Nutter Stuff: California trip

On December 8th, my mom called me. She sounded a little shaken up, but it was a short call. She was letting me know that she'd sent me an email about my grandma, who had fallen that morning and was in the hospital. She wanted to let me know that Gra'ma was fine, so not to panic when I opened the email.

Gra'ma had fallen in her apartment (she lived alone), and had stayed there for several hours until her Meals on Wheels delivery arrived. The delivery person tried to convince her to go to the hospital, to no avail. Being concerned, they called her local emergency contact, who came and took her to the hospital, where they did a whole battery of tests.

The next day, my mom called me, this time definitely in tears: her mom had been diagnosed with acute, untreatable leukemia, and was given only weeks to live. Gra'ma hadn't even known she was sick.

My mom flew from Connecticut to California the next day (Saturday), and Robyn and I flew out to Utah on Sunday. My sister lives in Draper, UT, and was planning to drive out to CA to visit Gra'ma. She cancelled her Christmas plans in Connecticut and went west instead. She and I (and a three-week-old baby) drove to Paso Robles on Tuesday. It was a loooooooong day, but it was good to spend time with each other. We wouldn't have otherwise gotten to be together for the holidays this year.

On Wednesday, my brother came up from LA, where he's going to school, and we all spent the week with Gra'ma. My mom and each of her sisters were there (intermittently), my siblings, Robyn, and even my grandpa at one point (he and Gra'ma have been divorced since my mom was a teenager). Though a sad excuse, it was really nice to get to visit. Gra'ma always said she didn't want to have a funeral, and really -- why wait until after they're gone to go visit anyway?

My sister, Candice, was staying a week or so longer than I was, so the following Sunday, she and I drove down to Orange County to stay the night with our great-aunt, and I flew out of LAX the next morning. It was a long week, and I was so glad to get home, but it was wonderful to see family. I got to see a few more people on Sunday evening as well.

I shared some of the pictures from this trip already here, but there are more.

Napping with Auntie Candice, nice and comfy.

Being silly with Grammy.

My sister and I in front of our great-grandma's house, the one in which our grandma grew up. I have fond memories of time spent in this home, though my sister was only 11 months old when Bobbo died, so she doesn't actually remember it.

Aunt Marylin -- one of my mom's younger sisters. She made the sweater that Robyn is wearing.

Four generations: Robyn, me, my mom, and her dad. There were at least three cameras going (mine, my mom's, and Grandpa's -- maybe another, too), and I don't have a single photo of all of us looking the same way at the same time.

My dad's dad. Candice and I got to spend an hour or so with him on Sunday afternoon. The last time I saw him was at Lenny's funeral, when I told my extended family that I was pregnant with Julie.

Grandpa Rountree, me, Robyn, my sister Candice, and my brother Clayton.

Aunt Joanne, my mom's twin. We were meeting her and another of my aunts, Nancy, and my cousin April (who had a baby four days after Robyn was born) at a restaurant for dinner. I snapped this picture of Aunt Joanne and Robyn, and when I went to take pictures of April and her baby, and us mommies and babies together, my camera battery decided it had had enough for the week. So I didn't get any. :(