Minions

So yesterday while we were at Stake Conference I had this great idea on what I could write in my post this week.  As I thought of this idea I decided I better write it down so I don't forget it.  I usually have my iPod to take notes in when something like that comes to mind; so when I reached into my pocket to get my iPod I realized I had left it in the car.  I didn't worry about it though, because it was such a good idea there was no way I could forget it.  So this morning I have come to make a post, and I realize I forgot it.  Oh well.  I came up with another great idea to post about - Minions!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the movie Despicable Me, I highly recommend it.  It's a great family movie and it was Ethne's favorite.  She had multiple names for it - "Duckies," "Girls," and "Minions" were the most common ones.  It was not uncommon for her to wake up in the morning, come into our bedroom while we were sleeping, and wake us up first thing in the morning so she could ask us to watch "Minions."  I have a digital copy on my computer, so that's what we always turned on.  It would keep her occupied when we were getting ready in the morning or when we were working on a project and she was trying to get in the way.  On my iTunes 25 Most Played list it has the number one spot, with 48 plays.  Also on the list you can find Up and Phineas and Ferb - two of her other favorite movies we would turn on when we were tired of "Minions."  Those 48 plays do not include the times that she watched it through our Blu-Ray player, at my in-laws home, or sitting on her grandpa's (my dad's) lap with her cousin to watch it on his smart phone.

I think she liked it for 2 reasons.  One, the little girl who loves unicorns.  Like this little girl, Ethne loved her stuffed animals.  She had her own personal zoo in her room.  It included (and still does technically) 2 monkeys, 2 frogs, a giant giraffe, an elephant (her favorite animal - she got it at the zoo from grandpa (Melissa's dad)), 3 or 4 puppies, a penguin, a couple of bears, and so many others.  I think she related to that little girl's love for stuffed animals.

Mission - sneak into the pantry and dump onion salt all over the floor.

 

The second reason-- the minions.  She didn't know what to call them at first , so they were "duckies."  Eventually we taught her that they were minions - and the name stuck.  Because she loved the minions so much, we decided to include one in her flower arrangement and her headstone.  For me, they represent so much more than just her favorite movie.  To me they represent who she was, and still is.

I'll explain, the minions work for the sinister "Gru."  While they are working for the bad guy (who ends up really being the good guy) I cannot view them as evil or bad.  They are mischievous and like to think that they are getting into trouble; but they really are just having fun and bring a lot of joy to all those who see and interact with them.  That was Ethne.  She loved to do things that she knew she wasn't suppose to.  It wasn't so much that she was doing things to get into trouble, she just loved the game of teasing us, or being sneaky about getting into things without asking.  Things like hiding her pacifier in the kitchen drawer, or pulling all of the DVDs off of the shelf.  She even loved the chasing game.  One of my favorite memories that I have shared a lot is seeing her when I came home.  She was always so excited to see me when I got home from work.  From the other end of our apartment I could hear her yell "DADDY!" as soon as I walked through the door.  She would come charging all the way to the door in record time with her arms out ready for me to pick her up and give her a hug.  Then she would stop about 2 feet in front of me, bring her arms down to her side and, holding her hands over her heart, get this very mischievous half-smile, and then run the other way giggling.  She knew I would chase her and loved being caught.  This is just one example of the mischievous games that she played.  She became known for her mischievous half-smile.  It was always on her face when she was getting into "trouble."  She almost never was doing anything wrong, she just liked to think that she was.

Early pics of her sinister laugh

Not her mischievous face, but one she made to let you know she wasn't happy

 We have taken this minion from the flower arrangement at the funeral and have placed it in her bed where she slept.  I find myself in there almost every morning praying at her bedside to remind me of how grateful I am that she is in my life.  I even find myself occasionally holding the minion when I pray because it reminds me of her and how much I miss holding her while we said family prayers.  You can look back at my last memory of Ethne to see how important family prayers have become to me since the accident.

Casket arrangement - I liked how the minion looked like he sneaked in