Hello everyone

I am now back to work, haven't been to work since Friday 12/1. I've been trying to catch up on things like e-mail, blogs, etc. Oh yeah, work stuff too.

First, I'd like to thank everyone for their thoughts/prayers/visits during Julia's illness. I know she enjoyed when Mom and Isa came to visit. Becky, I'm glad you and your family could also get here to see her in November. She wanted me to help her send Christmas cards and some of the first on the list were Reino/Diane, Anita, Becky, etc.

Thanks to Mom/Isa who drove to Hibbing that first Monday night when we weren't sure if she would make it through the night. The family was grateful that you were able to get there to be with her. Thanks also to Isa for doing the funeral service. There was discussion on hard it must be to do the funeral. Some people now have questions that they are thinking about.

Thanks to Liz for bringing the fruit and veggie trays and the chips of course to Julia's. Pam wanted to send you a great big thanks. She doesn't remember there ever being vegetables in the fridge there to snack on. She and Mauri were grateful. I loved the fruit, chips, and CHOCOLATE. Thanks also for reading the memories and for all the other help.

Thanks to Jen for coming to the hospital and being with everyone. It was so nice that you could come to be with us. Thanks for all the help with the details after she died also. Thanks for the bars, cake, and cookies. It was nice to have the food there when it got to the point that no one wanted to leave the room. Though Julia may not have been completely aware of what was going on, her wish from the day before was met, "let's have a party, we can have kool-aid, pop, and baked goods, and sing some Christmas songs". Thanks for helping us to make her wish come true.

Thanks to all who called and lent us their ear during the past week.

Thanks to Becky for playing at the visitation. Some of the family really wanted to sing and you made it possible for us to be in tune (or at least closer to being in tune).

Thanks to those who attended the funeral, the visitation, or came to our house or over to Julia's. I won't be listing names, but you know who you are and be sure that we all know who you are. Thanks so much.

Thanks to everyone for the plant. There basket consisted of 8 plants: 1 spider plant, 1 pointsettia, 1 peace lilly, 2 ivy, 1 plant that has long green leaves with red border, a tree, and another green plant. There was also filler in the basket of red carnations, white lilies, branches, etc. It was really pretty.

I'd better get to work. But thanks to everyone for everything.

Heather and Shawn