Mary Bea

On Divine Mercy Sunday, my husband's youngest sister went to be with Jesus. 

Her battle with cancer was long and arduous. I was convinced that if anyone could whip cancer, Mary Bea could. She was tough, a fighter. She'd been through a lot in her all-too-short life. She was only 43. 

I can't claim to know why God allowed this, but I do know that Mary was a very different woman when she died than when I met her 19 years ago. Back then, she was brash, blunt, dare I say rude? She had a short temper and you didn't want to get on her bad side. 

Having cancer changed her. She was still pretty blunt, but she became softer somehow. Her perspective changed. It was quite obvious that love became her standard. Mary was a nurse, and her patients adored her. I've never met anyone as strong as Mary. She never complained. She put others first. She fought for what was right. She was strong in her faith. She was funny, feisty, and loyal. She really was an amazing woman. 

The week before she died, on Easter, she participated in our family egg-pocking competition. She was so much like her dad; in it til the end. And she sure could rock that bald head!

It makes us sad to lose this precious, beautiful woman, and that is as it should be. But she isn't in pain any more. She's with Jesus now... And Papa. We miss you, Mary Bea. Love you so much! 

This Boy...

This boy holds some of my greatest joys. He is precious and sweet, loving and giving. He is absolutely adorable and incredibly funny. He is very, very smart and makes my chest swell with pride. I love this little monkey so much it makes my heart ache.

This boy also holds one of the greatest challenges of my life. He is stubborn to a fault, king of the quick come-back, too smart for his own good, and very argumentatively frustrating. At the tender age of 10, I can already tell it won't be long before he can talk circles around me. God, I'm gonna need your help with this one, big time. This little jewel is gonna need some polishing. I'm quite sure I'll get some of my rough edges knocked off in the process. ;)

Pets

I love my pets! They really are so much fun! 

We've had our Georgie now for about 6 years. He was a gift to me when I had a hysterectomy. He was never one for snuggling, but loves to lay next to me. He seems to be relaxing that rule a bit as he gets older. Even if he is a little aloof, he's my sweet boy. He's a gorgeous gray and has golden eyes.

Our Sophie is about 5. We got her when Georgie was a year old because he was lonely. She's a little princess who loves to be snuggled and to let George bathe her. And she squeaks. It's so cute! No meowing for her... Squeak! She's a tortie with an orange and white necklace (befitting her princess status) and beautiful golden eyes.

Our newest addition is Ray Charles, so named because he's blind in one eye. We think he's a pug/daschund mix. He's a rescue and a 14th birthday present to Robby. He has a marvelous underbite and is ridiculously happy. He loves his boy with his whole heart. We think he's about 2-1/2. 

It amazes me how much pets can enrich our lives. One of my favorite things is to chill with animals surrounding me. I find it very relaxing. Another jewel from heaven.

Wow!

I haven't posted for almost 3 years! So much has happened in that time! 

I guess I'll start with the most recent thing. Rachel is 16 now! I still can't make my brain wrap around that fact. She is lovely and talented, respectful, loving, compassionate, joyful, and best of all she loves Jesus! She astounds me daily with the depth of her love for Him and for others. 

Robby is 14 and taller than me. Still skinny as ever. If he grows any more, I'll have to start getting his pants made. There's no such thing as 26-32's! He's such a good kid. He has always been my helper. He makes a huge difference in my day when I'm stressed. Rachel's birthday party went so much more smoothly for Robby's help. He is handsome, strong, loving, an amazing friend, obedient, and respectful. What an awesome young man he is becoming! 

Matthew is 10 and doing so well. He's so smart and such a funny guy! He tends to be a bit more quick-tempered than his siblings, but he really strives to make everyone happy. He has such a big heart. He's still my snuggler, too, which I know won't last too much longer. I'll enjoy it while I can. 

I am so happy/amazed/blessed that God trusted me with these wonderful children. They are absolutely my jewels from heaven (crazy as they are!)!

Think of Me

Rachel had her first public performance today. And by public, I mean in front of a large group of people that did not include Alleluia Community. She can handle them with no problem. It's being in front of people she doesn't know that gets to her. Regardless of her feelings of nervousness, she did GREAT! She sang Think of Me from Phantom of the Opera. She even had the hiccups while she sang, but you could hardly tell. She has such a lovely voice. I can't wait to hear it again next week at her recital, along with her Italian aria. Love it! :)

So much for trying!

I just realized it's been over a year since my last post. It truly amazes me how quickly time passes. The past year has zoomed right on by. Sometimes I wish we could make time stop, or at least slow it down some, so we can enjoy some of the more precious moments for just a little longer.

My Rachel has become a lovely young lady. She's 13 now. We wear the same shoe size, so I'm discovering the challenges of keeping my shoes where I can find them. A few weeks ago, Rachel playced Arachne in the Greek mythology plays at school. She LOVED it!

Robby is right behind her. He'll be 12 soon. Soccer is his love, still, and rightly so. He's really good. Such a handsome young man he is, and such a gentle heart. Robby recently dressed as Neal Armstrong for a class report. Granddaddy's motorcycle helmet came in quite handy!

Matthew will be 8 in a few weeks. My baby boy is certainly not a baby any more. He's showing some growing talent in soccer as well. His reading has improved drastically, thanks to the help of the wonderful Sharon Newton. Such a funny guy he is. Quite the entertainer.

I am so thankful for all that God has blessed me with. There are too many to count, but my children are 3 of my jewels from heaven.

Am I the only one who goes through phases of feeling completely scatterbrained? Seems like this is a pattern lately. I just cannot seem to remember things unless I write them down immediately. And it pervades every part of my life. I have started carrying a calendar and a notepad with me everywhere I go, but even that doesn't help much because I can't seem to remember to actually use them! I don't know if it is fatigue, or just too much on my plate. Oh well... all I can do is ask for God's grace. Hopefully, the brain fuzz will lift soon. Still, I am very blessed. No doubt about that.