Sweet Lily

Nate was traveling in Venezuela and I had to do the Church thing all on my own.  We would have made it on time, but Lily refused to get dressed and I ended up chasing her around her room trying to get her dress and diaper on.  By the time I got her dressed and the dogs taken outside and put away in their "homes" we were 20 minutes late.

I was a 1 woman show in Primary this week so Lily came and helped me get the chairs set up and my lesson ready to go for Sharing Time.

When we got home we played outside for a few minutes and I captured this great shot to send to Nate...

Pictures of Lily

Here are some of the things Lily enjoys doing these days:


Watch morning TV with all her BFFs...in Mom and Dad's bed--of course



Drink Mom's soda after a long day of playing at the park...

Show off her bedhead--and tell mom and dad the way things should be.




Look at the flowers...

Drive cars at the grocery store...







Ride her dinosaur around the house...





Get a pedicure...



Play at her play table in English or Spanish...

Run through the sprinklers...

Talk on the phone or at least use whatever is available to mimic it--this time it was the baby monitor...

And so much more...

First Haircut

We wanted to get Lily's haircut before Aunt Joanna's wedding so we finally did it.  She sat with Dad, watched her videos of Lily while Char cut her hair faster than I have ever seen her cut hair...and Lily made it through without any fuss.



Mom's Passing

It has been a rough couple of weeks to get through, but what a blessing to know that because my parents were sealed in the temple that we can be together again someday.  It gives us some peace at a time when it is difficult.  As much as I know it was time for my sweet mom to go—we still miss her immensely. 

I had been fasting and praying for months for her body to recover and for her to be restored to better health.  I was fasting again on Easter and was sitting in Sacrament meeting and was given a very distinct answer that the time had passed for this and that it was time to pray for strength for the family.  I also had an impression that my parents would be together for their 55^th wedding anniversary later in the month.

The first week in April my mom had a severe seizure and was not able to get out of bed after that.  She was pretty out of it for about a week and then it seemed like she was starting to get better.  The hospice agency called me to let me know that in her current condition they thought we only had maybe a month unless something drastically changed with her health then it could be days.

We had planned to go to St George at the end of the month, but with this news decided to go a week sooner.  We were scheduled to leave on Thursday morning, April 19^th because my nanny’s last day was going to be the 18^th.  My brother called me and said I know you are coming on Thursday, but if you can get here sooner you should try.  Nate and I decided we would get down there on Wednesday as soon as we could get things wrapped up at work and home.  We arrived in St George on Wednesday evening and were able to talk to my mom a little.  She even started singing Popcorn Popping with Lily because she knew we had been working on the actions to that song.  We had her home teacher come over and he and Nathan gave her a blessing.  We had talked about it and Nathan did not want to give her that blessing because he was afraid he would not be able to follow the prompting of the spirit if he was to release her.  Even in her semi-unresponsive state she specifically asked 2 times that Nathan give the blessing.  He did and was not prompted in that way, but blessed her that she would not have more pain than she could bare.

Mom was not too responsive most of the evening and I “slept” at the foot of her hospital bed and Jack lay at her feet all night.  She woke up about 4 am and asked for my brother David. She told him that she was in pain and needed some pain meds.  He gave them to her and she was able to rest for a few more hours.  Later that morning she became totally unresponsive and her heart was beating and hard and her breathing was labored.  Hospice came in at 11 am and basically told me that she could go within the hour, or live another week.  Later that day I told Nathan that I felt like my mom needed another blessing.  It was an hour or two later that her breathing was more normal and she seemed more at peace.  I really think she had been fighting all day holding out for us. I sang hymns to her and talked to her for hours and my brothers sat with her too.  I said one last prayer letting her know that we would be alright and I would help my brothers the best I can.  I sobbed all the way through it, and felt the spirit very strongly.  I walked out to tell Nathan that I thought it was getting close and he should go in and give her a last goodbye.  He walked out of the room and gave me a hug, I walked in couldn’t see her breathing.  I ran out to get Dave to check her and he felt that her heart was still beating so we ran to get Blake out of bed.  It was a very peaceful passing and it was so good to have most of the family there.  Ray just got a new job in Salt Lake that week and couldn’t leave after only 2 days on the job, which is why he couldn’t be with us. 

Unfortunately Mom didn't leave too much for me in the way of plans, so I had a lot to do the following days (which feel like months).  I have never been so emotionally and physically exhausted in my life.  Maybe it is my age, or the fact that I had my mom here, but I was far more tired than I was when Dad passed away 13 years ago.  I came to know what the term "sick-tired" means and feels like.

I was so fortunate to have an amazing husband to took over all the Lily duties for a week, help me make decisions, etc.  I leaned on him for strength and luckily he kept our family going.

Goodbye To Grandma Obershaw AKA Mom

On April 19th at 10:15 pm we had to say goodby, for now, to Grandma Obershaw.  I will post more when I can, but I wanted to make sure I had the place holder in April of this year.  It hurts my heart too much to post more right now.  We love and miss you mom.

Below is mom's obituary...

Jean Janet Gammell Obershaw

Jean Janet Gammell Obershaw
St George, Utah
Jean Janet Gammell Obershaw, 76, of St George, Utah, loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother completed her earthly journey and returned to her Heavenly Father on April 19, 2012 after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease.
Janet was born in American Fork, Utah on January 14, 1936, to William Spencer Gammell and Ethel Davis. She graduated from Jordan High School in 1954. She had a beautiful voice and had many opportunities to share her talent in musicals, Messiah, singing to her grandchildren and much more. Janet turned down her music scholarship to Brigham Young University to start working to help her parents financially. She did attend college classes later in life and always loved learning and teaching.
She married her sweetheart, Boyd William Obershaw, April 26, 1957 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. Together they have four children.
Janet held many jobs throughout her lifetime, but her favorite was teaching children. She was an active member of the LDS church serving in various callings and responsibilities. Since she had 3 boys she spent a lot of time as a den leader in scouts and was often called to teach Relief Society. She was a member of Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and was proud of her heritage. Janet loved to travel, cook and entertain. She had a talent with gardening and passed that love down to her children. She was always involved in her children's activities and supported them in their various interests. Janet always saw the good in people and was kind to everyone she met.
She is survived by her children, Raymond Boyd Obershaw (Melodie) of Salt Lake; David Roy Obershaw of Gypsum, Colorado; Blake Spencer Obershaw of St George, UT; Heather Camille Randall (Nathan) of Springville, Utah; seven grandchildren: Tyler, Ryan, Caden, Treysan, Baylee, Alexis, and Lillian. She was preceded in death by her husband, Boyd William Obershaw, brothers and sisters, and her parents.
Funeral services will be held Monday, April 23, 2012 at 7 p.m. at the Spilsbury Mortuary in St. George where friends may call from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. that same evening. A second funeral service will be held Wednesday, April 25, 2012 at 11 a.m. at the Spring Creek LDS Stake Center, 760 N 400 E, Springville, UT where friends may call from 10 - 11 a.m. that same day. Interment in the American Fork City Cemetery.

Published in Deseret News on April 22, 2012

Some Cathing up

There has been so much going on since my last post--so here is an effort to catch up.

The weather has been warming up and Lily has really enjoyed playing outside.  She loved this outfit that Grandma Mary gave to her when she was born.  Hey it only took her 20 months to grow into it, but she made it.  Slow and steady wins the race, right?  She also loves these pink snow boots.  I think she is trying to make a fashion statement with them.


Hi Mom--I love my boots!



Check out the woods mom--I love to walk in the dirt



I asked Lily to come inside and so, she sat down on the curb in protest.  Maybe she is waiting for a ride...



Again she decided she was not going to come in--yep there goes my girl heading up the street.



Fort Lily New Clothes

While Nate was away on work Lily and I were having a lazy Saturday Morning.  We went shopping on Friday night and picked up some new clothes for her. She was dragging them around the house behind her on the hangers when she stumbled upon this great idea.  Lily pulled out the bar stool put all her new clothes in there and then proceeded to climb in.  I guess it got kinda lonely in there because before you know it she got out and went to get a couple of friends to join her.