A Sunny Day in CA

This has been a crazy couple of days! On Monday, we went to Long Beach at 10AM for the viewing of my dad. Surprisingly, this was a pleasant time for me. I wanted to have some sort of closure, and this helped. It was strange having him pass while I was in Texas. I just felt like he'd always be here when I returned, but alas, that was not the case.

Dad looked peaceful, and in all honesty, why wouldn't he? He is now walking the streets of gold and perhaps fishing in a crystal sea. I'm sure he's looking down seeing life and eternity clearly. I got my chance to say goodbye, and that helped. I saw his earthly body, and am certain that he no longer inhabited it!

That same evening we had the memorial service at the church where most of us kids grew up. There was a very large turn out which was nice. It is always good to see people pay respect to someone you love. Zack and Sophia did so well. They knew we were saying goodbye to grandpa.

Zack said, "Mom if people cry, what should I do"? I said, "You can just give them a hug and say 'It's okay.'" He did this several times through this time. He has such a tender heart and understanding of people's feelings. It's cool to see.

Sophia knew we were saying goodbye, and since she knows grandpa is in heaven, she ran in circles looking up into the great big sky saying, "Goodbye Grandpa" over and over with a great big smile. She and Zack both wanted to know if there are video games in heaven!!! Being a believer in God and heaven and all that goes along with it, makes death a lot easier! That's for certain! It is just a step from one life to another.

Today we drove to Ventura for the internment. The service was comforting as was seeing the family together once more. With so many siblings, it isn't often that all of us are in the same place at the same time.

This afternoon, Zack, Sophia, and I took the dog for a long walk down to the park where they played for about an hour. Good times! Those moments are what life is all about! Zack said, "Mom, you are the BEST"!!!! "Next time I draw a picture, I am going to write 'I love you'"! "Thank you for walking with us"! It is indeed the little things in life that make all the difference in our kids' lives.

To keep this real, I should share one struggle although it is not huge. Sophia has taken to unbuckling her seat belt mid trip or anytime the car stops! This is a tad bit frustrating and dangerous! So, for now, she has lost her seat belt unbuckling privileges which means she can't ever unbuckle herself. She has to wait for me to come around. This typically means that all the kids are out of the Yukon before she is. She doesn't like that much so I think after a week or two of this her bad habit will be broken. We shall see.

Which brings me to a parenting topic that hits home more and more. Disciplining and training kids takes a TON of discipline on the parents' part!!!!! I mean, do you think I want to have to go all the way around the car and unbuckle her each and every time??? NOPE, but no pain no gain. And, have you ever felt like putting your kids on restriction is really just restricting yourself???? Mine aren't old enough for that yet, but I certainly hope I'll have discipline enough to stick to my guns even if it means I have to miss a nail appointment. Who knows? Again, we shall see.