In other news, the baby is really kicking these days, mostly in the evenings. Travis and I sat on the couch enjoying a few good hard kicks the other night. I really like this stage, where it's a gentle reminder of who I've got growing there, and not an assault on me. I'm wearing maternity clothes about 80% of the time now, so yeah, I'm really showing! Ultrasound is on Thursday, so that'll be really fun, too.

The past 5 days have been absolutely crazy. I feel so bad for Emily that we're going to throw her in the car on Friday afternoon to spend two days in Minnesota, and then spend the following weekend in Barnum. But she's a trooper; she was absolutely wonderful for the entire weekend, no matter what we threw at her. And when we get back from Barnum, I think we'll give that potty training another go. She peed on the floor tonight after her bath, and I pointed out to her that that's what she should do in the potty instead of on the floor, and she thought and thought and thought about it. Then later, she pointed to that spot on the floor and said "no, no, no!" She's getting there. :)