{it.has.been.too.long.}

I do apologize for the lack of posting. Clearly the rest of Friday and all of Saturday and Sunday were, to say the least, exhausting. I am SO GLAD I could be there, but my goodness.

On Saturday there was the family viewing, followed by a public viewing, followed by the service, followed by a reception at the funeral home, followed by people coming back to the house to spend time together. It was a long, difficult day.

and on a sidenote, I learned that blueberry coffee is totally disgusting.

One part of everything was pretty remarkable though--as I stood with my cousins, greeting the people who came to the funeral and accepting their condolences (and explaining that I am Lila's granddaughter and sometimes elaborating that I'm the closest relative to them) I was OVERWHELMED. This extraordinary Aunt of mine was a very active TriDelt. She'd always been so, and she jumped right in as soon as she moved three years ago--and what an incredible display of sisterhood--there were so, SO many TriDelt women there to honor Mary Ann. It was just, wow.

One of my cousins in unaffiliated, and the other two are an Alpha Gamma Delta and a Kappa Kappa Gamma. We actually have a lot of Greeks in my family--you know that my granny and I are both Kappa Deltas, as was one of my aunts, but then we have another TriDelt, a Kappa Alpha, a Sig Ep, and at least two other men and one other woman who are in houses but I can't remember which ones. And someone is a ChiO, but I can't recall that either. But anyway--meeting all of these women who came out just really made me proud to be a part of it, proud to be Greek. And thankful, of course, on behalf of my Aunt, because I know it would mean so much to her to have her sisters there.

******

While in Florida I also had some really great conversations with my cousin Kim. I told her how supportive her mom always was to me--how she'd offered to pay for the sorority if I couldn't afford it (though once I got all my scholarships to TU my grandparents were able to use the tuition $ they'd set aside since I didn't need them), how she sent me care packages at the dorm on holidays, how she always gave me little pep talks every time she saw me. Kim told me how her mom was always impressed by what I'd accomplished and how far I'd come from where I started. Which is a gigantic compliment coming from such a lady.

And we talked about memories together--of family reunions and drawing carebear symbols on our tummies and their old house and family gatherings and how important family IS.

It was so sad, but then at the same time, so heart-warming. We talked about being "blood" and how our children would know their "Auntie" and the last name Junk and anyway...it was really good that I could be a part of that. I think that since my granny and aunt mary ann were the ones with the close friendship we all wondered if the family would go their separate ways--but now we know that won't be happening. :)

okay, enough recollections, onto the pictures.

Florida was SO PRETTY. Saturday was GORGEOUS. And Sunday started off a little hazy but cleared off at lunch. Wow. And? I managed to get a tiny sunburn sitting on the patio Sunday, so I definitely enjoyed the sunshine, per people's instructions. :)

below you will see: the girls' father's tie pin (he passed away when I was 4ish), sunny florida and flowers and the gulf of mexico (I'd never been to the gulf!), birds by the airport and luggage being loaded onto the plane--the polka-dot suitcase is mine!