Four Funerals and a Wedding

So I guess since everyone posted their current status I might as well join in all the fun. Things have pretty much been out of control this semester. I love that when I was in school I thought life was crazy but really I had no idea. Jobs = stress. That's all there is too it. Most my nights have been restless this entire semester because I have just been stressing over everything. I just think how behind Stevie is in reading, or why Jordan won't turn in any assignments. For some reason Brianna has no friends, Mark's mom decided to come to my class simply to swear at me and attempt to make me cry, and for some reason my class can never have substitutes. For some reason my kids can't seem to grasp how to find the area of a circle or circumference, and I don't have time to reteach all of it. AHHHHH! So nuts. The next area of stress is going to be social studies because I have to figure out my next unit on WWII. Bleh. I want it to be summer I think. But besides all the joys and bliss from worry all the time, Jeff and I have been experiencing probably some of the most stressful things in our lives right now. So...here it is.

1. In February I found out that my Papa in NC died in a car accident. It was quite tragic. I had a really hard time with it actually, and I found out at Jeff's apartment so everyone else knew as well. It's one of those things that you always watch on t.v. but never really know how you will react until it actually happens to you. And then it happens exactly like they portray it. Sobbing. Uncontrollable sobbing. At least it did for me. And it was just embarrassing to have it happen in front of other people since they don't know what just happened. Anyways, I was unable to attend the funeral, which I think I will always regret. I had just always hoped that my Papa would live to see my wedding. He wasn't in bad health or anything. We'd had a scare last year, but nothing major since then. When I was in NC for Christmas, I just kept thinking how much I wanted my Papa to meet Jeff, and it was hard knowing I wouldn't get to see that. But the thing that I just can't escape, and still haunts me if I let it, is the look in my Papa's eyes when I said goodbye in December. He knew. He hugged me so tight, looked at me, and told me he loved me. He started getting pretty emotional, and I didn't want to think about him dying anytime soon, so I just made some joke and walked away. I wish I'd really really said goodbye to him there. But I know that it was better this way. He never wanted to grow old and have to have other people care for you, so it all worked out I guess. Quick and well it wasn't painless, but fairly quick.

2. In March, I got engaged, and I was finally able start telling people. That's when all the official wedding planning began...it's all so insane.

3. This month was full of more unexpected news. The first week or so of April we found out my cousin Jenny died. She was pregnant with her fifth child. Her amniotic fluid got into her blood stream and caused her to go into cardiac arrest. Her son wasn't due until June, but they had to immediately get him out. He was on life support, and she went into a coma. This all happens when the placenta detaches from the uterus, so there was also excessive bleeding. They had to give her an emergency hysterectomy to stop the bleeding. There was a chance of survival with Jenny having brain damage; however, she died the next morning along with the baby. She and her family were supposed to be getting sealed together in the temple on April 12th. The most tragic part of the story was their family was unable to afford insurance at the time. Her husband is left behind with four children under the age of nine and hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills. The funeral was paid for by a generous member in their ward, and the family has received lots of support, which is all good news. My mom flew out for the funeral, so we all went to the viewing together. Mother and son were buried together.

4. The next week Jeff found out his grandma passed away. He is in the middle of tests and finals stress, but had to fly home for the funeral. It was difficult for his father to lose his last parent.

5. Jeff returned last Friday, and I picked him up. I'd stopped by my sisters on my way to get him, and she told me how my grandma and grandpa were now in a nursing home. My aunt and uncle care for them but they were going to their daughter's (Jenny) sealing the next day. Due to the sealing, they had to put grandma and grandpa in a home temporarily. Natalie told me that our mom wanted us both to go visit them in American Fork. I nodded and said we'd have to go sometime. The next morning my mom called me to inform me that my grandpa had died early that morning. It was kind of hard to hear. It was exactly two months to the day since I'd found out my Papa had died. So crazy. Before this year, I had never lost any grandparents, so to lose two in two months seemed kind of unbearable. It was also for the best though. My grandpa had been suffering for a while and had been wanting to die and move on. My mom will fly in on Monday night, so she can attend the funeral.

6. Jeff was at an O Chem review when I called and told him on Saturday morning. When he got off the phone, he turned to his friend Aaron and told him the news. Aaron said, "I thought her grandpa already died?" Jeff responded that it was my other grandpa that had previously died. Aaron quickly stated, "Man, if this is what happens when Whitney gets married, I hate to see what happens when she gets pregnant." It made me laugh pretty hard when he told me.

7. Jeff and I got jobs as RA's at the Branbury. Evan and Bridget moved and we took their jobs. We will be getting free rent and the job is really easy. We are both way excited.

8. I will be finishing up teaching 6th grade, which is a huge relief. I will also not have to worry about all my crazy students. I am specifically thinking of one extremely delinquent kid. Two weeks ago he ran away from school. Like jumped the fence at recess to get away from the principal. He also got the cops called on him last week too for his behavior at school. These fun incidents will soon be over. Thank goodness!

9. In August, I will begin teaching 2nd grade in Mapleton. YAY!

10. I found the perfect wedding dress and bought it last week! No alterations necessary! So exciting!

11. My sister is planning my bridal shower for May 10th and I am way excited about that too!

12. I am going to get a passport for our honeymoon! I am soo excited. I've never had one, so it's so wonderful that I need to get one. We are going to the Western Caribbean to Belize and Roatan Island and three other places there...so now I just have to find a new swim suit!

13. I got my haircut and did something way risky...I got bangs. But I like them I think. Jeff loves the new look, so I guess it all worked out.

14. We printed our invitations and they look so great! Well, I love them at least....

15. There is a lot more I want to tell, but I don't want to write anymore and I am sure you are sick of reading (if you read all the way to here...ha ha ha).

So...I love you all. I am grateful that when tragic and stressful things happen, we are also blessed with happy things that can take our minds off it all! Life is good. I am happy, and I hope you are all doing well too!