Trip Diary: Day Seven, Eight, and Nine

Dear Jonah and Gracie,

After lunch with Daddy's family in Lancaster, we drove to Austin/San Antonio and spent 3 days yuckin' it up before the loooooong drive home.

Tuesday evening, The Rowdy Girls welcomed us with open arms and you guys picked right up where you left off last March. Squealing, running, making each other laugh hysterically, and playing hard.

San Antonio was calling to us since Daddy and I love the River Walk and hadn't been there since our honeymoon (seven years ago). We also really wanted to take you to Sea World and the Rowdy Girls were going anyway, sooooo. We checked into the Hilton near Sea World and spent Thursday exploring the River Walk, the Alamo, and playing in the hotel's pool...

(Tea Party rally in front of the Alamo. Ha!)

What did Daddy get you from the Alamo gift shop, Jonah? A pop gun. 5 minutes later, I heard myself saying, "Do NOT. POP. YOUR SISTER."

On Friday we finally made it to SEA WORLD! Wooooo hoooooo! Everyone was so happy to see the Rowdy Girls family again, and Sea World was just what the doctor ordered. That was a good day.

Gracie, you took one look at the dolphins, turned around, and tried to claw your way up my shirt and over my head. They seriously bothered you. I think it was because they disappeared under water and you weren't sure where they were going to surface. It didn't matter to you at all that Jonah loved feeding them and was obviously having a blast.

Em and Roo showed us all their favorite exhibits. We didn't have to even glance at a map or figure out show times! All we did was follow them, and enjoy.

At the end of the day, Jonah got a stuffed dolphin for a souvenir, and named it Seely Seal. Because, that's what dolphins say, you know. *insert super high pitched squeal* "Seely Seeeeeeal".

Trip Diary: Day Six

Dear Jonah and Gracie,

On Tuesday morning we dressed Jonah in slacks, a button up shirt, a belt, SOCKS (we don't "do" socks in Arizona), and dress shoes. Gracie wore her frilly Sunday dress and favorite Pediped shoes. We packed up the car and headed to Daddy's family's funeral home.

I've always been creeped out by funeral homes. They tend to be dark with floor to ceiling curtains, poor lighting, sad music, and they're filled with crying people. But your Daddy grew up playing in this one.

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It's a beautiful old 2 story house, bright and cheerful, and owned by, and filled to the brim, with family. Not like any funeral home I've ever been in before. There were aunts and uncles sitting on the couches, cousins in the kitchen, aunts and uncles visiting in the hallways, cousins in the doorway, cousins playing behind the curtains, cousins on the front porch, cousins sliding down the stairs. How can you be sad in a house full of cousins?!

Your McGrandpa came to the funeral too, which ended up being a God-send, because Gracie was tuckered out and cranky. He strolled Gracie around in the cool morning breeze under the huge old trees while Jonah and Mama entered the chapel with Daddy's family. We sat down next to Aunt Angie, and all was quiet for 45 seconds. That's when Jonah, you decided very LOUDLY that you were staaaaarving. You whispered to me at first, but then you got more urgent, and finally hollered, "my stomach is growling, I'm SOOOOOO hungry, Mama!" I promptly ushered you out the side door.

I wonder what you will remember about your first funeral, Jonah. Certainly nothing sad or creepy. Maybe the policemen waiting outside the funeral home who offered to let you sit on their motorcycles? Maybe the warm smiles of Daddy's cousins who own the funeral home, and their stash of peanut butter crackers in the funeral home's kitchen? Maybe that they let you eat all the crackers you wanted and watch the Disney Channel in the kitchen instead of sitting through the service? Maybe the silly faces you made into their oscillating fan? Maybe the "parade" of cars with flashing lights headed to the cemetery? Or maybe Uncle Byrum letting you explore the front-loader at the cemetery while everyone else attended the grave-side service? I hope you understand one day how unique that experience was.

When the services were all over, we visited Granny Florine's headstone, and Gracie ran around squealing and smiling in her frilly little get-up. Lunch was served by friends at the church Great-Grandpa and Mammaw spent 30 years of their lives attending. We fought over who would get the last of the homemade chicken n' dumplings. Everything was delicious.

After hugs and kisses and some crying, we said our goodbyes and ended the day back in the car driving to Austin, TX for a last minute visit with the Rowdy Girls.

Trip Diary: Day Four and Five

Dear Jonah and Gracie,

Saturday morning we were awakened by "the phone call". Great-Grandpa went to be with the Lord around 3:00 that morning. Great-Grandpa's real name is Joseph Perry Wade and he lived 88 years. He had 3 sisters, Margrette, Thelma, and Carrie Nadine, and 2 brothers, J.C. and James. He was born on June 2, 1922 in Eustace, TX, served in the Navy during WWII, loved and married your Mammaw, and was Daddy to your Meemaw and Aunt Sandra. He could tell a great story, had a giving and loyal heart, and was loved by many.

What a blessing that you two were able to be held by him, play with him, share a chocolate chip cookie with him, ask him questions and listen to his answers. He loved you both. And he was so proud to be your Great-Grandpa.

On Sunday, we made hotel arrangements. On Monday, we hopped back in the car and drove the rest of the way to be with Daddy's family. You both slept like champs until the car ran over a rumble strip on Ranger Hill. (Grrr.)

We checked into our hotel in Waxahachie then met Uncle Jeff and Aunt Angie for an early dinner. That's when it became obvious that, Jonah...you were spent. Two things happen when you run out of steam. 1) Potty language, which is strictly forbidden in our house, spews forth. 2) you completely lose your ability to listen and obey. There was no way we were taking you to the viewing acting like that.

At the hotel, Daddy and Gracie dressed and headed to the viewing while I bathed and pajama'd you, read a book, prayed and sang, then turned your sleep CD on. You were snoring before the 1st track was over. Obviously still under the weather since it was barely 6pm.

Gracie, they tell me you were a doll at the viewing. Running around in your little pastel blue dress with the cream colored flowers on it, and giving kisses and hugs to your cousin, Perrilou. You let everyone hold you, and provided some much needed comic relief. When Daddy brought you back to the hotel, your hair was super curly from the humidity and you smelled like 5 different kinds of perfume.

Trip Diary: Day Two and Three

Dear Jonah and Gracie,

Well Jonah barfed all over the back seat as soon as we left Las Cruces city limits. Daddy's pillow and Jonah's Nannie blanket took the worst hit. Thank goodness for leather seats that wipe clean, and the bathroom at Babies R Us in El Paso! I spent a good 10 minutes rinsing Jonah's blanket in the sink and blow drying it with the hand dryer. Daddy's pillow wasn't so lucky. It made a trip around the back of the store to the dumpster.

After 2 naps, and 10 episodes of Sponge Bob, we landed on the McGrandparent's doorstep in Abilene. Daddy and I decided to bunk there until we knew what was happening with Great-Grandpa (still a 2 1/2 hour drive away).

Nannie came over to see you both several times, Jonah started sleeping off his sickies, we took walks, and cuddled a lot.

We shopped for clothes that would be appropriate for a viewing and funeral, ate lots of Nannie's homemade macaroni and cheese, and prayed that Daddy's family would be at peace. Did I mention we ate a lot of mac n' cheese? Gracie loved it and kept signing for more. Jonah, you just plain asked for more. And if it hadn't been for her mac n' cheese, you would have survived the trip solely on Cliff Bars and Cheezits, you little turkey.

Texas Trip Diary

Dear Jonah and Gracie,

The week before last, Daddy got a phone call from his family in Texas. Your Great-Grandpa's heart got very sick, and they were calling to say that he may not live through the weekend. We decided to pack up the car and drive to Texas.

We were in a hurry packing, but my mind was busy working out how to explain the situation to Jonah. (Gracie, you were just too little to understand.) Amazingly, the being there, and seeing his burial, was enough. You asked a few questions, "why is Great-Grandpa not usin' his body anymore?" and, "will he get to see Dubbie?" and, "will I go to heaven too?", but mostly you just observed and understood. You're such a smart perceptive kid, Jonah.

Trip Diary - Day One:

You were running a fever, Buddy, and you really did not feel well during the drive. You slept a lot and after vomiting a couple of times said, "I feel much more better". Every time I turned around to check on you, though, this is what I saw.

Gracie, this was your first trip to be forward-facing, and until you got sick of being buckled down, you were happy as a clam. You looked at books, played boo with your blanket, watched Baby Signing Time, blew kisses, and babbled a lot.

We drove to Las Cruces, NM and spent the night, although sleeping was not high on your agenda, Missy. Jonah crashed hard, but you wanted to play. We had no crib, no Pack n' Play, no way to confine you, so I kept you in my bed and every time I took a breath you would pop up and say, "Mama?". All. Night. Long. "Mama?". And you wanted to crawl on me, but you were so tired you would fall asleep in mid crawl. Sprawled across my face.

Bright and early the next morning, we called Babies R Us in El Paso, TX and had them hold a Kidco PeaPod for us.