This was me about 30 minutes ago while taking Kipling for a walk. It's FREEZING here!!! According to the always truthful weather.com it is currently 29 degrees with a high of freezing. Lovely.
After my "i hate everything" post things started looking up, thank goodness. I like my job even though I get paid nothing and Thanksgiving was a success. Andrew and I drove the 9.5 hours to Raleigh with the pup in the back seat only to have a constant party for 5 days and turn around and come back. It was so fun seeing everyone again and Rose and Jared cooked a mean Thanksgiving feast. I haven't eaten that well in a long time. Needless to say I did not want to return to the bitter chill of the Cleve.
Things went well with my dad. He never brought up our incident and was just plain happy to have his family all together. He got a lot of Grandpa time with his biggest fan, Tyler, and even wrestled with his furry little grandson, my pup, more than a few times. I declare that Thanksgiving 2010 was a success! We'll see how Christmas goes.
Speaking of Christmas. I have to figure out how to fit everything into 6 days and a tiny carryon bag.
He mentioned that he wanted to bring his new girlfriend to Raleigh for Thanksgiving and I told him that I wasn't comfortable with her coming. He said that I wasn't supporting him, didn't want him to move on and that he can't live his life for me.
He also said, and I quote, "I want her to meet Jared, Rose and Tyler in case we get married this winter."
At that point I checked out. I was done talking to him about it and I said, and I quote, "I've got to go dad, I just finished making dinner." Mature.
That night I got a text from him saying, "Kristine will not be coming to Raleigh". Thank Jared and Rose.
The next evening he called to see when we were planning on arriving so he could book the hotel. I asked him if he was okay and he said that he was disappointed in me.
For what exactly? Because I didn't want a stranger that my dad has been dating for 2 and a half months to come and have Thanksgiving dinner at my brother and sister's house when she may be out of our lives by Christmas? Great, here we go.
It then became a crying/yelling/silent treatment phone conversation for about 40 minutes. The crying was exclusively on my end and the silent treatment was from my dad's end but the yelling came from both ends. We were not happy with one another.
I just feel like my dad is trying to force all of these relationships with these ladies. He jumps head first into it and doesn't come up for air even once. It was like this when he started dating Denise 4 months after my mom died. 4 months!!! I didn't even put up a fight then. I remember the conversation vividly. I was driving to Andrew's softball game on a warm summer evening (I even remember the jeans that I was wearing, weird) when my dad called and told me that he had gone on a date the past weekend with a lady he works with. I wasn't ready for him to start dating but I realized that he was so I told him that I supported him dating. Plain and simple. I support him and I want him to be happy. I was still grieving but we all grieve at different speeds and I didn't question his speed.
To defend my dad he has the emotional capacity of a sea anemone. He's always been this way, not that it's right, but I've had to deal with it my whole life. I know that he can't be wrong or disagreed with. I know that he won't listen to me explain my feelings and probably ignores about 75% of what I say. I don't know why he is this way but he is and I have to deal with it. I've tried pretty much everything I can think of to get him to take what I say seriously and nothing works.
For example, the summer after my mom passed I was helping my dad put some things that were in storage on craigslist. Andrew and I were measuring, taking pictures and writing descriptions when I mentioned to my dad that I was going to get my mom's saddles and tack out of his way and take them to the ranch. He immediately said that I couldn't take them because he was going to sell them because he needed the money. When I objected he told me that I was being a spoiled brat and throwing a fit because I didn't get my way. Nice dad, love you too.
He eventually "gave" them to me for my birthday even though it was in my mom's will that I got them.
I feel bad for putting this out here for all eyes to read but I've got to vent. I don't have my mom to go to about these things anymore. I did get to talk to Jared and Rose about it and that was sooo needed. They are so wonderful!
Needless to say, because of this episode (and not getting enough sleep because of the new pup), I am in a funk. Instead of being excited that I got a job, I cried. I'm having a hard time being my happy old self, I'm impatient with Andrew and everything seems gray. No neons, no excitement just...blah.
Is it really that bad that I don't want to meet my dad's new girlfriend this Thanksgiving? No, it's not, and I know that but the guilt trip that he puts me through kills me. You want to make me feel bad, make me feel guilty. He hit that bullseye dead on. Thanks dad.
Luckily I'm taking a break from it all in a week and going to visit my Grandpa, Aunt Valerie and Uncle Joe. This couldn't have come at a better time.
P.S. I love my dad very much even though we disagree and I do hope that he finds someone that will make him happy. Thank you for listening to me rant, I needed this.
To keep myself busy here in the Cleve I have started a little babysitting/cleaning business. Our ward has almost 100 children in it right now and about that many adults too. It's awesome. I've never been in a louder sacrament meeting before and strangely enough I don't mind the noise.
I've been surrounded by kids almost every day of my life here and that, my friends, will get anyone to think about having (or not having) babies.
Andrew and I have already chosen our kid's names. Everytime I tell someone what we are going to name our first boy I get this response, "Really? He better be prepared to be teased." And to them I say, "If he can hack it in our household, nothing will phase him." My kids better learn how to deal with teasing real quick with a dad like theirs.
Andrew is very similar to his dad and has inherited his ability to tease. To explain how much they tease in the Webb household I have exhibit A:
Andrew, a bright eyed 16 year old, is getting ready for one of his first girl choice dances. He is going with the babe of Olympus High and can't be happier. He has his outfit all planned out, showered and is looking fine with his puka shell necklace and skate shoes. Andrew hears the doorbell ring and someone answers the door. His mom calls for him and he takes one last look in the mirror before he heads down to see his lady. By then the rest of his family has congregated to meet this girl and as Andrew comes down the stairs his dad takes one look at him and says, in front of everyone,
"What's going on? You got bees in your room?" (refering to Andrew's teenage acne)
Yes my friends, that really did happen. And the great thing is, Andrew laughed it off as best he could. I'm sure our kids when they reach that precious hormonally challanged age will have similar experiences that one day, when the pain is gone and therapy has prevailed, they will relate to their own children.
We have decided to do significant historical figures mostly for first names and family names for middle names.
So Parley Dennis will be our first boy. After Parley P. Pratt, a Mormon historical and religious figure. Andrew has made me promise to read Parley P. Pratt's autobiography while I am pregnant with little Parley. And Dennis after Andrew's dad, of course.
Since Andrew chose the first boy name I have chosen the first girl name: Siena Victoria.
Siena after the Tuscan city (this one doesn't quite fit the requirements but I do what I want) and Victoria for my mom.
Those two are pretty much set names, the rest are all up in the air but the middle names are for sures.
Sawyer Anthony: for Tom Sawyer, the all American boy, and Anthony after my dad and his father.
Quincy after Quincy Adams, John Adams' son.
Andrew also likes cowboys names like Wyatt, Chick Boudry, Louie Lamore or Montana but I do have my limits.
Holland Martsie: After Jeffrey R. Holland, the LDS apostle, and Martsie after Andrew's mom.
Eve after Eve.
Why am I telling you all of this?
Because Andrew is studying for midterms, wish him luck!
Plus, I love names and I love knowing where they come from.
I was named after my dad's mom, Crystal, and my mom's great aunt, Rose, and I love it!
Where does your name or your spouse's/children's names come from?
Last Saturday was the Kirtland Stake Women's Conference. I don't think I've ever been to a stake women's conference before and decided to try it out. I didn't know what to expect and luckily 3 other girls in the ward came with me. I probably wouldn't have gone otherwise, let's be honest. So the theme was families, nothing out of the ordinary there. Everything in the Church is about families right?
Yup.
So they had a lady give a presentation. Her name is Melinda Cummings Cameron, her dad was this guy
Bob Cummings. He was an actor in the 50's-70's and had his own prime time tv show. He's also in a Hitchcock film Andrew and I recently Netflixed Saboteur. (I fell asleep halfway through, it was that great)
Anywho, the conference was all about finding stories of your ancestors. After the presentation we got to choose different breakout sessions. One was to get signed up for the Church geneology website so I did that. I've never really been too into family history but it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Was it a good idea you may ask?
I'm addicted. Fully addicted. Who would have thought that I would be addicted to family history? Not I. But alas, here we are, my name is Krystal and I'm an addict.
As a good wife would do, I also got Andrew addicted last night. He found out that he has noble blood on his dad's side. Sir Henry Alexander Webb was given nobility by King Henry VIII in 1577, you will all now refer to me as Countess Krystal Webb.
And we found out that he's related to William Shakespeare by marriage. Seriously though, how cool is this?!
On my side there are some pretty awesome things too...I'm related to Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain and Anne Hutchinson, a very prominent religious figure during the 1600's.
can't you just see the resemblence?
I love this, finding out where my family came from and who they are/who I am. If you haven't done it you can become addicted too. All the cool kids are doing it. It's free and so easy to sign up. The website pretty much does all the work for you. Here's what my family tree looks like as of right now, I still need to put my mom's dad's side of the family in.
and it just keeps going and going and going, like a little engergizer bunny.
A while ago I started writing about my journey with my mom and kind of stopped. This third part was especially difficult because it was probably some of the best times I have ever had with my mom. The happy times should be the easiest to write about but they remind me of why I really wish she were still here. Don't worry, this one won't make you cry...probably.
If you want to read part I and part II go here and here. If not, this picks up about a year or so after she was diagnosed.
Andrew and I watched our wedding video last night. I was fine until this came up...
Granted this was the first time I had let myself watch a video of her since she died. Watching her move again was sweet, her smile, hugging everyone, such a proud mama. I lost it 150%. Snot running down my face, mascara everywhere, hugging my knees. I was a sight to behold.
It reminded me of last year around this time. How miserable I was and how what I just described (snot, mascara and knees) became a daily occurance. But back then I couldn't snap myself out of it. It was just a matter of when it would hit the hardest. I always felt like doing that but sometimes I didn't have the will to stop myself.
That was one of our happiest days together. After that it was no eating, surgery and hospice.
I have dreams all the time that she is still alive and when I wake up it bulldozes when I realize that she's not. But in those dreams I am the happiest girl in the world. I never knew what I really had until she was gone. That is my biggest regret. Not treating her better. She knows how I feel though, I know it. That's comforting.
Her 52nd birthday is on the 17th. I think that calls for a celebration!
The purpose of this blog is to bring us all together like my mom did to celebrate our own lives. That was her message and her mantra for the last 5 or so years of her life and I want that to continue with her legacy. Please feel free to post your own stories, memories, feelings, announcements, likes/dislikes, etc. This isn't suppost to be a cryfest all the time, even though it could be :) My mom wouldn't want us to be like that. We're here to remember the good times, celebrate the now and have a good cry every now and then. Love you lots!!!
