Mom Has Finally Gone Home...

My mom, Elizabeth Puha Hoopii, has finally gone home to be with Heavenly Father this afternoon. Well, being that it is now 12:15am. Monday morning, I guess it would've been yesterday afternoon.
I don't know exactly how she died, but I know for sure that it was complications due to her Alzheimer's disease. My dad says that it may have been pneumonia because she's had such a hard time clearing out her lungs. Whatever it was, it has been very hard on all of us.
I think being here on the mainland has helped a little bit to not be so emotional and overwhelmed with the whole situation, but it's the very little moments where it seems so quiet that I can't help but think about it and feel really sad, and find myself shedding a few tears. Then I look at my kids, and can't help but feel so grateful for the wonderful Plan of Salvation. In fact, earlier this evening, I mentioned to Joey how great it must be for "grandma" to finally see her dad again. Because my grandpa died so many years ago, when my mom was young, she grew up MOST of her life not having her dad IN her life. I can only imagine how great her reunion with her family must've been! She's now able to see her mom, dad, sister, and four of her brothers. And now she doesn't have to suffer anymore! If her personality is the same now as before she got Alzheimer's, they're all in for a real treat!!
I have many memories of my mom, some not so great, but there are many that will always be special to me...two very special memories that I'd like to share:

The first memory is when I was preparing for my mission. My mom was so very supportive and caring. It was a very unusual "caring" that I had not really experienced before, or maybe just not remembered. She took me wherever I needed to go, to shop for whatever I needed, but it was more than that...it was her knowledge and wisdom, knowing what things I may need as simple as a blanket, a portable iron, stuff like that. And maybe something you wouldn't think was a need, but it sure came in very handy on my mission...a small rice cooker. Then she flew to Maui with me one weekend so that I could visit my grandma before going on my mission. I thought that was very special! We went sight seeing, and visited family and relatives. We had such a nice time together, just she and I. The last part of this memory was when she escorted me through the temple to get my endowments for the first time. She was a temple ordinance worker at the time, in the Hawaii temple, so she knew all the ins and outs, but what was very neat was to see her dressed in white with her "salt and pepper" color hair. She truly looked like an angel! Her voice was very soft and kind, something very unusual because she was very loud and harsh, but her countenance was amazing! She was VERY patient with me, and that helped so much since everything was so overwhelming for me. She was amazing!! I knew then that I was so lucky to have her as a mom.

My second memory is when I was on my mission. I had left for the MTC in May 1989, so I had missed a few holidays, that I would normally spend with my family. My birthday came and went, Thanksgiving came and went, Christmas came and went, but Mother's day in 1990 came and I thought, as I sat in Sacrament meeting, "I don't know if I'll get through this day!!". I missed my mom so much!! This was the hardest time of my mission to be away from home, on this Mother's Day. I was so glad when I got home and was able to call her to wish her a Happy Mother's Day, and just talk to her and hear her voice again.

These are the memories that I will hold dear to my heart. Just as I mention "her voice", I think about the last time I heard her voice. It was when we went back home for their 50th Wedding Anniversary...she didn't talk very much then but when you played music on the guitar and ukulele, she remembered the song and would even sing the song. My mom loved singing, I'll always remember that, and to hear her sing some songs when she could barely remember us, was such a thrill for all of us. When I went back this last time, in June, she was not talking at all. Not sure exactly when she stopped saying anything, but now she's probably talking up a storm where she's at, and maybe even scolding everybody, too!
I will miss my mom so much!! There were a few times in my life when I questioned why I ended up with a mom like her, but I know there was, is, and will have great eternal purposes, which I am deeply grateful for. I will be eternally grateful to my mom who raised us all well. Many things I have learned from her, has helped me a great deal in my life. This day of her passing will be a date easy to remember being that it is the same day Pearl Harbor was attacked 67 years ago.
My prayers now will surely be with my dad. I know he's going through a very difficult time right now. I am just so grateful that my dad took such great care of her. I hope that he will find peace and comfort to be able to now go on with the rest of his earthly life, however long that will be and do things he has not been able to do for about the past four years, like go to the temple.
I LOVE YOU MOM! We all love you and will miss you! Thank you for being my mom!

Thanksgiving Weekend

My brother, Kauhi, and his family joined us again this year for Thanksgiving. They live in St. George, so it's nice to have some family close enough to be able to spend the holidays with. It was just our family and his so it was a small gathering but it was nice.

We had the traditional turkey meal, and Kauhi brought a ham so we had that also. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, mainly for the FOOD, and we had a pretty nice "spread" of food! Our turkey wasn't as big this year as it was last year, which I'm glad. We had leftovers last year, for days, and I think I ended up even having to throw food away, so this year our turkey was smaller, but it was just the perfect size.

Kauhi and his family stayed with us for a couple of nights, and on their last night, we went to see the Christmas lights at Ethel M's Chocolate Factory Desert Garden. It was a pretty nice night...it wasn't too cold, which was nice, considering it had rained for two days a couple days before. Of course, we had to stop in the factory to get some candy, just the free one they pass out to everyone. Santa Claus was available in the garden for whoever wanted their pictures taken with him, but my kids didn't want to. They seem to think they're too old to sit on Santa's lap, I guess. But Kauhi's kids did, and Santa gave them chocolates on their way out.

All in all, we had a nice Thanksgiving weekend. I look forward to another one next year...as always!