Mothers day week-end and some AMAZING GRACE!

We spent it in Foley - Everyone brought something to eat and Chris made the meat!
It was wonderful for everyone to get to be together even if it isn't for a long time.
My favorite part was Emily wrote a poem...
(she is going to send it to me to put on here... that needs to be done soon!)
she read it to us with everyone in the room.
Then she had her sisters and kids sing Amazing Grace for grandma ...
the memory of it still brings a fullness to my heart...
I'll never forget this mothers day!
I also got my silver "Oragami Owl" necklace with my grandkids birthdays in it.  I always tell them not to buy me anything.  I will admit ...
I love it!
And I love my family!!!
Happy mothers day everyone!

This picture is from Boston, however, it shows my three beautiful singing girls... so it is appropriate right here!!!!!!!!!!!!!  AMAZING GRACE!

BOSTON

Please come to Boston in the spring time...
it's so pretty and we have lots of room.
And so,
for Grannie's 80th birthday we decided we would do just that!
Grandma had a party at her apartment for all the people who live there.  She made breakfast bake and muffins, juice and coffee.  Lacey and Nola came to help us set it out and serve it and it ended up to be a great party!  This was on Thursday the 13th of March which is her actual 80th birthday.  It was nice to be together with friends...
but,
even nicer when we flew off in a jet plane to Boston on April ? (gotta get exact dates here)
With lots of planning Lindsey got the rooms and airfare booked.
Emily, Lindsey and Lacey worked on getting places for their kids to go while their momma's were gone.
Emily's three, JaciAnna, Conner D and Jordyn Noel,  stayed their daddy. Mom got lots of activities planned and friends house's for them to stay at too! This way there would be no worries while momma went on her first plane ride to be with her grandma for the celebration!
Lacey's little Nola Jean went with her daddy to Rockport to see her Bubcha and Jadeck.  Momma didn't  have any worries, Nola was with family who loves her and they were so happy to see her again!
Lindsey's baby Cassie Grace stayed with her daddy and her grandma and grandpa Johnson.  It was the first time Cassie was away from her momma, but, she did wonderful too!
Grams and I just had to get everything squared away with her medical blood clot problem - wowser, what a time to end up in the hospital with a clot...
two weeks before we are scheduled to leave on our trip.
She got the okay and we left to go to Lindsey's on Wednesday night.  We stopped to eat at a little restaurant in Blaine and I was up all night with the trots... no eating for me on the plane until we were close to a bathroom!
The flight went without a hitch and we were on our way!
We had a wonderful time together...
it was like old times, me, mom and the three girls.  I don't think we squabbled at all (if we did it has been long forgotten).  We just had a peaceful wonderful time.
Lindsey made a book with all the pictures in it and highlights!  Make sure to stop by and check it out. I will add a few pictures here, just so you know how much fun we had...
next year "Door County"

Our first supper in Boston - with my baby and momma!

The flight to Boston...

The motel lady liked gram's!

Getting ready to hoop it up!

hooping it up!!

Emi without children!

Lindsey hooping it up!

Lindsey and Emi toasting to a great 4 days ahead!

The museum

The birthday lobster!

me and my most beautiful wonderful momma!

It was cold out but we walked to the trolly and stopped for a picture

gazing at all the treats!

We are all home safely now again, the world has gone on and we have delved back into our busy lives... but, it was sure fun to say we went to Boston and it leaves a great memory in our hearts for ever!
Love you Grandma D!  Happy 80th birthday.

EASTER

This year for Easter the girls all came to our house on Saturday with their kids.  Emily and my mom went with Diane E to see Linda in the Mayo hospital.  Emi would be spending the night there with Linda so that her family could spend Easter with their family at home.  Mom drove back with Diane that night.  Lindsey and Cassie Grace stayed down at grandma's apartment with her and at about 11:30 pm we got a TXT from Lindsey...
"It is not a stalker outside your house, it is Cassie and I, she wouldn't sleep so we went for a drive. "
The TXT made us smile but we felt bad that our little girl wouldn't sleep.  The little gal finally did give into sleep and was ready to go the next morning!  JaciAnna stayed with Grams and Cassie Grace also.  While she was there she got all the eggs ready for hiding on Sunday.
Here in the little brick house was, me, pops, Conner, Nola, Jordyn, Lacey.  After everyone went to sleep I got all the baskets ready for the morning.
Morning arrives...
children are excited!
We went to church and then waited for Emi to come home from Rochester (she drove Doug's car to Arlington and arrived about 12:30)

Cassie Grace and Papa... not quite ready for the Easter egg hunt yet this year... but she has a pretty dress for the day!

All the grandkids looking for the hidden eggs!  Lindsey and JaciAnna were the heads of this fun time!

Nola Jean shows her egg off to the camera

.  All of us had a wonderful dinner together, there was an Easter egg hunt and we went to the park.  Here is a few pictures showing the kids hunting for their hidden treasures! It was a beautiful day and fun was had by all.

Time

It has been a long winter...
now it seems summer is almost here and I wonder where did the time go?
Time has passed me by, so many memories to get on paper.
The fragile intricacies of spring looking at me from outside the dirty windows...
it is time to write of grandma's 80th birthday in Boston...
Easter,
Linda,
and time spent together with family and friends...
I will find the time again...
to clean the windows...
and write...
and to smell the tulips.

The safe applesauce

There is only one left in the cupboard and it is found at 7:30 at night.
It is in her hand as she comes to me...
"grammie, can I have this/"
"not now it is to late to be eating applesauce, it is almost time for bed.  You can have it tomorrow

for dinner, would that be okay?"
"well it is the last one and I don't want to have Chloe eat it"
My now, that does pose a problem doesn't it?  What would indeed happen if Chloe got the cupboard door open and got into that last container of applesauce?  How could this dilemma  be solved?
She has it in her hand and decides that she will hide it from Chloe,
finds a safe place on the open book shelf and hides it.
About two weeks later when I am dusting I happen upon the last container of applesauce -
it is safe until after dinner!

Ahes for beauty

She bounds through the family room, lady bug bag in hand, stuffed to the brim with things she will need for our class.  It is from 6:00 - 7:00 at the Gaylord school.
She slips on her black boots that Emily got her, I tell her "those sure are a cute pair of boots"...  she tells me they are from Bubcha.
Little lavender coat, that her momma got her in the beginning of this long cruel winter, sweet baby curls winding around her cherub face, her eyes lit with excitement about the upcoming hour.
I am happy when we get there, she takes to the tables of crafts, enjoying the making of beauty from the supplies.  There are little children everywhere, grandma's loving them - so proud you think you can see it in thier eyes...
memories of their own children growing, going to school, the ache in the heart as you send them out in to the world.
Jesus gently comes to me and I see Him pick up all the ashes of life.
It is a wild world out there, but safely tucked in to each trial is the love of Jesus spreading over His creation,
as He gently picks up our mistakes and transforms our ashes in to beauty.
Little handprints, flowers made of coffee filters, and a butterfly made of grapes and fish crackers...
I breath in as I hold her hand and we walk to the car.
I breath in the fresh air of transformation and see that of all the things I have been blessed with
...there is just nothing better than this!

13 years

We went to see her last night, my mom and I.  Our friend of 40 years is very sick in earthly words.  She knows her Savior, she knows us inside out, but she is still sick.  If a thousand "I love you's" could save her from the valley's we find ourselves in on earth...
she would have been pulled out with human words a long time ago.
But, as we talked to her and she laid in the bed, soft grey curls on her pillow... the words on her night stand read about Jesus being in the valley with us.  You could feel his presence in the room as we read the bible verse on the card.
Her breath catching and the work of taking a pill exhausting her from the movement.
Mom laid on the bed next to her and they held hands, not speaking, just sharing each others breaths, first one and then the other.
Linda is 13 years younger than my mom who just turned 80 on March 13th.
She is 13 years older than me.
And the memories wash over me and a joyful sadness fills my heart...
years of laughter, sorrow, pain, but most of all joy.  I feel as though I want to live in this moment forever and I kick myself for not having a camera.
I want to snap a picture of those hands clasped together holding on, laying on the soft bed of life.
His voice comes to me,
"you have a picture my child, it is etched in your soul".
I lift up my voice to the heavens and pray healing for our dear friend. Wisdom to the Dr.'s that will be looking at all the papers,
from all the tests,
that have filled her days these last 3 months...
and I give thanks to Him for this moment...
as I feel Him etching it in my heart.  As my soul cries out for mercy I can see through my tears, a beautiful picture of friends that never say good-by.  They only speak with the pictures etched deeply within their souls...
until we meet again.