Mothers

There are few women I consider to be a mother figure to me other than my own mom. My mom is the best, and I will forever consider myself to be blessed beyond measure to be her daughter.

But occasionally God has brought other 'mothers' into my life, to share with me their lives and with whom I can share my life and grow to love. Two such women have held the title of 'mother-in-law.' Now I know there are a lot of jokes and bad press about mothers-in-law, but I am honored to have had two of the best!

Thirty-two years ago, Dorothy Presley became my mother-in-law. (Am I really that old???) Twelve years ago, through the difficulties of divorce, she ceased being my mother-in-law but remained my friend and will always be 'my other mom.' She will always hold a very special place in my heart. She will always be loved with the kind of love and respect and admiration that I have for my own mother.

Almost eleven years ago, God brought another 'mom' into my life when I married Kerry...Naomi Peacock...a woman who I have come to love in a very special way. She welcomed me into her family with open arms. And on Tuesday of this week, on August 26, our Lord welcomed her into the realm of His heaven with open arms of grace. She was a wonderful mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She readily accepted her place as another grandmother to my girls. (In my humble opinion, one can never have too many grandparents!) Oh, and she loved those great-grandkids! She was a strong Christian lady and a hard worker. And she will be missed. In lots of places. About a month before she passed away, she was in our home in San Angelo, and she had the opportunity to see all of Kerry's kids and the grandkids. When I took her home to Odessa, one of the last things, and the most memorable thing, she said to me was, "I'm so glad Kerry found you." That...I will always remember.

Kerry wrote a prayer/poem for her one Mother's Day and read it to her from the pulpit as he gave her a rose. This is what he wrote:

Dear Heavenly Father,
This beautiful flower is like the precious mother you gave to me…delicate and tender…sweet and wonderful! Dear Lord, I know it took you in all your splendor to create such beauty…it took you in all your glory to create mothers. You gave them hearts that love…hands that heal…and hope that radiates from their smiles. Lord, as I think of my mom today…as I look at this beautiful flower that reminds me of her…I thank you for her. I thank you for your gift of love and beauty to me…I thank you for my mother! Amen.

Isn't that awesome? He will read this at her funeral service on Saturday. And I will sing one of her favorite songs (and mine)...Beulah Land. As I sat at her bedside during that final hour, I sang this song...not out loud, but in my heart...it just seemed appropriate...

I'm kind of homesick for a country, to which I've never been before.
No sad goodbyes will there be spoken, and time won't matter anymore.

Beulah land, I'm longing for you; and some day, on thee I'll stand.
There my home will be eternal; Beulah land, Sweet Beulah land.

I'm standing now across the river; where my faith will end in sight.
There's just a few more days to labor; and then I'll take my heavenly flight.

Goodbye, Naomi. You've struggled on this earth long enough. Rest in the arms of your Savior. Rejoice in the reunion of family and friends. Remember that we love you and that we will miss you...so very much.

Colorado Pics

OK...I guess it's time to post some pictures from Colorado.


This was our cabin in Estes Park...we had a great view of the mountains through the rain...sat out on the porch and watched the rain...sat in the hot tub and listened to the rain...(getting the theme here???)


We did a little shopping in Estes Park...a beautiful little tourist resort...we happened to time it just right between rain showers! Now if I can ever figure out my PhotoShop, I can get us both on the same bench!


This is a little stream running through town.


Just outside Estes Park is the Rocky Mountain National Park. We drove through the park and through the rain...it was beautiful!


We found two separate herds of elk right beside the road. This is the buck from the smaller herd...there were about 20-25 in this herd.


We pulled off to a viewpoint area...it was really cold and really windy...the first picture shows the view off to the right of the point...at the low spot at the lower right corner of the picture there were a couple of elk grazing...the second picture shows one of them...I would say my little camera has a pretty good zoom!


This is the second herd we came across...there were probably close to 50 elk in this herd.



Our second full day in Colorado was spent driving to Steamboat Springs. This is Grand Lake along the way.


In Steamboat, we rode the gondola up to the top of the mountain. Actually it wasn't even the top once we got there, but it was close. Here is the view from the top.


We didn't get to see everything we wanted to see, but I'm sure it will still be there whenever we get another chance to go.

Life as it should be...

I am home...

It is raining...

I saw my Caleb and my Connor last night for dinner and got the BEST hugs...

I slept in MY bed on MY pillow last night...

I am home...

It is raining...

I have Tater with me again and got the BEST hug this morning...

Life is as it should be...

(Now if I could figure out how to get hugs from Jordan, Aidan, Annaliese, and Sam!)

Home Sweet Home

I am home.

Home. I can't believe how wonderful and blessed it feels.

I got home this evening, went out on the patio to say hello to Tux (who I am sure thinks I had abandoned him two weeks ago when I dropped him off at the vet for boarding) and check on my potted plants (which have spent the last two weeks with Rick and Ann), and just felt such a relief (and release) that the tears started to flow.

Of course, it doesn't take much to make me cry...especially when I'm tired...or when I'm emotionally exhausted...or when I feel so blessed and thankful for the life I share with Kerry here in this house, our home.

We left this house, our home, twelve days ago for a welcome and greatly anticipated vacation in Colorado. We were sitting in the DFW airport when we got word that Kerry's mom had been taken to the ER in Odessa with internal bleeding. Over the next couple of days, we divided our time between visiting with Kerry's cousin and family, enjoying the beauty of the Colorado Rockies and checking in by phone with Kerry's sisters in Odessa. By Thursday, we were no longer enjoying our time...we were sitting in a hotel room in Steamboat Springs, waiting for a call from Texas to let us know if the source of the bleeding had been found and if it had been stopped. The call came...the answer was no..and no. We went to eat, and got another call which made the question to come back home or not a definite yes. The call was from my mom...she was checking in on Kerry's mom, but she had news herself...she was to have an angiogram the following Monday. So we made all the arrangements and cancellations necessary, left SS at midnight to drive back to Denver, turn in our rental car, and catch the first flight back to DFW, then on to San Angelo. We were home about 5 hours...during which time we took a nap, took showers, and repacked...then we were on the road to Odessa by 5:00 Friday afternoon.

Kerry's mom had surgery on Saturday morning, after all other efforts to find the source of the bleeding failed. She had 18 inches of her small intestine removed. Long story short, from last Saturday to this Saturday...the surgeon did an excellent job and she is no longer bleeding. She is in A-Fib, a heart rate irregularity, but has been stabilized through medication. She is still very weak, and is very confused and disoriented. It is going to be a long, hard recovery and rehabilitation. I stayed in Odessa all week to help Kerry's sisters...my shift was 1-5 every afternoon, with occasional evening visits. Today was one of the hardest days to sit with her as she was awake, yet confused and hallucinating.

My mom's angiogram went well...only 20% blockage and NO cholesterol in her veins! (I must take after my dad.) So she wore a heart monitor for 24 hours on Wednesday. Today, her doctor's office called and told her to double the medicine she takes for a "skip" in her heartbeat. Which tells me it is probably worse than it was when she started taking the medicine. She will know more next week when she meets with the doctor.

Add to the stress of concerns for both moms the absence of my own support system, my rock, my friend, my husband....yeah...it's been an emotionally exhausting twelve days.

And yeah...it is so good to be home. Even though there is still garage sale stuff sitting around (from the weekend before we left)...and my suitcase full of sweaters and jackets and jeans from Colorado is still sitting in the middle of my bedroom floor...and there is no milk in the refrigerator...and the stack of mail is about 2 feet tall...and my laundry basket is overflowing...etc. etc.

I am home, with my husband, sitting with him on the couch with my laptop, posting a blog on high-speed internet (my mom still has dial-up and checking my e-mail and reading blogs was the most I could do), and anticipating sleeping in my MY bed on MY pillow.

Yes, I am home. My home sweet home.

Quietness.........

Shhhh....can you hear it?

I can't believe it...the house is quiet.

For the first time in about 3 weeks, we do not have out-of-town company. Dana and Melynda & Jordan left this afternoon. We have enjoyed visits from siblings, mothers, children and grandchildren. Now we are enjoying the quiet. I think we must be getting old. ;-)

Tomorrow will be spent getting ready for our trip to Colorado on Tuesday where we shall enjoy several days of R&R...and be someone else's guests for a change!

Blogging Memories for Fun

I found this on Dana's blog and left a comment for her, so I have to do one for myself...

1. Add a comment on my blog, leave one (or 2 or 3...) memories that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you.

If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.