Father's Day 2012

I am now trying to catch up on the last two months.  Father's Day feels like it was so long ago! 

I love Katie's expression in this one!

Katie's gifts to Jacob:

her first artwork :)

Jacob loved these pictures of Katie.  He hung it in his office the very next day.

Here they are a little bigger.  It was an adventure taking them. :) (I saw the idea online.)

peek-a-boo!

sorry, had to include this--she wasn't hurt, just scared when the bucket tipped over

"Enough with the pictures, already." :) 

(She was actually just trying to grab the camera.)

One more with Daddy.

Jacob is a wonderful dad!  It's been so fun to watch him with Katie over the past year and a half and see how much he loves her.  Whether he's reading her a story while she sits on his lap or teaching her how to do a somersault, he truly loves spending time with her no matter what they're doing.  Katie gets so excited and runs to the door as soon as she hears it open when Jacob gets home from work.  I hope they continue to have a loving relationship as she grows older.  Thanks, Jacob, for being an amazing father to our little girl! 

 

Anna's Memorial and Burial in Utah

My family held another memorial for Anna in Smithfield, Utah.  Our extended family and a few friends in the area were able to attend.  I was sad to miss the burial but my family understood that we couldn't be there.  Anna was buried in the Smithfield Cemetery next to my paternal grandfather and our stillborn sister, Rachel.   

Dad dedicated the grave with a prayer.

See that chapstick Will is holding?

He added it to Anna's vault.  I think she would have appreciated that.  :)

Rachel's grave with its wild rose bush.  (Rachel was born in 1980.)  We have tried to take out that bush multiple times because it has kind of taken over her gravestone.  I think Rachel must be as stubborn as the rest of us because the roses keep coming back. :)

Carole and Jana

Carole is one of my best friends from high school and lives in Utah now so she was able to go to the memorial.  I wish I could've seen her!  Thanks for all the pictures, Jana.

my family

 It's hard to believe it's been two months since Anna died.  I think about her every day.  When I want to cry, I try to find things Anna would laugh about.  I really miss her laugh.  If you never got to hear it, you missed out on a great treasure. :)  I hope my heart won't hurt so much as the days go by.  I know it will get easier as time goes on, but right now it's still hard.  I've never known this much sorrow before and it sucks (sorry, Mom).  Thank you again to everyone who has prayed for my family and me.  I appreciate your continued love and support.  Believe me, it has not gone unnoticed and is still greatly needed!  Thank you for being true friends.

More time in Tennessee...

I wanted to share more pictures from our time in Tennessee.  Although we were there under very sad circumstances, I really do enjoy spending time with my family.  It was comforting to be together.

 

Us on the morning of the funeral

Jana and me at the funeral luncheon at the church.  We were all famished by this point, and the food was delicious.

Jacob and Rob

Katie ate a black olive for the first time...off of her finger, of course! :)

My amazing parents, Bill and Jane 

A highlight of the day was seeing our former elementary school teacher, Mrs. Donna Uitendaal. She taught every single one of us. I even had her twice - for 1st grade and 8th grade. Jana had her twice as well for two different grades. She was an excellent teacher, and it was wonderful to see her and feel her love and support for our family. She told us that she always looked forward to teaching the Austin children because we were such good students! Always nice to hear things like that, right? It was great having her there. 

Mom with her sisters, Anne and Ellen.  Best aunts ever!!  I love them.  We were so thankful they came to help us through that difficult time.

Louisa, Will, Liam and Heather

my amazing family

I know this isn't the best picture, but for some reason it's the only one of us with our Austin cousins, Wendy and Dusty, and our Uncle Mike.  We were also grateful to have them there with us.

Apparently, Louisa and I were too exhausted/sad/etc. to attempt to smile.  We were all pretty worn out emotionally and physically by that afternoon.

We were cheered up a little that night by half price shakes at Sonic.  Katie hogged most of Grandma's milkshake.  Looks like we have another ice cream lover on our hands.  :)

Here are some more pictures of how tired we all were.  Dad was "preparing" his talk for church, but I think a nap won out.  (Yes, he still spoke in church the day before Anna's funeral.  He said he'd already agreed a couple weeks previously to speak, and didn't want to back out.  He's a great example to me of fulfilling commitments even in hard times.)

We ate dinner very late one night, and Katie nodded off after eating.  We didn't get a picture of her sleeping, but Jana did capture it on video.  It was pretty cute.

I cleaned her up and whisked her off to bed.

Guess Jacob didn't think about how bad his wrist would hurt when he fell asleep like this...

My brother, being the pyromaniac that he is, had to fill up on fireworks since they are cheaper and more available in Tennessee than Utah.  He also loaded up with fireworks to take back to his father-in-law.  Rob took some back to his brother too.  They bought so many that they had to use my dad's little trailer for the drive back.  Will has always loved fireworks since he was young and we enjoy watching the shows he puts on.  No trip home with Will there is complete without some fireworks!

 me, Mom, Louisa

 

Katie's cousin Liam was not too happy with all the hugs she kept trying to give him.  He is a month younger but is taller and about 5 pounds heavier.  I loved seeing them play together.

Will and Jana in Anna's room

Will planted this tulip poplar when he was 10 (1996).  It has grown to be so tall and beautiful.

Whew, I think that's it.  I'll post pictures from Anna's memorial and burial in Utah soon.

Anna's Eulogy

{written by Louisa A. McGroarty}

Annalee was born on July 6, 1974, in Evansville, Indiana, and lived a short time in Owensboro, Kentucky, nine years in Twin Falls, Idaho, and the past twenty-four years in Newbern, Tenn.  As an infant and toddler her muscles were a little stiff, but our Mom and Dad were unaware of any problems and thought she was normal.  They took her to a hospital in Kentucky where Anna was officially diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 6 months old.  While there, a medical doctor suggested they place Anna in a state home for the handicapped and visit as needed.  Mom and Dad decided to keep her at home and they, and we, have been happy with that decision ever since. 

{Dec. 2008}

Anna adjusted to her situation as time progressed.  She worked with Easter Seals to learn how to walk with a walker.  But because of the way her hips pulled when she walked it was suggested she get a wheelchair.  Anna never complained of having to be in a wheelchair.  She would sometimes complain of an ache or two, but it was just the way she got around. She had a good attitude about it, and if people would stare at her in public she’d just shrug and say that they didn’t understand or had never seen a person in a wheelchair before.  Her sister, Kim, remembers Anna as a wonderful example of enduring trials.  She was always happy and cheerful.

{Dec. 2008}

Anna attended the Developmental Skills Center in Dyersburg, where she made many friends.  They helped train her to work as a data entry clerk for the Dyersburg Activity Center and the Water Treatment Plant on a part-time basis.  She really enjoyed her employment there, and she loved going to the Center where she could see her friends.

{Nov. 2009}

Anna is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and held volunteer positions in her congregation.  She helped to remind the children of the congregation when they had to speak in church or say a prayer.  She was very diligent and dependable in her positions in her church.  She had a strong testimony that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer and that someday she would be resurrected in a perfect body and have a husband and family of her own. 

{Nov. 2009}

Annalee loved her family very much and liked nothing better than family get togethers and outings.  As her sisters and brother left for college she was deeply saddened and loved whenever they came to visit.  Although she loved her parents and siblings, she adored her niece, Katie, and nephew, Liam.  She would ask our mom every day if there was a new picture of Katie or Liam for her to see.  She kept a photo album of Katie and Liam by her bed so she could look at their photos first thing in the morning and last thing at night. 

{June 2010}

Anna was extremely tender-hearted.  She was very sensitive to emotions and certain music especially moved her to tears.  One thing about Anna is that her emotions were contagious.  If she cried, the rest of us cried as well.  Kim recalls that hearing her laugh made others want to laugh, too, even if they didn’t know exactly what was funny. Anna will probably be remembered most for her cheerful, happy attitude.  Anna loved being around people and was very talkative. She was radiant and very quick to laugh.  Sometimes she would laugh so hard we were afraid she’d fall out of her wheelchair.  It was a lot of fun to get Anna to laugh and we could reminisce about funny things and she would still laugh about them. 

{June 2010}

Anna loved music and romantic movies.  One Christmas we got a big stereo for the family, but it became Anna’s stereo.  She would listen to the radio before and after school and any time she could.  None of the rest of us got a chance to use the stereo, but we didn’t mind because she was very entertaining singing along and dancing in her wheelchair.  During high school she loved Top 40s music, but later in life she loved country music.  She loved to watch movies.  Her sister Kim took her to see a movie when she visited in March and will always treasure that memory since Anna was so excited to go see a movie in the theater.  Jana also remembers taking Anna to see 13 Going on 30, and she and Anna giggled the whole time because the screen was too wide so the actors looked short and fat. 

{June 2011}

William, her brother, loved to joke around with Anna and he loved to do wheelies when she wasn’t in her chair.  But she never liked when he tried to make her do a wheelie.  He was very sweet and would help her into and out of the car and wheelchair. 

Anna had, in the words of her sister Jana, the memory of an elephant.  She could remember phone numbers from when we lived in Idaho 24 years ago.  She reminded us of all upcoming birthdays, anniversaries, and church events.  She could remember the majority of missionaries that served in the Dyersburg Branch and anytime we needed to recollect something we’d ask Anna.  It will be hard to not be able to do that anymore. 

{June 2011}

We all remember that Anna was quick to forgive when we would tease her. If she did get upset with us for teasing she was always the one who apologized first and asked us to forgive her.  She always wanted to be reassured that we loved her.  She would ask us and extended family and even church members, “Do you love me?”  The answer was always yes, and we hope she realized how much we did and do love her. 

{Sept 2011}

Anna loved to collect lipstick and lip gloss and Barbies.  She would watch her movies as she held her Barbies on her lap.  Our grandparents would give her collectible Barbies, but she couldn’t resist getting them out to play with them.  In a way they may have been like the children she always longed for.  Anna wanted to get married and have children of her own, but knew that it probably wouldn’t happen in this life.  We have faith that now that she is in heaven she will have the family she always wanted.

{Sept 2011}

As Anna has passed into another existence, it will be hard to stop the lifelong habit of always thinking of how to make her life easier.  Everywhere we went, we made sure there was a ramp for her to get in and if there were stairs we’d count them and consider their steepness to see if Anna could go into the building.  We always leave an empty spot at the table for her. 

Although limited physically and mentally by her body, Anna touched everyone’s lives by her radiant spirit and cheerful countenance.  She will be deeply missed.  Her laugh, her questions, her smile, and her dancing in her wheelchair will be missed.

{March 2012, last picture I took of Anna}

Her family and I know we will be with her again and she will be able to walk and dance and have all of her mental capabilities.  Although it is sad Anna’s wheelchair is now empty it is also a happy time for her because she is no longer bound by it.  When we meet her in heaven it will be wonderful to see her walking to greet us.