Hi All!
We finally made it home
late last night. It has been a very tiring two weeks. I am in constant contact with my Mom. My sister and I may try and get her to move to Texas. She has lots of friends in Virginia, but no family. She is not making any immediate plans. But, hopefully by this fall she'll be here.
The funeral was this past Thursday (April 3rd). We had to wait over a week because he was buried in Quantico National Cemetery and there was some paperwork that had to be approved. He had a mass first and then we went to Quantico. Taps was played at the cemetery and then my Mom was presented a flag from two servicemen. It was a very nice ceremony. Joel (my step Dad) would have been proud. It was a VERY cold day in VA that day and later it started to rain. They don't do the ceremony at the gravesite but at a shelter. So, my Mom went back three hours later to visit his gravesite. It is all still very surreal. Joel was only 55 and in great health. Come to find out, he had a blood clot in his leg that moved up his body into his lunges. My Mom said he thought he was having an asthma attack because he couldn't breathe. It was all very sudden. It is really sad how a tragedy can bring a family together. Joel's Father, Step-Mother, brother (and family), daughters (and family), My Mom's brother (and wife) and sister (and family) all came from different points of the country to attend the funeral. Not to mention all his friends and business associates. There were two viewings at the funeral home on Wednesday. I even had to have the woman at the funeral home print more prayer cards for the second viewing. I am a child of divorce, most kids want their parents to get back together, but I could see the love my Mom and Joel had for each other. I am very happy and appreciative of Joel for making my Mom happy for twenty-five years. They had something truly special.
I have never planned a funeral before. I was with my Mom from beginning to end. I helped pick out the casket to choosing the readings for mass. It is a huge undertaking. Bill (with a little help from me) even wrote the obituary for their local paper. I would highly recommend for people to leave their loved ones with their wishes and desires for their funeral. My Mom even had to struggle on who to have as pall bearers and read a eulogy. You never know what tomorrow will bring. I made a birthing plan before each of our children's birth. It honestly doesn't hurt to have a will and funeral plan on file.
The kids were very well behaved at the two viewings and funeral. I had to keep checking to make sure they were my children. I think they knew this was not the time to act up and I was very proud of them. Will and Emily did see their Grandpa one last time and even blew him a kiss good bye. Cole could sense something was wrong and wouldn't enter the room where the casket was. It was really weird. We didn't force him and he went into the other room to play with the kids. Joel was an avid reader. So, Emily made sure he had a book in his casket to read while he was in heaven. It was very sweet. I gave it to the funeral director and he made sure Joel was holding it with his rosary beads. It was a book of poems, very fitting for Joel. My Uncle put in a bottle of wine. Joel loved a good glass of wine.
We are really going to need our WDW trip in a couple of weeks. I can't wait to get away and hear the kids laugh again. We did get into DC last Sunday to drop my nephew off at the airport. He had to head home to TX before the funeral for school. We got to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom. They were beautiful.
Tina - Did y'all get a lot of rain? When we were driving home through Arkansas yesterday, I noticed a lot of water in the fields and the rivers looked very high. When we drove over the river between Memphis and the Arkansas border, the river looked swollen. I couldn't remember what town you said you lived in, is Jonesboro right? There was a sign on the highway leading to another highway to Jonesboro and it made me think of you and Robby.
It is beautiful here today (low 80's). Our DISdog (JJ) was very happy to see me today when I went to pick him up at the boarders. He was on a hunger strike for the first couple of days he was there. He didn't like their dog food. So, they went to Wal-Mart and got him some food from there. I need to remember to bring him his own food next time. I was in such a rush when I dropped him off that I told them to just feed him the food they provided. Our grass decided to start growing while we were gone. We came home to a jungle in the backyard. It's back to mowing season.
Fun, fun. Soon to follow will be swimming season. Yea!
The kids are asking to play outside. So, outside I go. Everyone have a great week and thank you for all the well wishes. My Mom truly appreciates all your thoughts and prayers.
One last thing . . . While in VA, I talked to my Uncle about maybe taking a family
Disney cruise in two years. I hope it happens. Then, my Mom can finally go on a cruise. She and my step Dad were suppose to take their first cruise this December. Also, my Uncle and his wife live in CA. Can you say
Disneyland? We plan to visit them and go
NEXT YEAR. Yea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
- Jennifer
There were a lot of places around here that got some severe flooding and a few tornados. I'll be so glad when all this bad weather stuff is over. 
My In-laws are flying in from Colorado and will be there on Wednesday.. Then.. Andy & Damien and the rest of the gang will head out by 2 RVs on Friday afternoon.. 
She looked at my DSIL and said, "Mommy, why are they putting that lady in a suitcase?" 
So they gave her the brief answer of "So she can go to heaven, etc." I told the two of them they better watch out. Next week she'll be putting their stuff in suitcases and trying to bury it in the back yard!
we had a TON of Rain but we still had warm weather 
