Grandma

I think I've written 100 blog posts in my mind over the past month.  100 posts about the boys, moving, travel, Chicago, family, and friends.  We've done a lot of living in a short period of time.  In fact, we were in 4 states in 4 weeks.  In the midst of all of this motion we were brought back to Utah early because my paternal grandmother passed away unexpectedly at the end of April.  I feel like I just can't blog about anything else until I honor her here a bit, particularly on Mother's Day.

Grandma was my friend.  I have spent hours on her couch or sitting at her kitchen bar, often with a diet Sprite in hand, talking with her about her life and mine.  I loved to hear her stories.  They were always so optimistic and truly inspiring.  It was so fun to spend time with her.  She told me about growing up modestly in a mining town.  She told me about her life as a young mother of two young boys in Pleasant Grove, Utah while her husband served in World War II.  She told me about life with twins (my dad and his twin sister) in the days before fertility treatments when twins were a very rare commodity.  In fact, she didn't even know (although she suspected) that she was carrying twins until their birth!  

She also had experienced the loss of her parents, my Grandpa, and her oldest son.  It was so meaningful to hear her memories of those who had gone before.  By the end of her life she somewhat bemoaned the fact that she was "left behind" by all of these loved ones.  I learned so much about her strength learning of the years that she cared for Grandpa when he was ill.  She was a strong, loving, faithful woman.  

She shared herself with me.  And with all of her grandchildren.  She delighted in us.  I am the 13th of 14 grandchildren (and the 11th girl), and yet she made things special and cared for me as if I were her first.  She treated all of us as favorites...because we all were.  I know this didn't change her feelings for me, but I always felt honored to be named Robyn in honor of her family, the Robbins family.

Grandma was very talented and had many hobbies and interests, including crochet, kitting, reading, oil painting, and canning.  She was a caregiver and a nurturer.  She also, as crazy as this sounds, made the BEST CARROT STICKS EVER.  (Cut them from nice, big, real carrots and then put them in a bowl with ice cubes.  Perfection!)

She was enthusiastic about my life and loved to hear my own little stories.  One of my favorite memories of Grandma was a constant in our visits.  When I would tell her about a funny experience or story she would have such a delighted smile and almost mouth the words of the story while I told it.  And when the punchline came she would always laugh as if it were the funniest thing she'd ever heard.  She gave heartfelt, firm hugs.  She let you know you mattered to her.  

The kids and I were coming to spend the month of May in Utah anyway while we wait for our house in Little Rock, and I feel heartsick and cheated that I won't get to spend this month with her as I'd been so looking forward to.  Last summer, when the boys and I lived with mom and dad during Matt's internship, I had the opportunity to go visit her almost every week with baby Benjamin.  He stole her heart.  I'd bring this new little baby to her house and he'd just coo and charm for a few hours while we talked.  They were truly sweet times.  

While I can't seem to believe that we won't get to spend more time together, I'm grateful for the time we had and I'm so happy for her that she is now reunited with those who have gone before.  Happy that she could go quickly and not linger or be ill for long.  And Grandma adamantly did not want to linger.  I'm happy for the life that she lived.  I love her so much and I miss her.  

We had the chance to help prepare a video of pictures of Grandma's life.  Indulge me as I share a few pictures of my lovely Grandma.  It's amazing to see how the world changed in Grandma's lifetime.  Oh, and these pictures are chronological, but they do skip entire decades of her life.  Sorry.

With her parents and siblings.  Grandma's the little girl on the right.

In high school

She and Grandpa were high school sweethearts.

So cute

This is the picture my Grandpa carried with him while he was serving in World War II

Grandma alone with her two older boys during the war.

I just love this picture.  This is Grandma with my Uncle Jay, who passed away shortly after Matt and I got married.  They were so close always and this picture is darling.

Grandma and Grandpa with their twins.  Grandma says that the doctor let Grandpa know that she had twins by simply coming into the waiting room and holding up two fingers.  When I asked her how he felt about having twins she said, "Well, you know Grandpa always loved a deal.  Two for one!"

All of their children.

A little older.  My dad is the overalled boy in the front.  Does anyone see some Benjamin in him?

Years later, with their children all grown up.  Check out my dad's Dwight look!  (Top right.  Follow the goldenrod.)

With Grandpa

My large, serene face in Grandma's lap with Jana preening in the background.

Wearing a wig.  Me, not Grandma.

Skip a few decades...Grandma welcoming me home from a trip to Mexico.  I just love the look on her face.

Grandma playing with Jacob at her house.  Jacob was 3 in this picture.

Here are a few pictures taken during her last year.  She was 90 years old and died on her husband's birthday.  It felt like a little signal from Grandma that it was her time.  And what a present for Grandpa.

Grandma with baby Benjamin last summer.  My baby who looked like her baby (my dad).

The Field

We are (foolishly) trying to visit as many of our favorite museums as we can before we leave.  Since we've been to most of them at least 3 times these visits can be quick, but lots of fun.  I want to document these final Chi-town museum moments mainly because, despite our frequent patronage, I don't think I've blogged about any of them.  Uh, ever. 

Last Saturday we went to the natural history museum, or the Field Museum.  Our favorite part of the Field is hands down the children's play lab.  It's a beautiful space.  Roomy, cheerful, interactive, and, of course, instructive!

Unfortunately, this is the best picture I got of the playlab as a whole.  It's made up of about 5 different sections.  Each one cuter than the last.

Here's Benjamin enjoying a few of the "crawlers only" containment areas.  I love these.  The poor stroller set gets a chance to let their dogs breathe.

Digging for dinosaur bones...again and again and again.

I told Jacob to count the rings on the tree to see how old it was.  He told me that it was twenty and then said, "It must be on its mission!"

Then he made a Pee Wee Herman face.

Here are the boys in a lovely little woods area.  The lighting is really pretty and changes every few minutes from night to day. 

Such a sweet turtle.

Instruments of the world room! 

Nico abusing the "cajon".  Do you see him?

Matt and the boys punishing the percussion instruments with their mad rhythms(z).

There's also a little Meso-American area where the kids can pick rubber corn.

And then take it into the adobe house to sort (hoard) it.  Favorite pic.

Neeks said he was, "Making cocoa."  I'll pass.

After that we went up to the dinosaur skeleton area.  Which basically meant that my kids stood in the shadow of ancient dinosaur fossils and watched the videos about them without even looking at the real thing.

They did take the time out of their busy video watching schedule to sit in this footprint.  Nico's sharp, man. 

Going home.  Beautiful building.   

Good-bye Field!

Wherein Robyn continues to discuss her emotions about her family's impending move. Read at your own risk.

Today we attended church with our Chicago congregation for the last time.  Next week we will be in town, but the regular church meetings will not be held so that we can participate in our church's General Conference. 

In the middle of the main meeting today the congregation sang a hymn.  A fairly well known hymn in our church called I'll go where you want me to go.  I have always really liked this song, but it turned on me today and made me cry.  The first verse initially made me think of the fact that Arkansas doesn't sound very cool and is no "mountain height" or anything.  And I might have laughed at Arkansas.

Then came the clincher: "But if by a still, small voice he calls to paths I do not know, I’ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine, I'll go where you want me to go." 

I'm not trying to say that I have a calling to go to Arkansas, but I have a calling to be a mother, wife, friend and a myriad of other things and dang it, I'll be living in Arkansas while I work to fulfill those callings!  And I don't know those paths!  And they're right by the Ozarks!  I love the imagery of putting my hand in the Lord's and moving forward.  My hope and prayer is that I can do that very thing.

When we left Atlanta I was sad because I was leaving people and places and a life that I loved.  I mean, we had a dishwasher in our house and a Trader Joe's only two traffic lights away!  What could be better?  But, I really didn't love Atlanta specifically.  I knew Atlanta and was very happy there, but I loved the people (and TJ's).  And those people were relatively settled and I knew we would see them again and probably soon.  We've actually been back twice since our move and been able to see those old friends.

But, Chicago is different.  So many friends we've made here have already moved far away.  And many more of them will move in the coming months.  There are definitely friends we've made in Hyde Park who are here for the long term, but in reality the majority of our friends will be gone in 3 years. 

I also sort of fell for Chicago hard.  It's such a beautiful city.  The only summer we spent here was magical.  Our "golden summer".  The boys would pile into the stroller each morning and we'd go to one of the many nearby parks, or the beach, or a museum almost every day.  And it makes me sad to leave.  There, I said it.  (For the hundredth time.)  For the record, Chicago is also cold, inconvenient, and hard work and I've whined about it plenty.  But now that it's all over I've got nothing but love.

We have put together a schedule for the next week and a half in order to maximize our visits to people and places and so the good-bye is in full swing.  It all feels very real.  So begins and ends another wordy, emotional moving post.

I'd like to leave you with a video.  One you have to watch.  You just have to.  It's from Muppets take Manhattan when "the gang" has realized that they have to leave the big city and find real jobs because their dreams of hitting it big on Broadway haven't materialized.  I find a lot of parallels to my life.  For real.  Watch it.  Please.  All of it.

Muppets Saying Goodbye. Watch more top selected videos about: Goodbye, The Muppets

Somehow I know, we'll meet again
Not sure quite where and I don't know just when

You're in my heart, so until then
It's time for saying goodbye. 

Maybe we'll all come back some day and finally hit it big.  Finally.

I'm sorry that this is crude

But Jacob filled out a purposefully losing NCAA bracket for Nicholas yesterday morning.  For example, he chose West Virginia after they had already lost.  What a nice brother.

He did it all by himself.



Oh, what phonics hath wrought!

Virginia, Jacob, Virginia!!!! 

This baby

This baby is growing up.  In a big way.  He started waving today.  His hair is thickening.  He giggles.  He crawls super fast.  He blows 30 raspberries a day. 













He eats 30 million cheerios a day. 



Oh yeah, and he can also cheer for the team!  (Thanks to J.J., Josh and Barbie for introducing this to him.)

Touchdown!!!!  (Sorry for the super grainy phone pics.)