Honey

We didn't do the ING marathon, Matt nor I. I received a call from my mother Thursday night that Chris, my step dad's mother "Honey" had been in the hospital since the previous Sunday. He was on his way down from Anchorage to Birmingham as she wasn't doing well. My mom was crying which made me cry. I talked to Chris and decided to meet him the next day at the hospital. My mother came down on Saturday. Honey's sister and her husband came from Seattle on Sunday. We all said our good-byes and made peace with letting her go as she wished. She spoke her last words on that Sunday evening to us. She passed on Tuesday April 1st at 5 pm. I drove home that evening, and returned on Thursday night with Matt and the dogs. The memorial service was on Friday. We got home yesterday. My parents left today.

It was a long, emotional week. This last week I have felt exhaustion like I have never felt before. We loved like I've never felt a family love each other before. I witnessed romance and love like I've never seen before. I'm still exhausted and in awe of the whole experience. I wish I could write about the whole experience because it was so surreal, and special. But it is still raw and was also so extremely hard and difficult to go through. In the end I saw the truest of great love, learned about living life to the fullest and how important family really is. There was fifteen of us there with Honey, she was surrounded with love, respect and admiration. She will be remembered as an adventurer, teacher, great friend, perfect wife, beloved mother, sister and grandmother and inspiration to so many.