Friends from far away and memorials

Becky with sweet Grace

Soooo great to see you after all these years, Shellee. Such a comfort and encouragement you've been to me, even from across the globe. Please pray for this dear one and her sweet baby girl, Grace, who is pictured above with my sister...as they fly back to Japan next week.

I didn't expect to see this today but what a ?pleasant? surprise. as far as surprises go...and all. I mean, I'm still pretty surprised that my baby isn't here. the ultimate surprise.

Today was a wonderful day...I woke up early (for me) and headed to Sbux to meet Shellee, Grace (her first daughter after 8 strapping, handsome young men), Denise, her beautiful kids, Levi and Ema. The effort that was made for that meeting was not of this world. Shellee, you may not read this for a time but seeing you was just amazing, such comfort and joy to me to get to see you after all these years. So glad to get to hug you and meet your beautiful baby girl! Denise, thank you so much for facilitating the get together....you two have been such a blessing to me anyways, but in the past few months, since Jack left, your encouraging words and prayers have held me up. God is good. all the time. We will be praying for safety for you and Grace as you head back to your men.

I was out running errands and thought, "Hmmm, since it is such a lovely day and it's been so poopy outside all week, I shall go visit Jack's grave." As I walked up the hill to his site, tears hit, as they do...and then it hit me...his stone and bronze plaque are here!! After a few moments of tears and prayers, I cleaned up his spot and headed to the Forest Lawn office to retrieve his temporary marker. I was so excited to get to put it in JOY's garden.

They can't find it.

what?

Jay, the guy that helped us on that July 1 day...told me he'd order a replacement. Somehow that didn't console me like it maybe should have. He said he'd look thru the 200 stones in their garage and let me know but a new one is on order.

nothing like a punch in the gut, ya know? it's bad enough my little guy isn't here, could you at least make sure you hang onto our temporary for us? and hey, maybe even call us to tell us his official stone was in? yeah, no call.

I'm trying not to be peeved about this because in the whole scheme of my life, this is small.

it really just makes me chuckle.
because if I don't chuckle, I will cry again.

Thanks Mom, Dad, Jen, for coming down to sit with me Wed. night.
Thanks to all of my people, all around me, who find ways to pray, encourage, remember JOY, find things that say JOY on them and just plain ol' loving me and letting me talk about my sweet boy and the situation that has changed my life forever, and the lives of Jack's dad, and siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and relatives and friends.

I have soooo many thank you notes to write. I've gotten started and I just want all of the people that fed us, sent us remembrances etc in the past few months, to know just how much we love and appreciate your thoughtfulness.

I am still blown away.

praising God for the gift of people.

Happy Weekend to You!!

Caged beasts etc.

she looks innocent, folks. don't let her cute, girly onesie or bright blue eyes fool you!

If I can't bite you, then I will just bite this barrette.

off like a shot...bouncing hair and all...

look at those legs...the baby is leaving and the little girl is emerging. all ready. hmph.

but I wanna be out. side. now.

We've got a wild animal on our hands.

Our sweet, eternally cheerful little girl has left the building. And left us with an independent, stubborn, strong-willed biter. Yeah, a biter.

She likes to bite those that she feels are threatening her freedom. e.g. Levi, who likes to put a bear hug on her neck, like 20 minutes ago, and Melanie, who was saving her from certain injury after climbing UP on the piano.

Last night, I was bushed, beaten up (we all were) after not only exercising for well over 2 hours but from the 2.5 hours of leaf raking/burning/yardwork etc. Moo decided it was a wonderful night to be a pill. She had ONE nap yesterday...who'd wanna miss out on our yard fun (besides me of course)...so I thought she'd surely be down earlier than 9...she screamed and thrashed about in her bed....up we go...but when she was UP, she was cranky and difficult. I won't keep going...she didn't want to fall asleep, even when D. and I were in there...eventually falling when we had just given up.

I'm aggravating myself typing all that out...any suggestions folks? Is it wrong to give her Nyquil before bed? whiskey? I've never done that before but I am not opposed to trying it...I've never had a biter either...any help there?

Davey boy finished the porch rail...and don't it look grand? may I say it? the new porch is rockworthy...it doesn't seem like the same house to me. it was so nice to sit out there for a bit last night and appreciate all of the hard work and what's left of the autumn beauty, all while getting some serious smoke inhalation from our burning leaves and all of the neighbors' as well!

Pix from the Past

I was just digging around in some of the pictures (from my dad's side) that my aunt sent down with me, after the funeral...lots of pix of my Grandpa G. that I haven't seen in a long time. I cherish these old memories. so here they are...





Big brother Tom, me and cousin Jenna on Grampa G's lap...whatta handsome dude, ay?



A few more cousins added to the brood (see funeral pix from 2 weeks ago)...Gramps in the middle and Tom, Ian, my li'l bro Andy, me (this pose with my arms? Will does this allllllll the time...), Jenna holding her bro, Jon and my baby sis in the front. I believe this was less than a year before Grampa passed away...so this was summer of 1981.

This was taken up in Canadian Lakes...that fun place Gramma and Aunt Mimi took us every summer...we were all soooo skinny...omigosh what awesome memories!

I'm just getting all verklempt on a Sunday morning, when I should be getting ready to head to the church service.

I have some fun pix from my day with my sissy to post but will have to do that later...had a nice evening hanging with Nicky and her kiddies...lots of good people in my life. So blessed.

Hi Mom and Dad...I didn't even talk to you on the telephone yesterday...love you!

Hope y'all have a blessed Sunday, enjoying some rest!

Happy Easter!

Levi found his basket in my closet!

Mel's was in the island!

Will's was in the pantry!

E's was in the nook beside David's dresser!

Pretty little blondie girls!

Stanley got to join us for Resurrection Tacos. Also of note, Beck's mug strategically placed between Mel and E's! goof!

Scotty and Stanley

Egg hunters...E. is such a poser!

The one pic I got of my kids relatively cleaned up...though E. did have his nice khaki's on

for church but got ink on them, hence tacky jeans!

and they're off....

Little Miss Muffett...

Troublemaker...aka spazz

Infant Smackdown!! Sorry poor Nora...Molly just loves you so!

Well, these pix pretty much tell the story of our day. We had a wonderful worship service this morning. It is always good to remember what Jesus Christ took on for us and the sacrifice He made! He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

Then we got ready for my family to come over, stuffed the eggs for the hunt, prepared the food...and fuuuuuuun stuff like that.

We had a nice lunch, not your typical Easter meal! Mom and I were not feeling up to the big Turkey dinner mess so we decided to have tacos. Beck brought some Triple C that she had made (mmm mmm good B) and I made some fresh salsa...mmmm, 'twas a good meal and good fellowship. Then we took some pix of our kids in the Easter clothing and on the egg hunt.

So, Davey boy got home tonight...YAH!! how weird to have this dude in our house again! He will be home all week and we are so glad to have him! (esp. because our house is falling apart right now...sink in kitchen messed up, bathroom tub handle broke clean off so there's no using my upstairs tubby, elliptical needed to be put together and that was the FIRST thing that OCD man did when he got home, lovin' you D) Hope you had a relaxing, enjoyable and blessed holiday weekend!

Ok, here are some harvest party highlights...and some serious Laurie babbling. You've been warned!

David does a good hippie, ay?
Pinata action...led by the hippie dude
Nick and Natalie: Magician and his bunny from
his hat trick....how cute and original??

We caught us a mermaid (Nora)... Piper in the catwalk show...as Princess Aurora aka Sleeping Beauty....

I really didn't take as many pix as I should've...I'm such a loser that way....:) Nora and Molly had the same costume but I didn't put Molly in hers at all that night. She slept thru most of the event. I was a Goth (no picture to prove that though)...my friend Sherry was as well but she has forbidden me from posting her pic....and being the good, obedient friend that I am, have obeyed..for now. The party was great though...thanks to all who participated! You know who you are..

Will was a cowboy, E. was a WWII soldier, Mel was a mini-Goth, and Levi was supposed to be a monkey but wouldn't keep his garb on! Again, really no pix to prove any of that and yes, you can harass me about that...I get too overwhelmed in moments like these and lose control.

right now, it's 12:45 a.m. I should so totally be in bed. We have a crazy busy day with speech club and hanging with some awesome friends etc but here I sit. I've been going through albums, reminiscing like the nerd that I am. Just getting myself all verklempt, thanking the Lord for the rich blessings He has given to me...and it overwhelms me to think how good He has been to me over the years of my life. (I'm getting so choked up right now...the Nat King Cole song I have on repeat, "Stardust", does not help my melancholy mood)...I have such an awesome family, Mom, Dad, Tom, Andy and his crew, my sister, who I would truly be lost without and just can't fathom how other women go with out a close relationship with their sisters...her family, the good, God-fearing folks (friends and fam alike) that we know and love. Man, it is just too much! I have one rockin' hubby, we will celebrate 14 years of marriage on Nov. 27, and just how good he is to his children and I! Yeah, he's intense and all that deep stuff, but such a source of encouragement and strength for me!! He is a kick butt dad too. It's too much for this peanut head to comprehend. and then my kids??? o my gosh. little walking pieces of heaven right here on earth. I take them so totally for granted and I pray the Lord forgives me for that and gives me the strength to overcome my selfish ways. I need to stop being such a yeller. waaaaaaaaaaaaaa I could so go on here but will not. I want you to keep coming back.....:)

I want to encourage you, whoever you are, to love (an act of the will, selfless) your family, love your friends, tell them how much they mean to you. and then, like I need to do, quit taking them for granted and show them just how much they truly mean to you, even when it's not convenient or easy. Quit snipping at them (I'm talking to myself here). Words and tones can be so painful. mood swings are so painful...I know. I do it DAILY! you can see the hurt on their faces when it spews out...ouch. venom to the soul. puts a damper on pretty much everything.

Sorry for the sermon. not really. it's my blog though so deal with it...you know I love y'all. All of this came from wandering down memory lane and visiting our wedding albums and listening to this Nat song, it's from Sleepless in Seattle (which was out the summer before we wed and I listened to this album when I was living in D's parents basement, missing my fam back here etc blah blah blah), when Tom Hanks is missing his dead wife and she is suddenly there on their couch...this song is playing. It's a classic...man, can this dude sing. over and over too. ( I have that soundtrack on as well as AOL radio).

Life is too short, soak it up...before you know it, your kids will be 13 like my big boy...it's spiraling away from me. Where did that newlywed 20 year old girl go?? I can't find her. (Plus she was a size 9 back then, so that is quite confusing....)

Good night, one and all. Thanks for letting me unload. Beck, hope your 3rd day back in the workforce is the best yet...hey, it's HUMP DAY!! I can't believe I haven't seen you yet this week. Happy Wednesday y'all!! (now on Radio AOL, Johnny Mathis is singing "Misty"....I'm gettin' misty) gotta run to bed before I get goin' again....ahhhhhhhh. peace.