NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament

So I have never been into NCAA Mens Basketball or watching March Madness. However, my work decided they were going to have a group and I decided to participate.  I had Chris help me pick the teams and needless to say I am out of the running for winning the picks.  Only one team I chose has made it to the final four.  Only ONE!!!!

Isn't he cute....I just had to add this

But because I have a vested interest in the tournament, we have been watching basketball all weekend.  Chris is loving it!  Here are my boys glued to the TV watching one of the games.

Geneva Faye Welch 7.21.43 - 3.20.2011

*Note: This post is about my grandmother's funeral and I have posted some images of her casket and images from the funeral. I know this could be disturbing to some people, so if you wish to not see them then I suggest skipping this post!  ~ Heather

Late last Sunday my Maternal Grandmother went to be with Jesus.

This is the first death in my family of a close relative.  I have had many great-grandparents and great uncles and great aunts pass away, but never anyone in my immediate family. Needless to say it has been a very difficult week.

Chris and I decided that Nash and I should fly up to Owosso, MI for the funeral that was being held on Thursday.  So on Tuesday, Nash and I jumped on a plane up to Michigan. Owosso is a little town outside of Lansing, so we flew to Lansing and my Mom picked us up from the airport. This small community is where my Mom was born and raised until she was 17. It was great to see where she grew up and went to school and church, however it was sad because we were there for a death.

My grandmother died at the age of 67 and had 4 children, 11 grand-children and 8 great-grandchildren. My mothers entire family made it out to Michigan except for my brother Hunter (who is in Africa) and Chris (who was not allowed to leave). It was amazing to see all of her family there to give her love.  Some of the family I had not seen in over 15 years.  Can you believe it, 15 years?

4 - Children - Gloria, my Mom, Gail, and Joey

Grand Children plus significant others (minus Hunter and Chris)

Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren

The funeral was exactly how my grandmother would have wanted it to be. It was held at a church my mother grew up in and approximately 175 people were present.  My grandmother was loved by her community and church family.  She felt her service was to serve and love the children of her church, so she  loved to do all sorts of projects for them.  Grandma was always coming up with some grand idea to build something for someone or some new project.  The pastor at the funeral said that we needed to pray for Peter because my grandmother was going to keep him busy with all her ideas.

Grandma's Life in still: Photo book of each child's life

Her Bible 

Her necklace and her wedding rings

Pictures of her and her family

Before the service, we had an open casket for immediate family to say their goodbyes.  I never thought I would be one to look at my grandmothers soulless body, but in some way, it was a great closure for me. It was nice to see that my Mom and Aunt Gloria put my grandmother's quilt of all her grand and great grand children in her casket.  Unfortunately, Grandma did not have time to add Ben and Nash to the quilt.

My Parents

The flowers on the casket = beautiful

4 Red Roses for her Children

11 Yellow Roses for Grand Children

8 Pink Roses for Great Grand Children

While people were arriving, we had a movie being displayed of my grandmother's life. The movie provided a way for others to see my grandmothers life from the time she was born to the time she died.

During the service Grandma's two favorite songs were played: Coal Miner's Daughter by Lorretta Lynn which represented her upbringing as a coal miners daughter in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky.  The second song was Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton. Grandma loved this song because she never felt poor but instead she felt rich because of all love she had.  The one request my Grandma had was she did not want to the service to be sad, but one of happiness and love.  I have 100% confidence that this request was met. There was much love in the service.

Once the service was over the pallbearers carried my grandmother to the hearse.  My mother and her siblings road in the limo to the cemetery and we all followed in a line after them.  It was a wonderful sight to actually see that people still have funerals in this fashion.  I have been to several funerals over the past years and no one has the line of cars following the hearse or showing respect for the cars that are in the line for the funeral.

At the cemetery we laid my grandmother to rest.  It was a crisp 23 degrees outside with a fresh layer of snow and ice.  It just made the day more memorable.

Death is a hard to concept to grasp.  However, as a Christian I know that those who accept Christ in their heart have eternal life.  It is a huge comfort to know that my grandmother loved the Lord and because she did God has prepared a room for her in Heaven (John 14:2-4).  And in heaven I know there is no sadness or pain. Revelation 21:3-4 states this "I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”  One more thing that I know is that she will get a new young body once in heaven. 

2 Corinthians 5

¹ For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. ²³For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. ⁴ While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. ⁵ God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. ⁶ So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. ⁷ For we live by believing and not by seeing. ⁸Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.

For this I am grateful that my grandmother knows and loves the Lord. And because of this I know I will see her again in heaven.

First Minor League Game

Minor League games started this weekend and some of our friends were out at the game.

With Chris's arm not feeling that great, he did not play in the game but Nash and I ventured out to see some of the girls. 

One of my close friend, Stacey Yarbrough was able to make it out to the game. Her husband plays for the rockies this year. She was around when we found out we were pregnant for Nash and it was so nice for her to finally meet him!

Nash was not thrilled about his hat once again

He really liked Miss Stacey

Baby Nash is 4 months old

Nash you are 4 months old today!

Where has the time gone.

Everyday you grow and change and we are just in awe of you.

Daddy loves to make you laugh and rough house with you.

Mommy loves to cuddle you and help you grow.

• You weigh 16 lbs 1 oz.  Yes that is right!! Look at those rolls.  I am not sure of your height or percentiles because our doctors appointment is next week. I will update everyone once I have those numbers.

• Eating:  You are drinking 6 oz of soy formula every 3-4 hours. We put a little bit of apple juice in the formula to help you not be so constipated.  A couple days shy of your 4 month birthday we introduced you to rice cereal.  At first you were not too sure but after we continued to feed it you, you loved it. Now we just need you to get use to the spoon.

• You have mastered the pouty lip.  The lip goes out any time you want us to pick you up or you are not happy with what you are doing.  It makes an appearance at every meal when we take the bottle away to burp you.  You are not a happy boy when your food is taken away.

• Clothing/Diaper Size: You were random sizes depending on the brand.  The hardest part about dressing you is that you have very short legs and an extremely long torso.  PJs you are in 6-9 months, almost growing out of the 6 months.  Janie and Jack you are in size 3-6 month; Gap 6-12; Gymboree; 6-12.  Onsies we are in 6 month and some 9 month. Pants/shorts: you were 3-6 months. Diapers you are currently in a 2-3.

•  Sleep: You have given us a couple of nights of sleeping all through the night. and wake up at 6 am and then sleep again until 9.  But most of the time you go to bed around 7:30 pm and wake up between 2:30 and 3:30. We feed you and then you go right back to sleep until about 7:30 or 8 in the morning.  You still love to be swaddled.  The routine now is, we swaddle you and then you look at us and smile and chuckle and then you wiggle your arms free.  It is quite funny.

•  Development: You have just started to take notice of objects and try to slowly touch them. You are bearing weight on your feet and love to stand any time you can.  In fact it is almost impossible to bend you to sit on our laps.  We are working on sitting up and you make a funny noise every time we have you sitting by yourself. You stare at anything that has lots associated to it. Tummy time is still an issue.  You cry every minute you are on your tummy unless you are sucking on your hand.

•  Toys: The activity mat is still your favorite.  You would spend all day there if Momma was not so worried about your flat head.  Now instead of hitting the toys really hard you try to grab them or slowly push them around.  You have also taken notice to the toys on your car seat so Momma has switched them out and you play those the whole time you are in the car seat.  We just introduced you to your jump jump and you have really started to like it.  You have hit some of the music button by yourself and you can push up as straight as you would like.

•  Noises:  Giggling is the biggest difference.  You have a real low chuckle and then we laugh and you squeal really loud.  You will copy us when we make noises to you and you love to sing with Momma while you are in the bath.  We will put your play list on and we will sing and you will try to mimic us.  It is one of you favorite times in the day. The billy goat sound has officially left us. It is a happy but sad moment. Another wonderful thing about this month is that you love to smile!  I just love it.

• Fun facts: All of the sudden last week you decided you were done with Pacis.  This made Momma very sad because I was hoping they would last you a long time as a soothing mechanism.  However, anytime you can you suck on your hands.  You have not found a finger or thumb but you most definitely have found the side of you hand. With all the little kids around, we have noticed how much you love to just watch them.  You will watch with such concentration as if you want to be out there with them playing.

• Munchkin we love you and so excited to see what happens in this month.

Just Hanging Out

Nash and I have just been hanging around in the afternoons after work.  Most of the time we will go on a walk/run and then play some. 

Nash is really starting to like his jump jump and starting to stare at objects.

Finally enjoying some tummy time

Sieber Visit

Our weekend was full of family and fun. Chris's sister and Brother in Law came out to visit us with their two kids and Chris's parents also made the drive. We love having family around and are always surprised when the time comes for them to go home. Unfortunately, I did not take a lot of pictures with my camera and forgot to get the pictures off of my Pop in Laws camera. (I love taking picture with his camera, because his lens is so amazing!) However, enjoy the pics I do have.

Michael, Papi and Nash

Our Nephew is quite the little baseball player

The boys played a little out in the park in our front yard

Michael has an amazing swing and was wearing out Uncle Chris with chasing the balls!