Pg 52 - My Life

Sorry I have not blogged lately.  I have been busy with writing the part called My Journey and then I posted my daughter singing.  But I am back. So where were we?

Jessica and Zack were planning on getting married and we had people from Maryland and Chicago coming down for the wedding. We had a big party at Jessica and Zack’s house a couple days before the wedding. It was so much fun with the two families getting to know each other and roasting marshmallows in the back yard.  My parents were in town, along with Zack’s grandmother so it was great having grandparents here also.  They had friends from out of state and well we had a lot of people in town and some actually had to get hotels because we didn’t have enough rooms at our houses for all of them. 

The next night we had the rehearsal dinner and finally the morning of the wedding.  Regina was in charge of putting makeup on the bride. We brought all the girls to a beauty shop to have their hair put up the same.

It was crazy and loud and so much fun as the girls all got dressed at my house.  She had six girls standing up and I had fun helping her get into her dress but I really had fun when I took the pictures for the wedding. It was an outdoor wedding and one of Zack’s uncles was a minister so he performed the wedding. It was beautiful.  Listening to them take their vows, taking the pictures I could feel the love.  I was brought back to the time when Jimmy and I got married.  The wedding was beautiful, the reception was fun and now I had four kids married.

Jessica & Zack

March flew by with birthdays for Regina and Adias and before we knew it the time to color eggs were here.  Coloring eggs was fun that year with so many people around the kitchen table.  I had my four kids and three of them married so their spouses were also coloring eggs and of course I let Adias have a girlfriend help us. I watched these kids as they had fun coloring eggs with each other, laughing and just having fun.  Easter came, with church, looking for Easter eggs in the back yard and a cook out.

In May we got to see Betsy walk for her graduation in her cap and gown and we were all so proud of her.  At the same time I was crying inside because she wanted to move back home to be with her parents and she applied for jobs in Decatur Illinois and actually had a job interview. So she left Erik and went home for the interview before he graduated.

Betsy & Erik

It seemed that my grandma Clara fell and hurt her hip and she needed to be watched and no one could go live with her so I begged my aunts to let me have my grandma for a few weeks and I was shocked and so happy they said yes.  My grandma, my kid’s great grandma and Adias great- great grandma came to stay with us for four weeks.  She came with us as we watched Erik walk the isle for his Bachelor’s degree.  Afterwards my heart broke as we helped Erik pack up so he could move back to Illinois to be with his wife. I was down to only three children living here in Arizona with me.

Jimmy - Erik - Marie

My grandma Clara is a wonderful woman.  I grew up on the farm with her and grandpa in the summers when my parents needed a break from their six kids. I woke up to the smell of fresh baked bread every morning. She has arthritis in her hands now but still knows how to bake even though she can’t knead the dough very well anymore.  She prides herself on her coffee cakes and sugar cookies and she had our kitchen smelling good with her baked goods. She got Jimmy to knead the dough for her and she got Adias to help her place the cookies on the cookie sheets. Her favorite TV shows are Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right. She is a wiz at the game shows and she plays board games all the time and whips us. That woman can stay up all night playing cards.  One of the things she loves to do is ride her three wheel bike and I made sure I had one here for her. Go Granny Go.

Grandma Clara & Marie

So for the month of May 2007 we were blessed with grandma Clara for Erik’s graduation, Mothers day, Jennifer’s baby shower and Kristina got here the last few days so that great- great grandma could see some more of her great- great grandchildren.  I got the pleasure of cutting her hair and styling it for her. Plus grandma had fun with us in the back yard pool.

This was special for Jennifer to have her great grandmother at her baby shower. Yes, Jenny was pregnant after twelve years from her first child that she had in high school. Grandma helped decorate and it looked like she was enjoying the games we played. The house was decorated in pink since Jenny knew she was having another little girl. My house was full with Jenny’s in- laws and friends who came to congratulate her.

Finally it was time for grandma Clara to leave and I know I will probably never get her alone again, but I have wonderful pictures and memories of her with me and my family just a few years ago. Grandma Clara is still alive and turning 101 in a couple of weeks. Bless her heart she is still young, swimming, walking and bike riding. I want to be just like her when I grow up.  Well I am pretty busy on my ambulance today and having trouble getting this blog out, so I am going to quit for today. Remember love is a choice. So choose to love someone today.  Tell someone you love them, give them a hug and make their day.

Grandma Clara Ricci