My Grandma

Early this past Wednesday morning, this beautiful lady left this earth to rejoin her husband, parents, and her sister, who was also her best friend.  She would have been 89 at the end of this coming September, so no one could say she didn't live a long, full life, but it sure is hard to say goodbye.
My grandma was one of the most loving, giving, gentle people I know, so it's easy to see where my dad gets those traits.  As I've grown older, I've heard more and more stories about the extraordinary life she lived.  As a grandchild, sometimes you have a tendency to forgot that your grandparents had a long, full, often adventurous life before they ever met you.  My grandma grew up on a farm doing a man's work.  She married her first husband, a race car driver, and lost him 11 days later when he died during a race.  Later she married my grandpa, who was in the Air Force, and during the Korean War, was told his plane was shot down and he was presumed to be dead.  When she found this out she left to serve a mission for the LDS church.  During her mission she found out he was actually a POW, and he stayed that way for 3 more whole years.  Eventually he got to come home, and they were reunited.  She had 3 sons, my dad being the youngest.
I was one of those lucky kids who, when their parents are both working, get to be watched by the grandparents every day, not normal childcare.  And Grandma and Grandpa Millward babysat me, all day, from the time I was six weeks old til I was two and a half.  My grandpa suffered cardiac arrest, and passed away while only in his sixties. 
Even after my grandpa's death, my grandma and her sister Shirley watched me and Sloan and Garrett all the time.  I can't ever remember having a babysitter.  It was always Grandma who watched us.  I used to love going over to her house for sleepovers, or just going over for a couple hours while my parents went on a date.  I can still remember the imaginary games we'd all play together, and the adventures we'd have in my grandma's backyard.  I remember her showing me around her garden, telling me what everything was, and how you could tell when it was time to pick it.  Grandma and Shirley were always ready to play whatever our imaginations came up with.
Eventually Grandma and Shirley moved in to a small apartment together, unable to keep up with house and yard work anymore.  After several years, Shirley unexpectedly passed away, and my grandma had to move to an assisted living center so she could have help with cooking and cleaning.
Her last two years of life were spent in Barton Creek.  It was apparent that she really missed her sister, and it was hard for me to see her frustrated by her declining health.  It got harder for her to walk on her own, and harder for her to remember things.  The highlight of her day was a phone call from a child, or a note or visit from a grandchild.  I took her to lunch each year on her birthday, and she would tell me all about the past on the farm, or about living in Germany, or about what was going on with this or that grandchild.
I think the hardest thing about her passing is that she's always been there, such a big part of my life.  She was always at birthday parties and holiday get-togethers.  And now, that's over. 
I miss her, but at the same time I am happy for her.  She has been separated from my grandpa for 22 years now, and after that much time, I think she was ready to see him again.  Til the day she died, she wore her wedding ring, and that is such a powerful reminder to me of true love.  I am so grateful for the knowledge I have that her spirit lives on, and I will see her again someday.
I love and miss you, Grandma.  Can't wait to see you again.

Random Stuff You Probably Didn't Want to Know

• My fish in my 10 gallon fish tank keep having babies.  There are 3 generations of fish living in there now.  And none of them are dying.  Yikes.
• I avoid bending down as much as possible these days.  It's really hard to get back up.  If I drop something and don't absolutely need it, too bad.  It stays on the ground.
• I like feeling my baby move, but it still weirds me out a little bit.  Especially when she has freak-outs.
• Harley is an annoying dog to have around.  I love her to death, but when I'm trying to get stuff done around the house, she follows me EVERYWHERE.  And I mean everywhere.  Like, right behind me.  Always has to see what I'm doing.  She gets in the way like crazy.  
• My least-favorite job to do daily is make my bed.  So lots of times it just doesn't happen.
• I really don't like sports at all, they bore me to tears, but I LOVE going to Real games.  Me and Cord went to one this past Saturday and it was a blast.  We lost, but it was still fun.  If you haven't been to one, GO.

Summer is Halfway Over!

Normally I'd be sad, but I'm getting exciting to meet the little miss swimming around inside me!  Besides, I don't think I'll miss this particular summer too much; I think we've had too many days of 100 degree temperatures. 

For my birthday in February, Cord got me a giftcard to Massage Envy for a 1-hour massage, and I've been holding off on using it for as long as possible.  But now, the time has come.  I am going on Wednesday to get a "prenatal massage", whatever that entails.  But I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am.  Everything on me aches.  Especially my back and feet. 

Other than that, life is pretty boring for us right now.  Cord is still working away at L-3 and also doing military stuff and also doing school stuff, so he stays plenty busy.  And I am trying to work as much as possible at Zions til I quit.  It's the good life, I tell ya.

A Diabetes Scare

Sooo... I had my doctor's appointment last week and had to do the glucose screening test.  Basically you just drink a drink that tastes a lot like Hawaiian Punch.  Not too bad.  Then they draw your blood an hour later and your glucose level should be 140 or lower.  Too bad mine was 174.  Yikes.  So then I had to go back on Monday and get my levels tested 4 times :(.  The good part was, it was only a prick in the finger this time, not a blood draw 4 times.  So I had to drink a sugar drink again but this time it was twice as strong.  Ick.  Almost threw it up.  I failed one of my draws, but lucky for me, you have to fail two or more to be diagnosed with gestational diabetes.  To celebrate, we went and got scones with lots of honey butter right afterwards.  :)
Ummm other than that not much is new.  Except I'm in my 3rd trimester now!  Yippee.  Almost done.

A Complaint Post

Ok, I'm entitled to one of these every once in awhile.

Dang you summer.  I don't remember weeks at a time of 100 degree temperatures LAST summer.  So why this one??  Did it have to be while I'm just starting my third trimester of pregnancy?

Dang you economy.  Cord and I both have relatively good-paying jobs.  On the condition that we actually go to work.  L-3 told Cord to not even bother coming back to work til July 9th.  They are just way short on work.  And up until last week, I was getting shifts every day I was available.  Now, not so much.  8 hours a week just isn't gonna cut it people!  It seems Peak Time has just slowed down a lot now.  So great!  Lucky Cord is in the military and can go work on base a lot of these days. 

Dang you anxiety.  I'm at that point in my pregnancy where I should be feeling baby move every day, but she's small enough it's not the easiest thing.  So last night it'd been a couple of days since I felt a good strong kick from her, so I finally freaked out and went to Labor and Delivery.  As soon as the found her heartbeat with the doppler and strapped it to the place on my belly where she was hanging out, she started kicking me like crazy.  She didn't like that pressure being put on her at all.  Bad baby.  Why couldn't you have gone kick-crazy an hour previously?

Life is good, though.  Our nursery continues to come together, my pregnancy has been relatively easy (just a little back pain and fatigue, nothing I can't handle), we both still DO have jobs, our dogs are pretty cool, we found out we are most likely eligible for the VA home loan ($150 a month off the mortgage, anyone?), baby is healthy, the 4th of July is this week (I seriously get so excited I can't sleep at night), Cord is halfway done with summer semester and is still doing well, and I'm sure there are a lot of other great things I'm forgetting to mention.