The Holdaway Family: 2011

Arizona trip

We had a fun trip in Arizona. It was the first time that Dad or the kids, other than Oakley, have been to Arizona. It was a super long drive but the kids were really good and I was to happy that they were all there to see my old house and where I grew up at. They had fun playing with their cousins but we did miss Sara's and Rachel's kids. We had 12 out of the 20 grand kids so there were still quite a bit of kids and commotion.

Sweet Papa is able to sleep through all the craziness!

The oldest and the youngest (for the time being)

Porter, Oakley and Reagan loved watching Cars 2

It was a good trip and I am glad that we went but it was so good to be back home!

Grandma's Funeral

My Grandma's viewing and funeral were beautiful. I learned so much about her life that I didn't know before. I knew that she loved the Gospel, her and my Grandad went on four missions together, but I didn't know how much she served others. She would drive miles to take people to church, she spent hours doing genealogy work, and always helped those in need. I need to listen to the talks that were given again so I can recall everything that she did. I couldn't listen very well because Oakley decided to start crying and I had to go out for part of it. But I did learn that she was an amazing person with a lot of sass, which I never knew before. I will miss my Grandma, but I know that she is reunited with her true love now and they are carrying on the missionary work that they love so much.

My Uncle Rick, Aunt Donna and Dad. My Uncle Don was not able to make it.

It was such a cold and windy day that we didn't get any pictures at the graveside.

I am so thankful to know that this isn't the end. I know that I will see all of my Grandparents again someday. I am so thankful for the happiness and peace that the Gospel brings me and my family!

Grandma Peterson

Late Tuesday, October 25th, my sweet Grandma took her last breath. She had been suffering from the effects of Alzheimer's disease and since my Grandad passed away in May and my Aunt, who was living with them, was hospitalized there was talk of needed to put her into a nursing home. We were all heart wrenched over this because we knew that even though she didn't remember much she still remembered a lot. She would have been miserable in a nursing home. April had a thought in her mind about uprooting her family in Moscow, Idaho because they were in a position that it was possible. She wasn't working at the time, Tom was in a job that he was not happy with and the girls were out of school for the summer. I guess she kept on pushing the thought aside until one night she was unable to sleep because of this thought. She decided to write an email to my Mom and see what she thought about them moving down to help with Grandma. Little did April know that the next day my Mom and Uncle Rick were talking seriously about putting her into a home and Rick was going to start calling on some places. After their conversation my Mom went to her desk and checked her emails and the very first email was the one from April. It was an answer to everyone's prayers.

Ariel was getting married on August 5th and we would be having a family reunion that same week. So April packed up their things and headed down for the wedding/reunion. When that was over April and her family moved down to Snowflake to take care of Grandma. It wasn't easy, there were lots of downs but some ups but it was all worth it to April to be able to be there. I was so thankful that she was there because she writes a daily blog and so I was able to read about the last two months of my Grandma's life. The week that she passed away, I knew it wouldn't be long. The morning after she passed I looked at my phone to see what messages I had received overnight. The first one was from April it said, "Grandma took her last breath" A flood on emotions overcame me. I was sad that she was gone but happy that she was reunited with my Grandad, her true love.