The big weekend of closure ...and stuff

 Well, the weekend of Fritz family closure has come and gone. The one weekend we are all in the Fritz home before it is no longer the Fritz home.  Last weekend, I had the opportunity to fly to Denver, drive to my childhood home near Crab Orchard, NE with my sister Tricia, help clean and purge closets, rooms, and cabinets at my Dad's home, hang out with an adorable niece and three nephews, a fabulous sister-in-law, host a potluck/BBQ, go to my "church of origin", drive back to Denver, connect with the brother-in-law, fly home, and flop into my bed and turn into a pile of mush.

While Dad isn't getting married until February and will still live out on the farm until then, we will not all be there together again (unless we have a few hours there the weekend of the wedding, but I don't know). We needed to have this time together...just us, to help Dad, but also to reminisce, cry a little, have some alone time in various spots here and there, drink a little, reminisce some more, participate in The Great Distribution, and just have a chance to bring closure to this chapter of our family's life as well as grapple with the ending of four generations of our family living in this home.  It is sort of a big deal.

These photos help tell the story...

My sisters, Tricia and Gena and "little" brother David posing with a representation of "then and now".  The lovely school photos "garland" hung in our parents house for years, despite much protesting.

Yes, we found treasures from elementary school, saved for decades by a Mom who thought everything we did was fabulous.

Little known fun facts pictured here:  I minored in art in college and while cleaning the storage room, found this gem (me with a group of sorority sisters, circa 1990).  I also adored my Cathy Quick Curl doll when I was little although she is definitely not in "mint" or even "good"condition which would have brought about $20 on ebay, and Tricia was a champion rabbit 4-Her back in the day. 

Dad was quite an athlete and 4-Her in High School. Mom was always so proud of him and lovingly saved the ribbons and medals he had earned.  Dad is also shown here with three chalk drawings he created in elementary school that received really cool recognition and were displayed in the Nebraska state capital building "back in the day" and later in my Grandmother's house until she moved into a nursing home.

Dave enjoyed reminiscing in his high school letter jacket.  When we arrived home on Friday night, we found him on the deck, in the jacket, drinking a beer.  He may not get to suit up this weekend...the coach might bench him!  He is also holding our Grandpa's HS letter sweater (Crab Orchard HS - Salute!) and also displaying more of the fabulous elementary school art that only a mother would love and save "forever". 

Our cousin and great friend, Amber, came to help for the weekend!  We love her so!

Our friends and family gathered for the Fritz Family Fall Celebration.  We subtlety celebrated new beginnings (Dad's engagement to Shirleen) and quietly brought closure to a common occurrence of our upbringing - huge BBQs that Mom would pull together with friends, family, and neighbors. 

My family "to be".  Of course, my siblings, Dad and I will continue on, but we'll be adding Shirleen to the roster on February 17, 2013.  We're so happy Dad has found someone with whom he can share the rest of his life.

 Enjoy!
A