Estate Sale

We were in Salt Lake over the Memorial Day weekend. We met as a family to have an estate sale of our home of 37 years. My Dad saved everything. We had to clean out file cabinets of saved Father's Day cards from the 1950's to the first minted Tupperware. The night before the sale we split up the items with value, but what I didn't realize is how much I would be affected by the non-value items. Nothing in my life was more surreal than watching smelly annoying people traipse through our home, pick up my parents belongings and ask prices for them. I was mostly too busy through out the day to process any of it, but there were moments that stopped me flat. Watching a woman handle my mother's bathrobe. Flashing across my memory was breakfast being made in that robe and being attended to during sickness, Christmas mornings and preparing the Sunday roast. Another moment was a man holding up my dad's white shirts asking me for a price. I saw mom ironing those shirts and dad wearing them everyday for work, asking me as he walked through the door "how is my Shell doll?" It all lasted around 6 hours, a life time of stuff was sold and negotiated for a price. As I sat in my hotel bathroom crying the next day, I realized that all that stuff was just exactly that, stuff. I can never sell the memories, like mom canning peaches in a hot kitchen or dad laying out 3 football fields worth of Christmas lights in the garage, painstakingly looking for the one defective bulb. Later, we met at dad's grave site, cried, and talked about what we loved about him. It was a fitting ending.

2 Posts in 1

I was presented this book for Mothers Day by the newlywed's Zach & Eri


Zach said, in a hushed almost sacred frantic whisper, "turn to page 189." I silently prayed "please God let there be a photo of Fatness." My quaking fingers turned the hallowed pages.

FATNESS.HAS.BEEN.PUBLISHED.


We gathered to watch the newlyweds open gifts. This is a picture of Erica looking down at 29 cookbooks, wondering if she could use them as doorstops or spray paint them for bookends.


Zach's mother demonstrating the convenience of cooler-with-wheels. This is one of 7, Target failed to update the registry. Zach said "you can never have too many."


This is the only time I saw Erica excited about her wedding gifts.

Never in 20 years

My important after work activities (i.e. taking a nap with Fatness and stuffing my face with baked potato chips) was interrupted with a call from Griffin. "Mom, WHAT-EVER you do don't look in my room." I said "um, what now?" at which point he repeated his foreboding statement. My mind started reeling with macabre thoughts, a dead stripper? Fatness in a torture device that went awry? A week old egg salad sandwich? The transmission from his Honda? I commanded him to stay on the line while I checked his room. I slowly started up the stairs wondering if I was going to find the dead body of his 5th grade teacher. I entered his Axe infused room slowly like SWAT and stopped in my clogs. This is what lay before my eyes:



...and this

...and this


I queried, in a celestial room whisper, "What the? Griffin, you cleaned your room and actually organized stuff?" I was shaking. He gingerly said "Mom open my underwear drawer." With trembling hand, I opened it.




My knees gave out and I sank into a lotus position of worship. I had turned into a pilgrim that found her sacred place. Dizzy with confusion I said "Griff, seriously what are you doing? You never in 20 years have cleaned your room without some sort of death threat from me?" and then he said something that made my mortal and terrestial life complete. "Mom, the messiness was starting to bug me, and this is how the Army has us do it."

I should have handed him over 20 years ago, swaddled with capped umbilical cord, for the Army to raise.

The Day

Just a sampling of Eri's amazing taste, she wanted lemons and tulips. She wanted a wish jar, she wanted simple and elegant...I think she got it all, and the guy. Has Zach ever looked happier? I think not.

Beautiful bridesmaids. They thanked me for giving birth to Erica.

Erica and her Daddy (in the dressing room)

..with her sister Hailey

"Oh, I need to put on my garter!"

Cousin Abby who sweetly (and on her own) sent Eri an email the morning of her wedding, explaining how excited she was to be her flower girl.


Daughter
Be Happy Be Blessed Be Watched Over
You are radiant.

Zach Loves You
I am at peace.

Rehersal Time

Erica looked radiant, Zach was beaming, all was well.

























The blissful couple practicing their final walk.

Time for a Wedding Shower!

A perfect wedding shower was hosted by Kristy, Rachel, Heidi, Malia and Casey at Marsha's house. She received many wonderful things from her registry and 7 nighties. She received a beautiful apron from Aunt Vonda with matching thong (It was the hit of the night). The food was amazing.


The other hit of the night was Kristy's taped interview with Zach. He confessed he knew he wanted to marry her before he left on his mission, and their first kiss was in Aunt Kay's living room. His favorite body part is "her booty." Then for the finale, he sang a song he wrote for her (with guitar) it was SWEET, FUNNY and melted all of our hearts! Here is a sampling of the lyrics:

She loves her Coke
that ain't no joke.
She loves her cat
even tho' he's fat.

No matter what I say
she still does it her
own way.
Even when I'm right
She has to fight and
tell me we're better
off this way.

She has a small chest
her bra fills the rest

Her legs are divine
I'm so glad she's mine

All this I say
I wouldn't have
any other way

She's the one I love
She's my little turtle dove
She's the one I call
ERICA

Time for a wedding!

Dear Zachary,

Please take care of my girl.

She's my most precious gift and I am giving her to you. She is everything I ever dreamed of in a daughter, in fact, she surpassed my dreams. I know with you she will be fine, I know you love her just as much as I do. Respect her. Adore her. Cherish her. I know with you she will be happy.