Bittersweet Week

This week was a busy one with the fair every single day. It was exhausting being out in that heat for so many hours, but it was fun getting to spend time with family.

This week I also lost my Papa, after a long and painful battle with Alzheimer's. He's been "gone" mentally for several years, so in some ways I had already said my goodbyes to him. It's a relief knowing that he's no longer suffering or confused by daily routine or people who he's known for a long time seeming like strangers to him. I'm so grateful for the fun memories I have with him, and the passion we both share for music, Disney (he worked for them for several years), books, and roses. Every time I see a rose, I think of my Papa and his beautiful garden that he treated like one of his own children. He spent more time in the backyard taking care of that garden than most people I know would care to do. At least once a week, he would go out into the garden in the early morning or evening (he taught me that this is the best time to pick roses) and gather a few blooms to bring in for my Nana to put in a vase. Their love is something that inspires me daily in my own marriage.

However, this week was also a great one because today Jake and I have been married for one whole year! It's crazy to think that it's been a year since we were sealed for time and eternity in the Los Angeles Temple. It feels like so much longer, but in some ways it also feels like we've only been married a month or two. Time is a strange thing.

This Week's Spiritual Thought

My Nana and Papa (aka Louise and Tom) in the 1950s, shortly
after they were married

Even though my grandparents weren't married in the temple because my Papa isn't LDS, I know that families are forever. Next summer, I'll be helping my family do the temple work that's necessary to seal my grandparents together so that they can be husband and wife in heaven. After over 60 years of marriage on earth, I think they'd be pretty happy to know that they get to spend eternity in heaven with each other! It just wouldn't be heaven without being able to be with your loved ones.