I've been busy for about the past year scanning our thousands of slides. It is truly a labor of love! So many sweet memories of the past years. Just look at my cute little kids celebrating Easter through the years! Some years we didn't take a photo and we stopped taking slides the year Scott was born but these photos are treasures to me.
Saturday, March 30, 2024
Happy Easter!
Friday, March 22, 2024
15 Years
My mother died on March 23, 2009 - 15 years ago tomorrow . I wonder if I will ever get over the urge to to call my mother and tell her about what is happening in my life or to ask her a question. I suspect not.
One of our church leaders once spoke about the 'tender mercies of the Lord'. The circumstances surrounding her death are among my most cherished 'tender mercies'. The 5 months between my Aunt Mary Finch's death and my mothers were very difficult ones for her. She and Mary had been inseparable for many years. They shopped together, ate together, went to the movies together and saw each other every single day; often multiple times a day. In October 2008, I spent 6 weeks in Arkansas when Mary was sick. My mother visited us in Idaho for Christmas. (I asked her to come for Thanksgiving and stay through the new year and she looked at me like I was crazy. She never was away from home for that long). In March I made the trip to visit her in Lonoke. After arriving on Thursday night we spent the next few days enjoying time together. She did water aerobics while I ran. We went out to eat with family and friends. On Saturday we shopped from one end of the mall to the other looking for the perfect bathing suit for her and a new wallet. She ordered a new TV and a new chair. My cousin Janie and her husband Pat had us over for dinner that evening. The only hint that all was not well is when I suggested we go visit my Uncle Dick and she said she was too tired. She wasn't too tired to make me another batch of black eyed peas since I had finished the ones she made before I came.
On Sunday morning I heard her get up about 7:00 but I didn't get up for another hour. When I walked into the living room, she was in her chair and I thought she had drifted back to sleep. I got the paper which was folded at her feet, fixed my breakfast and sat down to eat. Suddenly she started making a strange snoring noise. It was unusual enough that I went over to check on her and found that I couldn't wake her up. I called an ambulance and she was taken to the hospital in North Little Rock. A CT scan showed a massive bleed on her brain with no hope for a meaningful recovery. She died the next day, having never regained consciousness. Had I not been in Arkansas, I would not have had time to get there before she passed away. We would not have had those perfect few days together. I will forever be grateful for the 'tender mercy' of that time together and of holding her hand while she passed through the veil to eternity.
In her honor and memory, I'd like to share some quotes about mothers and some photos of our last Christmas together plus some photos of early times with her. Moma and Daddy had been married for 4 years before she got pregnant with me. I know that I was an answer to their prayers. My childhood was blessed by their constant love for me; my adult life by their unending support.
Time may move on, but there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss my mother. The day she died is not just a date on a calendar, it was the day my very existence changed forever
“Whenever I am missing you, I also remember how fortunate I was that you were in my life. I wouldn’t trade those moments for the world” – Cindy Adkins
"The mother memories that are closest to my heart are the small gentle ones that I have carried over from the days of my childhood. They are not profound, but they have stayed with me through life, and when I am very old, they will still be near."– Margaret Sanger
I wish heaven had visiting hours so I could see and speak to my mom again. I miss her so much.
“Love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own mark. To have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever.”– J.K. Rowling
“Grief and love are conjoined, you don’t get one without the other. All I can do is love her, and love the world, emulate her by living with daring and spirit and joy” – Jandy Nelson
To my mother in heaven, thank you for always loving me and guiding me. Even though you are no longer here with me I can still feel your love guiding me. You are always in my heart. I love you and miss you dearly
There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart."– Mahatma Gandhi
“There is something about losing a mother that is permanent and inexpressible—a wound that will never quite heal.”– Susan Wiggs
Monday, February 19, 2024
Snowy Lonoke
Since my last post was all about a snow day in Lonoke when I was a child, I was thrilled when I saw these photos on Facebook of Lonoke recently after a big snow. They are a snowy walk through my childhood, teen years and into adulthood.
The Methodist Church that is just across the street from the Presbyterian Church that I attended.
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Thursday, January 11, 2024
Perfect Love
When we got back from Kenya in October, I discovered that the memory on my computer was so full that I couldn't download my photos so I have been diligently deleting photos that were stored in two places, organizing documents, and putting some downloads in the 'trash'. One of the documents I found was a talk I gave to the Young Women in our Ward about 10 years ago.
This week we had a snow day and more snow is expected so it seemed a perfect time to share my thoughts on snow and love! The photos are not from a snowstorm in Lonoke. Some are from Providence, Rhode Island and others from Port Deposit, Maryland, both places we lived when my Daddy was in the Navy.
“Once, after dinner, my father hitched up the horse and took my mother and me for a sleigh ride. The winter stars were very bright. The sleigh bells made a lovely sound. I was bundled up to the nose, between my father and my mother, where nothing, not even the cold, could get at me. The very perfection of happiness. “ from Later Novels and Stories by William Maxwell.
This little paragraph brought back a memory so strong and clear that I could feel the moment in time.
President Uchtdorf spoke of this love so eloquently last conference….I don’t want to paraphrase his words but read them to you….I hope in your minds you can hear the distinctive accented voice of this prophet of God….
"Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amount—that is the measure of God’s love for you.
God does not look on the outward appearance. I believe that He doesn’t care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely.
He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God’s love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked.
What this means is that, regardless of our current state, there is hope for us. No matter our distress, no matter our sorrow, no matter our mistakes, our infinitely compassionate Heavenly Father desires that we draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us."
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
Family Home Evening
Every January, I get the urge to clean out and throw things away. One of the treasures I unearthed recently was the 'Family Home Evening' chart that George and I used faithfully for many years with our children. When we had our 'family home evening', one of us chose and led the opening song. One conducted the meeting, another had a scripture thought, another a lesson. We always had a game and then a closing prayer. Each week we rotated assignments.
I hope our children remember that we did our best to be consistent in teaching them and enjoying this time together.
Some nights were definitely better than others.
Family Home Evening has been jokingly referred to as 'the only fight that begins and ends with prayer'.
To quote one of our church authorities about his family's FHE
"We wondered if our efforts were worthwhile. Now and then during scriptures study there were outbursts such as, "He's touching me!" "Make him stop looking at me!" and "Mom he's breathing my air!" Family prayers were sometimes interrupted with giggling and poking. And family home evening lessons were not always calm with three active, noisy boys."
I can definitely relate to his family. It wasn't always a spiritual and reverent experience but I am glad we tried.