This post has been a hard one for me to wrap my head around. I just wasn't sure how to do it. No matter what I say, it won't be enough for what I am feeling. Maybe subconsciously that is why it has taken me so long to get this trip posted about, I just wasn't sure of what to say or how to say it. Many of you remember that I had a little 12 year old cousin who was diagnosed with Renal Cell Carcinoma, which essentially is Kidney Cancer in May of 2009. She was treated, and healing for a while, but after about 7-8 months the radiation and the drugs stopped working, after lots and lots of praying and faith, my aunt and uncle decided to take her off the medication that was making her life miserable. It wasn't shrinking the tumors, and it was making her so sick and miserable. They knew the cancer was terminal, and were advised to let her live the last few months of her life comfortably. Natalee passed away in June of this year, after just a little over a year of fighting the cancer. She was 13.
I can still remember my senior year in high school when my aunt announced to us that she was pregnant with Natalee, none of could believe it! We hadn't had a new cousin years. But we were so excited. In fact, my aunt Sherry kept it a secret except to my grandpa, and he called up my mom and my other aunt and made up some story about a girl he knew being pregnant, and I'm not sure the rest of the story, but somehow he got my mom and my aunt to go down to his house in Oregon, and they both thought that there was a possibility that they would be coming home with an adopted child. Somehow he had tricked them into believing that this baby would need a home and they were both willing to accept. They, in their minds were going down to work out the details. They got to my grandparents house to find my aunt Sherry large with child! :) My grandpa was always pulling stunts like that. When Ben got home from his mission, he lived in Portland with his sister and brother in law for a few months. While he lived there, I would go to visit him and would stay with my aunt and uncle. Natalee was in the third grade and I can remember going to her class with my Aunt Sherry to help out with activities. We also always watched a lot of sponge bob together while I was there. Natalee was so much younger than me I don't have a ton of memories with her, but she was just so cute and sweet!
While we were in Portland we went over to visit Natalee, my Aunt and Uncle and other cousins. All of their kids were in town from college, Utah and Idaho, and we wanted to see everyone. I also took some family photos for them. Natalee at this time was very weak, so we just stayed on the couch and chatted and laughed. It was a nice visit. They were on their way out to the Oregon Coast for the week, so we weren't there very long. But I am so glad that we went. Natalee passed away just a month later.
We miss you Natalee!
Me and Kayla and all of our Walton cousins, in white.
I can still remember my senior year in high school when my aunt announced to us that she was pregnant with Natalee, none of could believe it! We hadn't had a new cousin years. But we were so excited. In fact, my aunt Sherry kept it a secret except to my grandpa, and he called up my mom and my other aunt and made up some story about a girl he knew being pregnant, and I'm not sure the rest of the story, but somehow he got my mom and my aunt to go down to his house in Oregon, and they both thought that there was a possibility that they would be coming home with an adopted child. Somehow he had tricked them into believing that this baby would need a home and they were both willing to accept. They, in their minds were going down to work out the details. They got to my grandparents house to find my aunt Sherry large with child! :) My grandpa was always pulling stunts like that. When Ben got home from his mission, he lived in Portland with his sister and brother in law for a few months. While he lived there, I would go to visit him and would stay with my aunt and uncle. Natalee was in the third grade and I can remember going to her class with my Aunt Sherry to help out with activities. We also always watched a lot of sponge bob together while I was there. Natalee was so much younger than me I don't have a ton of memories with her, but she was just so cute and sweet!
While we were in Portland we went over to visit Natalee, my Aunt and Uncle and other cousins. All of their kids were in town from college, Utah and Idaho, and we wanted to see everyone. I also took some family photos for them. Natalee at this time was very weak, so we just stayed on the couch and chatted and laughed. It was a nice visit. They were on their way out to the Oregon Coast for the week, so we weren't there very long. But I am so glad that we went. Natalee passed away just a month later.
We miss you Natalee!
Me and Kayla and all of our Walton cousins, in white.
2 comments:
oh I'm sure it is hard to see her go- I'm sorry Taraka- she was so dang young. Life can seem so unfair at times.
Is that her in the middle? She was beautiful.
I never heard that story of Sheri's pregnancy, that's so like Grandpa. That was a terribly sad funeral to go to, but I'm glad we all got the chance to go.
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