Then We Went to Idaho to Say Goodbye-Part II/Burley

This is when I complained about how far we had to walk to our hotel room from the elevator.

Five steps.

Jordan could not stop laughing and documented the moment.

Exhaustion guys.

Five steps is a lot when I am tired.

Hungry, hot, or tired is just bad news bears for me.

Brothers. Uncles.
Memory Lane.
So glad we got to see Shane.
I think it has been 15 years since I have seen him.
Wait.
There was that one time he strolled in to the PVU airport like it was no big deal.
I was all sorts of, "Um, aren't you my cousin?"
That was awesome.
Cousins.
Sad. Faces.
We look so good.

Sad face part deux.

My cousins all have about a billion of the cutest kids.

This is how she pulls her sister around.

What of it.

This church still has a real phone in it for emergencies.

I emergency called God, but it was busy.

I bet he was on a party line.

We could not get enough it.

It was like we were from the future, and had never seen such a thing.

We stopped for our favorite road trip treat.

Guess who almost cried when the first gas station did not have them.

Oh, just both of us.

Don't worry, we found a larger than life package.

Success!

Someone tried to eat the entire package in one bite.

On our way home.

Back to reality.

During the trip Kathe sent me a text of a drawing El drew for me.

El has mad artist skills.
It made my day....even if she does think I have red ears.

Then We Went to Idaho to Say Goodbye-Part I/Boise

Ingenius ways to add oil to the Dodge.

Yes, that is a real drum stick.
This is what happens when I go inside the gas station for five whole minutes.

We took lots of photos in between funerals.

Rad places in this little town.

Gramps

This post took me a long time too.

Grieving takes a long time guys.

Yes, I had pink hair once.

I was so punk rock back in the day.

****

My Grandfather passed away the day after Dani.

Two funerals in three days is intense.

So is losing losing two best friends within 24 hours.

That was a lot to handle.
It still is.

****

My Grandpa and I became very close over the last few years.

I have fond memories of him as a child, but I have even fonder memories in the last few years.

We would talk on the phone often....about everything.

That guy really liked to challenge me.

We are both pretty stubborn so you can imagine how that went.

Those stubborn moments always ended in laughter.

I loved that.

He let me be me.

The last time I saw him I went on a walk in the crisp Idaho air whilst listening to Local Natives (specifically the song Airplanes, which is about his Grandpa). I knew it was one of the last times I would have such precious moments with him.

I prepared myself.

****

I have so many memories of my Grandfather.

Like:

-When we made pinwheels together (pictured above) and I was trying to convince him to give me the recipe. He would not give it to me, because he already gave it to one grandchild. Obviously you are the favorite Michelle, because you are the keeper of the flame. Jokes, I super sleuthed and got it out of him. Success!

-When he would pass me the butter and push it into my hands like a jokester.

-The rope swing he built for us grandkids. That thing was so fun and we all did some phat tricks off of it.

-Nat Soo Pah adventures.

-Camping adventure. The camper!

-The night we watched The Brady Bunch Bowling special together and both decided that they are all terrible bowlers. "Come on!!!!" would say to the T.V. We also decided we were waaaay better bowlers than those kids.

-Our long talks and his incredible advice.

-When I would call him every couple of weeks and the first thing he would say was, "You never call and you never visit." That always made me laugh because it was false.

-The chalkboard by the phone.

-How he remembered my birthday every year with a card.

-How I didn't know how to talk to him after my Grandma passed away because I was so close to her. We had a great conversation about that.

-How being around him and being in Idaho felt like being home.

-Horseshoe tournaments.

-Backyard baseball.

-The many days we spent discussing his history and life story.

-The day I told him how I felt many years ago when he had his first heart attack. How I couldn't live without him. He had tears in his eyes listening to the story, and he told me that he will always be here and that I can go on without him.

-The continual (maybe a little pushy Gramps!) that I need to find a good man. Maybe he forgot just how independent I am.

-When he told me, "Vegan food is gross!"

-The day I found a shot glass in the cupboard and asked him if he is a closet drinker, to which he replied, "Yes, we have the bishop over and drink with that shot glass." Guess who still cherishes that very shot glass? Yours truly.

-His faith and conviction. Truly beautiful.

-His passion for genealogy.

-Listening to him talk about the crazy lady next door to him in the nursing home that would come in his room and demand he drive her around town.

-The day he told me he was a pilot, and that he soloed in 8 hours...in a taildragger. Amazing. We also talked about my great uncle that broke records flying in 1920 ish. One of my favorite conversations with him.

-The endless amounts of awards that adorned his walls.

-The wooden woodpecker on the fridge that he would make start pecking when I was talking about the struggles my life. He would point to the sign next to it that said something like, "Keep on pecking at life." Wise guy.

-The endless games he would play with us. Spoon, Donkey, Pit, and all the rest.

-The day I was playing the organ for him and he looked at me strangly. I asked him what that look was for, and he told me he had heard better organ playing. Hahahaha. He was right, I was so rusty in my piano and organ skills.

-How he could always make me laugh.

-How I wanted desperately to see him one last time, but getting pneumonia twice in a row halted that idea. I had it in my calendar to be there the weekend he passed away. Even though I could not be there. My heart and love were with you in the last days Gramps. I was honored you asked of me even in the end. I miss you terribly.

-Singing at your funeral with the girls nearly pushed me over the edge. I did it for you Gramps. I knew you would have loved it.

(Thank you to uncle Brent who recognized my near breakdown and told me I was very brave to get up there. Incredible uncle.)

****

So much love for this great man.

Thank you for being an amazing Grandfather for 32 years.

I love you dearly.

Grandpa Time

I received a text from the best cousin ever that my Grandfather was not doing well.

I did not hesitate to go visit.

When you see this building you know you are on your way to peace and happiness in Idaho.

How rad is their airport? I remember flying there as a child with my Dad.

Sometimes I would have the controls.

My Mom and brother did not have that option.

They were too busy puking in the back.

That is what happens in small planes.

I love this hotel for so many reasons.
But.
Let's start with how it has a sign that says Mastercharge.
You do not see that kind of sign anymore.

I stayed in Albion.
I found this sign on my run.
An American flag, an RV, and $11?
Sign me up.

I was kind of wondering why they took so much time with the vinyl lettering, but then penciled in their phone number.

Kind of a half-assed job eleven dollar RV park.

I had a lesson on watering the flowers by Addie.
My favorite was when I said, "Do you remember my name?"
Addie said, "No, but I like your shoes."
I would like it if we were all that simple.

I knew I was in Idaho when I woke up to cookies and muffins.
Very reminiscent of my Grandma's house.
I miss her.
Probably more than most.
That is one serious connection.

The first night I was there Gramps and I watched Celebrity Bowling with the Brady Bunch.

True.

I have also watched the A-Team with him.

My Grandpa is kind of hip.
There was a lot of yelling and laughing.
Things like, "Come on. Get it together man. We DO NOT want them on our team."
Bowling is very relaxing...even if there was some yelling.

ESPN Classics is great. I need TV for that only.

The next day when I visited we started out with organ playing.
This is what organ playing looks like.

I used to play this organ as a kid.
We discussed the financial planning of purchasing an organ.

I did not do that as a kid.

Oh, adulthood.

You suck.

Back to being a kid please.

I said, "Gramps, teach me something new on the organ. Something fancy with the pedals."

When I asked him how I was doing he said, "It is alright, but keep on trying."

Thanks for the honest words.

Then we argued over cords.

He got the book out to try and prove me wrong.

Touche Bill.

Always right.

I had several one-on-one hours with my Grandfather.

I learned about his life.

He gave me Grandfatherly advice.

It went something like this,

"Stay as sweet as you are and marry a good man."

Oh, okay Gramps, both very complicated.

You better believe I challenged him on both of those ideas.

I might have even asked him if he slipped my Grandma the tongue on the first kiss.

His reply?

"She was a cold fish."

Hahahahaha. Priceless.

I love you Grandpa.

Lastly, I found these rad shot glasses for Jordan and I.

Fish parts on both sides.

Perf.

Family Vacation Part II

This is what it looks like to be the only girl.

This is when Gent looked like a Caucasian Gary Coleman.

This was also after he asked for our email addresses.

He practically asked in his business voice.

Really? Email?

Oh Caucasian Gary, you are just growing up too fast.

Pool time. Little kids are crazy in the pool.

He told me he was not mad, but motor boating his mouth.

We were able to ditch the kids and go for a bike ride.

The bike time turned into trick time.

It all started with this....
(They banned me from going down the stairs behind him. Whatever over-protectives.

Of course we always thought our older brother was the coolest person around.

So we decided we would try too.

I was starting to re-create the dance scene in Rad.

Sisters.

Guess who was the only one to get in trouble by my Dad for all of the bike tricks?

Me.

Don't they know me but at all?

Family Vacation Part I

This year we went to Sun Valley.

We have done this thrice.

My Mom happens to be an amazing businesswoman.

That is code for vice president of a bank.

Yes, my Mom rules.

I will probably steal her job one day.

One of my many dream jobs.

The point of this bank talk is: there was a banking convention in Sun Valley.

The entire family went.

That was awes, because the last time we were all together in Sun Valley was seven years ago.

Jordan I left later than everyone.

I was something like hours upon hours late to pick him up.

He was still trying to get his act together.

He walked out looking like a vegan tourist Dad.

We struggled to get out of town.

Of course we could not leave without a ridiculous amount of candy.

Addicts.

This is when the vegan tourist Dad turned into a Grandpa whilst checking the oil.

Snack-stache and Cash-stache.
Family road trips equal fun.
Just ask Shari.
She once got a crash course in what a road trip is like with us.
I do not think we stopped laughing once.
Not once!

You know how in kinship sometimes you talk/hang out often and sometimes you do not?
Not because there is something wrong; just because that is how relationships go.
This was our first time hanging out in a long time.
Best friends reunited.

We might have got sidetracked on a photo journey.
Oops slash sorry parents.
Our first idea was to jump off the bridge into the Snake River in Burley.
We wanted to be like the other cool kids.
Then we realized we had a long drive, and did not want to be soaking wet the rest of the drive.
So....we took photos of one of our favorite childhood places.
These photos are for my cousins, because only they can understand the love of this town.
Plus, most of them are scenic photos and we all know how boring those are.
Yep, extra boring.

This is when we got a phone call from Mom's and Dad's that were not happy and wondering where we were.

Double oops slash sorry parents.

This is when Jordan told me we were in trouble.