You will be missed.......

This week we lost our beloved Grandmother.  It was very important for our family to go to California and have the opportunity to say goodbye to this amazing woman.  We headed out on Friday and spent our first night in Reno Nevada. The hotel we stayed in was a little run down and we were a little nervous to put Olivia on the blankets but we were survived.  We woke up early the next morning to continue on to San Jose California.  We were able to spend a lot of time with Jon's relatives.  My Mother in Law is Hispanic and it was fun to watch my children's reactions as they meet Uncles, Aunts, and cousins and began to realize how rich their heritage is.  My children have never attended a Catholic funeral until this weekend.  Their eyes were bright with amazement as they learned and participated in mass and other ceremonies to celebrate grandma's life.  At one point all six of Jon's uncles were lined up together and Lexi leaned over to me and said, "now I know who daddy looks like."  Josh fell in love with all the authentic Mexican food.  He was quick to point out that his favorites were Uncle Eddie's tamales and the Mexican sweet bread that was served.  All of my children just soaked up the attention and love they received. Jon's family is absolutely amazing in the way love and accept you right from the start. After several days in warm and sunny California we headed back to Utah.  As we were headed up over the Sierra Nevada Mountains we hit a really bad snow storm.  It was like a blizzard the entire way and we were so thankful when we finally reached Reno.  I am so glad that were able to go and say goodbye to Jon's grandmother. Sulema Gonzalez was an amazing woman.  She loved everyone unconditionally and had such amazing strength.  She was the mother to 13 children who raised many of them on her own after the loss of her husband.  I am so thankful for the legacy she left behind of kindness, love and patience.  We will miss you Grandma.