Grandma Dude

I was so lucky to get to fly out to Oklahoma, (all by my pregnant self, NO KIDS) to attend my Grandma Dude's funeral.  Jake watched all the kids while I met with my mom dad, and sister.  I remember thinking funeral's are so healing.  I felt so blessed I was able to attend and be with some of my family.  (Little did I know less than 3 months later I would be planning the funeral of my own precious son.)  My mom asked me to speak and I really felt honored.  Grandma Dude is my namesake, as I share my middle name Alice with her, and gave my oldest daughter that middle name as well.  She always made me feel like I was her favorite granddaughter.  I don't know if she did that for everyone, because I still believe that I am her favorite!  I wish I would have written this sooner because I can't remember all of the details of her funeral, but the things I do recall... my mom spoke, Chelsey sang Amazing Grace, my dad dug the grave the day before which was very hard work!  I felt a lot of love and such a strong spirit.  

Alice Dude Asbury

August 13, 1930

December 28, 2012

Alice Dude Asbury passed away in her sleep while visiting relatives in Oklahoma. She was born in Luther, Oklahoma to Leonard C. Willard and Alice Weber Willard. Dude married her high school sweetheart, Sam Bowden in 1947; later divorced. From this union came four children. She married Max B. Asbury in 1962. Dude and Max will be remembered for their contributions to the bowling community in the Reno/Sparks area. Max passed away in 2000. Mom's companion, Barney Lott, also preceded her in death.

Dude is survived by her four children, Gary (Terri) Bowden of Eugene, Oregon; Sue Whitney (Bill) of Salt Lake City, Utah; Don (Sharon) Bowden of Reno, Nevada; and Kim (Prentiss) Moreno of Hilo, Hawaii. She leaves behind 14 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren, a sister, and many nieces, nephews and dear friends. Mom made friends wherever she went and we will miss her deeply.

Uncle Greg and his wife

Look at this beautiful field we had to walk across to get to the private cemetery.  She was buried next to my Grandpa Max, (who also made me believe I was his favorite).

Mom, I need you to help me remember who all your cousins are... :)

We laughed about this picture, my dad teasing me how I always wanted to be with my mom and dad.  Guess I just loved their attention as the middle child!

After we drove around and let my mom tell us some of the places she lived and remembered as a child.   Then we went to the Oklahoma bombing memorial... because we had already been crying all day...

I was so exhausted and my legs were killing me, Chelsey got a wheelchair for me and pushed me around the second half of the dad.  Ha ha what a wimp I am!

We were in Oklahoma the week after this huge tornado that took so many homes and neighborhoods.  Just another example of how precious life is and how quickly every thing can change.  It makes you really appreciate all the things you do have!

Sisters, with Chelsey's hello Kitty phone...

Random cell phone pictures

 Cute little Mitchy learning to sit at therapy.  He likes the bean bag... kind of.

Finally asleep after a long hard day's work!  So precious in my arms!

I just need to say how amazingly smart my kids are!!!  My kids take pictures with my phone ALL THE TIME!!  I seriously get my phone back to see 800 new pictures.  Usually of the cat, or of some rocks or things I can't make out... but this time they took pictures of all the toy animals... and did a near and far twist on it.  It took me quite a while to figure out what was going on, but here are just a few of the 800 I had to delete...

 I mean seriously so creative!!!!  Love those two little kids!  And of course they took one of them with Mitchy too...

Happy birthday Jake!

My lovely husband turns 34!  What an old man!!  ha ha  I think Jake LOVES breakfast in bed, but when I'm feeling so sick and yucky especially in the morning This is as good as it gets, and I LOVE Jake because he is sooooo happy with my tiny effort.  Cold cereal, store bought blueberry muffins, fresh strawberries, glass of OJ, and a glass of milk.  Plus all the dollar store gifts the kids and I bought.  He was so happy.  I'm sure we did other amazing fun things... but I forgot them... see why I take pictures and blog?

Our teacher gifts that I think turned out darling... with shimmer gum balls inside! Mitchell has FIVE teachers we give stuff to, so gifts needed to be simple...

 Poor little Mitchell needed to have another x-ray taken and I was surprised by his scapula!!! Look how it sticks out!  So more encouragement for me to help him put pressure on his joints because as you grow older you create the fossa in that bone that helps it lay flat.  Poor little Mitchell doesn't crawl and get that naturally.  He was such a good sport!  He is just SO DANG CUTE!

 Jansen went to the Father and son's campout with Jake.  Jansen is so much fun as he's getting older and becoming a better listener.  They had a blast making smores, fishing, hiking and being around other boys!

How we announced Corbin as baby number 4...

We found out our fourth child was going to be a boy, and knew this would be hardest on Reesa.   She had honestly prayed for a baby sister every night for almost 2 years... I had my ultrasound in Fresno on a day Jake was working so he was unable to be there.  He kept asking me to Facetime with him when I found out, but I kept thinking that was WAY too weird. Well, the ultrasound tech was awesome, and apparently that is not uncommon at all, so Jake was able to participate.  I wanted to do something so special for my kids, like filling there rooms with baby blue balloons, but I was feeling SO SICK I knew I didn't have any energy for my big ideas.  So as I left the hospital I saw Baskin Robins and went in and bought an ice-cream cake.  Even as I'm writing this it seems so silly this was so hard for me to do.  But I remember thinking I was going to die while waiting for them to check me out.  I am so happy to not be sick today!!!!  

It took Jansen a total of 10 seconds to try and eat this cake so I decided to take a picture since daddy wouldn't get to see it.  It was fun because I just let the kids open it and figure out what it meant and what it was for.  It was adorable to see their little minds working as they figured it out.  The tears didn't last long because who's gonna cry when they can eat ice-cream cake!

 Well we decided to announced boy number three with these photos... but of course no one would cooperate... not even the CAT!

 So I took individual pictures instead...

 And a million pictures of Mitchell to try and get the perfect one.  Sad thing is he is SO MUCH cuter in real life... but here are a few.  I think he was already talking with Corbin.