"Wordless Wednesday"

Chance's new house pet!

Finding my purpose

I’m adjusting, slowly, to Mother being gone. She’s been my focus for such a long time and it’s not as easy as I thought the transition would be for me. It’s not grief that has knocked the wind from me but the emptiness. I grieved for the loss of her over the past nine months, when Dementia had taken over her life. I just feel lost because each part of my day, while I was caring for her, was planned around her – getting her out of bed, getting her breakfast, changing her bed, helping her to the bathroom, putting her down for naps, making sure she got her meds on time. . . .

I need to get a job! Since my children are all grown – Chance, my baby, is 17 - and each of the girls has their own home and family – I’m not sure anymore what my purpose is on a day-to-day basis.

I have finished most of the tasks that were necessary after Mother’s passing. Most of the thank you cards have been mailed – still a few to be addressed. The financial institutions that needed to be notified have been notified. I still need to call the monument company to have the date of her death added to the head stone. I’m not sure why I’ve put it off this long. I also have to pick up the death certificates and laminated obits that we ordered from the funeral home. I’m going to try and get both of these things done today! That will be everything that has to be done!

We have a new member of the household – at least Chance does. I’m not ready to claim it yet. One of Chance’s friends had this pet for about two years, but she is having some medical problems and has not been able to care for it. She wanted to be sure it would go to a good home. When Chance asked us about it, I objected – strongly, but Jody, after thinking about it for a couple of days, decided Chance could have the pet. He and Chance picked it up Sunday along with a cage, a litter box, a huge bag of cedar chips, a cat house/bed and several toys. I’m trying to get used to it, but I cringe every time I see it start walking. Chance wants me to pet it, but I’m not even there yet! The pet’s name is Flower and he is a de-scented Skunk! Chance loves it. He had become acquainted with Flower at school earlier in the year. He carries it around and treats it like any other house pet.

I had a Dr’s appointment yesterday for blood work and of course, since I neglected myself for the past few months, the Dr’s office is scheduling all the appointments that I should have had over the past year – mammogram, cardiologist and bone density scan. My blood pressure was up a little bit, but we’re going to watch it before she puts me back on blood pressure medication. I have been off of my medication for seven months after being on it for nine years. I really don’t want to have to start taking it again!

Chance is sick. I’m taking him to the Dr this morning. I think he has an upper respiratory infection – mom’s diagnosis, but we’ll get the official diagnosis this morning.
I’m afraid I’ve neglected Jody over these past three weeks – during my “lost” phase. I need to correct it was quickly as I can because he’s important to me. I want him to know and to feel that again. I have a bible-based study I am beginning titled “The Excellent Wife” by Martha Peace. I am anxious to get started.

I am also still doing Chance’s home-taught Driver’s Education Class. We have almost completed the manual and it’s now just the actual driving experience he needs to complete. He has to get in 50+ hours before testing. We’ve done some, but have a lot left to complete. He’s not really interested in driving which is okay with me. The longer I can keep him off the roads the more peace I have from worry. He’s a great kid, very level headed and usually thinks things through before acting. It’s that mind-set that helps me – knowing that he makes good decisions.

I’ve been reading Annie's blog on Mondays when she does the “Menu Plan Monday”. It’s a meme for planning your week’s menus and I’m finding some pretty good recipes through the meme. I’m not a planner usually, but by using some of these recipes I may actually try it! We’ll see! I first have to get in the habit of thawing out the meat for dinner more than 15 minutes before cook time!Here’s hoping you have a great week! I’m going to do my best to make mine great!

There's No Place Like Home

For those of you who may be NASCAR fans, let me just tell you – it was so fun being in the stands at the Daytona 500 this past weekend! Jody and I have never been racing fans, but this trip was a lot of fun for both of us. Jody won the trip through his employer and it felt good to get away for a couple of days. It was also GREAT to get back home - and be able to get some rest!

We left OKC at 6:00 am on Saturday and flew in to Chicago O’Hare where it was snowing! We had about a three-hour layover there before we were able to leave for Orlando. We arrived in Orlando and took a shuttle to our hotel and checked in at about 4:30 pm. We had invitations to a pre-race day party Saturday night where we were to pick up our tickets for the race on Sunday. When we checked in at the party we found out our tickets had been given to Eric, the representative from the company that actually awarded the trip. We then found Eric and he invited us to go to dinner with the group – 22 in all – where the company was paying the bill for the entire group! We had a good time meeting other recipients of the same awarded trip, learning about the states they were from, and of course a delicious meal. We got back to the hotel about 11:30 pm.

We stayed at the Sheraton Studio City Hotel in Orlando – very nice! We were treated to dinner on Saturday evening at Charley’s Steak House. We were picked up at and driven back to the hotel on shuttle vans – right to the front door! It was great not having to worry about transportation.

Sunday morning we boarded buses, leaving the hotel about 8:15 am and were taken to Daytona Beach where we were able to walk around, do some shopping for racing souvenirs and also got several “freebies” from vendors there for the race. The only problem we encountered the whole time we were in Florida was the weather! It was so cold every day we were there! Jody had taken a light jacket and I took a knee-length cardigan because we had checked weather conditions and thought it was supposed to be between 60 and 70 degrees there. Boy, did we miss it! Thank goodness there was one booth where we were able to get a blanket – free – and I wrapped up in that over my two shirts and my sweater and was finally able to be a bit warmer. The sun came out for about an hour during the race and I was able to lose the blanket and the sweater. It didn’t last long though.

Other than the cold, it was exciting being right there at the race! I had never been to a track – except for the OKC fair grounds – and was surprised at how big the track was around. It was 2.5 miles around one lap and the race consisted of 200 laps. They had lots of things happening before the race started at 3:30 pm, so we were not without something to do the entire day. I thought watching the cars make the 200 laps would be boring, but it wasn't. It was actually exciting after the cars had competed the first half of the race, started going into the pits and then the wrecks started! We saw several wrecks, which took out most of the big names on the roster!

We were so cold, that after all the big names were out of the race due to the condition of their cars after wrecking, that we decided to go on out to the bus on lap 191. Wouldn’t you know as soon as we got on the bus – where several other cold people shared our same idea – we heard on the radio about the biggest wreck of the entire race. It actually happened right in front of the seats we had just vacated! Oh well, I was so glad to be warm again that it didn’t make much difference to me. I guess that’s because I’m not a die-hard NASCAR fan!

Our trip back to the hotel seemed to take forever! It took us an hour and a half to move about three miles in all the traffic from the race. We finally got back to the hotel and in our room about 11:45. I went right to bed and was out – I think even before my head hit the pillow! Jody said he sat up and watched TV until about 1:00 am. We got up about 6:15am Monday morning and walked next door to I-HOP for breakfast then went back to our room to wait for the shuttle to pick us up to go to the airport. Our plane left Orlando at 10:00 am with a 2-hour layover in Dallas and then, in only 32 minutes, we were back in OKC!

I had really been nervous about flying and had even asked my doctor to prescribe some medicine to calm me for the flights. The time in the air was actually not too bad and I think if I ever fly again, I won’t be so nervous. We did fly through some turbulence on three of the flights, but nothing extreme. I am so glad to be back home! It's true - "There's no place like home!"

I've Been Tagged!

Tag. . . I’m it! Thankful Meme

Annie has tagged me – the theme is three (3) things for which I am thankful. I have to say that three of the many blessings I have received will hardly even begin to touch my lengthy list, but here are three.

1… I am thankful for my husband, Jody. Jody came into my life at a time when, after being a single mom for almost eight years, I truly felt that my life was complete! I was not looking for, nor did I think I ever wanted to be married – after two failed marriages. My first two marriages were filled with abuse – emotional and extreme physical abuse. The abuse was so severe and I had come to believe that marriage and torture were one and the same – at least for me! Jody showed me that love is not painful or unkind! I believe that God brought Jody into my life and led me to accept Jody as my husband for the rest of my life. Jody loves me unconditionally for the person that I am – even with my faults. His expectations of me are realistic and don’t involve punishment if I’m unable to meet those expectations! Jody helped me become a better, more tolerable and more trusting person by loving me. I will thank God, for the rest of my life, for bringing Jody into my life.

2… I am thankful for my children and grandchildren. Elizabeth is my first-born child. She is 26 years old, a wife, a mother and a sister to our other children. Elizabeth and I have a very close relationship – she is not only my daughter, but also one of my best friends. She is a great mom to my only granddaughter. She has a strong faith in God, which is shared by her husband, Michael. She and Michael make a great team – a union formed under the leadership of our Lord. I know that whatever Elizabeth does in this life will be great because she allows God to lead her decisions.
Chance is my baby (even at 17 years of age), born to Jody and me after only 11 months of marriage. We knew that we wanted a child together after we married and were doubly blessed – becoming pregnant so quickly and having a boy – after having three girls in our family already. Chance is very loving and very sensitive. He has an amazing sense of humor and shares it with his family and friends! He is very intelligent and after being tested in while in grade school, was placed in the gifted program! He retains information without much study, but doesn’t always apply himself to schoolwork! He is in the process of learning to drive – even though he really doesn’t care whether he drives or not. He’s not in a hurry to drive and that’s okay with me.
Candace is one of my “instant’ children, becoming mine to share when Jody and I married. She is 24 years old, is a wife and a mother and a great sister to her our other children. She helps me a lot – always ready and willing if she’s needed. Candace is strong, even though she doesn’t know it always. She is a good mom to my two youngest grandsons and loves her boys over everything else. She doesn’t mind hard work and is a great housekeeper. Candace and I are close and I hope that never changes.
Toni is my other “instant” daughter – also becoming mine to share when Jody and I married. Toni is 27, is a wife and a mother to my oldest grandson. She takes her job as wife and mother very seriously and loves her family dearly. Toni was nine (9) when we married and she and I went through a lot of trials together. Toni loved her mom very much and wanted, of course, for her mom and dad to be together always. Toni’s mom died when Toni was 16 and that has been hard for her. I know that she would have loved for her mom to be around to see her as she is now and to have been there for her to share in her special moments – high school graduation, her marriage and the birth of her son. I love Toni and I will always.

3… I am thankful for my “other” family – my siblings, aunts and uncles and cousins. I grew up in a wonderful family in which we were very close to both my Dad’s family and my Mom’s family. We had great reunions – and still do – getting together often and therefore knowing each other well. My parents taught us – their children – to love God above all else and to live our lives according to His will. They taught us love and kindness and the importance of family. Both extended families are made up of Christians and that was evident in every aspect of our lives. When we all met together there was never drinking, distasteful language or mistreatment of each other. We always knew, and still know today, that each member of the families would do anything for any other member of the family – no matter what! My parents are both gone now – but we are still a family - They taught us that!

My thankful list is long – these are only three of my great blessings - as requested!

Okay, Elizabeth, Michael and Valerie, Tag... You're it!

The Job Hunting Begins!

It’s been a little while since I “blogged”, but I think I’m back. It’s been an adjustment waking up each morning without my Mom. She’s been my focus for such a long time and now that she’s gone I think I must be experiencing a different type of “empty nest syndrome”.

I spent this morning making calls to the Social Security Office, the Government Office of Personnel Management and other places to report her death and to stop benefits she had been receiving. I needed to make the calls last week, but just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

I now need to clean out her closet and send everything that she had left to a Christian Service Center to be used for someone else that might need it.

Jane had tentatively scheduled a pick up today for the lift chair and the lift that she had given me to help in the care of my Mom. It’s been snowing – lightly – since yesterday, so I’m not sure if that’s still on for today. She hasn’t called yet, so I guess they will still be driving out to pick up the equipment. The rental place that supplied the hospital bed and other equipment made their pickup last week, on Monday before the funeral. The only rental equipment left is the oxygen concentrator and I’m not sure where it came from. We brought it home from the nursing home with Mother. I will have to get with Hospice to see if they can figure out who needs to pick it up.
Jody painted my Mom’s room this weekend – red. The name of the paint color is “red hot”. He moved all of our exercise equipment into the room and I have started using my treadmill again! When I brought my Mom home that is something I stopped because we didn’t have any place to set up the equipment. I have no excuse now!

Since my Mom passed, it’s now time for me to go back to work. I have sent out several resumes and through prayer am asking God to open that door for me – in a job where I can make a difference and let others see Him living in me.

Jody and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary yesterday. Yes, we married on Valentine’s Day. We haven’t really celebrated yet but we will this weekend. Jody won a trip, through his job, to Florida for two nights, three days plus tickets to the Daytona Nascar races on Sunday. The hotel accommodations, tickets and roundtrip airfare are all provided to us. We will be leaving on Saturday morning and returning on Monday. I have only flown once in my life and have avoided it ever since because that one flight was more than enough for me!

I’m going to take the plunge this time because it means a lot to Jody. He was top sales in one of the products his employer sells and the trip was actually awarded by the manufacturer of the part, not his employer. It’s a pretty high honor, I think. This is the second year he has been the top seller and has received a nice prize for each year.

Well, I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I pray that I will allow God to lead me. I pray that I will be able to “hear” His instruction and be led to follow.

Job 37:
1) "At this my heart pounds and leaps from its place.
2) Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice, to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
3) He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth.
4) After that comes the sound of his roar; he thunders with his majestic voice. When his voice resounds, he holds nothing back.
God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; He does great things beyond our understanding.

Thank you to each and every one of you who has prayed for my family during the last few months. I appreciate it so much and I know those prayers helped us through a lot of anguish and sorrow.

Thursday Thirteen #10

Thirteen of the Greatest Promises I have been given!

1…. The promise of eternal life! What greater promise could ever be - than a life without sorrow or pain, only pleasure and happiness and the joy of seeing the face of God! I John 2: 24) See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25) And this is what he promised us—even eternal life.

2.... The promise of "peace" on this earth - even in the midst of turmoil, we are assured peace through our Lord. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds." --Philippians 4:6-7

3.... The promise that our Lord and Savior never changes - even with everyone and everything in our lives constantly shifts and changes - He remains the same. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8

4.... The promise of the power of prayer. "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:19,20

5.... The promise that we can "know" we are truly living in the Lord. “Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.” I John 3:24

6.... The promise that true justice will be known by all! In this world where sometimes it seems there is no justice, the time approaches when we will all know the power of the Almighty Judge! "God will bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed." Ecclesiastes 3:17

7.... The promise of equality among men. On this earth, where there is prejudice and hatred among people, we know that God puts no man above another - all people are equal in His eyes. Ecclesiastes 3: 19) "Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. 20) All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return."

8.... The promise that our needs will be met while living on this earth. Luke 12: 29) "And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30) For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31) But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well."

9.... The promises made on the day Jody and I married and took our vows together - to love, honor and cherish each other as long as we both shall live! God brought us together and what an amazing journey we share!

10... The promise my parents made to me that they would always love and care for their children - never forsaking any part of the responsibility God gave them when He brought us together.

11... The promise of family - brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, aunts and uncles - knowing that we will always love and be available to each other.

12... The promises made by my children - each and every time they fulfill a promise they've made, showing to everyone they meet that they are full of integrity and the love of the Lord.

13... Last but not least - the promise of "double coupon" day at the grocery store! Any time a dollar is worth two - that's a promise I hold dear to my heart!

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

A Tribute to My Mother

We buried my Mother today! The ceremony was everything we could have hoped for and exactly as she wished it to be with many flowers and a great attendance of family and friends who came to celebrate her passing! What a wonderful blessing! She is no longer in pain - no longer blind - no longer crippled and no longer tired! She was loved by many and will live in our hearts forever.

My Mother’s Hands
Author Unknown
I held her hands in mine last night…
they looked so thin and worn…
but they held
Mine just as tightly…
as the day that I was born.
Those gentle and expressive hands…
Etched by work and care…
have folded over My bedside…
many times in humble prayer.
They’ve washed for me…they’ve fed me…
They’ve helped me become who I am…
There’s something
Of our Lord, Himself…
In every Mother’s hands.

LaVerne lived a life of service to the Lord and also taught her children to love the Lord. The family worshiped for many years at the Church of Christ in the community where they lived. The family later moved to a new town and LaVerne was a member of the local congregation for over 25 years. She taught Sunday School classes most of her adult life, but especially loved teaching the babies. She taught classes for infants, age three months to two years enjoyed preparing the lessons and songs to present in the classes.

She worked for many years in food service – in a Hospital and later in several nursing homes throughout the state. She traveled to the different nursing homes teaching and supervising the dietary staff the proper methods of food preparation and safety.
At the age of 60, she took up painting for which she had great talent. One of the greatest losses she experienced was the loss of her eyesight which meant the end of her painting. She loved to paint and gave to each of her children beautiful works of art!
Her husband, Fred thought the paintings were good – but nothing extraordinary until he discovered that they were not paint-by-number works! When he found out that her paintings were done free hand, he too, was quite impressed with her talent.
LaVerne loved her family and enjoyed the time she spent with them. She loved taking care of her husband and children and always put their needs before her own. She took exceptional care of Fred during the last five years of his life when he was quite ill with congestive heart failure. During the last 24 hours of Fred’s life, at his request, she stood at the head of his hospital bed – for 20 hours straight – singing two of Fred’s favorite songs, Always and Sentimental Journey. She never left his side, nor did she stop singing those songs for that entire time.
She had a great love for reading and story telling. She would tell stories to the grandchildren and great grandchildren about her life experiences. The kids loved to hear the stories and always asked for more! She had a way of reciting events that made it exciting and wondrous to hear!
She grew up in a loving family with one sister and seven brothers. She was preceded in death by most of her family and leaves behind only one brother and her only sister.
She also was preceded in death by her husband, Fred and one grandson.
She leaves behind six children and their families: three sons and daughters-in-law and three daughters and sons-in-law. She leaves 17 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren as well as many nieces and nephews.

“I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;

even at night my heart instructs me.
I have set the LORD always before me.

Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad
and my tongue rejoices;

my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the grave,

nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
You have made known to me the path of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence,

with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
Psalm 16:7-11

I have very special memories of my Mother that I will forever hold as precious treasure, for me to have as my own to enable me to hold her near. But, I do have one special memory that I would like to share. This past year has been difficult, but even with the debilitating symptoms of Dementia we have had moments of absolute hysteria!
Mother always had a sense of humor and loved to play practical jokes, especially on co-workers. Even though her Dementia had taken away so many memories, she had days in which she would laugh right along with the rest of us at things she would say to us.
During the last few months, Mother did not recognize me as Ann or if she did know that I was Ann, she didn’t recognize that I was her daughter. She also did not believe that she lived with Jody and me in our home.
There were many days when Mother would tell me that she needed to go home – that she was not staying at our house any longer! To try to convince her that she did indeed live with us was pointless! Her mind could no longer grasp reason and no matter what we said to her, her reality was something that we were not a part of!
This one particular day, she had been insistent that she was going home! No matter what I said, she was going – even to the point of becoming angry with me for not allowing her to go home!
The only thing stopping her that particular day (according to her) was that she could not find her car – the car in which she had driven herself to our house that day!
She kept asking us all day to look outside for the car and to see if her car was down at the barn or at the house next door. To pacify her, we would each take turns walking outside and coming back in letting her know that we were unable to find the car.
Elizabeth, Michael and Addy came out on this same evening and she began asking them if they had seen her car as they drove to our house. They told her they had not seen it, but would look around as they left to go home.
Addyson loves the “Wizard of Oz” movie and talked about it all the time she was at the house that evening – including telling “Granny” all about the movie and talking extensively about each of the movie’s characters. Obviously, even though Mother could remember almost nothing else, she remembered her conversation with Addyson about the movie because as Michael and Elizabeth started to leave that night, Mother, trying to be helpful, let them know that they should look at one particular house for the car. She said she thought she left the car “at the house of the man who makes fun of ToTo” (the dog in Wizard of Oz)!Now, I’m sorry to have to inform you that Michael and Elizabeth were unable to locate either the car, “the man who makes fun of ToTo”, or the yellow brick road for that matter. So, as you go about your daily lives if you should happen to spot Mother’s car, please let us know! I’m sorry I can’t give you a description of the car because even though she remembered the house where she left the car, she could not remember the color, make or model of it! After hearing of the missing car, Rhonda suggested someone might check with Auntie Em and find out whether or not she has seen the car!

One of my sister’s best memories includes the special love Mom had for her family. She waited a long time before her first child was born and truly appreciated how blessed she was to have children.
Mom taught each of her children to understand the importance of family and that family doesn’t always mean “related by blood”. A lot of children have grown up calling her “Grandma LaVerne” and she loved each and every one of them.
There was never a doubt of the extent of her love for our Dad. It was evident during our entire lives and Daddy knew it even until the moment of his passing. During the last years of his life, the care she provided to him set a standard before her children that will serve as a measure of love that we pray we can emulate! She did things for Daddy that he could no longer do for himself while allowing him to maintain his dignity.
Mom used to sew when we were younger and taught all three of her daughters and some of granddaughters the art of sewing. She made each of her three daughters and also two of her daughters-in-law the dresses they wore to be married.
While her children were learning to drive, Mom was the parent in the front seat a lot of the time. She has passed on a few of her training techniques to at least two of her daughters, Ann and myself, which we have also introduced to our children. We learned to grave the dashboard, or stomp on the imaginary brake, and to gasp for air during especially trying times!
Mom taught each of us the importance of truth and taking responsibility for our own actions, including admitting when we make a mistake. I remember doing head stands in the living room chair and putting a hole in the wall with my feet! I covered the hole with a “lovely” dog poster absolutely positive she would never realize something wasn’t right! When she asked me about the poster, of course I tried to lie about what happened, but she knew I would eventually tell the truth! That was the worst punishment I could receive – living with that lie until I finally did confess the truth!Mom has left us a great example to follow and we will miss her!

One of my nieces also shared some of her special memories. She, like the rest of the family, has a lot of memories about Grandma, but there are some that especially have great meaning for her. Grandma loved having the grandkids around and during the summer the kids visited a lot. The kids enjoyed putting on plays for Grandma - and for Grandpa while he was still living. Grandma always encouraged the playtime – a great use of the imagination – and supplied any “props” the kids needed for their plays. She would help the kids come up with costumes and ideas for the plays and then excitedly watch the kids perform. On one occasion Jamie, Elizabeth and I actually wore tutu’s on our heads because Grandma said it made us look like “flowers”! Grandma also helped us make sock puppets so we could put on a puppet show for Brad, Joey, Stacey, Leslie and Andy.
Grandma used to have “Grandkids Night” where she would have all of the grandkids together for the evening and to spend the night with her and Grandpa. There was one particular Grandkids night where I helped Grandma make spaghetti. I was fixing Grandpa a plate and of course, filled it with a heaping helping of spaghetti! When I went to set the plate on the table by grandma so that I could get some salad for the plate, I knocked the plate of spaghetti into Grandma’s lap. She just sat there laughing, not upset at all. She always saw the humor in everything!
I can also remember going on a road trip with Grandma, Jamie and Elizabeth to visit family grave sites. Grandma made it so much fun! We stopped at a reststop and had a picnic lunch and then she took us through a town where Bonnie and Clyde , from the upstairs room of a main street hotel, were reportedly in a stand off with law enforcement.I have so many good memories with Grandma, but the best one is that she always let us use our imaginations no matter how silly or bizarre our ideas might be and she was never too busy to stop and watch what we were doing or to take a moment to enjoy our little shows!

Our Lives Will Never Be The Same

My Mother, LaVerne, passed away tonight. Christy, Mom's Hospice nurse came by this afternoon and told me then that her passing would be only a matter of hours. I called my brother, Gerry, to let him know and not an hour later, he and his wife arrived at the house to sit with us. He didn't want me to be alone when it happened and wasn't sure who was with me. I can't tell you how much that meant to me! My family is so awesome!

My cousin, Rhonda, and I had exchanged a couple of emails this afternoon about how surprised we were that Mother was still with us and I wanted to share this one I received from Rhonda before Mother passed away this evening:

"I too am so amazed that she continues to hang on. I was thinking this morning about how truly blessed I am/we are to have been born into such a strong Christian family. Grandma, Aunt Laverne, Mama, Aunt Flora have been so faithful and so exemplary of what real "women of faith" are all about. I can't tell you the number of times I've asked the Lord, "Why did you pick me to be so blessed as to be born into this family?" And . . . I continue to thank him each and every day for it. I only wish I could be such an example.
Sunday at church Johnny said (to the congregation), "We need to remember Laverne in our prayers -she is a true woman of God who has taught so many children and adults God's word. She has probably taught most everyone in this congregation."I thought, man, what an awesome woman . . . and an oh-so-true and accurate description."

I know how wonderful my Mother is and it's good to know that other people saw her love of God and her faith in her daily life! She has touched many lives and I'm so thankful to have been able to share her with the Lord. I pray that my faith is as visible to others as hers was to so many!

When she passed, I called Hospice and Carrie, the on-call nurse came out. She then made the phone calls necessary to the funeral home and to the doctor, relieving us of that responsibility. She and I made sure Mom was ready to go and then Carrie went about taking care of other necessary tasks such as counting her meds and disposing of them, as well as answering any questions we had about how things would happen now that she had passed.

The funeral director came out about an hour and a half later and then it was another half hour or so before the van arrived to take Mother to the funeral home. We were able to go in and see her one last time before they took her away. It was hard when they took her from the house. She has been living with us for the past six months, leaving the house only twice during that time! After they left, I went to her bedroom to see if there was anything that I needed to take care of before morning and found that someone - I believe it was probably Carrie - had made her bed with a beautiful quilt I had in her room and had taken from the wall the picture of her and my Dad and laid it on the pillow! The compassion shown by that action took my breath away!

My sister, Kathy and her daughter had arrived at the house just minutes after Mom passed. Kathy took her daughter home and then she and her husband came back and stayed until Mother was taken. It made things easier having loved ones around while everything was taking place. We - my brothers, sisters and spouses are meeting for breakfast together in the morning and then going to the funeral home to finish all the preparations. Unfortunately, my oldest brother lives in Texas and will not be here until Sunday. He came up Wednesday evening to see Mother, but had to go back Thursday morning to clear up some business before he and his wife could come back this weekend.

Mother had a pre-arranged plan and she also was very active in planning her own funeral service, so we didn't have a lot of thinking that had to be done! Mother always showed us how much she loved us - her children - and her planning everything was just another demonstration of that love! She wanted to make things as easy for us as possible and we intend to carry out her wishes as a demonstration of our deep love and respect for her.

Our lives will never be the same after tonight. They changed twelve years ago when my Dad died and losing my Mom is every bit as difficult. Both my parents were Christians and knowing that they will be together again for eternity in Heaven is a huge comfort! They left us with memories of a loving home and our "safe place to fall". Nothing can ever take away from the life they gave us and the memories that are ours forever!

Thank You for Your Prayers!

”Carry each other's burdens,

and in this way you will fulfill

the law of Christ.”

Galatians 6:2

I want to thank each of you who has joined us in prayer over my Mom! My family and I can feel the presence of the Lord comforting us and guiding us through this very difficult time.

We are ready - have clothing and arrangements planned. Mother wanted her family members to record some of her favorite songs to be played during the funeral. We met on Tuesday evening and had a really good turnout. My Mom's sister Nelda, two of her daughters and sons-in-law - Jim and Carol, Gary and Rhonda, and many of their children also participated. None of us are professional singers, although we do have some really great singers in the family (unfortunately, I am not one of them), but this was what Mother wanted and so we did it for her!

I'm extremely grateful to each of our family members who participated. I brought a CD home with the recording we made and we played it for Mother. I'm believing that she was still able to hear it even though we no longer get any reactions or responses from her. Her oxygen saturation level has been below 80 for the past three days which probably has caused her to stop responding. She seems to be comfortable except when we move her to change her or straighten her bed, and we are thankful for that comfort.

We continue to watch and pray, knowing that a better place awaits!