St. George

I just got back from St. George this afternoon. I literally got dropped off at the movies so I could see my kiddos. We saw "Night At The Museum", which was pretty cute. John told me that the kids only missed me a little and that he thought it was a piece of cake running the household while I was gone. I think his exact words were "your job is easy." What??? Whose kids was he watching? Am I wrong for that to totally hurt my feelings?

I went to St. George with my Mom so that we could be there to help my Grandma and Grandpa. My Poppie was having an Angiogram done to clear a blocked artery in his neck. The good news is that he didn't need a stint, the bad news is that he needs to have open heart surgery because the bottom half of his heart is clogged. I see this as a blessing in disguise since the only other way we would have know his condition is if he had a heart attack. He is so strong I know he will pull through just fine. His surgery is next Thursday and I will keep you updated.

It was so nice to get to spend time with my grandparents without the interruptions of my three little ones. It reminded me of when I was little and we used to visit them. When I was a teenager I thought it was a curse that my mom was so close to her family. We got together almost every weekend and during the summer I would see my cousins almost everyday. Our family vacations were always to California, Texas, or Arizona to see family. It wasn't until I was older that I grew to love the closeness of my Mom's family. I have learned that most families try to avoid each other or pretend to be someone else just to please them. People are always surprised that my Mom and I are such good friends. Some people don't believe me when I tell them that my Dad offers to babysit. Some people don't understand why I want to talk to my Brother and Sister daily. I now know how lucky I am to have such beautiful people in my life. I love each of them for who they are. While I was at my grandparent's house I had time to reflect on all the good times and all the great memories we've had together. It was so nice staying with them.

Here's a list of why I love to stay at Mema and Poppie's:

1. It's always toasty inside their house. No matter what time of year it is; and most likely, they will still be wearing a sweater.



2. My Grandma bakes from scratch. She slices and dices. She marinates and slow cooks. She watches every cooking show on TV and even subscribes to several cooking magazines. My generation, unfortunately, microwaves everything. We pay extra for things to be pre-cut and pre-cooked. We love fast food. We love instant rice and instant potatoes. But somehow my Mema can make a beautiful new meal out of leftovers.



3. They have religious statues, candles, crucifixes, and calendars all over the house. You can't help but feel spiritual and safe there.



4. They always stock up on your favorite drinks and foods when they know your coming to visit.



5. There's always clean sheets on the bed.



6. They turn off the TV except for The News, American Idol, Dancing With The Stars, and of course the Spanish Soaps.



7. Their phone rings off the hook.



8. Poppie checks his email frequently and has learned how to "text."



9. We sit around and talk for hours and hours.



10. I love that you can hear them snoring even with their door closed. (And your door closed.)



11. I love that they have been together since High School.



12. I love that they swear in Spanish. (Yes Mema, Chingao! is a swear word, and is just one of their favorite words.)



13. My Mom always cries when we leave. I hate that it makes her sad to leave her parents but I'm happy that she loves them that much that she wishes she could be around them everyday.

My Grandparents have been married over 60 years and are the reason I have such a beautiful and loving family. We've all had our share of crosses to bear, but I know we can get through anything. Poppie-you know you have our love and support and we will get through this.