6 Months!

Brothers!

I made my little buddies pose for a mini photo shoot last week so I could make some birthday cards.  These are the shots I used and I love how they turned out!  These two adore each other!

Spring!

Spring is always the longest season here in Portland, but this year has been drier and warmer than most.  We've had lots of sunny afternoons and have being spending lots of time outside.  Mason loves to watch Spencer shoot hoops in the driveway.  He's still a little small for this toy we keep in the garage though.

Alan and Spencer broke out the Corn Hole game we got for Christmas.  The boards are really slick so the beanbags just slide off.  That makes it a pretty challenging game!

Spencer had a day off school last week, so we went to a park in town to check out its brand-new playground.  Spencer rode his bike and I jogged with Mason in the stroller.  I love getting around town like that and I love that we can get most places in town on foot if we want to!  We had packed a picnic lunch, but Spencer was too excited about the new playground to eat more than two bites at a time.  :)

Mason and I mostly hung out in the shade.  He liked watching all of the kids running around.  I can't wait for summer and for more park days!

Solid Food!

It's so fun to eat like a big boy!  Yummy rice cereal!

Baby cuteness

He's just too cute not to post these.

Genevieve LeFevre

My Dad's mom, my Grandma LeFevre, passed away on February 11th.  She had been unwell for a long time and was so very lonely for my Grandpa who passed away nine years ago, so her death wasn't despairingly sad.  It was odd that I had written her Valentine's card that afternoon, but hadn't mailed it before I heard she had passed away that evening.  Now, I'm not sure what to do with her card.  I hadn't seen Grandma for a year and a half, but I'll still miss her.  She was my last living grandparent and left a remarkable legacy.

 

 Grandma and Grandpa on Elise's blessing day - May 5, 1984

1991

 

Grandma and the five oldest granddaughters at Deer Range - 1993

 
 Grandma and her sister Edith while serving their missions in Nauvoo - 1997

Family reunion at Grandma's care center in St. George - June 28, 2013

Thankfully, the timing worked out just right for all of us to be able to travel to southern Utah for her funeral which was held on President's Day.  None of us really wanted to make another long car ride with Mason though, so I wound up flying to Salt Lake with him.  Alan and Spencer borrowed Alan's Dad's SUV and drove.  Alicia is always so wonderful to let us stay at her house, even on short notice.  Both boys love her!!

The next day, we went to Sacrament Meeting with Alicia and then drove the rest of the way down to the tiny town of Tropic, where my Dad was raised.  My Uncle Layne still lives there so a lot of us gathered at his house that evening for dinner and again the next morning for breakfast.  We stayed Sunday night in a hotel, which Spencer loved.  He threw a huge fit when we had to leave.

My cousin Leslie's baby is just two months older than Mason.  The plus side of funerals is that they are also reunions.  My Grandparents have seven children, 32 grandchildren, and currently 22 great-grandchildren.  Every one of those people was there except for four of the grandchildren (three of whom are serving missions).   I also got to see a lot of my Dad's Finlinson relatives.  I got to know them when I roomed with my second cousin Abby at BYU.  My Grandma's sister Edith and her husband Bryce hold a special place in my heart.  They always treated me like their own granddaughter.   

The funeral was on Monday morning.  There was a two-hour viewing before hand, so we had lots of time to hang out at the church.  Thank heavens there was a nursery for the kids!  Spencer would have been miserable without it.  That weekend was the first time my entire immediate family had been together in over four years.  It was wonderful, but much too short.

I usually don't like viewings much because I prefer to remember people as they were with their spirits.  My Grandma was different though.  The massive stroke she suffered nearly two years ago took a huge toll on her body.  Grandma had always been such a lady, so well put-together and beautiful.  She was not able to take care of herself after the stroke and some of the muscles in her face had tightened and made her smile was crooked.  My cousin Libby did Grandma's hair and make-up for the viewing and she looked beautiful and peaceful.  It was so nice to see her looking like herself again.

Alan was an amazing dad as usual and took care of Mason the entire time so I could visit with my family and listen during the funeral.

I learned quite a bit about my Grandma at the funeral.  I wish I had taken more time to ask her about her past when I had the chance.  My Grandparent's first date was a blind date.  Before Grandpa even said hello, he walked over and kissed Grandma!  I guess that didn't scare her away though because they were married for over 53 years before Grandpa passed away.
  
Grandma was a school teacher for 35 years while raising her family.  She took a year off each time she had a baby, but then went back.  I don't think I could do that.  Grandma was also an extremely talented musician.  I knew how well she played the piano and organ, but didn't know she also started a singing group for mothers that she lead for years.  After all of their children were grown and my Grandpa was a Bishop in Page, AZ, they "adopted" an orphaned Navajo family as their family home evening group.  My Grandparents had FHE with these four children for seven years and helped hold that little family together. 

Grandma was buried next to her sweet heart in the Tropic cemetery after the service.  Just like Grandmpa's funeral, it was so cold and windy there!  We didn't stay outside long.  

The Tropic Ward provided a nice luncheon afterwards.  I am so thankful for good people who serve in their wards!!

Marc likes to harass his nephews.  :)

Sweet Michelle!

We drove back to Alicia's house on Monday evening and then the rest of the way home on Tuesday.  Thankfully, Mason had grown-up a lot since Christmas and was a much happier passenger on this trip.  Spencer was sad to miss a day of school so I made up math problems for him and got him to read an entire chapter book on the way.  Alan drove the whole way and ate snacks. :)  The bigger vehicle made a huge difference in my comfort moving back and forth from front to back seats all day.  Thanks Darwin and Debbie!
 

The Gospel, family, and education were Grandma's top priorities.  She built and lived her life around those three values.  I will be forever grateful for that example and the way she encouraged me to improve myself (even if I never did get the hang of embroidery like my sisters did!).  It was a hard, fast trip, but I am so, so grateful to have been able to go and celebrate a wonderful life.  I love you Grandma!