4th of July and the Funeral

4th of July was spent in Panama City Beach, FL which like most of 2013 was full of rain so much so there was massive flooding throughout the city. Dickie got a condo on the beach and the below images from the balcony. We got a few chances to run out into the pool and gulf. It was nice having Ben and Drew in one place too.

Look at those whitecaps

You can see the tossed pool chairs

From the car window - a flooded neighborhood

Ben, Anthony, and I did get a game in at Coconut Creek. Bill, Anthony, and I escaped in the flooding for the mall. I got gluten free fried chicken! Homemade by Mark and quite a treat! Annie worked a lot. Drew and Sage went swimming with Dickie, Ben, Anthony, and me. Anthony and Ben worked out a lot. To Mark's sadness, the boat never left the dock. Bruce fell for his tall blonde cousin Tank (don't worry they are dogs and not really cousins). And we all enjoyed the weekend even being stuck indoors because we were all together.

On the way home, we stopped in Marianna so Anthony could see his grandma. We didn't know it would be his last chance to see Jackie mom but it was. I let him go in alone because oftentimes I felt like I dominated the conversation and I knew that if I didn't go, the two of them would be able to talk better one on one. She passed away 2 weeks later and the only picture I took was of Ben and great uncle Hiram (RD's last living sibling). The funeral was beautiful and I was glad Anthony was able to go ahead of me and spend time with his dad and Ben (Drew did not make it as he was attending a concert). I had just started my new job and was only able to go for one night.

It was weird because exactly 5 years ago, I was Anthony's girlfriend having only been dating a few months at his granddaddy RD's funeral. I remember the emotion and meeting these people. At the time, I had no clue how intertwined our lives would become or how happy I would be to share their histories and legacies. When we do have children, names will be pulled from the family tree to pay respects for those that made my husband and me who we are. If we abandon them then we lose the beauty of what makes us who we are.

Ben with Hiram Bennett

Anyway, more about Jackie mom who loved my Anthony and was one of the most interesting women I have ever met. I loved to listen to her talk very whimsically about her love of the beach and the movie Gone with the Wind. One time while I was skyping with Anthony from Spain, she walked up to the computer and stood next to it and chatted. She had no idea about the webcam and thought the whole things was very odd. It was cute and I don't think we realize how much change she (and her whole generation) must have seen in their time.

For Christmas last year, Jackie mom let me paint her nails when we took her home which was fun. She told me of how she met granddaddy after the war and that he paid for their home in cash from the war. She was proud of her home and and grandchildren. Jacckie momwas grateful for all she had. She will be missed. I wish I had a better way with words to explain her. I only wish I had known granddaddy or Judi's parents as well. Their memories live on in the legacy we create.