Master Ryan!

After six long, exhausting years, Ryan finally graduated for the last time! He finished his Bachelor's degree two years ago and just this past Friday graduated with his Master of Science in Information Systems! It feels so great to have him finally be done - and he is more thane excited to be finished as well.  He is, however, still hoping to continue his life long learning persuits in one way or another.

One thing I have always loved about him is his desire to never stop learning. I hope our son (and any future children we may have) also inherit that trait.

The day of graduation was a bit chaotic for us. My parents went with to share in his big day and we are ever so grateful! We decided to take Lincoln along which was probably not the wisest choice. I was so busy running around trying to take pictures that my darling mother ended up taking care of Lincoln. I guess at one point he was so fussy and crying so hard that she was at her wits end because she couldn't figure out how to calm him and I couldn't find her to get a bottle to her.  In the mist of all that, I nearly missed Ryan having his name read! I never was able to get a picture because I was running across the Hunstman Center at a frantic pace and they wouldn't let me go down the set of stairs I wanted to go down. By time I actually got to him he was already back in his seat and I was in tears.  But everything worked out in the end and it was still a great day!

I am so proud of Ryan and I congratulate him on his achievement! I love you!!

Turning 90...

On Friday my grandma turned 90 years old. On Saturday we held a big party for her at my parent's house to celebrate this milestone. It's not often that a person makes it to 90. I'm actually hoping she makes it to 150 just so my kids will get a chance to meet her (because at the rate I'm going, I'm going to be like Abraham's wife and not give birth until I'm 90).

Anyway, I could write a lengthy blog about the many things I love about my grandma but it would take way too long and all of you would get bored reading it. This morning I heard a song that expressed to me exactly the type of woman she is. I decided that posting it on here and letting you listen to it wouldn't take quite as long...and you might get a better idea of her faith, her strength, her gentleness, her kindness and her love, than I could ever express in words. This song is the epitome of the woman she is. I am so grateful for her. She has been such an inspiration to me and a wonderful example of being a woman of God. I hope that someday I can be half as good a woman as she is.

In order for me to play this song on my blog, I had to turn it into a video. Due to lack of time, I wasn't able to find a bunch of pictures of her to include so the only picture on it right now is the one of us together that we took yesterday at her party. Therefore, if you tire of staring at our faces, just close your eyes and listen to the words.

"I'm Driving What?"

My sister and her husband are gone this week on a trek with their Stake and so my mom is watching their six kids, ages 12 to 7 months. I am taking three days off work to help her out. Today was day one. My nine year old nephew wanted to do a service project at his Grandma Great's house (my grandma, who is 90) so we all had to pile in the car and drive the 15 minutes to her house. My mom took the two older boys in her car so they could go shopping afterwards. That meant I had to drive myself, my sister and the three younger kids in their huge suburban (the baby stayed at home with grandpa). Seeing as I have never driven a car that ginormous, I will admit that I was quite nervous about backing it out of the garage. Here is a humorous moment that took place:

I turned the car on and sat there.

5 year old nephew: You have to move that stick thing down to the middle so it will back up.

Me: What, this thing?

Nephew: Yes.

Me: Okay, thanks!

I continue to sit there.

12 year old nephew(from the other car): Camille, are you backing out first or are we?

Me: You are. I'm waiting for more room.

9 year old nephew (from the other car): Good luck!

5 year old nephew: Why are you waiting?

7 year old niece: Because she's scared to death.

{My sister and I burst out laughing.}

7 year old niece: It's okay. My mom still has trouble backing up. We hit the library once.

Me and my sister: You hit the library?

7 year old niece: Yeah, mom didn't have a lot of room to back up and couldn't see very well.

5 year old nephew: A lady had to pull out for us because she saw we hit the library.

Me: Did you hurt the car?

Both: No.

Me: Did you hurt the library?

Both: No!

Me: Well that's good I guess. I feel better now.

It took me about 30 seconds to pull out because I went so slow, but I eventually got it out of the garage and onto the road. A few seconds down the road my nephew asked,

Do you know how this car works?

Me: Um, is it moving?

Nephew: Yes.

Me: Well then, I guess I know enough.

I managed to get us all to Grandma Great's without hitting a single thing. That's a pretty successful trip if you ask me.

Saying Goodbye...For Now

Today was my uncle's funeral. The service was very nice I thought. Though there were a few tears here and there, there was also plenty of laughs and smiles. It was good that we could all come together to celebrate his life. He was a great man who, in one way or another, touched each of our lives and he will be dearly missed. Here are just a few pictures from the graveside service.

The Pallbearers: my brother and five of my cousins.


Waiting for the service to start:




My grandma and her kids...


Everyone in my immediate family who was able to attend... (can you believe about 15 are missing? My family is huge.)


It was the perfect spring day and we couldn't have asked for anything better (well, except for maybe some green grass). All in all, it was a good day.

Goodbye Uncle Richard, until we meet again...

The Love of a Mother...

I woke up Sunday morning to a voice mail from my mom, letting me know that my uncle, her brother, had passed away Saturday night. Though sad to hear, I knew he hadn't been doing well for several years so in a way, I felt a sense of peace in knowing that he had finally passed on and was no longer suffering the ills of this mortal life.

As I went to church I found myself unable to focus on the lessons and talks of the day. Instead my mind was turned toward my uncle and then toward my grandma. My uncle was a very good man but he wasn't a perfect man. He, like most of us, had his share of struggles. But my grandma never gave up on him. She never stopped loving him, never stopped praying for him. Several years ago things got to the point where he was struggling to care for himself. He moved back in with my grandma and she started caring for him again. Eventually it became too much for her and she, along with her other kids, thought it best to put him in a nursing home. She visited him nearly every day and her other children each took one or two days a week to drive her there. For years she did this; always continuing to show her love for her son and never wanting him to be alone.

The minute church was over I jumped in my car and drove straight to my grandma's who, by the way, turns 90 this year. When I walked in the door she immediately threw her arms around me and we just stood there hugging each other for about a minute. I asked her how she was and she ushered me to a chair where, for the next 40 minutes, we sat and talked. We laughed together and we cried together. She mentioned more than once how she felt like she had "been put through the ringer". She said she thought her other kids were doing okay but "it's different when you're the mother" as she put it. She and her other children were with my uncle when he died which brought peace to her heart, and mine, knowing that he hadn't died alone. My uncle didn't have a wife or family of his own and Grandma was always worried about him being alone, having nobody to look after him. It brought tears to her eyes, and mine, as she expressed her gratitude in knowing that Grandpa is with him now and that he'd have someone there on the other side. She also told me how happy she was to find a cemetery plot next to some other loved ones so he wouldn't be buried all alone either. I sat there in awe of this woman. Even in her son's death she worried about him being all alone. That is the true love of a mother.

It was a remarkable 40 minutes with my grandma, to sit with her in her time of sorrow and still be able to learn from her example. She raised a family where, despite everything else, love always prevailed. That's the kind of mother I hope to be.

my grandma holding her 35th great-grandchild on her blessing day.

Kermit, Hermit or Bob?

Some of my family went to my grandma's house this past Sunday to visit. Grandma Great (as my nieces and nephews call her) has this hand puppet frog that "talks" and lights up when you put your hand inside and start moving the mouth. My nephew and niece decided to play with it. Here's what went down:

Someone asked my nephew: "What are you doing?"
Nephew: "Oh, I'm just looking up his bladder!"

Then I had this conversation with my niece:

Me: So is that Kermit?
Niece: No.
Me: Is it his brother Hermit?
Niece: Hermit? No, it's not Hermit.
Me: Then what is his name?
Niece: I don't know. Why doesn't he tell us?
Frog: Ribbit, Ribbit, Ribbit.
Niece: He said his name is Bob.
Me: Bob? Really?
Niece: Yes. Bob.

Bob then wanted to sing a song, so my niece joined in:



Then Bob decided to chew her earlobe off:

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Happy Birthday to my dear, sweet grandma! She turned 88 today and is just as spry as ever. Well, she claims she's not, but she gets around very well for someone her age.

In honor of my Grandma, here are 88 memories and special things about her.

1 - She loves God and is very faithful to the church.
2 - She goes to the Temple regularly (she received her endowment maybe 15 years ago.)
3 - She loves everyone. And I mean EVERYONE! There is nobody left out of that sentence.
4 - She's very optimistic and looks for the good in everyone.
5 - She never complains. At least not that I've heard.
6 - She used to have all her grandkids sleep over at her house.
7 - She always made us waffles in the morning at those sleep overs.
8 - She walks around the neighborhood daily to get her exercise so she can keep up with her grandkids at Disneyland.
9 - She's always helping someone.
10 - She always goes above and beyond her call of duty.
11 - She's strong.
12 - She's very independent.
13 - She's a great listener.
14 - She's brave.
15 - She's classy.
16 - She almost always attended the piano recitals, concerts and plays of her grandchildren.
17 - She will drop everything at a moments notice to help anyone.
18 - She received Midvale City's " Woman of Achievement" award and seemed embarrassed by it.
19 - She's humble.
20 - She's patient.
21 - She's gracious.
22 - She's not afraid to speak her mind.
23 - She's a great teacher.
24 - She was a great wife.
25 - She's a great mother.
26 - She's a great grandmother.
27 - She's a great "Grandma Great".
28 - She reads her scriptures daily.
29 - She reads something everyday to exercise her mind.
30 - She read War & Peace at age 84 because I read it (and she understood it better than I did).
31 - She stays up on all current events.
32 - She can talk to you about anything.
33 - She can use a computer.
34 - She always gives hugs and kisses.
35 - She has the Spirit with her constantly.
36 - She will give up the front seat so she can feel "young" (my family had a house rule that the oldest always got the front seat).
37 - She is artistic.
38 - She never raises her voice.
39 - She's a great cook and bakes the best coconut bread.
40 - She still drives; but not on the freeway.
41 - She visits her son (who lives in a nursing home) almost 5 days a week.
42 - She's musical. She plays piano and sings.
43 - She played Beth in the play "Little Woman" when she was younger.
44 - She has a witty sense of humor.
45 - She loves good movies and likes to recommend those she has seen.
46 - She got her ears pierced when she was in her 70's.
47 - She tells me stories of her "old age" like how she woke up on Saturday and went to church, thinking it was Sunday.
48 - She believes she still has a full life ahead of her but says her car needs to last longer than she does.
49 - She has a beautiful smile and she uses it all the time.
50 - She worries about everyone.
51 - She takes pride in her family.
52 - She took care of her younger brothers as she was the oldest.
53 - She learned to sign at a young age so she could communicate with both her parents, who were deaf.
54 - She continually checks in on her Aunt who is failing in health (and is only 1 year older than she is.)
55 - She is honest.
56 - She would leave all she had and move if the Lord asked her to.
57 - She's a law abiding citizen.
58 - She's patriotic.
59 - She believes in the leaders of our country, and she votes!
60 - She always looks for the silver lining.
61 - She valiantly took her children to church each week by herself (grandpa wasn't active).
62 - She had her children sealed to her and Grandpa only a few months after Grandpa died (since he got a recommend before he died, they didn't have to wait the full year).
63 - I have never heard her swear or use any kind of foul language.
64 - She used to die her hair brown to hide her gray. The first time she did it I thought she was somebody else.
65 - She wears a wig now and at first was very self conscious of it. But we think she looks adorable.
66 - When Grandpa would curse or complain about something she'd always say "oh Ivan" but she never got mad.
67 - She kept a closet full of dress-up clothes that we would always use for our skits we'd make up.
68 - She would gladly sit through our skits and then clap and cheer and praise us as if we were creative geniuses.
69 - She was very good at shorthand and use to record all her grandchildren and great grandchildren's baby blessings up until about two years ago.
70 - She still gives all her children (and spouses), grandchildren (and spouses) and great grandchildren something for their birthday and Christmas. It must cost a fortune!
71 - She still throws a Christmas party for her family every year and will probably do so until she dies.
72 - She still has the family over for "Midvale Harvest Days". We have a big feast and watch the fireworks shoot off from the school behind her house.
73 - She loves visitors and would be happy to sit and talk to them all day long.
74 - Nobody is ever an inconvenience to her.
75 - She is the most sincere person I have ever met.
76 - She used to go the Midvale parade with us every year.
77 - Once she asked me to back her car out of our driveway so she wouldn't hit another car that was close to her. It was a very hot summer day and I could barely touch her steering wheel. I got out and told her we should get some wet rags and she said "No. I'll be fine". She got in the car and next thing I saw was her pulling out two hotpads. And that's what she used to drive home.
78 - She loves my dad's new SUV because it has running boards and she can actually get in it.
79 - The family always went to her house on Sundays and she always had treats for us.
80 - She had a gumball machine at her house we could use whenever we wanted. And she provided the pennies.
81 - She loves the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and was so thrilled when my sister made it into the choir.
82 - She's very good at the art of compromise.
83 - She had my brother-in-law remodel her kitchen and she was so exited to be living in the 21st century.
84 - She never gives up on anything.
85 - She's always on time for everything.
86 - She has a great deal of trust in others.
87 - She'll never say no to anyone, unless you're a telemarketer.
88 - She a blessing to anyone and everyone who knows her.

She is such an amazing woman and I am so lucky to be her granddaughter. I hope I can grow to become the kind of person that she is.