Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Things I am Scared Of...

I'm putting this out there, and hopefully I'll be able to get over my weird fears :)

Number 1...  Birds!  Giving me chills, just looking at it!


Number 2...  Now I admit this one is really weird.  All those tufts on the back of the chair.  Ick!


Number 3...This one is weird, too.  You see how there's a plant that's about to pop out all of the way...  It's kind of curled over.  The first popping out of the soil and then straightening out is icky!


There you have it!  I know, totally strange :)

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

January

So, I've been on a blogging hiatus.  I don't know why exactly.  I guess, I've loved everytime I look at my blog to have that picture of my cute little grandma on, and haven't wanted to not have her there. I miss her so much!

On January 7th it is Serbian or Bohunk Christmas.  We used to get together at Aunt Mil's house, with all of Mom's side of the family and celebrate it and eat Yugoslavian food.  We haven't for the last few, because Aunt Mil decided she didn't want to do it anymore, and Grandma wasn't able to do it.  So, this year, Collin decided he wanted to have it at his house.  Mom was extremely sick, so she didn't go, but she made sarmas (stuffed cabbage).  I made pogacha (round bread with money in it).  I'd never made it before, and I remember asking Grandma how to do it, but it's been a long time since then, and I'd never done it.  So, while I was making it, I was talking to her telling her she'd better intervene if I was messing it up.  It ended up working out just fine, although, it wasn't as round as the ones that Grandma and Aunt Mil made.  The kids got a kick out of this.  You pass around the bread and break off pieces of it, and if you're lucky you get a coin, and if you get a coin, they you're going to have a lucky year.  Other traditions include growing wheat grass.  We didn't do this, because I don't think we would've had this had Grandma still been with us.  We always have a blue, a red, and a white candle lit through the meal.


In general, I am not a New Years' Resolution maker.  The time that I set new resolutions is in Snowbird every August.  This year, I sort of made one.  No matter what comes up, I am going to make the best of it.  So there it is, out in the open.  I'm, also, going to step out of my comfort zone and try new things :)

THIS IS TURNING INTO A REALLY LONG POST... SORRY ABOUT THAT!

Another thing that happened on Bohunk Christmas, is that Collin got in a really scary car accident and totaled his car.  He was being watched over for sure, because he should not have walked away unharmed.  So, while looking for another car, he found one on Ebay in Houston, TX.  His plan was to fly down and drive it home.  He needed a buddy to go with him, although, he doesn't think he did.  So, I flew down with him.  He decided last friday that we were flying out at 7:10 a.m. on Saturday morning.  So, we flew off, having an hour layover in Phoenix, and landed in Houston around 2:00 p.m.  This place was an amazing!  They had cars I could only dream about, IF I KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT CARS :)  Can you imagine spending $109,999 on a used car?

We drove to some podunk town in Oklahoma, stopping first in Dallas for the best wings I've ever had!  We then drove on through the rest of Oklahoma, Kansas and into Denver on Sunday.  The strangest thing was that we never saw people.  Of course, while we were in gas stations and restaurants there were people, but just driving in little towns, there were NO people anywhere.  It was like Kansas had been evacuated!  We had so much fun, and we were safe the whole time, even in scary areas, we were guided on when to turn around.

While in Denver, we drove passed a building designed by Frank Gehry!  I've always wanted to see one in real life.  It's amazing!  I was thrilled, but we never got super close, so here's a photo that I found on line.  Crazy, but beautiful, huh!


Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Grandma Mamie


On Saturday, December 4, 2010, my sweet little grandma passed away.  It's amazing, I can't believe how fast she was gone.  When she left Apple Village, she was doing so well.  She had three wonderful days at Legacy Village of Layton, but then they didn't care for her very well, and that was the beginning of the end.  We moved her to North Canyon Care Center in Bountiful on Nov. 9.  I've said this before, but I am so grateful that I was able to be with her as much as I was.  In the end, I was with her twice a day for many hours.  I couldn't bare to have her be alone.  Especially the last week of her life, I was there as much as possible.  We left her on Friday night, not even guessing that that was really going to be our last time to see her, alive.  We had asked them to call us, when the signs were getting closer together.  However, there wasn't time.  She had thrown up, and the nurse went out to get something to clean her up with, and returned 30 seconds later, and she was gone. 

Here's her obituary...
"Mamie Church 1915 ~ 2010 Mamie Price Church, 95, passed away on December 4, 2010 in Bountiful, Utah. She was born on October 1, 1915 in Midvale, Utah to Milan and Eva Derikrava Prica. Mamie married Dan Church on September 25, 1935 in Midvale, Utah. She loved cooking Sunday dinners for her family, gardening, crocheting and spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her entire life was devoted to serving others. Mamie was baptized a member of the LDS Church at the age of 88 and loved her visiting teaching assignment. She was sealed to her family in the Jordan River Temple at the age of 90. Survived by her daughters, Darlene (Earl) Nelson; Colleen Nicholes; son, Max (Faye) Sluga; seven grandchildren; 17 great grandchildren; three great-great grandchildren; siblings, Mitch (Norma) Price; Ann Theos; Amelia Price; Don Price; Ellen Parmley; many nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by her parents; husband, Dan Church; son-in-law, Sanford Ross Nicholes, Jr.; grandson, Russell Phipps; nine siblings. The family would like to thank the CNA's at Apple Village Assisted Living and the staff at North Canyon Care Center for their loving care. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 9, 2010 at the Midvale East 2nd Ward, 7250 S. 300 E. Friends may call one hour prior to the services. Interment, Midvale City Cemetery. www.goffmortuary.com "

I'm going to explain a little bit about her family listed in the obituary...  Grandma had two daughters, Darlene and my mom Colleen.  Max Sluga is actually her nephew on my grandpa Dan's side.  Grandma and Grandpa took care of Max a lot, when he was a kid, and he lived with them while he went to college.  In 2007, he was officially adopted into the Dan & Mamie Church family, as their son, and on the records of the church, he is listed as their son.  Grandma was thrilled when this happened, because she had always loved Max and knew that Grandpa did, as well.

My heart is broken, I miss her so much!  She is a major part of who I grew up to be.  I'm so glad I was able to have her so close, and be able to help her with anything she needed.  She devoted her life to serving family, friends, neighbors, and those who were in need.  She had to quit school in the 8th grade to raise her siblings, she babysat her great-grandchildren into her 90s.  When I grow up I want to be like her :)

Love you, Grandma Mamie!  I'll miss you forever!