Saturday, May 12, 2012

Dean's Blessing

Last Sunday we blessed our sweet baby Dean. He was a good, sleepy baby all day and Matt gave him a beautiful blessing. My parents came, along with my brother Kasey and his girlfriend Halee and Matt's family was there, too, and we had a nice dinner after church. The only downer to the day was that right before we left for church, Brennen fell face first into the side of the bathtub and banged up his lip pretty good. He was bleeding really bad but it has healed really quickly and I think it looked much worse than it actually was. :) Here are some pictures from the day!
Me, Matt, and cute Baby Dean.
 Our family of four. You can tell that there is just something not quite right about Brennen's face... :)
 My family.
 Matt's family.
 Everyone together (we should have done all the pics outside 'cause this one turned out the best).
 Dean on his blessing blanket (made with love by his Grandma Hope).

Friday, May 4, 2012

My Grandpa

My Grandpa, Harold "Bud" Tanner, was born on May 20, 1922 and passed away on April 27, 2012.
I drove to the funeral in Lyman by myself with the boys because Matt had finals he couldn't miss. We got there Tuesday afternoon and went to the viewing that night and the funeral the next morning. At the viewing, I couldn't even walk by the casket because I was so emotional.
The next morning before the funeral, my parents and siblings and I went early to practice our songs in the chapel and I went down the hall to get a drink and noticed that no one was in the relief society room so I quietly went in by myself and spent a few moments of alone time with my wonderful grandpa. It was a really special moment for me and I felt his presence there with me and then it was like I felt it leave and it hit me that the man lying there was not my grandpa any longer, that he had moved on to be with my grandma and my father who had both passed on before him. From that moment on I really felt only joy.
The only other time I really cried was just before they closed the casket but then my sweet little 4 year old niece, Abigail, started saying in the quiet room, "When Jesus comes again, Grandpa will be alive!" That was really wonderful for me to hear and she has such great parents who obviously teach her the truths of the gospel.
I am very thankful for the knowledge that I have that families can be together forever and that this life is not the end. The bishop read a quote at the funeral (I don't remember who it was by) that said something like "The spirit leaves the body as a school boy leaves the school house. Suddenly, and with joy."
I was asked to sing with my family at the funeral and then again by myself as the closing song. I sang "Consider the Lilies." I made it through without crying because the song is just so comforting. It basically says that the Savior knows each one of us and takes care of us.
My grandparents lived only a couple blocks away my whole life and my siblings and I rode our bikes there nearly every day in the summer and we spent a lot of time there. I would always go there when I'd gotten in trouble with my parents because I knew Grandpa would comfort me and Grandma would tease and play with me. I also knew where they hid the candy (because they made it obvious) and would raid it often. I always knew that my grandparents loved me so much, even in their later years and when I was an adult and our relationship changed a little. It's weird to think that they're both gone but I know that they are together and that I will see them again!
Here's a picture of my grandparents.
 Grandpa holding my nephew Ashton
 Me with Grandma, Christmas 2007, just a few months before she passed away.
 I love this picture of Grandpa! Too bad I'm making a crazy looking face...
 Grandpa with Matt and I, summer 2008.