Last Goodbye

There's something to be said for getting closure. The benefits are pregnant with possibility moving forward. It keeps us from being stuck. There's sadness looking back at the joy of what was and hope in the joy still to come. God gave us our family and friends that become our people to surround us when we add to that circle in marriages and births. Those same people are there to surround us when we say goodbye to one of our own in death. 

But before I get to that ....

God also gave us Elvis. 

We used to have a book and board game called Awkward Family Photos. Go check out the website. I die.   

Anyway, the point is that this picture reminds me of some of those photos. I love Wayne's floating head ... Anyone want to caption Zanna's face in this one?! 

Our big trip in August was back up to Wisconsin for my grandparent's memorial service. Since our end of May/beginning of June trip was also up in Wisconsin for their burial, I kinda wanted to throw something fun in there for us to do. So we decided to make a pit stop in Memphis, Tennessee on the way up! 

I spent the 7th grade living in Memphis. That is when I officially fell in love with Elvis. It's hard not to when you walk through his house and become immersed in what was his life and his hip gyrating music. So I'd been sold a long time ago although the memory of it had faded a bit. I was absolutely convinced that once my 15 year old daughter was properly introduced to Elvis with a trip to Graceland that she too would not be able to help falling in love with ... Elvis.

She rolled her eyes. She sighed big, pathetic sighs. She defiantly crossed her arms. 

We walked up to the visitor center and I was all fired up and she was ... well ....

Not having it.  Yet.

Then we arrived through the gates of Graceland. We had our headphones and iPads that narrated the tour of his hallowed home. We went back in time and imagined all that might have gone on in those rooms. 

We walked through the themed museums and gift stores, watched parts of his home movies and interviews, inspected the military uniforms and bedazzled concert jumpsuits he wore. We toured his plane.

By the end of it, she was buying a big, fluffy blanket with Elvis all over to wrap herself up in. 

That's what I thought.

We wanted more!! Next we went to Sun Studios where icons of music history have recorded their songs including the King of Rock and Roll himself. 

It was a relatively quick trip we packed a lot into. We went to the Peabody and watched the ducks go back to the roof for the evening. We went to the Lorraine Motel where MLK was killed. We walked the bridge that crosses over the state line. We went to the pyramid that houses a giant Bass Pro Shop. We tried to go to Mud Island but it was closed for renovation work. We hung out on Beale Street before dark and hung out with some of our favorite people who not only housed us but gave us all the tips and tricks of Memphis to make the most of our time. We love the Turriffs!! 

Once we got that out of our system it was off to Wisconsin and time for family. It was time for all of us to celebrate and honor Grandma and Grandpa, their faith in Jesus, and their precious time here on earth. 

It was so fun to see my brother and family back from Germany and now living in NC. The cousins had a great time hanging out. Speaking of cousins, I also was able to see a few of my cousins and my aunt and uncle from Alaska which doesn't happen very often. 

My Mom and her sister had done a lot of work before we arrived putting the picture boards together and filling Rubbermaid bins with what would go on what table. We spent an afternoon setting it all up at the church and everything turned out really lovely. 

Would Grandma have ironed? 

My parents hosted a get together after the service to visit with friends and family that came from all over. My Grandma Hanson even made the trip from Minnesota!! She's 94 and a total queen of England in my mind. She remembers every person in her family and all about them - all the way down to every last great grandchild.  Her memory is unbelievable! 

And she's totally adorable. 

My brother inherited the family pickup, the very one Grandma learned to drive on when she was a young girl.  He gave her a spin in it for old time's sake.

Not only was the memorial service the closure that we all needed after MONTHS of Covid restrictions and logistics trying to get as much family together at the same time, but we were also saying goodbye to the North Woods of Wisconsin, the log home that my parents currently live in that was built by my grandparents, and all the memories of the last almost 25 years of vacationing up there. More on that later ...

The kids had a great time enjoying the area and the lake. They blew bubbles, fished off the dock,  visited the zoo, and drank copious amounts of Shirley Temple's. 

This is it. After a few decades of memories that include holidays and vacations spent in the log home my grandparents built themselves, it's time to say goodbye. We went to our last Friday night Fish Fry at our favorite place, ate at Culver's and had some breaded cheese curds, drove through Minoqua that holds so many memories we didn't think at the time would ever come to an end. We ran out of time to visit all the little towns around the area to shop at all the tiny boutiques and flea markets that we enjoyed over the years. We worshiped at Trinity for the last time. It's hard to believe, really. 

My parents are being brave and stepping out of their comfort zone. They're willing to imagine and dream and believe that there could be something different. At their best and most uninhibited, they're like giddy teenagers that just went and bought concert tickets to their favorite band only these teenagers are older and wiser and just bought a house in South Carolina. At their not best? Only they really know but I bet they're scared and sad and hoping they're not disappointing their parents for selling the log home. Do we ever get over that?

I'm sad. I'll own it. But I'm so very excited for my parents and for a fresh start. I've watched them sacrifice, unconditionally love, and faithfully serve my grandparents during these last years. I've witnessed some serious 4th Commandment love in action and it's been hard and beautiful. So to picture my mom out on her southern porch sitting in a rocking chair surrounded by trees and enjoying comfortable temperatures with a Bible on her lap and a coffee in hand? Makes me happy. 

So goodbye to my grandparents who were incredibly ordinary people by human standards but extremely extraordinary in EVERY WAY that matters. Goodbye to that handcrafted, meticulously made log home that has proudly flown the flags of our family's home countries for 15 years. So long to that view of Island Lake from the A-frame vantage point. Farewell to the sound of rain on the roof up in the loft where we sleep. 

I can't wait for the memories to come! I look forward to the places we have to discover in a completely different area of the country. I pray my parents have years left of health and a fresh appreciation of each other in this next phase of their lives. I can't wait to visit them in their new home and new church. I'm excited for them and inspired by them! 

Elvis has left the building. 

Making the Most of Summer

 

We had so much fun this summer! It was primarily unstructured but peppered with activities to look forward to and with intent to make lasting memories. Our family date night of archery for instance was one such activity. Zanna was exposed to archery this summer at Camp Shiloh and really enjoyed it. Josiah, the camp director, had become certified to teach it and invested in really nice archery bows, etc. and agreed to host us one evening.  I hadn't done it since high school but recalled really liking it. Sure enough, we had a blast!

Oddly, ever since that evening I've lost feeling in one corner of a finger. This is typical weird Rachel stuff so I'm not really surprised by this. I'm hoping feeling will return someday but I guess archery date night won't be in my future if I want to preserve normal finger function - boo-hoo! 

Zanna and I had our big orchestra concert! 

It was really a fun way to meet some different people in our community and continue to grow and learn musically.  The plan is to continue the cycle through the year of 10 weeks practice, concert, break.  I look forward to the next round in mid/late fall to Christmas. 

We also had some great time over the summer at the neighborhood pool. It was a variety of family time and friends over. Zanna had a blast getting together with her former basketball teammates one morning. They reconnected, caught up on each other's lives, and listened to music by the pool. Such sweet girls!!

As a homeschooler I say, "Never stop reading to your kids!" I took my own advice and even though she goes to school now, we had a summer reading book I read to her. We also did our nails, had some shopping days and lunches out with the church ladies. 

Wayne and I quickly became accustomed to her around and we fell back into her reminding us of what we forgot, what we were going to do, or where we had come from. We (not so) seriously considered keeping her home for our own convenience and function but managed the strength to look beyond our own needs and do what's best for her. We have now reverted back to being responsible for remembering where we have parked and drinking the milk before it goes sour. We miss her already! 

Our last night before heading north was spent on the lake we live on thanks to our sweet neighbors sharing their time and their toys with us! 

The following pictures do me no favors but accurately depict my gracefulness on the water.

I'd like to think I'm more entertaining but Dad's probably more fun:)

Summer went by way too fast! 

Dickens and Dairy Queen

 

No one is more surprised than me that food is actually growing in my care. It's pretty darn exciting! I'm sure my neighbors are getting annoyed with me as I keep bringing food that I have to tell everyone is from my garden. "These appetizers are made with the blackberries and basil that is fresh from my garden." At least I don't claim to have made the mozzarella balls that shared the space on the appetizer skewers. I mean, sheesh, I'm not that extreme! 

I am sad to say that my beets really didn't do anything. And my squash is rotting before it can grow properly. But what REALLY chaps my hide is that the birds are getting the blueberries this year! I should put netting out there like I did for the blackberries but it was such a pain to work around that I was a little worried there for awhile that I would get myself wrapped up in it and not be able to get out. I mean, that netting quickly becomes a tangled mess! Regardless, it's not the birds I most concerned about. How about the baby copperhead that was wrapped around the inside of the blackberry bush? I was out there picking my berries and minding my business when I spotted a pattern. That was it. A pattern. I stepped back and screamed my girly head off! Wayne called down to inquire and when he heard me say "snake", he ran inside to get his gun. 

Men.

He ran down with the .22 and shot it twice which made it drop from the bush and then it was real mad.  That's what I hear anyway because Rachel was long gone. 

Then he bashed it over the head with a shovel and all was right again in the world. 

Any tree huggers out there can keep your judgements to yourself because it was either him or me and there's lots more where he came from. There's only one me. 

This summer has gone by so fast! We've been able to go to a few pastoral installations which is always fun. In May we went to Mountain Home, Arkansas where a fellow Albertan had been assigned to after seminary graduation. Wayne preached for this one. I even got to see one of my childhood pastor's again.  Pastor Laymen not only taught me about Jesus but once tried to teach me how to change a tire. Thankfully I've never had to because I'm pretty sure it didn't stick.  The tire, that is. Not Jesus. 

Before heading home we spent an extra night in Hot Springs, Arkansas. I had a vague memory from my Ozark days growing up that this was a place to explore. I was right:) It was quirky, fun, and very unique. We stayed downtown in an old hotel where we didn't have easy access to our car once we parked it at another location. We walked everywhere and took a tour of the the downtown to get the gist of the layout and the history, which I always find fascinating. 

Our little Arkansas getaway was fun! I love the Ozarks! 

The other installation was closer and for the church Wayne's brother and family attend in the DFW area. 

Our girl is home! We picked her up the end of May from school. She had an awesome first year of high school and we're so proud of her! We got to watch the end of year concert.

From there we headed up farther north and stayed with my mom and dad for a few days. We were able to attend the burial of my grandparents. It was very bittersweet, their matching white caskets sitting side by side. It was a gorgeous day with bright blue skies. 

My folks hosted a little gathering afterwards for the small group that attended. Grandpa's little sister made the trip. I thought it was so cute when Zanna and my cousin, Zoe, sat by her and peppered her with questions about her growing up years and what it was like. I'm thinking she liked all the attention!!

After getting back home to Texas, it was time for the annual Camp Grandma! The neighbor ladies outdid themselves this year planning a weekend of fun for their grandkids complete with a big blow up slide, a Marine obstacle course, plenty of crafts and food, tubing on the lake, pool time, and treasure hunt ( I probably forgot some things!).  They were so kind to invite Zanna again and we didn't see her all weekend! 

Then about a week later began two weeks of Camp Shiloh. She participated in Teen Camp and was a junior counselor for Youth Camp. Will was also home with us for a couple weeks. He brought his friend, Eric, to join him in volunteering at Camp Shiloh for the Daylight program at MLC. It was fun to get to know one of his friends going back to high school and who also is currently studying for the ministry. 

Will wasn't able to spend the whole summer with us but at least he could stay through my birthday. And leave it to Will to get what has been on my Amazon list forever - 

He got me Dickens! Notice the Dairy Queen cake slice too - Dickens and Dairy Queen. Doesn't get much better! 

He is spending the rest of the summer in Ft Leonard Wood, MO for AIT training. We are looking forward to actually being able to attend his graduation next month. Following that he will be starting his Senior Year at MLC. 

Next came Canada Day. We celebrated by eating poutine at the Maple Leaf Diner in Dallas which happens to be close to our dentist where we had to go for our cleaning. Convenient, eh? (see what I did there?) 

The rest of their menu confuses me as to how exactly it's considered Canadian. Except for the butter tarts and Nanaimo bars .. and maybe the Labatts ... it's a stretch. That's OK - it's about as close as we're going to get to Canada for now so it'll have to do!

Following that is, of course, the 4th of July. We had so much fun! Our neighbors put on one heck of a fireworks show over the lake. It was extremely impressive to watch the 45 minute display from the top level of another one of our neighbor's boathouse. We had front row seats to the show while our hostess played patriotic songs over the boathouse speakers and the flag proudly flew from the balcony! 

The 4th is also our wedding anniversary. While 23 is quite an odd number, any number of years married deserves to be celebrated! We had a romantic stay at the Four Seasons in Irving.

Any occasion worth celebrating has to have steak - according to Wayne. We were so surprised to find a Keg restaurant nearby which is a Canadian chain that we really enjoyed back in Ottawa. Sure enough it was the same plus some "Texas" additions to the menu that was to die for! 

We left Zanna home alone for the night with the dog. One of the ways she kept herself busy was to bake a blackberry pie with homemade pie crust.

That's my little dual citizen!! It tasted as good as it looks too! 

Zanna and I also joined a new orchestra this summer. Her former violin teacher has been trying to get an orchestra in our nearby town off the ground for years. It's a variety of ages and abilities and has been fun to do together (more for me than for her but whatever). Our practicing will culminate in a performance right before we have to head up north so that worked out well. 

Finally I leave you with a before and after of what has been in our sightline since we moved here - a coal factory that has shut down and was recently blown up. It was quite the show and the lake was full of boats ready to see the spectacle along with those of us on the shoreline making a party out of it with donuts (southerners have a thing for donuts) and folding chairs. 

We like to blow things up down here!!