Grandpa's funeral

Grandpa's viewing and funeral were wonderful to be a part of. I could have done without the biting wind at the cemetery, but that just got us back to the church faster.

The viewing was held at Wood Funeral Home in Ammon on the evening of Friday, February 12. It was nice to talk to friends, neighbors and family members.

The funeral was held the next day at the church building on Mesa — his church before he moved to Lincoln Court. We scrunched the family into the Relief Society room to say goodbye one last time before closing the casket. When the funeral director asked if anyone wanted to come up and see him, one of my girls asked, "Mom, can we do that?" I gladly took all four of them up.

I laughed and cried through the funeral. The speakers and music were wonderful.

As mentioned, the weather was bitterly cold, but the interment and military honors were moving.

Miriam and Analee looking at the headstone while everyone gathers.

Analee had the privilege of sitting on Grandma Scott's lap under the blanket.

The grandsons were the pallbearers. There are so many, a few actually carried the casket, while the rest trailed behind.

See? Lots of pallbearers.

Soldier salute. I thought "Taps" was a recording, but Seth said the other soldier present was in the corner of the cemetery playing it live. I hadn't noticed him go over there with a bugle.

Winnie is mesmerized by the soldiers.

Folding the flag.

Headstone and family.

Back at the church, we ate a wonderful lunch, then visited and took some pictures.

All of the Wirkus grandchildren, minus one. (I didn't get the memo that said all the granddaughters were supposed to wear a shade of pink/red.)

All of the Wirkus children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who were able to come.

The Scott family. Poor Tyson. If only I hadn't worn heels and poofed up my hair so much, he wouldn't look so short. :-)

All my life, I've had people tell me what an influence my grandpa has had on their lives: "Your grandpa sealed me and my wife." "Your grandpa was my favorite seminary teacher." "Your grandpa was my mission president." "Your grandpa was my stake president." "Your grandpa gave me my patriarchal blessing." I only hope the mark I leave on the world will be as meaningful.

To see more pictures, start here. 

Goodbye, Grandpa

Monday afternoon, my dad called. From the tone of his voice, I knew what news he would share. Grandpa Wirkus had passed away.

Grandpa Wirkus was my last surviving grandparent. After Grandma Wirkus passed away nearly 10 years ago, I decided I would take my toddler and visit my newly widowed grandparent once a week. We would go to Grandpa's house and eat his ice cream while Rebekah played with his farm and Little People toys.

Sometimes we missed a week because he was sick. Sometimes we missed a week because I was sick. Sometimes we missed a week (or two) because I had had another baby. But most every week, we visited Grandpa.

My girls grew up expecting our weekly visits. They expected to watch PBS, to play with the toys, to read pop-up books, to "ride" the deer statue in the front yard, to play in the "fort" in the back yard (the pick-up's shell sitting behind the shop), to eat ice cream, to eat cookies, to hear Grandpa exclaim "Ach du liebe zeit!" They expected him to hold the latest baby while he rocked in his recliner in the living room and sing "I've a Dear Little Dolly" or one of his German songs.

When Grandpa had a harder time living on his own and moved to Lincoln Court, our visits changed location. We learned about the mints on the front desk; the popcorn, apples, oranges, muffins and/or cookies by the fish tank; the courtyard with the dancing solar statues in the residents' windows; the water dispensers in the hallways. The toys and pop-up books moved with Grandpa, so the girls still ate, visited, read and played while they watched Word Girl or Wild Kratts.

So as my dad told me of Grandpa's passing, I cried a little. But I was smiling as I cried.

Seth got home from work while the tears were in my eyes. He asked me what was wrong, and I mouthed, "Grandpa passed" to him so he could know but the girls wouldn't overhear quite yet. He and I went to our room to talk it over, and we decided we'd center our Family Home Evening lesson around the announcement.

We all cried together as I shared the news of his passing with the girls. Miriam asked for clarification: "Does that mean he died?" We explained that, yes, Grandpa had died. Rebekah tried to be stoic. Analee cried freely. Miriam cried a little at first, then sobbed later on. Winnie, understandably, had a harder time with the concept. At one point, she said, "I think he's still alive."

Seth shared a few scriptures about Heavenly Father's plan for us, and I was able to testify to the girls that I know we'll see Grandpa again someday. We discussed how Grandpa, free from his elderly body, could see, hear and run again. We talked about how he is with his wife, parents and most of his siblings now.

Then we went around the room and shared something we liked about Grandpa and something we'll miss.

Miriam said she liked his candy, TV and cookies. Analee said she liked how nice he was. Rebekah said she liked how he loved holding babies and that she'll miss hearing him sing to them. Seth said he liked his stories and playing the guitar for him. I told the girls that, before I started taking them for visits, I used to visit my grandparents every Sunday we could and ate ice cream, watched TV and visited with them.

I was able to collect pictures from family members to create the slide show that played at the viewing on Friday. It's been wonderful to see the photos and place them to music. As I watch what I call the "Erwin and Marie" segment of the slide show, I tear up. When I cried during my first viewing of it, Seth asked, "Why are you crying?" I explained, "I'm so happy for them."

We'll miss Grandpa. It will be different for us now that we don't go to his house or apartment for our weekly visit. But I'm grateful for the time we had with him and that my girls could get to know their great-grandpa.

 Miriam and Winnie walking with Grandpa Wirkus down the hall at Lincoln Court.

Miri-ism #37

While eating ice cream for our Family Home Evening treat.

Miri: (Holds her forehead in her hand.) Aaa! Aaa!
Seth: Ice cream headache?
Miri: No, brain freeze.

Miri-ism #36

While looking at the nativities on display at the Museum of Idaho during Christmas break.

Miri: Look! This one has real Frankenstein, gold and myrrh!

Christmas

Prepare to be inundated.

Our Christmas festivities included gingerbread house creations.

Seth and Analee with their gingerbread house.

Rebekah and Winnie with their destroyed house. It kept falling apart, so Bekah finished the job and put the dinosaur toy there as a joke.

Miriam (and her two missing teeth) and Andrea with their gingerbread house.

Our Christmas festivities included a trip to the Museum of Idaho's free Christmas display.

Winnie looking at Santa riding a chicken. (?!)

Miriam and her fox pulling funny faces in the Children's Discovery Room.

Rebekah taking care of a baby.

Analee showing how she was able to identify this puppet as a beaver.

Miriam serving dinner to Seth and Winnie in the log cabin.

Our Christmas festivities included a sleigh ride through a neighbor's field.

The noble steeds that pulled the sleigh.

Miriam playing with the barn cats while waiting for the rest of our party.

Winnie collecting sticks for the dog.

Blake Ford letting Rebekah take the reins.

Bennet, Analee, Andrea, Miriam and Seth on the sleigh. (Grandma Scott, Grandpa Scott, Aunt McKall, Oakley, Rebekah and Winnie were also riding.)

Our Christmas festivities included a Hendricks family party.

Miriam and Emma sporting the googly eyes that were supplied for the reindeer craft.

Kids, grandkids and great-grandkids listening to Grandpa Hendricks read "'Twas the Night Before Christmas."

Rebekah telling Austin (as Joseph) that there is no room in her inn.

Winnie as a shepherdess and Kailey as a sheep during the live nativity. 

Analee the wise woman.

Miriam and the other two angels participating in a group hug.

Our Christmas festivities included a Scott family party.

Bennet, Winnie, Grandma Scott, Rebekah, Analee and Miriam around the spinning German nativity.

Rebekah opening her Christmas Eve jammies from Grandma and Grandpa Scott. 

Analee checking out her jammies.

Grandma Scott helping Winnie put on her new jammies. 

Miriam giving Grandma a thank you hug.

Seth showing off his innovative way of bringing all the girls' clothes home.

Grandpa Scott taking a picture of all the kids in their jammies.

Our Christmas festivities also included (not pictured) a Grover party with presents from grandparents, a sledding party with the Papworth and Wilson cousins and (of course) Christmas morning with presents under the tree.

To see more fun Christmas pictures, start here.

Gwenism #14

While grocery shopping.

Gwen: Mom, what is that?
Andrea: It's a pork butt roast.
Gwen: (Snickers.)
Andrea: (Thinks, "Oh, boy ... here it comes.")
Gwen: Butt roast? BUTTON ROAST! (Laughs uproariously.)

Christmas party

Our ward has great Christmas parties. There's always delicious food, lots of friends in attendance and fun activities. Last year, Seth and I sang, "Baby It's Cold Outside." This year, we were asked to sing it again. So we switched up the parts, and Seth was the one trying to escape my clutches.

My line: "I'll take your hat; your hair looks swell." His hair DOES look pretty swell. 

Rocking the jingle bell earrings Rebekah made me for my birthday. Seth rocking the guitar as he always does.

Then we switched strings. Seth put down the guitar, and I picked up the ukulele.

Seth announcing that I just barely learned to play. My look of nervous anticipation.

He's a crooner, that one. And I nearly got all the chords in.

A cute post-gig photo.

Then the ASL group signed and sang, "Once There Was a Snowman."

Including Rebekah (with her festive hair), Analee, Grandma Susan, Miriam and Andrea.

Followed by the Primary singing, "The Nativity Song."

And then Santa came to town.

Analee, Miriam and Rebekah all sat on his lap and talked with him. Winnie sat on my knee and deigned to even look at the man. But she gladly accepted the bag of goodies he gave her.

To see more pictures, start here.

Christmas card & newsletter

(click to view larger)

Miri-ism #35

While watching the final scene in Aladdin where Jasmine and Aladdin fly away on the magic carpet:

Miri: "Where are your kids! You need to have kids! Kids! KIDS!"

Tree hunting

We took the family back up to the wilderness in search of the perfect Christmas tree. That is to say, Seth hauled us up the mountain on the four-wheeler, then found, cut and hauled the tree back down the mountain while I kept an eye on four little girls. He's good like that.

And for the first time, I took a camera with me. Usually I'm hauling a baby around in a wrap, pouch, sling or backpack and don't want to carry the extra weight. This time I determined that Winnie is old enough to walk, so I brought the camera. And then I hauled her most of the way back down because her legs were tired.

Miriam climbing up the hill. I love her mouse mittens.

I think this picture is so beautiful of Winnie, despite her tear and snotty nose. Why is she crying? Because I dared to look at a couple of trees instead of staying right by her side.

 Analee trudging through the snow.

Grandma Scott helping grandkids up the hill (Bennet, Shelby and Miriam) while Aunt McKall watches.

Rebekah (and her festive green hair) enjoying snacks back at the truck.

Gwenism #13

While sitting at the dinner table.

Gwen: Mom, how did we buy our house?
Andrea: The people who lived here before wanted to sell the house. Daddy and I came and looked at it. We wanted to buy it, so we got the money from the bank.
Gwen: But how did the house fit on the paying thing?