Documenting Tough Subjects

This last year has been a tough one in regarding losing people who I love. One of my high school friends passed away. Then a few months later one of my local best friends died. Finally, my Grandma died of old age. I was actually happy that my Grandma finally passed. She had a good long life. She buried my Father in 1998 and I know that she is over joyed to be reunited with him and my Grandfather. However, her death was symbolic for me. It was like the passing of my childhood and youth and having to stand in for my Dad was really hard. Good came out of it though. Some broken relationships were restored and bonds strengthened.

Anyways, I suppose I am rambling so I will get on with it. I have been looking at these pictures for months and finally, this weekend it hit me. I finally was able to scrap them in the most heart felt respectable manner I am capable of and the process was healing.

This first two page LO was of documenting the trip I took back in October to say my final good byes to my Grandma (that is her and my Aunt Jackie in the lower right hand picture), a family trip to Apple Hill in which we ate apple pie, and a visit to my Dad -- well his resting place.

 My next trip home was just a few short months later in which we laid my precious Grandma to rest.

 I took a lot of pictures of the grave side service and really did not want to do a ton of pages on it. Honestly, I did not know if I could emotionally drudge up what I had been dealing with. So, I pulled out these pocket pages and slapped them in there! I embellished a little bit to make it flow and match the first LO (sorry about the glares on these).

 Here is the other side of the pocket page.

 Here is a close up of the brief journal I did in the lower corner. I blinged it up to make it a little bit more special.

 I was able to take one day between funeral and graveside to unwind. I think I would have cracked had it not been for my friend from high school and our wine tasting trip to Napa. I can not even express how much I love this lady and she was a GOD send that weekend and continues to be to this day.

 Close up of the journal on this page.

 My cousin and I got real close this trip. After we buried my Grandma we sent the afternoon together going to spots that my Grandma used to take us to.

 This time I pulled out my "Simple Stories" and just filled the pockets with pictures of our stops.

 Again, sorry about the glare.

This page has nothing to do with the previous pages, but I had a bunch of leftovers and I let them throw up all over this. Cute right?

Thanks for stopping by!