From April till Decemeber
I was thinking about how I hate to journal. I really do, but Seth has been reading about self preservation and also how to be a better human. He then said "I know I have never journaled before. So I am going to start. I am also going to start to do a History about myself." I then realized how my blog was my journaling for a very long time. I wasn't to bad at it and then 2016 hit and it was awful. I just didn't want to talk about my life and how boring and long and etc. I just didn't have it in me any more. So to play a little catch up I will do years for now then I will do one hopefully once a week maybe daily, but I really like the idea of being back on track and also Seth wants to have me print them out into books. Which I looked up and Uhehm it would be from 2007ish to 2016 445 dollars to print 800 page books into three volumes.
Ok so here we go.
2016 cont.
The end of March is when my Grandma Rusch passed away. It was a very hard on me. The year my mom died was hard enough, but it was good though....if death can be deemed as good. She had suffered from years of Dementia and Alzheimers. Both which rob us of her time with us. She would say things like "See that handsome man there? (pointing to a picture of my Grandpa in the army) He's my husband. Then look over to my Grandpa in the flesh and say "I don't know who that nice man is but he takes me on walks and takes care of me." It broke my heart to see the look on my Grandpa's face while he looked at her with such love but then such sadness. She forgot that she had my mom. I think the biggest reason is because she wasn't there to help out and be around. After she died it was like she never existed before. When I would tell her about my mom she would say "Um who?" Every time she would it would break my heart.
The last thing I said to her was a phone call I tried to make with the rest home. I called and asked if I could speak to her, but she couldn't hold a phone. So the nurse who was so kind gave me his personal cell number and he put me on speaker so I could talk to her. I told her I loved her and then I sang a song she would sing to me when I was young "You are my Sunshine" I could hear her breathing shallow on the other end. When I got done the nurse said "She smiled a little and went back to sleep" So that made me think that maybe she knew who I was. I would try to call her at least once a week. I loved talking to her. She was my best friend. She helped shaped me in so many ways.
Not saying my mom never did, but these ways were different. She taught to love, to not judge, to be friendly to everyone and to be kind to all walks of life. She was a true woman who just was amazing. It's interesting because she came from a time when African American's were becoming part of our nation as humans. She lived through WWII and saw the Japanese refugees live in her home town to live in camps to be sugar beet farmers. She never really talked about her life and her past. When it came time to be interested in it she didn't want to talk about it. It wasn't until she was a year out from passing away that she started to really talk about it. When she was lucid enough to communicate we would ask her. Then it was like she was back in 1940's 50's etc. It was so nice to have that time with her.
I also forgot to mention about the Provo City Temple dedication. Two out of my three boys got to participate in the cultural celebration. It was such a neat experience to witness. They practiced many many hours for the performance. From November of 2015 till March of 2016 they would practice 2 to 3 times a week for 2 to 4 hours. They did a dance to the song from the movie "Prince of Egypt" the song called "Through Heavens Eyes" It was my personal preference actually. Not just because it was because my kids were in it, but it was beautiful. Lots of color and movements. I also got to go on a special tour with Dannan before it opened. It was a tour of all the places a woman would be able to go to when attending the temple. Which included the bridal suite. Which was beautiful. Then the temple was dedicated in March of 2016 as well.
May of 2016 is as usual crazy with all the end of year things going on. Things like end of year school programs, concerts, elementary school graduation. Some High school Graduation for Cassie. She graduated with honors and was on the student body presidency. She was really great.
Ashlynn had her tonsils taken out and I had mine out a month later. We both kept getting a strep throat type thing and tonsillitis which was gross. If you want you are welcome to google it but I am warning you it is really disgusting.
Summer was normal. We went on camp outs, scout camp, swimming, babysitting and having a great time.
When school stared back up it was in full swing again. Ethan and Logan were in High school and Tru was in middle school while my baby Dannan was left at the Elementary school. They were building a new High school for Provo. It is close to where they kids attended Elementary school.
Ethan was in Choir and was in Phantom of the Opera as a choral singer. So that was pretty cool. He enjoyed the fun times he had but at the same time it was hard on him because he was also working at Dominos Pizza and doing this play. So we hardly saw him. He also came out as Gay to our family. It was hard. I think it was one of the hardest things we had to go through with him. Having a gay child was something we kept from the family for at least a year. Because he wanted it that way. He didn't want us to tell anyone about it. Because of the fear of them not loving him anymore. I think it was hard seeing him go through that part of his life without the knowledge we have now and all the information we had learned throughout that year and honestly it is still a learning process. We learn from our church, pod cast, books etc. But I think that we learn the most when we are actively trying to be a better person and to love and accept them as they are. How are we to know what or whom they want to be when they are still learning and growing. We as well grow and learn along with them.
Logan was starting his 9th grade year. It was an interesting year for sure. I got a phone call from him one day saying "Mom I need to come home from school right now." I didn't ask questions because at that time he never missed school that much. When I picked him up I noticed a red hand print on his throat. I asked him what it was and he wouldn't tell me. I stopped him and said "Um you don't have a choice you need to tell me right now." He said there was a group of boys trying to flirt with girls by stealing their phones and putting them into their pants and pockets. The girls went to Logan (Because even by his tough guy exterior . He's actually a great and loving kiddo). and begged him to get their phones. He did and was successful. Then it happened a second time and he went back and then they got into a fight. Logan didn't give the punch that started it all, but to summarize the incident the one who started it all was punching Logan and then Logan hit back. The biggest kid on the opposing team grabbed Logan by the throat and started to choke him. Luck for him one of his friends was near and grabbed the kids choking Logan and put him onto the ground. I told Logan right then we were going to the office and speak to the principal. He was not to pleased with me, when we did they told me by the security cameras and the info we gave them that he was suspended for the rest of the week. Which was only 2 days of school. His friend who saved his life was given one day (which I was bugged about) and the kid who choked him a month. The other ones who were not so nice to the girls got two weeks, That was a fun thing to go through with a teenage boy. He's mellowed out so much since then.
Truman was in 8th Grade. He was doing Ballroom, computer stuff and maths. He is really good at Math. Actually all of my kids and my husband are amazing at math. I was not to lucky in that department. Which is fine. Tru was such a good kid. He spent a lot of his after schools with his friends Keith and Seth. Both really nice and good kids. He enjoyed and still enjoys Legos and enjoys giving out tons of hug and says I LOVE YOU a thousand times a day. I loved that.
Dannan would have been in 5th grade this year. She still enjoys the Portuguese program and helping her teachers. She loved hanging about after school with her friends and her favorite teacher in the whole world Pro B. She loved having time in her class the year before. She wanted to become a slime sensation (thankfully that never took off) She enjoys time with just mom and dad. She could really care less about anyone else. HAHAHA
Well that was 2016.
