My Grandma Hessing passed away Saturday, January 23. She had suffered a stroke shortly after Thanksgiving and had been hospitalized since and things just didn't get better. I had the opportunity to go to Boise for her funeral on Jan 30. It was a beautiful service full of love, memories, and family. I am so glad that she is finally with Grandpa after seven years of waiting. They leave behind a posterity of 7 children, 33 grandchildren, and 66-soon to be 75, great grandchildren. I can only imagine the happy reunion with their arms wide open, their beaming smiles, and their tears trickling down their cheeks. What a happy day!
What I remember about Grandma and Grandpa Hessing...
Their House in Boise is as real to me in memory as if I was there yesterday. Some of the main things I remember are: Grandma's pink bathroom, the swinging doors into the kitchen, the rotary dial phones, the organ, the game room with the Foosball table, air hockey table, pool table, exercise bikes, and pedal piano, the big playhouse in the back yard, the fridge in the driveway full of soda, the cookie jar full of cookies, the chairs, the dog in the entryway, the copy machine, the storage room... The list goes on.
Grandma always had mashed potatoes and meatloaf waiting for us when we got there. She always had a smile on her face and was singing or humming a tune. Her kisses on my cheek stung with peppermint and she smelled of baby powder.
Grandpa always had black licorice and whoppers hiding in his closet that he let us get into. He loved to sit in the kitchen and read his newspaper. His handshakes were so firm from his huge hands. And he gave big papa bear hugs.
I love you Grandma and Grandpa Hessing! Love, your Jess Delight :-)
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The trip to Boise was a quick one. Cooper, my mom, my dad, and I left Friday afternoon, we checked into our hotel around 7pm then my dad and I went to my uncle Mark's to practice singing the cousins and siblings songs for the funeral while my mom stayed at the hotel and watched Cooper. Then I helped my dad write a life sketch of his mother for his talk. On Saturday we enjoyed a hot continental breakfast, then we went to the viewing, had the funeral service-which Cooper liked to scream through :-), then followed a police escort to the burial site, went back to the church for the delicious funeral potatoes and ham dinner, then we packed up the car and headed back home through a few snow storms. :-) Cooper slept the whole way home and we arrived back in Orem at 2am. Then I got up with Cooper at 8am just in time for 9:00 church. :-) Very short and sweet!
It was Cooper's first road trip. He did great! On the way there, he slept for three of the five hours then I had to try my best to entertain him with movies and toys...
He loved playing on the hotel bed and looking at himself in the big closet door mirror. He also liked watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for the first time. And he loved screaming for all in the hotel to hear. :-)
Cooper's first time using his pack'n'play
He slept really well! He went down around 10 and woke up around 7 for a bottle then went back to sleep till 9. My mom said when she first put him down for bed he kept playing with the side of the pack'n'play trying to explore his new surroundings. :-) Even though he slept so well it was still hard for me to sleep because he's so noisy tossing and turning and making all sorts of noises. :-) Gotta love him!
He's such a cutie!
The cousins practicing our song at Mark's
Pics from the funeral...
All of the cousins-minus a few
With Emily, Krystle, and Natalie
I enjoy seeing my cousins on the Hessing side because it rarely happens since they all live in Boise.
Cooper with my mom
Me, Cooper, and Nana
Cooper tried eating my face instead of posing for a picture with my dad :-)
So we tried the binki count down :-)
