Chicago: Part 1

What a busy day. It started out at 8:30 (central that is) with breakfast with the family. This is my favorite photo of the day. Now here's four people you don't see together very often, considering two live in Florida, one in Georgia, and one in Nevada (and Japan for the four years before this one). It is always fun hanging out with my uncles and especially nice to see my sister since I haven't seen her since her surgery in 2006!















This was Jude precisely 22 seconds after we left the funeral home.




















That poor boy was wiped out! Probably has nothing to do with going to bed wAAAAAAAAAAy past bed time last night (4 hours past!) getting up at normal time, and then only taking one hour and a half nap instead of two.

Considering all of that, he held it together really well today until daddy let him clunk his head on a chair in the hotel restaurant:-(

Here's another fav from today: All of "my boys!" My husband, my son, and my nephew, Caleb.















Caleb's pretty hot stuff, huh? I haven't seen him since he was 5! A lot has happened in that time. And I am not kidding about hot stuff. He's already done a Honda commercial and modeled for Gap. Pretty impressive resume for a 10 year old! But he hasn't let "fame" go to his head. He is still just as sweet as ever. And boy! Does he love his cousin, Jude. They played together all.day.long! (along with a little play time with 4th cousin, Lauren.) I have to get some pic of that in the next couple of days because I didn't think it would be too cool to start snapping photos in a funeral home.

Speaking of funeral home. . . yep. As I anticipated, I lost it there. I held it together all through the last few days, until I walked in that room. That is always how it goes with me. The mortician did a fantastic job, but that was not the great grandma I remembered. My Great-aunt said that in the last several months she lost more than 30 pounds. She always kept her hair dyed red and it was grey, and since she is with the angels, her face had no expression to it. I'd rather remember her as she was when I last saw her. Consequently, that was her (7th!) wedding day several years ago. But I am so glad that she is not suffering anymore like the way she suffered this last few months with the cancer. If nothing else, today I saw a face at peace.

Coming soon, Chicago: Part 2. . . The Journey