Honig's dad...

My sweet Honig's dad, Jerry, unexpectedly passed away on Oct 24th in WA, but he wasn't found in his apartment until the 26th. You know how you have some memories throughout your life that you can remember and replay exactly as they happened when you think about them later on? I can still remember exactly how hurt my Honig looked like when he came to get me out of the Young Women's lesson I was teaching to tell me that Chelsey, his sister, had just called and said that their dad was gone. I just held him in the church hallway and my sweet hubby kept crying and saying "He's gone." We flew to WA the next day, the 27th to be with family and help with memorial arrangements.

Of course death is always bittersweet because that obviously means that the deceased isn't here on earth with us anymore, but on the brighter side, it means they don't have to suffer from any physical ailments that they had been afflicted with, and Honig's dad had been suffering from some unexplained neurological problems for a while and it's so nice to know that he doesn't have to suffer from those anymore. And I know that Honig is very much looking forward to doing his Dad's temple work with his Dad's twin, Gary, in Novemer-ish of 2009 up in Seattle because his Dad had asked him to do it a while before he died and Honig and I know how vital and important it is to have that work done.

I just wanted to share some pictures from our go nonstop week in Washington, so here you have them my friends.

Me, Chelsey, Devin, and Honig at the one and only glorious CrabPot in Seattle. Mmmmmmm.... If you haven't been there, you don't understand how nummy it is.

Honig with Uncle Gary, his dad's twin.

Chelsey, Molly, and me.

Chelsey and Molly.

We were able to have the world's quickest lunch with our wonderful friends Adam and Lisa and their cute son Joshua.

Now skip ahead to the memorial.

It was a lovely memorial service, and Honig, Chelsey, Uncle Gary, and a bishop spoke and everyone did phenomenal. While my hubby was speaking about his memories of his father and how he admired and missed him, I remember looking up at my husband behind the stand and I had the most overwhelming and all consuming feeling of love and respect come over me, and I had to look away because I started crying and I knew if he saw me crying while looking at him, he would start crying and it would break his stride. I had a myriad of thoughts and emotions sweep over me while watching and listening to my husband speak. I was so grateful to be his wife at that moment (not that I'm not always grateful, it just hit me especially hard at that moment), and I was so grateful that we have created a perfect little baby together that we have the privilege and challenge to raise together. I was so grateful that we have seen eachother at our best and at our worst and that we have no reservations around eachother and have no problem telling the other one what we are honestly thinking about anything, no matter the subject. I was so proud that we have worked so hard at our marriage and always put it as our number one priority. I was so proud that he has worked so hard throughout school because it hasn't been a walk in the park and how he is doing everything he can to provide a secure future for us and our children. He is so smart and I am so thankful that he is using his talents to help others. And most of all, I was so grateful that I knew that I am going to be with him and our children forever. I was so grateful that we were sealed in the temple and that if one of us died right now, we both have the assurance that we are still married in the afterlife and that we would be reunited. That is the absolute best piece of mind that we both have.

Jerry's old roomates.

Our wonderful friend Annalisa and her daughter Donya. Annalisa was a lifesaver with helping get food organized for the memorial. I owe you big time.

Jerry's kids, siblings, nieces, nephews...

Jerry's kids. Liz, Dean, and Chelsey.

You still gotta have fun.

Our handsome Chase. Ladies, he's single.

We were the last ones in the building after all was said and done so we took a little time out for a photo op.



My preggie back and feet were killing by this point. I had taken off my shoes 2 hours before this because wonderful cankles were setting in.

Laying down on Chelsey and Devin's floor playing with Maui, their lovey puppy. She was a firecracker full of energy.

Resting and loving our baby girl. And apparently holding Honig's belongings on my belly.

Jerry wanted to be cremated and he wanted his ashes to be pour right outside of North Bend, WA so we went and did that as a family on the day after his memorial. Here we have Liz, Chelsey holding her dad's ashes, and Devin waiting for everyone to arrive at the park.

Family.

Honig, Liz, and Chelsey all spread his ashes together but while wading into the river Chelsey fell down into the water first and then Honig followed suit.

3 siblings honoring their dad.

My happy Honig. He felt so much better after the 3 of them got to say a final goodbye to their dad.

Honig even walked away with an owie from falling in the river on some rocks.

Then we all went over to uncle Gary and Aunt Kim's for some taco dinner. Chelsey, chew with your mouth closed!!

Uncle Gary and computer genius Frank putting together all the pictures everyone took and somehow networking it to the XBox. It took Frank 2 seconds to do all of that. He's pretty much a genius in my book.

Chelsey, Molly, and Aunt Kim chatting it up.

Honig and his sister Liz.

And to cap it off, it looks like my husband is drinking a beer. It's just Root Beer which we NEVER have so it was quite the treat for him to get his hands on one of those.