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Showing posts from 2015

Thank you Momma

December 31, 2015 Life is good, God is waaaay better.   I’m starting with that statement this time – I am reassured of that each day – really each hour these past couple of days.   People – family, friends, folks on the street or in the store have all been incredible.   People know – they ‘sense’ hurt and respond appropriately.   That is so very treasured.   My Momma died on Tuesday, December 29th at 13:49 PST.   Dad, Phyllis, Bob via FaceTime, Susan, Nathan, Jesse and I were all there…holding her hand, stroking her arm, leg, shoulder, forehead, making sure she could ‘feel’ us and hoping she could hear us.   I whispered to her a lot that day…the nurses would kind of talk loudly to her as they swabbed out her mouth or did some routine on her.   I couldn’t do that – I wanted to be gentle with my Momma…loud noises would startle her at home recently.   She would wake up and say ‘what was that’…I didn’t want her startled.   I wanted her to go from this world gently, peacefully and walk

Amazing family, snow and emotions!

Parked the car in a snow bank at my sisters J .   She has some serious snow up here at her house!   She lives ‘up in them thar hills’ outside of Boise, Idaho…and we will have a white Christmas!!   It is beautiful and cold for sure so we’ll see how adventurous I am over the next few days.   Tanner (#7 nephew) said I should write about family…but I wasn’t sure.   And then it hit me scrolling through my FaceBook...I have a LOT of family!   I know, the story has it that family is who you are born or adopted into…and the family I was born into is AMAZING.   Love, love, love – parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, kids of cousins – AMAZING.   Such greatness.    But along life’s merry way – there have been other people in my life who have become ‘family’.   I experienced living overseas that being so far away from my first family…others became family!   My brother’s kids (3 nephews) grew up living in Ukraine – and they used to call other people ‘Aunt’ and ‘Un

Love, love, love this time of year!

Holy Moly – what an amazing season – I love this time of year!   I’m sitting here looking out a window into a beautiful backyard covered in fresh snow.   It isn’t snowing at this very moment but it sure has for the past 18 hours or so!   If you know me – snow is not my favorite but looking at it from the inside is ok J !    Actually last night I was a bit more brave -   it was kind of snow/rain and I was standing out on the main street of John Day, OR (total population = 1800) watching a trucker’s light parade.   It was so awesome…so small town, some really decorated log trucks, work trucks, whatever – all so great!    So I guess I can brave the elements for the ‘right’ reason! I don’t really have much to say; just been hanging out here helping at Mom and Dad’s.   Busy – painted a few rooms, hosted a ‘tea’ (crazy…doesn’t sound like me but it was Christmasy and nice!), spoke at a coffee shop and this week I’m headed to California.   I’m excited to see a bunch of peo

Free, thankful and breathing...

Free, thankful and breathing – that’s what I feel tonight . Free - My time is free; after dinner I kind of wandered around for a while – what do I do since I don’t have my online class to do?   I must admit; it was a nice feeling.    My TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) is over…woo hoo!   Man that took a lot of time!   It was worth it but I’m glad it’s over as well. Thankful – I am very thankful for friends and family.   It has been a good past few weeks just basking in peace and the love of many people surrounding my family and me.   Thank you…! Breathing – there have been a few moments that it seemed like that is all I could do was breathe!   I couldn’t really talk, think or move but I could breathe!   That’s a good thing J . It is good to be home with my parents in Oregon.   Mom rests quite a bit but is determined to do certain things each day – good, bad or indifferent!   I told her today that she reaps what she sows – I think she used to tell me growi

Mama - frieden (peace)

November 6, 2015 There is one word that I can use anywhere in the world and it seems to be understood – Mama .   And this blog is about just that…my Mama.   She called me 10 days ago with not great news – her cancer is back and in her bones.   Since that time she has had many tests and appointments and found out that the cancer is not in her organs or brain; the first reason I am thankful today. So this ‘wave’ in life is a big one…we talked in our English Bible Study tonight about the waves of life.   We even made a little ‘ocean in a jar’ – you know…with water, food coloring and oil.   And I shared with these teenagers that I have come to know and love – about my Mom and the pain she is in.   I cried…they cried.   We prayed…not for healing even really…just peace.   It was amazing…. I recently was at a conference and was involved with doing the PowerPoint and songs etc on the ‘big screen’ – it was really big and there were lots of people which was awesome but nerve wracki