When Gramma goes

You may have read my previous posts about my Gramma Boes and her passing. You may have read my posts about how my twentieth year was going to be so amazing. I have not kept up with the goals I set for myself and there’s no one to blame but myself. Still, I have a story to tell.

My Gramma Husmann is a wonderful lady. She is the wife of a pastor, the mother to three boys, the grandmother to four boys and five girls, and the great-grandmother to seven boys and nine girls. She kept us filled to the brim with gingerbread men, pumpkin-shaped cookies, swiss steak, potatoes au gratin, chocolate cake, and licorice. For as long as I can remember, Gramma has always been ready for a hug and gave a big kiss in return. She is quick-witted and will make you laugh with a few words.

Gramma was not supposed to live this long. She had a heart attack two years ago, then broke her hip, her arm, and, most recently, her clavicle. Through all of this, Gramma has pulled through and proved that she’s Superman-tough.

This past month, though, her health has gone downhill. Her mind is not what it was and her body is failing. Since her heart attack, my parents have prepared me and my siblings for this time. We know that every moment spent with Gramma has to be cherished, especially since heaven has already gained Gramma Boes.

Please join me in prayer as Gramma has gone to be with Jesus. Pray for Grampa Husmann, as he’s lost the love of his life, and my dad and his brothers, as they’ve lost their momma.  God’s plan is the best plan and we’ll trust him in all of this!

James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” *
*(underline added by me)

When Gramma goes, her house will be a little empty.
When Gramma goes, a pumpkin cookie will bring a smile.
When Gramma goes, I’ll miss her witty sense of humor.
When Gramma goes, I’ll cry for just a while.
When Gramma goes, Christmas will be strange.
When Gramma goes, I’ll remember her for my children.
When Gramma goes, heaven will improve.

Caution: Raw Fish

As part of my twenty while twenty, I tried sushi for the first time.

I wasn’t hesitant about any part of it. I had wanted to try it for the longest time, and I wasn’t afraid to eat raw fish.

My best friend Jillian has already had sushi, so my sister Anna and I relied on her judgment for our meal choice.

We went to Kazumi, a Japanese steakhouse and hibachi grill.

I would recommend it, except it didn’t quite meet my expectations for cleanliness. Thank goodness it was dark!

Soup and salad were our starters. Although the soup tasted like fish were cleaned in it.

We waited patiently for our food to cook, oh wait.

Then our food came.

We tried the Party A which was composed of California Rolls, Rainbow Rolls, Spicy Salmon Rolls, Alaska Rolls, Spicy Tuna Rolls, Salmon Skin Rolls, and Shrimp Tempura Rolls.

My favorites were the spicy tuna, the salmon skin, and the tempura shrimp.

The wasabi was excellent, but the pickled ginger was too much for me.

Jillian cleaned her plate, and finished the soup, so she was crowned bravest of the evening.

I would have taken a picture of Anna’s plate, but she spit out her Alaska roll and it was gross.

We packed up our food, took pictures of the hibachi chef, waterfall, and baby koi and documented the evening in my summer journal.

Jillian’s fancy take-away box

Bathroom selfie

Hibachi man

Waterfall

Baby koi

All in all, it was a good experience!

P.S.

We went shopping and got all the stuff.

I’ll post about that when I tell you about my summer reading plan.

Happy Birthday Linnie!

I have sisters.

I have a lot of sisters.

This is a picture of all of my sisters (and me)

We plan our outfits always, we never disagree or argue, and our lives are perfect.

NOT

We all live imperfectly perfect lives, sometimes with each other, but most of the time on our own.

Today, we’ll focus on sister 3 (or sister 2 in the picture), Lindsay.

Lindsay is seven years older than me. The age gap made our relationship a bit difficult for getting along. We didn’t get along for the longest time. But we realized that we’re different and we make each other mad sometimes, and that’s okay.

Two years ago, I spent a month and a half living with Lindsay in Georgia. There were sleepy mornings, Aldi and Publix trips, cakes, walks, and sister dates.

We would spend the afternoon napping on the living room couches and we had a Starbucks, Taco Bell, and Goodwill date. (We didn’t eat at Goodwill, though, gross)

It was a great time.

It’s Lindsay’s birthday today and she’s going to have a grand ole time. Her son, Adam, loves everything birthday, so there will be cake and pancakes and jocular fun.

So, keep watch for your birthday present, Lindsay, and maybe open it on Adam’s bed. He would enjoy that.

Happy Birthday, Linnie!

I love you to the donut shop and back!

 

My Summer Project

This is my first summer project.

Well, it’s a part of my first summer project.

It’s a Fujifilm instant camera, like a Polaroid.

         I know it’s terribly mainstream and girly, but I love the fact that it’s instant and I can capture a moment and remember what caption to put on the picture.

        I also bought a journal and markers to create a smash book of sorts. Every time I take a picture, I will write down the memories tied to that picture, tape the picture on the page, and attach mementos as well. It could be a picture of my huge family at Country Dairy, everyone could write or tell me their favorite part, and I could cut out the country dairy logo and tape it on the page as well. BOOM! Instant scrapbook page.

        Everyone that is a part of this book will sign the inside, for that extra bit of awesome in case they one day get famous. 😉

        In addition to this being a fun project, it’s also a good way for me to journal and keep memories fresh. This life isn’t forever, and my family will not always be here, but memories and this book can last for a long time and keep these moments alive.

When I grow up…

Today, one year ago, I decided my career path, and it was nursing.

I was in the Rukwa Valley in Tanzania, Africa for the weekend and I had just shadowed a dentist, an optometrist, and a missionary doctor on a very busy clinic day and I fell in love with helping others in this way.

I had already worked in the wound care clinic that my Uncle Mike ran outside of his home in Mumba, not in the Rukwa Valley ;), but this day solidified my decision.

So, I’m still working on the nursing thing. I’m not in Tanzania anymore, but I plan to visit again, this time with more skills: like blood-pressure-taking skills and heart-listening skills.

This day also happens to be my big sister’s birthday! I missed celebrating with her last year, and sickness this year is gonna make it tough to celebrate too. Instead, I will show you adorable pictures of us together and spend time with her next week.

This is us being cute.

This is us being silly. (with our big sister, Sarah)

This is us sharing a love for animals (mainly baby ones)

 

This is us.

So, this day is doubly special to me. It’s the day I decided what I want to be and it’s the day my big sister came into the world!

I love you, Abby!