Heart of a Mom » Remembering Loved Ones

It’s A Twin Thing…

cc — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:29:04 +0000

My twin sister is the best.We have shared many wonderful times together over these past “few” okay, forty, years.

We spoke the same language, shared similar thoughts, and just had a lot of fun together.

Sure, we fought at times, but mostly we laughed…and sometimes it wasn’t at the most appropriate times (like during a class or a prayer).

We also loved talking together. Unfortunately, we never mastered the art of talking while driving…and ending up at the correct location-lots of examples to share there. I remember in seventh grade, the youth minister was trying to take us home (this was way before GPS and cell phones) after a youth group function. We knew our address, but we had no idea how to get to our house. The only thing we could remember was that we lived by a Kroger. So, hours later, we finally made it home. Then, the night before we started college, we practiced driving out to the university. We were so happy we made it there, but just because you arrive at your destination, it doesn’t always mean that you know how you got there, or exactly how to get back home. Lost in a bad part of town, we frantically called our parents from a pay phone and told them that we had no idea where we were, and that we saw some scary-looking biker dudes, and then we hung up. Needless to say, that was one phone call my parents did not like to receive!

When we started babysitting together in fifth grade. The mom was leaving and said (to her kids):”Y’all be good.” And C. and I said: “…We will!”

We worked together, and even when we had different jobs, they were right next to each other in the mall. We were usually a good team.

However, we broke a few things along the way.

There was that time where we broke a window to get into our house because we had to go to work (I think we were freshmen in college). We were very disappointed to find our other sister had been home the whole time…but she was taking a shower when we rang the doorbell!

We broke our fingers on the same day, at about the same time, but different places.

We made a game of everything. When we were in third grade, we would take our dirty socks off and throw them at a picture on our bedroom wall. We even kept score. The loser would have to stand on the rocking chair to get them down. Sadly, C. broke her arm retrieving socks, and that was the end of that game.

Then, there was the time we burned the wall by the oven when we were making popcorn. The way I remember it, we each thought the other one was watching the oil in the pot for popping popcorn on the stove top. That was when we learned not to pour water on a grease fire!

We married best friends, too. They both shared the same name. Our first born daughters were born on the same day, just five years apart. Our second daughters were born only a week apart. Also, I had contractions when I was trying to help C. with her second delivery (I was four months pregnant), and they ordered me to go home, but I was able to get them under control, and came back.

Back in the days when we didn’t even know what a carb. was, and frankly, didn’t care, we devoured an entire extra large pizza…and we were proud of this feat!

We also have always loved singing together, and I am thankful that the Lord has blessed us with each other and He is the theme of our songs.

Now, at forty, we both have a G.P.S., cell phones, and we microwave our popcorn:).

I had to get her back for "decorating" my house. After all, she is five minutes older!

Pictures from our “funeral” given by my wonderful, yet crazy, aunts and relatives!

Grace’s B-day…Thankful for Grace!

cc — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 22:31:27 +0000

Grace has always been very full of life and sweetness. She loves to sing and to care for her family, and she is quick to think of others. She is very gentle with children and loves to have fun and play games…that is, until someone gets hurt. Unfortunately, four out of eight times, that someone has been Grace. As I have probably mentioned before, she has had the most E.R. visits than any of our kids. Therefore, she was lovingly referred to as “Danger Girl” by an observant neighbor:)

We realized Grace was daring when she was just a baby. Because she was so tall, she managed to escape her crib at a young age.

When she was only two months old, she had two teeth already. At six months, she had eight. This was different from my first two daughters (whom Grace sometimes called “girls” when she was learning to talk). Because of her teeth, she was able to bite off things unexpectedly…like a plastic toy baby bottle of the girls, a glass ornament, and a Dorito. We had to constantly remind people not to let her “gum” anything because she was a baby with many teeth! I did many finger sweeps on her!

She was very skilled with her long hands when she was an infant. She took off a button from my blouse at church one day, and handed it to me. She did the same thing to a friend of mine. While we were eating, we always had to place our glasses pretty far from her because she could easily reach them. I remember one time when she spilled a huge glass of ice water on Daddy!

One night, I stood by the fridge and asked BC what sounded good to eat for dinner. Meanwhile, our ten-month-old Grace quickly crawled into the fridge and took out the egg carton (cracking a few). So, we decided to have eggs for dinner!

“I like food, Momma!” exclaimed our little picky eater one day. Whew!

When she was four, she lost her entire nail in the bedroom door jamb. Evidently, she was trying out a new look, as preschoolers do, and her sisters laughed at her ensemble of a swimsuit worn over her pink “footsie” pajamas. She said, “I’m telling Momma!” as she slammed the difficult door, but she forgot that her other hand was in the door jamb. The nail was off and the finger was cut to the bone (partial amputation)….and flapping. She rushed to the nearby bathroom and put it under cold water. When I came in, she calmly said, “Momma, I think I need a band-aid!” Ouch! My college first-aid class did not prepare me enough, as I panicked, called an ambulance (we only had one car at that time), and sent my other children to a neighbor’s house. This would be her first ambulance drive…wearing the interesting outfit…and her first four stitches. After that, we had what we called “an open door policy”, and doors were not to be closed by little hands.

When she was four, she asked me, “Momma, do you think I should cut off my fingers?” (as she was holding her hands out in front of her). Of course, she meant to imply that it was time for me to trim her nails!

And when she was a young toddler, she would hold her hands straight out, open her eyes wide, and round out her mouth with a silly face, and then make all of us laugh! She laughed right along with us.

Grace has always loved chewing gum. Once, when she was very small, we were shopping at Sam’s. Grace was in the front basket. I’ll never forget the moment I saw something blue in her mouth. Being surprised, I asked BC if he happened to give her some gum. We were both horrified when he said, “No”. “Oh no!…ABC gum!” (Already Been Chewed), we gasped, and I fished the nasty gum out of her mouth.

As seen below in the picture from Bradley’s Ball birthday party, the aquarium, not the pinata, would break the following month, and Grace, unfortunately, would end up with stitches. When they gave her seven stitches, she assumed it was because she was seven years old. (In her defense, she did have four stitches when she was four).

Her knee was deeply cut by a fake coin that came off (well, the boys cut it off) from a sewing embellishment which had been previously used for a pirate outfit. It was unknowingly buried under a couch cushion. Later, when Grace kind of jumped to sit on her knees on the couch, she was cut by the mysterious buried treasure. These things just seemed to happen to her.

Grace also had quite the imagination, and two imaginary pet dinosaurs when she was young. Their names were “Pee Kee” (Picky) and “Bahshe” (Bossy). They were the flying kind.

She loves monkeys. She has always wanted to get one when she grows up.

Her other love is sharks…scary, huh?

Like many girls I know, Grace has always had a fondness for shoes. The first time she went to a “Payless Shoe Store” and saw the many stacks of shoes, she was an overjoyed preschooler. She quickly told me, “When I grow up, I want to work at Payless and be a doctor!

On 9-11-01, Grace trusted in Jesus for her salvation. She asked me if all the people that died in the twin towers and airplanes went to be with Jesus. We talked about life and death; heaven and hell; sin and self, and later on she was baptized by Daddy.

She loves flowers. Whenever she spies flowers, her eyes open up like they are about to bloom (like one of those flowers that you might view with time-lapse photography on nature shows).

Here is our 14 year old beautiful young lady!

More on our sweet Grace…a.k.a. “Danger Girl” here…

water balloon incident…

Grace at age 8-if you look closely, you will notice her left pupil is larger than her right.

aquarium accident…

birth story…

One thing is for sure…God has given her extra grace when she has gone through trials. Praise His name…the One who is full of grace.

P.S. What is the most daring thing I heard that she did?…Years ago, she tried to see how many steps on the stairs of our house that she could jump down safely…but, she missed a few. Yikes! She was okay, but promised me she would never try that again!

Faith: Twelve Years Old!

cc — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 15:01:52 +0000

Where does time go? My baby girl is twelve today! Here are a dozen things/memories I love about Faith:

On her birth…Well, naturally, the day she was born…naturally. We named her Faith because I had hemorrhaged with my previous pregnancy, so we were taking a big step of faith believing God would deliver her, and deliver me also. The doctor told me she didn’t think it would happen again, but there were no guarantees. Oh, Faith looked just like a baby doll—so precious! And we had a healthy baby and Momma! Praise the LORD!

On her second birth…The night she came into our room (about 11:00 p.m.), and awakened us by exclaiming, “I said it!” I thought she had said something bad, and I told her it would be okay, and that Jesus forgives us if we just ask Him. But she said, “No, I mean I said it. I prayed to ask Jesus to forgive my sins, and be my Savior.” She had been wrestling with this decision for awhile. It was a happy night indeed! We were thrilled to be awakened by the fact that she was awakened to her need of a Savior! It was the night before she turned seven. We were thrilled that she now would celebrate two birthdays (physical and spiritual)!
On her common sense…At six years of age, she broke her pinkie finger with a basketball. She said she was doing the pinkie splits (she’s double jointed) with her hand on the stairs, and the basketball that she had placed on the stair above her, rolled down and dropped on her pinkie…kind of giving her permanent pinkie splits! The orthopedist said that it was so far removed from the other fingers that he needed to reset it,and he gave her a pink cast to wear! The cast was removed and the orthopedist’s instructions of “No P.E. for two weeks” seemed to also be removed from my daughter’s hearing. As soon as we had arrived home, I witnessed her perform a one-handed cartwheel. When I quickly reminded her she wasn’t supposed to be using that hand, she said, “I know, that’s why I only did a one-handed cartwheel using my other hand.”

On her vocabulary…One time when she was about three, we were driving down the road. I said, “Look at all those bluebonnets!”

Faith piped in “…and ‘yellow bonnets’ too!” There were also yellow flowers!

On animals…I love to watch her play with dogs, cats, bunnies, lizards, and frogs. She loves them! I remember the time she caught a lizard and asked me if she could keep it inside. I let her keep it for a day, then we let him go.

On her favorites…She loves her family, mysteries, sign language, sewing, crotchet, drawing, memorizing Scripture, computer games and of course, puzzles.

On strength…She is very strong. The boys are hoping they can one day beat her at arm-wrestling!

On her music…She is very musical. She whistles, sings harmony by ear, and plays the lap harp, recorder, and harmonica.

On humility…She is cute, and smart. I told her when she was about three, “You sure are cute!”.

She said, “And I’m smart, too!”

On shots…The way she took her shots so well at the doctors. One day they had to draw blood, and she was so into it. She was watching them take blood, and commented on how neat it looked. The nurse was amazed at how a three-year-old was so good for all of that. Years later, she did almost faint after a blood draw. I caught her, and she rested in the hallway of a medical building. Thankfully, a nearby nurse from a different office brought her ice. More importantly, her blood tests came back normal! I remember feeling so relieved!

li>On art…She is great at drawing, and with scissors. She used to be my human paper shredder. Of course, there was the time she cut her hair right before prayer meeting…yikes!

She is such a super helper. She loves to clean and organize, and really sticks with a project until it’s completed. Thanks, Faith!Happy Birthday, sweet girl!

Faith with her hand-sewn quilt.

Grandpas…

cc — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 04:09:19 +0000

Twenty years ago, my dear grandfather went to be with the LORD. He was my one and only grandfather when I was growing up, as my mom’s dad died before I was born. I really missed him, and I realized how blessed we were to have him around. He was a good man who could fix just about anything, which worked out well because he had some grandchildren who could break just about anything. He loved being on the porch and especially the garage. He loved having things neat, like his house, garage, and car. His specialty (as in what he did for fun) was painting walls and houses.

He had a twinkle in his eye that told you he loved you, even if he didn’t say it too often. He loved giving us “some sugar”, which is what he called a kiss on the cheek, and real sugar, too. I remember my mom telling us how he gave all four of us chocolates one Easter morning, right before church, and we (being the little chocolate-loving beasts that we were/are) devoured them. Let’s just say that our white Easter dresses took on a completely different look. Mom said that grandpa also took on a completely different look-one that was absolutely stunned by our demolition speed!

I remember feeling his whiskers on his face and, obviously, feeling comfortable enough to ask him personal questions. Once I asked him why his nose hairs were so long, and he didn’t get too mad at me. He had a good sense of humor, although he was a bit of a prankster. Countless times he warned me about hairy-legged boys, and often told my brother to eat (fill in blank) because it would put hair on his chest. Things did seem a little “hairy” at times, especially the time when we totally embarrassed him at a certain restaurant. As an unsuspecting woman ate at a neighboring booth, we (sly little children) put pieces of hamburger meat in her beautiful hair, which, ironically, was in a bun. He nearly died of embarrassment.

Many years later, Grandpa went to be with our LORD, yet it was so hard to believe that he was gone. I remember thinking it was just a bad dream and hoping that Grandpa would miraculously come back to life. I guess I just couldn’t imagine life without him. I especially remember watching classic movies with him in the summer and laughing along with “I Love Lucy”. There is something about Jimmy Stewart that still makes me think of Grandpa.

Shortly after he died, I married BC and inherited another grandpa: BC’s sweet Paw Paw. We were blessed by him. Although he tried to fix lots of things, the family lovingly refers to some of his “fixes” as “Paw Paw-rigged”. He was very kind and easy to be around. His high voice and sweet character reminded us of the grandpa on the “Waltons” (played by Will Geer). One time, I felt so comfortable with him in the room, which was filled with only ladies, that I said, “It’s okay, we can talk about that. Paw Paw is just one of the girls!” And he was so tickled to be included. So, when God called him home in 1999, it sort of felt like losing my grandpa again.

Many years ago when G.G. remarried, we had another man that came into our lives that also took on the role of grandpa. Charles, or “G.P.”, could always make us smile. More importantly, he brought the smile back to my sweet grandma’s face. One of the things I love about G.P. is his life stories; they are very entertaining! I also admire his writing. We are blessed to still have G.P. and G.G. with us. (By the way, G.G. is doing so much better, and we can’t wait to see them this summer!)

Our Neighbor Bob

All three of these men desired to be helpful, and they were. Sometimes in life, you find a “grandpa-like” person right down your street. We were blessed to know and love a wonderful and helpful man named Bob. If I could give an award out to the “best neighbor ever”, he would probably win it. He was always kind and thoughtful to us, and not just us, but everyone in the neighborhood. He’d come by early to check on our family if BC’s car was parked out front on a school day…sometimes so early that I know I probably scared him with my “early morning look and attire”, but thankfully he never laughed at me. I know he noticed because he was a very observant man. As he helped us out when things would break (which happened more than once), he was a great example of a servant. He was like an emergency dad down the street. He helped my husband fix our cars, lawnmowers…multiple times. He had just about every tool made, and…he knew how to use them.

I remember one time he stayed up all night trying to figure out what was wrong with our riding lawn mower, and he actually found a solution! His mind’s wheels were constantly turning. That next day, he excitedly tried to explain to me the inner workings of the engine, but I have to admit, I was slightly confused. It’s not really my world; however, I admired his knowledge and listened. I loved his mindset, which was also present in our grandparents and their wise generation, that considered trying hard to fix a problem and find the answers. Sometimes, I have easily be tempted to say: “Well it’s broken, maybe we should just buy a new one!”, but Bob has encouraged me to try to fix things. A few days ago, I fixed the leak in the air mattress. I know BC has learned quite a lot from him, as he helped him with all things mechanical. He also helped us fix our washer and dryer and they even let us use their washer and dryer while we were in limbo.

They were truly wonderful neighbors. His spic and span garage was the place he loved to be, or maybe it was in the yard…by the tree. Speaking of trees, he was one of the neighbors who helped me plant the trees in our front yard. He planted many trees in his yard, too. A few years back, we were so sad to hear they might be moving, and then so glad to hear it was just around the corner. He always made us feel welcome in his home, and brought candy to our kids. One Thanksgiving, he brought over an extra turkey they had. They really were so generous. They gave us some nice furniture, too.

Bob loved to fish, and he loved to talk. He really didn’t keep it pithy, but he always wore a hat that read: “Keep it pithy” (which is an SAT word meaning: short and sweet!). When I saw him in the hospital, I asked him if he was keeping it pithy. He half-smiled and coughed as it was very difficult for him to speak. As he went to be with the Lord on May 22, I am happy that he is now pain-free and able to speak once again. Or will he even be able to find the words when he views our sweet Savior and heaven
(as the half has only been told). I’m pretty sure words will come, along with his charming smile.

When this former Navy man was nearing his last days, we know his “ship” did indeed come in. We also know that we have a Lord, Jesus Christ, who is the “Captain of our salvation”, and He called Bob home to the beautiful shores of heaven. Unfortunately, he went sailing out to sea, and his sweet wife, Barbara, is left waiting to meet him on that beautiful shore. They will be reunited someday. Below, I included a blue-grass song that we plan to sing at his memorial service. I’m pretty sure a Christian will see Jesus first (as I included the other song), but nevertheless, in our humanity…in our journey as husbands/wives and parents/children we surely know that love is strong and death can be quite difficult.

I am encouraged by G.G. and G.P. who made it when their spouses had to journey on. We are thankful that God in his mercy allowed us more time with them, even though we lost a dear loved one. Nana also has encouraged me. It did take some time to heal. Someone recently told me that the grieving process takes a month for every year you were married. I believe it! Please say a prayer for sweet Barbara and another dear neighbor, Margie, who also just recently lost her husband of 49 years, Pat. We went to Pat’s memorial last Saturday, May 21. We are singing at his graveside service today. In May 2011, these two dear neighbors went to heaven. They will be missed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwxL9ekKtbU&feature=related\"Far Side Banks of Jordan\"

\"My Savior First Of All\"

Happy Birthday, Uh-Oh!

cc — Thu, 12 May 2011 10:00:29 +0000

Dear Dad,
Happy Birthday to you! I hope you enjoy your fill of American cheese and smoked meats, even if they have been linked to Alzheimer’s (inside joke:)). You are very special to me, and my number one fan in the blog world and the real world (mom included, as y’all are one). Thanks for all you do.

Uh-Oh loves American cheese!

Thanks for years of wonderful memories, like the numerous times you “flipped” us off of your legs in the pool. Fun memories! Thanks for coming to most of my basketball games (even when I scored for the other team, and fouled out in the first four minutes!), track meets, choir concerts, and plays. Thanks for taking us on trips, especially to see our grandparents. Thanks for taking us to church.Thanks for loving mom and all of us. Thanks for all of the laughs we continue to share when we are together! Your source of joy is from Jesus, and I’m so thankful you have always pointed us to Him.Thanks for always buying me ice-cream and giving me a cool pin to wear when I was expecting my first child which read: “I’m pregnant, feed me ice-cream!” (I wore it during all my pregnancies). Thanks for being a great dad and grandpa Uh-Oh.

Here I am with the beloved doll that you helped Nonnie make for us for Christmas 1978. And yes…I still have it! Thanks for the great Christmas memories!

Here I am at sixteen…wearing way too much make-up!

Happy Fishing!
P.S. Enjoy some ice-cream today. I’d loan you my ice-cream pin, but…I think we might have to cross out the words “I’m pregnant” and scribble in:”It’s my birthday!” instead:)
Oh, you might want to avoid the jalepenos or gobble them down and inform the world, “if you smell gas, it’s me!” (sorry, I just had to mention that story again)

Michelle-Sweet Memories

cc — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 02:05:40 +0000

sweet michelle

Michelle is sweet sixteen, and sweet she is. I will try to make this post short and sweet as I mention a few sweet things she does. Undoubtedly, she bakes the best sweets, like apple crisp. She also relishes creating new meals for us to try. She weaves beautiful friendship bracelets to share. Sweet, right?. She even made some for Mom and Dad-super sweet! As she sings sweet harmonies with her family and choirs, many ears are blessed. Frequently, Michelle loves to take sweet shots with her cameras. She also treasures helping sweet little children. When she can, she cherishes time spent reading sweet stories. She smiles sweetly, and has endured braces for over a year now. She sews a variety of items, and she crafts sweet cards with the sweetest handwriting. She is also a super home sweet home school student. How’s that for sweet sixteen (I included sixteen “sweets”)

Paid In Full

cc — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:49:22 +0000

I recently baby-sat for a mother of two small children (one being an infant). She needed to run to the store, and wasn’t exactly sure how easy that would be with both of them. Believe it or not, I remember those feelings, and those days. The days where shopping with even two children was always an adventure, and timing was everything, but oh-so-sweet times!

I specifically recall one adventurous time when I was shopping with Paige (my eldest), who was three years old (and I only had two children back then). We were at a Christian book store, and her hands were wanting to touch everything. One phrase I seemed to always be repeating was, “Look with your eyes, not your hands.” But ah… then came a teachable moment. Paige spied a shiny, gold-plated bookmark with words engraved on the top. She knew the letters were words and sweetly asked me what those words said. I told her, “Paid…in…full” (being a teacher, I was speaking slowly and running my fingers underneath the words).

Then, I went on to explain how salvation is a free gift to us, and how Jesus paid for it when He died on the cross. Well, in all my explaining, and poor usage of the pronoun “it”, I failed to communicate very well. My error became pretty obvious to me when I returned home and she took out her bookmark to show Daddy her free gift. Well, being the cute “free”-year-old that she was, we all had a good laugh, and then we returned it to Scripture Stall.

As we entered the store, I shared the story of our first (and last) shoplifting experience, which became quite a spirit-lifting experience! This was definitely a “happy return”. In my few experiences with returning items, I cannot remember a single time when the service desk people gave me a laugh (yes, sometimes I received service with a smile-albeit, a possible fake one). Well, audible laughter trickled out of the patient clerk who was behind the counter at Scripture Stall that day!

God’s salvation is a free gift. It cost us nothing, yet cost Him everything!

Here are the words to a favorite hymn that our choir has learned at co-op:

“Free, Free, Free”

(Author and composer unknown)

(vs. 1) Hark! sinner, hark! we have tidings so true,

Tidings of pardon and blessings for you!

God, in His word says that Christ on the tree,

Died for guilty sinners, and “Salvation is free.”

Chorus:

Hear the news, sinner, free! free! free!

Why not believe it ? ‘Tis good news for thee.

Jesus the Just One has died on the tree,

Died for guilty sinners, and “Salvation is free.”

(vs. 2) Guilty you are, yet you know very well

Jesus has suffered to save you from hell;

Tho’ now condemned, justified you may be,

Jesus paid the ransom, and “Salvation is free.”

(vs.3) Trust not in “doing,” it cannot avail.

Good resolutions and works can but fail;

“Grace, grace alone,” is the saved sinner’s plea,

“Not of works,” the Scriptures say, “Salvation is free.”

(vs.4) Trust not in feelings, your heart is depraved.

Trust only Jesus, who now lives to save;

Tears of repentance, tho’ real they may be,

Ne’er can purchase heaven, for “Salvation is free.”

Nine years ago today, Paige was diagnosed with cancer. I continually praise the Lord Jesus Christ that he saved her from a deadly disease. I also praise the Lord for taking our eternal life-threatening disease, which is sin, and giving his life to pay for the penalty of our sin in order that we might live with the Lord Jesus, the only One who conquered death and the grave, forever.
Here is a song that I recently heard and enjoyed…
Christ Is Risen By Matt Maher

Cancer Reflections/Only a Child of Eight

cc — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 03:43:34 +0000

As Bradley recently turned eight, my mind naturally turned back to when my first child (who was also eight) was diagnosed with cancer. I was 3 months pregnant with Bradley when I heard those four life-changing words: “Your daughter has cancer.” I remember one time when Bradley (age 3) had a cold; he asked me if he had cancer, and if he was going to die. Poor kid! I never grew up with cancer, or a sibling who had cancer. I have prayed that it stays far, far away from our home.

However, sometimes, we reflect on how much we learned from cancer’s most unexpected visit, and we are thankful. I wrote the following poem in the fall of 2004 when we were doing just that. My poem is a compilation of some of Paige’s quotes. Her hair was growing back, and she was happy to finally have more hair than her two-year-old brother, Bradley! My broken heart had been repaired, and was beating with thankfulness and praise to the LORD, Jesus Christ. My children were all alive and well, outside of a few colds (which, I assured them, were not cancerous).

Journey With Cancer

My daughter was diagnosed with cancer.

She was only a child of eight.

I asked her to share some things that were bad,

And also some things that were great.

She said, “Getting shots was no fun at all!”

I had to agree with her, too.

‘Cause giving her shots was sometimes my job;

A job I did not like to do!

She talked on losing her lunch and dinner,

And the sad day she lost her hair.

But quickly said, “Mom, you know, some of my friends…

Lost their lives on earth…let’s stop there.”

She said she was thankful she has her life.

And for the gifts along the way:

“Cards, candy, games, hats, Make-A-Wish trip,

Videos, pilot for a day!”

“The love from family and friends, doctors,

Nurses, and some I’ve never met!

Learning about cancer, trusting Jesus,

And learning about life and death.”

“What is your most favorite possession?”

I asked her a few months ago.

“Jesus is my favorite possession!

Oh Momma, didn’t you know?”

~CC

"Pilot For A Day"

My children teach me things all the time. I’ll never forget the day I gave Paige the word “possession” for her spelling test, and then asked her what her favorite possession was. Her beautiful response so encouraged me, and I realized that my children have quite a bit to teach me! She was only a child of eight.

What Cancer Cannot Do

Cancer is so limited.

It cannot cripple love.

It cannot shatter hope.

It cannot corrode faith.

It cannot eat away at peace.

It cannot destroy confidence.

It cannot kill friendship.

It cannot shut out memories.

It cannot invade the soul.

It cannot reduce eternal life.

It cannot quench the spirit.

It cannot lessen the power of the resurrection.

-Anonymous

Remembering Maw Maw

cc — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:55:39 +0000

“Maw Maw” C. went to be with Jesus.

There’s nowhere else she’d rather be!

Disease made her seem child-like to us,

Although she was almost ninety!

Her mind had reverted severely.

Sadly, she was memory-free.

But we still remember her warmly-

Loving on babies, especially!

She bounced five sweet babies on her knee:

Sue, David, Jo, Beth, and Eddie.

She cared for children so happily…

Grandkids, great-grandkids…”any baby”

(She was a volunteer at “Any Baby Can”-organization that helps take care of young babies that need to be held, and she was a foster grandma)

I recall a day I wasn’t at ease,

Maw’s hands reached out to bounce my “sweet pea”.

I was torn because I felt that she

Knew her strength wasn’t like it used to be.

“Maybe I shouldn’t bounce the babies.

I’d sure hate to drop them! Oh Me!”

So, I held my child upon Maw’s knees.

We sang, smiled, bounced, and all were pleased!

Then came the day the sun went down early (she had “sundowners”)

Confused, she wanted to go home…

To love and care for her babies…

But her “babies” were now full-grown!

But Jesus remembers the day she

Got down and she prayed on her knees.

She told God that she really believes

Jesus died, paying all penalties.

A different sun, His Son, went down

To death so that we might be set free.

For all sins, but then He rose again,

For He is God, Man, Spirit…Three!

Like Maw Maw, I imagine that He

Bounced the little ones on His knee.

He said, “Let the little ones come unto Me!”

She now dwells with Him for eternity.

By CC

Big Surprise on the Prairie/Meeting Melissa Gilbert

cc — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 01:25:12 +0000

“If I had a remembrance book, I would surely write about the day we came to Plum Creek”(opening quote by Laura as Little House on the Prairie series began in 1974)

Thankfully, Laura Ingalls Wilder shared her life memories with the world through the “Little House” books. This blog has been sort of a “remembrance book” for me as well. Last weekend was certainly a memorably sweet one. It began the moment we walked into the home of two of the sweetest people on the prairie…Nonnie and G-pa Uh-Oh (my mom and dad). We were greeted by both of them offering us freshly baked chocolate chip cookies (or “cook-cooks” as Dad likes to refer to them). Ah…there really is no place like home sweet home. That six hour trip in the car is finally over, and now the fun begins! (Warning: This post is a bit long, as I wanted to write down all the details, but I promise it’s not six hours long:))

A little background…

We were planning a trip for our girls to come visit their grandparents in Ft. Worth for the week. Our boys had their fun week with them earlier this month. Meanwhile, my mom discovered that Little House on the Prairie:The Musical was playing at the Bass Hall in Fort Worth, and …Melissa Gilbert (the actress who played Laura in the television series) was playing “Ma”. Exciting, huh? So, my parents had graciously included me. Dad/G-pa Uh-Oh suggested I take his ticket and the boys/men would go fishing. I did not hesitate to accept! So, you can imagine we were looking forward to the musical/fishing for two weeks!

On Tuesday (6-8-10), my mom called to tell me that she had a surprise. My mom could hardly get the words out…so Dad, her helper in life, took over. They are such a great team! Dad proceeded to mention that he had suggested to Nonnie that she write Melissa Gilbert a thank you letter for all she meant to our family through the years…esp. regarding her role as Laura on Little House on the Prairie. We had been reminiscing about her recently as we were anticipating seeing her in the show. So, my “Ma” sent this letter to “Ma”…

Dear Ms. Gilbert,

My daughter and four granddaughters have tickets to attend the Saturday matinee performance of Little House on the Prairie:The Musical, and we are all so excited.

When my oldest granddaughter was eight years old, she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a very aggressive cancer in the muscle behind her eye. Throughout the year and a half of surgery, radiation, and chemo, your excellent work in Little House on the Prairie sustained all of us. It allowed us to escape into a different time and place, and we were all so grateful. We were especially thankful for the extremely talented young girl who grew up before our eyes. Your acting ability not only endeared Laura to us, but you also.

Make-a-Wish asked Paige (I changed her name in the letter to protect her privacy) what one place she wanted to go more than any other. Of course, her immediate answer was Laura’s homestead in De Smet, South Dakota! In the history of the Make-a-Wish organization, we were told that Paige was the first to ask for a trip to South Dakota. Again, Little House on the Prairie distracted all of us from the difficult, painful realities of cancer.

Paige is sixteen years old now, and in many ways cancer was actually a blessing for her and for us. It taught us the value of the moment, and we do treasure time differently now. She not only survived cancer; she thrives in some ways because of it.

I simply want to thank you for your professional work as a child and now as an adult because you have enriched our lives. Your talent is amazing, and we appreciate your willingness to again become involved in Little House on the Prairie.

With best regards,

(my mom’s name)

My mom mentioned to me that she did not ask to meet Melissa, she just wanted to thank her. However, she said that she just received a call from Ms. Gilbert’s manager at Bass Hall. He relayed that Melissa was touched by reading the letter, and really wanted to meet Paige (and our group) after the show! Wow! I’m totally excited! The hardest part would be trying to keep this surprise from the girls. We all agreed that the surprise would be fun for them, and we have learned from our Little House friends, and our own lives/mistakes, that you “don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched”…ever. So, this mum kept “mum” on meeting that mum. I made it through by only telling two others (not related to us)! It was hard, but thankfully it was only four days (I know…how sad, right)!

When we arrived on Thursday night, the girls took off on beginning their new quilts. Each girl finished one block on their quilt. Yeah! Project “make four quilts in a week” was off to a great start! On Friday, the girls had a major fabric-sewing day. Mom and I had a major fabric-cutting day! By the end of the night, each of my beautiful daughters had assembled the front of their beautiful quilt (35 blocks…7 rows with 5 blocks per row). We were tired! We felt a bit like pioneers that day. That evening, my brother Jay came over for a shared b-day spaghetti dinner with my daughter Faith (they share a birthday). The girls and Nonnie baked a lovely three-layered yellow cake with homemade chocolate icing.

On Saturday morning, the funny, yet scary thing was that Mom was trying to find the tickets! The menfolk were out fishing on the boat. She had placed the tickets on the counter weeks ago, and they were not there! Some time passed. She called Uh-Oh to see if maybe he could help. Well, he did not seem to know where the Bass Hall tickets were, but evidently he did know where the bass fish were biting.

The Lord really blessed their time. The boys were catching a bunch of black bass, catfish, and sand bass. Bradley even caught an 8 lb. catfish! It sounded like they were having a lot of fun! Benjamin and Bradley (my boys) were the only ones catching anything for awhile there. My dad said he was a little worried about BC and Jay:). But they caught on, and soon everyone was catching everything. The fish were schooling. Dad said they had doubles and a triple (You would think that they were talking about baseball?). That meant two fish were on two rods at the same time. My dad had prayed that he might have an opportunity to fish with his grandsons when the fish were schooling…what an answered prayer!

Now…back to Nonnie fishing for the missing tickets…

I asked my mom if I could help, even though I really didn’t exactly know where to look. I have been a frantic seeker before (keys, ins., etc.) and I have learned that a frantic “looker” is often an “overlooker”. A calm seeker usually will be a finder. So, I tried to stay calm, and prayed that the tickets would be found. Thankfully, the Lord directed me to discover the tickets in a small pile on the counter. Praise the Lord…another answered prayer!

So, quicker than rabbits, we hustled out the door. We had a thirty minute drive to the Bass Hall. We parked and rapidly walked down the beautifully clean block in Fort Worth. We arrived at the door, and were greeted by an expecting attendant, who was asking us for the tickets. Boy, were we in for a surprise!

Nonnie searched her purse, and could not find the tickets. Incredible! Then I frantically searched Nonnie’s purse and…nothing. Nonnie had a look of disbelief on her face. “What do we do?” she uttered. The kind attendant asked us if there was anyone at home who could bring us the tickets, and if home was nearby. We both answered with double negatives (no, no).

Then, Nonnie remembered that she had purchased the tickets on credit card, and asked if they would have a record of the transaction on the computer. They directed her to the “will call” ticket desk. We followed close behind. I was whispering a prayer that they would honor her credit, and I was hoping to vouch for her credibility with my tears. Three minutes later, we had our tickets in hand, and we were headed up the elevator. Well, my pa and Laura’s pa have a lot to say in regards to the policy of “cash on the barrel”, but I was truly thankful that we had a paper trail, as those tickets were valuable. Like they say…”A ticket in the hand is worth six in the kitchen”:)

We were seated pretty high, but we still had great seats. The Bass Hall is so beautiful. (My dad watched this being built because his office was across the street.) When we arrived at our row, a smiling man greeted us and introduced himself as Eric. He asked which one was Paige. He said he wasn’t sure if she knew about it or not. My mom mentioned that we decided to surprise her. So, he said he would let Grandma tell the surprise and he would see us later.

Without further ado, Mom told Paige. She was so surprised…pleasantly surprised. All of the girls were giddy with excitement. The looks on their faces were like they were on Cloud Nine. Nonnie and I both asked Paige if it was okay that we surprised her. She replied, “This is a great surprise”. She had no idea. I managed to take a few pictures of the girls before the camera police reminded me (with a shake of the finger) that no pictures were to be taken inside Bass Hall. Oops!

Nonnie and I congratulated each other on keeping the secret from the girls. On the same row there were young girls with bonnets. Nonnie and I remembered our girls and their bonnet-wearing years (Sigh). As the lights went down, I was already trying to fight back the tears.

The girls sat next to each other, and I sat by Mom. As Melissa Gilbert entered the stage, more tears streamed down. I was trying to tell myself to pull it together. I had no idea how many experiences/emotions I would identify with during this musical. It was a flood of various memories. We cried. We laughed. We shared binoculars, and we were thoroughly captivated by the songs, the background, the characters, the lights, the memories. It was awesome. We only wish our other family members could have been there too!

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” was a great quote that many of the pioneers lived by. We have frequently used that quote at our house. We don’t want to waste time worrying over nothing! Hard times will visit everyone, yet great ones will too. One of the reasons I loved the “Little House” books and the t.v. series was the fact that I could identify with many of Laura’s life experiences…

moving into new places, and dealing with a few “Nellie Olesons”

being a tomboy

being a teacher

family growing closer as we faced adversity (the one I grew up in, and the one my children are growing up in)

We enjoyed the fact that most of the play took place around De Smet…a familiar place we know in our minds (through the books), and in our experiences (through our trip). We were thrilled that we could be transported to pioneer days, and be encouraged yet again by the faith, hard work, family togetherness, and community love that was shared by so many pioneers. We found it hard to complain when we would watch the “Little House” shows and hear about all of their trials. The loss of Mary’s vision was hard on the family. I remember watching those episodes and praying that if Paige went blind, like Mary, God would encourage us. However, we were mostly praying for her survival. Like the pioneers, we were praying for a better tomorrow. God’s Word encouraged us that there would be a better tomorrow, no matter the outcome, because of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.

As I was watching this play, reruns of memories filled my mind. Here are a few of them…

when Melissa Gilbert walked on stage, I cried just overwhelmed by her thoughtful desire to meet my daughter

how brave my baby girl and her sisters and brothers were when cancer visited our home. They kept us smiling through that storm, and with child-like faith helped us to keep looking to Jesus

how sweet all of my children, family, and friends had been when we were going through our pioneering/chemo days which had us facing a lot of unknowns . We were touched by so many kindnesses (homemade bread every week, meals, gifts, money, babysitting, the complete series of “Little House” DVDs, etc.)

When I was watching the scenes with the unruly kids at school, and at the Fourth of July celebration, it reminded me of our super trip to De Smet, South Dakota, where I had watched my Paige and Michelle act out these parts in their annual outdoor play. They were extras, and had a blast!

Michelle (in blue) and Paige (in yellow) signing autographs with "Laura" and "Nellie" in De Smet...2003

when “Ma” was talking about her daughter going blind, I cried

When Almonzo came for Laura, I cried…thinking of my dear beau (BC) who came for me…22 years ago

Then I cried when I thought of my children (almost three teenagers now) who are growing up before my very drenched eyes. My mom whispered to me, “These next few years will be very exciting.” I nodded, and fought back more tears thinking about how quickly time goes by

It was an emotional play for me, but I was thankful to be able to cry and to laugh. I sometimes shove these hard memories into a far away place in my brain. It was therapeutic to recall these.There was comic relief in the play, too. Nellie was a great antagonist, and Laura had some great lines too. Laura was dealing with growing up pretty fast, and “Ma” was dealing with letting go. Pa did a great job too! I’m sure Laura Ingalls Wilder and Michael Landon would have been very proud of the entire cast.

After the performance,we went out of the Bass Hall and straight through the crowd, who was eagerly awaiting autographs. We were so thankful to be able to zoom straight through the door. We waited in one area, and I reminded myself to ask Ms. Gilbert if I could take her picture before I took any (remembering my earlier warning about no pictures in Bass Hall).

Melissa Gilbert was very kind. She said she liked our plaid shirts, and mentioned how the play was more like the books, rather than the t.v. show. We knowingly agreed (having read the books and watched the shows). She mentioned that they added more stories (fictional) to the t.v. series because otherwise it would have only lasted nine episodes. This was true. I asked her if I could take a picture, and she said sure. I must add, it was cool to hear a familiar voice from t.v. land talking with us. She asked which one was Paige, and then gave her a hug. Then, she excitedly went over to her dressing room while saying that she had something for Paige.

She mentioned that the cast was in South Dakota last week and they all went into De Smet (the setting where most of the musical took place) for a day trip. She told Paige she was touched by her grandmother’s letter, and she thought Paige was so brave. I started tearing up, and said to Ms. Gilbert, “Okay, now you’ve made me cry for like the thousandth time.”. She talked about being a mom of three boys that were driving. We then met her son, Michael Boxleitner (age 14), also in the musical. He did a great job, too.

She told us that she was given a replica of Ma’s shepherdess doll when they started touring. She had brought it to each performance. If you remember from the books, this was a small, breakable china doll that Ma Ingalls had brought from her home. She used it in each of her homes, placing it on the mantle, to signify that their house was now a home. (I’m shocked it survived all of those rough roads, and hard times.) Well, Melissa Gilbert told Paige that she wanted Paige to have her “Ma’s” shepherdess doll. That was very sentimental for us. This was so special because when we went to De Smet, Paige was also given a shepherdess doll. However, her doll broke a few years back, and she was heart-broken. That had held some great memories for her. Well, I remember telling her back then that maybe we might return to De Smet sometime in the future, and try to get another one. Isn’t it wonderful how God provides even more than our needs? I asked if I could give Ms. Gilbert a hug, and we shared a hug.

She also gave her some books about Laura Ingalls Wilder, an Ingalls Homestead candle, some magnets, and a tin cup (was it a “half-pint”?) that she said she picked out for Paige while in De Smet. Then, Melissa gave Paige the letter that the mayor gave to her when they declared that day to be “Little House on the Prairie: The Musical Day” in De Smet, South Dakota. How thoughtful.

After that, she said she had something for the sisters. She had three bracelets that read, “Prairie Strong” (like Lance Armstrong…”Live Strong”) that she personally put on each of my daughter’s wrist. She shared about her charity, which is Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition. Not finding another bracelet, she gave Paige the one off of her own wrist—too sweet. I was touched that she would think of each one of them. Young Faith said she was never going to take her bracelet off! Melissa Gilbert is a mom, after all, but I quickly forget…I kept seeing her as the cute little girl with braids. Now, I see her as a Ma with a big heart, and I am extremely thankful that Paige could see her with her own two eyes…that we all could. Isn’t God good?Here is a link to Paige’s blog on the week’s events.