Hess family photos

Here is my dad and step-mom, Sharon

Me, Dad and Grandma-Great

Aunt Sallie, Dad and Grandma-great

Dad and Grandma-great.

Here is my grandma. Everyone calls her grandma-great. She is actually a great-great grandma. She is 95 years old. She has had 2 major back surgeries this summer. I was really worried she wouldn't pull though considering her age. She is pretty healthy for a woman of 95, but her bones are like wet toilet paper. She is in pain all the time. She told me she wishes she knew why God kept her on earth. She must have something to do, but she wants to know what it is so she can get it done and she can pass on. I fear that this will be the last time I get to see her. I also thought that 4 years ago when we were up there for a summer vacation. She surprised me by still being around. She is an amazingly strong woman. I hope I inherited just a little bit of that strength. She still lives at home, walks with a walker, and generally takes care of herself. My aunt Sallie takes care of her a lot and helps with the things she can't do or doesn't have the energy to do. I really think I have an amazing family.

Idaho

On Sunday afternoon, my mom took me over to the Denny's in Layton to meet my step-mom, Sharon. I rode with Sharon to Malad City where she and my dad live. My dad was smoking some sausages and some ribs. Shortly after I got there, Logan, his wife, Amber and their girls Cara and Chloe came over to have dinner with us. They didn't know I was there. Chloe was even wearing her Longhorn outfit that my dad had bought her. Cara wasn't shy at all with me. I got my camera out and took a few pictures of her. After that, she kept saying "I smile" and wanting me to take her picture. She was so cute. Logan is sure going to have his hands full with her. She has such a fun personality. I probably have about 15 photos that are similar to this one, but this is the best of them. I even deleted a bunch that didn't turn out very good.

Here is a picture of Chloe. She is about 2 months old. I wish I lived closer to them and could really get to know them and really be an aunt to them. Logan is looking for a new job. Maybe it will bring him to Texas, who knows.

That evening, we went out to see my Uncle Herb. I forgot to take a picture of him while I was there even though I brought my camera. My uncle has gone back to church and he and his wife, Sherry, have gone through the temple. We talked a little bit about geneology work and temple work while I was out there. It was a different side of my uncle that I have never seen before. Growing up, he drank and smoked and never went to church. It was pretty neat to see this side of him. His home teacher came while we were there. He is a pretty neat guy.

On Monday, my dad tried to take me out to Holbrooke to see where my grandpa was born and raised. I thought Malad was tiny. Holbrooke was almost non-existent. I think I would go insane living out there. I might go insane in Malad, but as I get older, I long for the quiet life that a small town like Malad would offer. Stan would never move there though. I'm not sure I would either. It gets too cold. We may have to look into a place like that around central Texas when we retire. I do wish we lived someplace small when I taught Rachael how to drive.

Family Pictures

Patricia Hodge, Catherine and Eugene Kochan

Bob and Francene Thomson with Harmony, Kimble Thomson, Noah, Benjamin and Timothy Stuart, Cheri and Mark Stuart, Lynsie Thomson, Troy and Bambie Thomson

David and Denise Thomson

Jesse, Charlotte and Deborah James

The cousins-Lynsie Thomson, Troy Thomson, Cheri Thomson, Deborah James, Patricia Hodge

Bob Thomson, David Thomson, Jim (this is their cousin who is like a brother)

Charlotte James, Catherine Kochan, Peggy Garrison

The Funeral

My grandmother was buried next to my grandfather, Kenneth Thomson. I never met my grandfather. He died in 1961 in a car accident. He was buried in Salt Lake. That is why my grandmother was buried in Salt Lake even though she died in Pennsylvania. Here are the pall bearers carrying her casket and also a photo of her headstone and some photos of her when she was first married. My grandmother was a beautiful women. I never knew that she was 17 when she got married. My grandfather met her on his mission and fell immediately in love. He brought her home with him and they were married shortly after that. I also learned that my grandmother had a rough life prior to that. Her mom died when she was very young and her dad traveled around a lot for his job. He couldn't take care of his girls, so he put them in the orphanage that was just down the street until he could care for them on his own. We drove by the orphanage when we were driving around Salt Lake.

There was only a grave side service. My cousin Cheri wrote the eulogy and they asked me to deliver it. We sang a song then dedicated the grave. Then, the opened the floor for anyone who wanted to share memories of grandma. My aunt Peggy, aunt Charlotte, my uncle Bob and my mom all stood and shared some memories. My uncle David didn't want to get up, but as we were pulling away, he knelt down my the casket and told his mom good-bye. It brought tears to my eyes.

We got together after the services at my uncle Bob's house in Layton. We had a big family dinner and sat around talking. We got pictures of all the families that were present. I hadn't seen some of these people in 30 years. I met a cousin that I had never met before. I really had a great time.

Blogger is being strange and not letting me move my pictures around, so I will post them in a different post.

Temple Square

I got to go to Utah for my grandmother's funeral. I left Austin early Thursday morning (the 17th). My uncle Bob picked me up at the airport. We went back to his house and picked up my mom and Eugene then went down to Salt Lake to visit Temple Square. Here are some of the photos I took that day. The first 2 photos are the ones I turned in for my photography class.

The weather was absolutely beautiful as we walked around Temple square. The sun was shining and the sky was clear blue. I felt very much at peace. I wish my husband and kids could have been there to share it with me.

My grandma

My grandma Thomson passed away this morning. I am a big mix of emotions right now. She has been battling cancer for several years now. She was doing fairly well for quite a while, but really started having more problem recently. She has been on Hospice for a little over a month now. For the last 2+ weeks, she has needed around the clock care from both my mom and my step dad. She has been in a lot of pain. I am relieved that she is out of pain now but sad that she is gone. I am glad I got to see her in March when we went to Pennsylvania. She sat down with me one afternoon and we went through a bunch of photos from when she was growing up. I scanned a bunch of them while I was there. She also gave me a bracelet that had belonged to her aunt, given to her by her fiance when they got engaged. She got to see my kids. I felt bad though because Jeremy was scared of her and wouldn't go near her. I don't know why he was acting like that. He has never been afraid of anyone. I think it really hurt her feelings. He acted the same way around my grandma Kochan. I'll be flying to Utah for her funeral as soon as my mom figures out when the funeral is going to happen

I started taking a photography class 2 weeks ago. I have already learned so much. We got our first assignment last week. One photo needs to be a photo showing motion. I wanted to do some pictures of Jeremy on the swing, but it has rained every day since my class. I took advantage of a short rain break yesterday and photographed Jeremy riding his scooter. He is totally blurred, so that shows the motion. I would actually rather have him in focus and the back ground blurred. I care more about what he looks like than I do the car and house behind him. I may try it again and see if I can move my camera to follow him so the background blurs and not him. I just don't know if I can move the camera at just the right speed to follow him and keep him in focus. It's worth a try. The next assignment I still need to do is to have a narrow depth of field. With a photo like that, the subject will be in focus while the background and foreground will be blurred. I haven't decided what I am going to do for that one yet. I need to get busy with it though because the pictures are due at the next class Wednesday evening. I am hoping my grandmother's funeral doesn't interfere with my class.

Rachael will officially become a college student tomorrow. She is technically still in high school also though. She will be attending Austin Community College in their co-enrollment program for high school juniors and seniors. She is taking Spanish and US History. I think she is a little nervous. I know I am a little nervous for her. She has never been in a formal school setting except for seminary. She is a smart girl though and I know she will do fine.

I continue to be very frustrated by my weight loss efforts. I have been going to the gym regularly, every day but Sunday, for 3 weeks now and I have gained 2 1/2 pounds. My personal trainer said it is because I am eating more and exercising more and my body has to get used to it and realize it is going to get the food it needs consistently before it will start releasing the fat I have stored. I can understand the explanation, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating. I'm going to stick with the program, because I know it has to work eventually. I also don't want the alternative which would be to continue at the same weight forever, or worse, gain this 50 pounds back.

I am so grateful that I got to go to Pennsylvania in March and that I got to see my grandmother while we were there. A few weeks ago, my mom told me that my grandma was having increased pressure on her brain from an age related problems. This is in addition to the cancer she has been dealing with. She was already on hospice for the cancer, but had several months to still live. With this new problem, she has gone down hill very quickly. She is now completely dependent on both my mom and Eugene to take care of her every need. She can't communicate any more and doesn't understand a lot of what people say to her. My mom is asked for us all to pray the end comes quickly for her as she is in a lot of pain and discomfort all the time. When she passes away, she will be sent to Utah to be buried. Her husband was buried in Utah when he died (my mom was only 9 when her dad died). I am assuming my grandma will be buried next to my grandpa. I am going to be flying to Utah for the funeral when the time comes. I'm glad to be able to go up there and see all of my family, I just wish it was for a better reason and that I had more time to spend up there. While I am there, I am going to go see my grandma Hess. This will probably be the last time I get to see her. She is 95 years old. She has had 2 major back surgeries this past summer. I was really impressed she did so well with the surgeries considering her age. I'm also looking forward to seeing my dad and step mom as well as seeing my mom and Eugene again. Like I said, I just wish it was for a better reason and that I had more time.