Wilma Lee (Condrey) Roush

They say the first year after losing a loved one is the hardest. I believe it. September 13, 2013, my entire family (husband, kids, parents, sister, brother-in-law, and grandparents) arrived in Orlando, Florida for what was supposed to be an incredible week-long vacation. God had other plans for our family, because that night, in the early morning of September 14, my grandmother let go of this life, and triumphantly grasped the hands of Jesus, who took her into the next.

The next few days were a blur. Because she was "unattended" at death, there had to be an autopsy. No definitive arrangements could be made, because A. we were in Florida, away from home, and B. her desire was to be buried in Arkansas, where she had been born and raised. We attempted to make the most of the rest of our vacation. We went to the beach and watched the magic of children, oblivious to the pain of death, laughing in the sand as they made castles and hopped the waves rolling in. We ate lobster and prime rib, and joked how it was cheaper without her, knowing she would have waved her finger and given us a stern look. We took my grandpa to Disney World, a magical kingdom he'd never been to, where my grandma's kisses were replaced by those of Minnie Mouse. We swam in the pool, the pool that made me choose the resort we had stayed at, because it had a zero-level entry that she could have easily gotten in and out of. We cried, we laughed, we told stories and jokes, wishing, aching, dreaming of how differently that vacation would have gone.

Suddenly, her body was released from the morgue. The distractions of Orlando were over, as we parted ways, some to Arkansas to plan the funeral, and some to Michigan to return home before traversing to Arkansas to meet up for the service. Her funeral was held on a beautiful day; it was about 75 degrees and sunny; she had to have been interceding on our behalf. She was laid to rest near her husband's family, in a cemetery used by many of our family members (including Noah Wesley Hampton, who our son Wesley was named after).

On the way to Arkansas for the funeral, I became consumed by the following lines. The grandchildren had all been asked to come up with something to remember her by. This was my contribution:

WILMA LEE

MY EARLIEST MEMORIES ARE FILLED WITH HER SPIRIT.
I NEVER IMAGINED MY LIFE WITHOUT HER IN IT.
BORN IN THE OZARK MOUNTAINS IN THE EARLY FORTIES,
SHE WAS THE THIRD OF FOUR CHILDREN BORN TO ED AND RUBY CONDREY.
OVERCOMING TRIALS AND HURT,
TO THREE CHILDREN SHE SOON GAVE BIRTH.
SHE LOVED THEM FIERCELY AND DEVOTED ALL SHE COULD
IN BOTH THE BAD TIMES AND THE GOOD.
SHE MARRIED DENNIS, MY PAPAW WHEN I WAS IN MY MOTHER'S WOMB.
I WATCHED THEM WEAVE THEIR MARRIAGE TOGETHER ON A GODLY LOOM.
ALTHOUGH NOT PERFECT,  SHE TAUGHT ME SO MANY LESSONS.
AND BROUGHT TO MY LIFE SO MANY BLESSINGS.
AFTER RAISING HER OWN KIDS SHE HELPED WITH GRANDS AND GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN.
AND GRIEVED FOR THE ONES WHO PRECEDED HER TO HEAVEN.
I'LL MISS HER COLESLAW,  CHOCOLATE GRAVY AND CORNBREAD;
HER SOFT ACCENT,  SONGS SHE SANG, AND COMFORTING WORDS SHE SAID.
I LEARNED TO SING AND LOVE THE LORD,
BECAUSE SHE LIVED HER LIFE ABIDING BY HIS WORD.
HER FAITH IN GOOD WAS UNWAVERING; SHE KNEW JESUS WAS THE ONLY WAY.
SURROUNDED BY HER FAMILY THAT NIGHT,  DOWN HER HEAD SHE LAY.
AS SHE SLIPPED AWAY FROM HER BROKEN BODY THAT WOULD NEVER MEND,
SHE GREETED THAT ANGEL BAND LIKE THEY WERE OLD FRIENDS.
TO ANYONE ELSE,  SHE'D HAVE BEEN KNOWN BY GRANDMA,  GRAM OR GRANNY,
BUT FOR US,  WE SIMPLY CALLED HER "NANNIE".

Travel Tips! *UPDATED October 2017*

At least 5 times a year, I get requests from people who want to know how I can afford to travel so much, and where I get my deals. So here's a blog post that can be referenced at any time, by anyone with questions. :-)

First of all, what kind of a vacation are you interested in? An all-inclusive (where everything--flight, hotel, meals, drinks, activities, etc. is included in the price)? A cruise? Just a week in a hotel? A family vacation? Adults only?

Hotels
Hotels are hit-or-miss sometimes if you're only booking a hotel. Rarely can booking directly through the hotel get you the best price. I love Hotels.com because of their rewards system. 10 nights = 1 free night. It's easy and straightforward, and they usually have the best prices. Using travel apps can sometimes get better pricing than using a desktop or mobile site. Always double check for coupons that can be applied to your booking! Orbitz, Travelocity, and Expedia regularly offer coupons that can save you up to $200 per booking, but make sure you read the fine print!

 Priceline 
Hotwire 
Orbitz
Kayak
 
If you are unfamiliar with the "name your own" price or "blind bidding" options that Priceline and Hotwire offer, BetterBidding.com is a very useful resource. One big thing to keep in mind-- unless otherwise specified, most of these types of hotel bookings are only for two people, and some hotels will not allow you to have extra people in the room, especially if you booked through Priceline or Hotwire.

All Inclusives

The best places I've found to get the best deals for all-inclusive packages are the following:
Orbitz
Apple Vacations
Cheap Caribbean
BookIt

Occasionally, you can find better deals through the traditional online travel agencies:
Travelocity
Expedia
FunJet

There's always Kayak, which compares a bunch of different travel sites at once, although it does not include every site nor every airline.

When you find a hotel you're interested in, be sure to check pictures and reviews on Trip Advisor so you know exactly what you're getting into before you book, so there's no disappointment or surprises once you check in.

Cruises

The best basic resource for those new to cruising--or addicts--is
Cruise Critic. Their forums are invaluable and they have tons of reviews and tips.

My favorite cruise lines:
Carnival
Royal Caribbean
Princess

The best places I've found to purchase cruises:
Cruise Quick
iCruise
Cruise Compete

Sometimes you can get the best deals from the cruise lines themselves, although there are some online travel agencies that offer "extras" like onboard credit or other extras like shore excursions or spa treatments.

Family Vacations

The best way I've found to travel as a family is to purchase week long vacation certificates. Occasionally, Sky Auction will offer them for around $270. That's for the entire week! We've used them multiple times and have never had a bad experience! You can get up to a 3-bedroom condo* for a whole week, with a kitchen, free laundry facilities and ensuite bathrooms. This has been the #1 most affordable way we've found to travel as a family--and the separate bedrooms give mom and dad privacy.

*Note: this is still a great way to travel as a family, but you almost always have to pay an "upgrade" fee of anywhere from $100-$500 now for 3+ bedrooms. I won't elaborate on my level of irritation about paying more for something that used to be included, but then again, I'm a budget traveler.

Trip Advisor

My absolute favorite travel site to visit is Trip Advisor. The site is a wealth of knowledge. There are forums, hotel reviews, and guest-taken photos, not resort-enhanced photos. I always double and triple check hotels before I book with Trip Advisor, so I know if the food is good, if the amenities are what I need, and if the beach is a pretty blue instead of a yucky green or brown.

Hope this helps! If you need more info, don't hesitate to ask!