Nana's Here We Come!

We had one crazy trip filled with equal highs and lows. 

I expected the highs, but the lows took us by surprise.

It started out really great.

I flew in on a Friday morning and the kids did fine on the flight.  It was my first time flying alone with the kids and it went as well as could be expected.

That day I went shopping with my sister-in-law, Tracy, and then we all spent the weekend hanging out together. 

Swimming and hanging out at the Sharps

And the first of many light saber wars

Colin got to help work on a construction project with his cool uncles. 

And then we went out for a wonderful dinner at the Capital Grille to celebrate my parent's wedding anniversary.

Sunday was filled with more family time...

  

And a customary walk around East Lake

My brother Kevin was so good with the kids all weekend!  His wife, Jessica, was in Utah with her family and he spent the entire weekend playing with Colin and Reagan...and yes, he wanted to give the front pack a go!  

Sunday night, my Uncle Ralph called to let my mom know that their mother, my Grandma Donna was not doing very well.

The next morning I woke up to my mom crying and letting me know that Grandma Donna was in sharp decline.  She was concerned about whether or not she should leave since I had just gotten in to town and after I assured her she didn't need to worry about me, we got her out the door and on to a flight to Utah in no time at all.

She spent the next few days at her mother's side until she passed on Thursday, August 8th at 6:30 PM.

She had just turned 92.

She was an amazing woman and such a great example of hard work, integrity, service, love, fortitude, and faith. She had an unshakable testimony built on a lifetime of living the Gospel, serving others, prayer,  knowing who she is and what her divine purpose is, and coming to personally know her Savior.

I will talk more about her when I post about her funeral.

That day, I had driven out to Temecula to visit my cousin, Val, and to have lunch with Papa Tom and my Aunt Cheryl.  It was so nice to be able to see them and to spend some time with my grandpa.  He is a wonderful man - sharp as a tack, still golfing, and 89.  Amazing.

Well, the next day really sucked, too. That sounds crass, but it really did.

Earlier that week, our family dog, Indy, stopped eating and drinking and was urinating blood.  After a trip to the vet, it was concluded that she had a large tumor and without eating or drinking, she wouldn't last long. 

Since we were leaving for a family trip on Saturday, we tearfully decided that we would have to put her down, knowing that if we didn't, she might pass when we were gone and left with neighbors checking in on her. 

She was always my brother Kevin's dog - he found her on a golf course (Industry Hills - hence the name Indy) on my 16th birthday and brought her home. She was just a young and obviously malnourished and abused puppy.  We couldn't resist her sad little face.

My poor brother.

He is a new young accountant at a Pasadena firm and just started another round of busy season work and knew there would be no way he could be there.  We made an appointment 5 PM on Friday and hoped that Kevin could be there.  He worked literally round the clock all week to be there.

Unfortunately, Indy had to rally and look all adorable right before we took her in...it KILLED us.  

She was such a great dog.  

It really sucked having to put her down, especially since my mom couldn't be there.

Well, we tried to salvage the night with a trip to Brea Downtown for some awesome savory Belgian waffle sandwiches.   

And then we grabbed dessert at a creperie next door. Seriously good eats. Since Kevin and Jess couldn't come to Tahoe, it was fun to be able to hang out with them all evening.  I just wish it would have been under better circumstances!

**these are the two restaurants Reagan cleared out :)