With the beginning of 2011 came many sad times. First Ryan's Grandma Naomi past away on the 27th of December 2010. She was sick through Christmas but Ryan didn't get a chance to go down & see her before she past. He kept telling me that he wasn't worried because she was a tough old bird that always can back when we thought she was on deaths door step. This time unfortunately she didn't & that made it so much harder for Ryan. He was so full of remorse for not making the time to go down & see her it just made his grief deeper.
Naomi Granquist was a strong woman who spoke her mind (which just made me like her more), but she did set people on edge sometimes because of it. She loved her family greatly especially her grand kids & expected great things from each of them. She was buried on New Years eve in Sandy, UT with her family around her.
Only a month and a half latter on Valentines day we got a call from Ryan's Dad letting him know that his cousin Andy passed away. He was only 45 years old & it was very unexpected. Andy was not only Ryan's cousin but one of his very best friends. We spent so much time with Andy & his family over the first few years we were married and we loved our time with them. It was such a shock that I don't think that it really sank in until the funeral. Andy Walker was a fun, smart & loving man that leaves us with a void in our lives at his passing.
Then towards the end of March we get a call from my Mom saying that my grandmother Geneil is not doing very well. So we planned & waited for the end to come, which did almost a week latter. We traveled to Cardston, Alberta, Canada to gather with her 7 children, 30 grandchildren & 30 great grandchildren for her funeral. I had the hardest time with this because I was so close to my grandma. She was in many ways more of a mother to me. It was a beautiful service full of music just like she would have wanted. My Dad even came down from Edmonton to be with me, which meant so very much to me & my Mom's family.
The start of the new year was a hard one for our family because of all those who we lost but we know that they are there beside us watching & helping to guide us though the rest of our mortal lives, until we meet again in the next life.
Then towards the end of March we get a call from my Mom saying that my grandmother Geneil is not doing very well. So we planned & waited for the end to come, which did almost a week latter. We traveled to Cardston, Alberta, Canada to gather with her 7 children, 30 grandchildren & 30 great grandchildren for her funeral. I had the hardest time with this because I was so close to my grandma. She was in many ways more of a mother to me. It was a beautiful service full of music just like she would have wanted. My Dad even came down from Edmonton to be with me, which meant so very much to me & my Mom's family. 