Remembrance Reunion

I was so blessed to be able to fly down to California for a VERY quick visit to attend my grandmother's funeral. To my delight, all 10 of my brothers and sisters were able to be there as well! My mom gave such an inspired, beautiful tribute to her when she spoke at the funeral, making us all laugh and cry and realize just how alike my mother and grandmother are. The funeral was the perfect memorial and celebration of her life and we were all at peace knowing that we would see her again. Here is a shot of all 13 of us. Don't I have the most beautiful family? This picture makes me so happy to look at!

That night, since we were ALL there and my mom's birthday was just 4 days later, we decided to celebrate before many of us had to return home. Yes, if you can believe it, my mom turned 62 years old! Doesn't she look amazing? And don't forget the fact that she had ELEVEN children. It was the perfect ending to that day of remembrance as we celebrated the gift that our grandmother gave us...our mom!

Well, the celebration of life didn't end there. My brother, Trevor, and his wife, Natalie, drove 2 hours to attend the funeral, knowing that their baby could come at any moment. Poor Natalie was sick and coughing and 3 of their 5 children were sick with fevers and the flu! They left for home that evening, arriving home at around 10:00pm. A little after midnight they were awakened by a child throwing up, and Natalie decided it was time to head to the hospital! Not the ideal circumstances to have a new baby, huh? They had the baby at around 6 am that morning and named her Lilia DeVonne, named after my grandmother. We like to think that Grammie brought that precious spirit to them.



Here is a late night shot of a group of us playing games. I don't think I went to bed before 2am either night I was there. Too many people to visit with and too much fun going on. We shared endless stories and memories of Grammie and laughed and cried. It really was a perfect reunion for our family. I only wished my little family could have been with me. I love my family so much!