Passing of Grandpa Heber

This past week has been a very full one. Last Thursday night Steve's grandpa passed away. Thankfully we had gone over Wednesday night and said our goodbyes... even Mike. I am very thankful that Heber didn't have to suffer any longer with his illness and sad that Grandma Dot will have to be without her sweetheart for awhile.

I had the opportunity to help them once a week "clean" their house. I was surprised the things that I learned and began to cherish about them. My most favorite was how tender and selfless they were with one another. They both have had plenty of health problems and they had to rely on each other. For quite awhile I can remember Steve telling me about his grandpa having to take care of Dot and in the last year it's been the other way around. I think their example they showed in their own home has helped me want to be a much better companion to my own sweetheart.

Mike was blessed to know his Great Grandpa and somehow it seemed that they had a good relationship for two people who hardly saw one another. I am grateful for the love that Heber showed Michael and that Mike was always excited to go to great grandma and grandpa's house with me. it was a great blessing to feel the bond of love they shared. Heber and Dot always took the time to tell Mike that he loved him. Something I'm sure we can all do a little more.

Heber is now the 3rd family member on Steve's side of the family to be taken home... all on the Hansen side. Keirsten passed away last October, than Josh in January, and now Heber this past week. Steve and I hope that they were there to help greet him. So this year has been full enough of loved ones leaving.

Heber's passing has churned up emotions that I didn't know were so close to the surface, but it's been wonderful to remember and accept again the Lord's plan for all of us. We hope that all of our family members know just how very much we love and appreciate them. We are so thankful that this life is not all, we are so thankful that there's more and that we'll still have these relationships, bonds of love, and joys after it's our turn to move on to the next. Won't it be great to remember all those who have gone before us to help us! It will be a much anticipated day in this little family to be reunited with our loved ones who have moved on to a much better place.
(Wilma, Keirsten, JoshuaJay, and now Heber)

Heber's funeral will be on Saturday morning and his obituary can be viewed here.

one more

Today I've been very thoughtful and I must admit that it's been kind of painful.
On Thursday evening Heber passed away. It was expected and truthfully I've been surprised at how long he held on for Dot and the rest of the family.

For the past 5 months I have had the privelege to get to know Heber and Dot better when I would go over and "clean" what Dorothy couldn't. It's been a wonderful blessing to listen to the banter back and forth from them, listen to their stories of life and their challenges, help where I could, and especially the past 2 months where Heber was ever so tender with Dorothy.

In the hustle and bustle of life I find myself, like everyone else, taking my loved ones for granted. There is always that "in just a minute" factor that we shove into our lives. I had thought that after Josh's passing it wouldn't be hard to keep it out of our life, but slowly it weasled back in... thankfully not as before. I'm reminded now how much I love my family/families and how very precious my husband and children are to me.

We were able to say goodbye to Heber on Wednesday night and have a short but good conversation with him.

Kid's say the funniest things!

So this morning at breakfast I had a gut busting laugh session with Mike. It went like this:

Mike: Look it's like a wheel (his bowl)

Me: Oh, ya it is like a wheel. They're both circles. (I'm thinking that's great! )

Mike: Watch! (and he spun his cereal bowl around with milk and all still inside... no spills) Whoo!! fifty dollars! "A." One "A" ding Whoo!

Steve and Mike have been watching Wheel of Fortune for an after dinner treat and mike just loves it! Before he was done with this mornings little performance he had me "solve the puzzle" with his help of course. the answer was "ABC"

I'm Michael Dean Hansen and I approve this posting

Many Adventures update

Well we've finally started preschool again! Mike has been so excited and after a slip up on days and times Mike was finally off and rearing to go! It was a little bitter sweet for Steve and I. There was that strange feeling that something wasn't right and later realized that it was the fact that it was just Mike getting on the bus, not Mike and Josh. BUT, we know that Josh is doing important work for the Second Coming.
(picture: Fist day of school and so ready to go! We had been waiting for about 1/2 an hour. )




Mike has been asking a lot of questions lately about where Josh is and is starting to understand things a little better. He no longer thinks that the funeral home is Heavenly Father's house and that he could find Josh there. He's starting to accept things as they are, but on lonely days when the other kids are at school in the mornings, it's hard to watch him be alone. I guess we've had a hard realization on just how much a parent's love is part of our every fiber. Mike's little personality is blossoming and hopefully he continues to be excited about life and smiling about almost everything.... he doesn't smile about new food, it's not his favorite thing to have to try. ;) He loves to help with everything... what a blessing! He loves to sing in primary and loves Sister Jones (his sunbeam teacher!). Mike is such a special boy, I think he already understands how to help others who are having a hard time and is very sensitive to others' needs. I am so glad that Heavenly Father choose me to be his mom.



Last week in church, Mike gave a talk in primary. He did a wonderful job talking about the Temple. We wrote his talk kind of based on what he told me from the primary trip to the visitor's center. I guess he kept telling Sister Callejas that he would go to the temple when he was 17 AND when a little old temple worker opened the baptistry door to see who was outside he zipped past and tried to go in. I can just see the Bishop's and primary leaders' faces!!! But they knew it was an innocent mistake and Mike got the opportunity to have some special "attention" from the Bishop the rest of the activity. ;)



Mike is still having a little trouble with his sensory processing disorder, but he is still doing well. sometimes it's a challenge to remember that we need to take things slow or to give him more warning than usual when going somewhere, but he's do really well and we are really proud of him! We hope that our families and friends understand that this challenge is an ongoing thing, but that we are still making progress and as with anything there are set backs and times when it "flares-up".
Love you all!