Spending time with my FaMiLy!

Grandpa and Grandma Roush and Nancy

Breakfast at Shari's Restaurant

Grandpa and Grandma Roush and Aunt Marilyn drove up from Utah to Seattle to visit! I rented a car (gold Chevy Malibu) and drove up to join in on the fun.

------A couple weeks ago, I was talking to my grandma on the phone. Here was our conversation:

Nancy: "Grandma, I just am missing family so much right now. But Jonathon and I can't really afford to fly down to Utah. Do you think there is any chance you and Grandpa might be driving up to Washington to visit any time soon?"

Grandma: "Well, we're driving up in two weeks to see Susan (my aunt) direct her performance of Handel's Messiah."

Nancy: "WHAT??!!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I LOVE my grandparents so much and have missed them a lot since moving. I was thrilled to see them! I also got to see my dad, aunts, cousin, and brother. Yay for family!

Nancy and Dad

Here's my recap of this awesome weekend:

SATURDAY:

-get 4 hours of sleep then wake up and pick up my rental car

-drive 2 1/2 hours North to Federal Way to my dad's place

-Arrive. Say hi and hugs to Dad and his wife April.

-Nap-a-roo (I'd gotten my wisdom teeth removed the Wednesday before and was still recovering)

-Go to deaf party with Grandparents, Dad, and April in Edmonds with lots of cool nativities

-Ate SOLID, YUMMY food for the first time in DAYS. Literally, I was starving since I had been throwing everything up since Wednesday. The first taste of something that wasn't apple sauce, V8, or Jello- I couldn't stop stuffing my face!!

-Finally full, we drove home and I played card games with April's two daughters Mary and Olivia and my Dad. Fun! They are so cute. But I learned I am not a young buck anymore. I was sooo tired when we went to bed at 1:00!

-BED

SUNDAY:

-Wake up to a THROBBING face :( I overdid it eating the night before and got a DRY SOCKET

-Spent the morning icing my dang face with frozen bananas.

-Tried eating a pancake and regretted it instantly from the pain.

-Went to church at the American Sign Language branch where April gave a great lesson in Relief Society on the Final Judgement

-Left during the second hour of church in search of pain relief

-Ended up buying a "dental first aid kit" from Wal-Greens and placed Eugenol oil in my vacant holes in my head (wisdom teeth). And an oatmeal at McDonalds.

-Got back for the third hour of church and had a cool thought/experience involving a deaf/blind man who blessed the sacrament (I'll probably write about that in my other blog)

-Went to visit my little brother NOLAN!!!!!!

-Nolan is my half brother who is 7. He is also deaf. He the son of my dad and his second wife, Dina Marie. He lives with his mom up in Edmonds.

----I LOVE Nolan!! He is SO cute. I am amazed every time I see him how much he has grown up. He is so smart and loves math, even though he struggled with it at first. He has learned in the past year how to write, spell, add, subtract, and sign much better. He also knows the difference between someone who is "deaf" and who is "hearing" now.

---We went to the park and played tag. He is going to be a future athlete- he's so fast! Then walked home and had some dinner Dina Marie made. We played some computer games together and then finished with a game of Monopoly with the three of us. He was so cute adding up his money. And when Dina Marie would win something, he'd LIGHT UP and get so excited and jump up and give her a big hug. Haha. He's so cute!! I seriously can't get enough of that kid. Love him!

Caught him in the middle of signing.. I love his bright, happy eyes!

He said it was his turn to take a picture with his camera so he wouldn't let me take anymore of him. I just had to show how cute he is as a whole- his little pants and coat. Hehe!

-Met my family (lots of extended family including my Grandma's nieces Rebecca and others and my cousin) in Renton to watch Handel's Messiah being directed by my aunt Susan Jones.. she did SO GREAT and I loved being a part of that wonderful performance and message. Very powerful.

-Slept at Mike and Susan's house that night, exhausted again..

MONDAY:

-Went to breakfast at Sherri's with Grandpa and Grandma Roush, Dad, his wife April, my aunt Marilyn, and her daughter/my cousin Melanie.

-Said my goodbyes...

-Stopped by the Bath and Body Works outlet on my way home and picked up some sweet deals!

-Stopped by my dental office to have my two dry sockets fixed up

-----Dr. Brad packed the extraction sites with Clove oil gauze to help with the pain. The right one healed up and was great but the left gauze fell out that night and the next morning, the pain came back with a vengeance- worse than ever before! Ughh.. so ready for my mouth to be back to normal!

From left to right:

April, Grandma Roush, Dad, Grandpa Roush, Nancy, Melanie, Marilyn

April, Nancy, and Dad

-DROVE HOME TO MY LOVING JONNO AND WONDERFUL IN-LAWS!

I found out later that night that my Grandpa had a little mini stroke after I left. He is okay but it just makes you cherish these little moments. My grandpa and grandma are my little protectors always making sure I'm safe and happy and have anything and everything I need.

---I left during the Messiah to rest because my mouth was hurting. About ten minutes later, my grandma found me in a random room to check on me and make sure I was okay. She said Grandpa said "Don't you think you outta go check on our girl?" I love that I can feel their radiating, deep, genuine love. Not just for me, but for EVERYONE they come in contact with. Such great examples.

I LOVE my Grandparents. I love my dad. I love Nolan. I loved seeing my Aunt Marilyn. It was really fun being all together up there. I need to make it happen more often. :)