September

This has been swirling around in my head for the past few weeks, I just haven't taken the time to write. As it is nearing the end of September, (that went fast!) I figure I better get this down. Plus it will get it out of my head, and down here for you.

They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Well, September came in like a ton of bricks. In the first 8 days of the month, my Grandma passed away, my daughter left for college, and my husband retired from the military. Wow!

It seems a lot like several endings in the time span of a week. But then again, these could be seen as beginnings. The beginning of our grieving for our beloved Grandma, and the beginning of her new life in Heaven. Although we hurt, and miss her so much, we know she is dancing in Heaven, and no longer hurting here on Earth. All of her stress and sufferings are gone, and only happiness remains with Our Lord Jesus.

It was emotional when my daughter left for college, she is such a bright spot around the house. Yet when all your child talks about is college, when you see a new light her eyes when she talks about it, you know that is where she belongs. I saw the same thing in her brother when he went off to college. Just like the movie "Finding Nemo", the sea turtle is talking to Marlin about letting his son grow up. The turtle says, "When they know, you'll know. You know?"

Although I miss her a lot, I know she is happy. I can hear it in her voice every time she calls home. The new friends she is making, her instructors, her volunteer work, the flooded bathrooms, falling out of the hammock, her search for a church, everything. She is so very ecstatically happy. It's a great feeling knowing how hard she worked to be accepted (really, she was a shoe in) and how she is now living her dream. We can see how Jesus is working in her life, and we're excited to see the plans He has for her. 'For I have a plan for you, says the Lord, a plan to prosper and not harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.' Jeremiah 29:11

My husband retiring from the military was really uncharted territory for us. We've been married for 23 years, and he's been in the United States Air Force for 25. So it's been a part of our lives from the beginning. The kids and I had no idea what to expect at the ceremony, but it went very well. Professional and formal, yet personal as well. Then just like that, the military experience is over. No more packing the truck with uniforms, boots, briefcase, hat, his 50 lb drag bag, etc. No more 2 week annual tours the week of your child's graduation that are actually 3 weeks. No more threat of deployment. It is really strange. On one hand, I'm glad he is done, I was tired of the military duty every month. But on the other hand, it's kind of like saying goodbye to an old friend. However my husband has been home so much more since he retired, and I've noticed his stress level has decreased, so I can see it's a good thing.

Through all of this, I know Jesus has been holding our family in His hands, giving us comfort and guidance. We have felt the prayers of others, and His Loving Arms around us. And for these, we are grateful. Thank You Jesus for these new beginnings in life. I love You, Amen

FL fun

Hi Jasey Rae,

We recently had a wonderful time down in FL celebrating your Grandpa's retirement after 25 years in the Air Force. Your parents brought you down, and a lot of family were honored to meet you. They traveled all the way down from Wisconsin! You had a great time visiting with everyone, and getting into the usual trouble.

You are fascinated with tags right now. Tags of any kind, on anything. In this particular instance, you were playing with a tag on a beach towel. As you played with it, the tag broke off the towel. You closed it up in your little fist, and sat up, preparing to eat that little treasure. Thank goodness I was watching you and saw what your little plan was before you choked.

At home, you've come up with a little attention getting behavior. It's cute at home on your very soft carpet. It's not so cute on a wooden boardwalk at the creek. You sit up, then suddenly fling yourself backwards onto the floor. You ended up with a sore noggin that day, poor baby.

More than anything else, you love to put things in your mouth. Anything your little fingers can grab. As proof of this, I offer these:

Your life jacket:

A water bottle. I bet the cold water was yummy, it was so hot out:

This was your favorite-a bag of Skittles:

Love you Jasey Rae
Love, Grandma

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Remembering....

I lost my Grandma today. It's been a very long, exhausting day for me, and I'm sure for all of us. I am so conflicted in my feelings. On one hand, I feel relief that she is no longer suffering and unhappy. But on the other hand, she is my Grandma, and I want her here with me. She's my pillar, and pillars are supposed to be here forever. She's always been there for me...for everyone. She's always been in her beautiful house, with the same phone number and everything.

Grandma had a pool put in her backyard. It wasn't a big pool, and only 5 feet deep, but so many of my memories with her revolve around that pool. How she always said she shouldn't have had it put in, because it was too small. But we all loved it. My nieces and nephews all learned to swim in that pool, and I spent hours upon hours in there. Grandma would be out there on the deck, or inside watching her soaps. especially "All My Children." Sometimes she'd join me in the pool in her pretty once piece suits. The big rule that you never hop over from the spa to the pool, but get out and go around. I'm sure all of us remember that one. Grandma would make everyone sandwiches, then since I couldn't eat bread, she'd bring me lunch meat and cheese, rolled up with a toothpick in it. Always delivered with a smile.

We'd go everywhere together-out to eat, farmer's markets, Table Mountain, the family cabin, Castro Valley to see Aunt Betty. Sigh. She is in Heaven as well, and I'm sure that was a beautiful reunion to see. I remember in restaurants waiting for our food, Grandma would eavesdrop on surrounding tables. She'd take a pen and paper out of her purse, (she always carried a large purse) and secretly write me notes about them. Such as; that man has a toupee, or that couple is divorced, and discussing custody of the kids. It sure passed time while we had nothing better to do.

One day Grandma picked me up early from school because I was really sick. After the dr, she took me out for ice cream. This particular place gave you a huge helping of ice cream, plus about that much more to take home. I eagerly took a bite, (I love ice cream), to find it tasted terrible! Imagine....ice cream tasting awful. At the time I didn't know why it was so bad, was it because I was so sick? Later I found out Grandma had ordered me a malt. I've never forgotten that.

More than spoiling me, Grandma loved to dance. Come heck or high water, she was going dancing. Square dance, ballroom. She loved to dance. Twice widowed, she had a very hard time finding a partner. The war had made a large impact in the number of available men, and quite a few of the remaining ones were married. Still, she continued to dance, performed for exhibitions and fundraisers, even taught at a dancing school for a time. She had beautiful dresses and bloomers (?) to wear under them to make them poof out. I can still see her smile when she was all dressed up. Dancing was her life, and she had a lot of friends through it.

I have so many wonderful memories of my Grandma. We used to talk so much, then after I moved across country, we talked by email. We'd send long emails about life, our hopes and dreams, her dancing, my Grandpa, who I never was graced to meet..everything. Jesus, thank You for the years we had Grandma with us. She was such a big part of our lives, and we all have such wonderful memories of her. I have to mention the time she was making a cake, and her kids were bugging her for tastes of the batter. She set the bowl down, gave the kids spoons, and told them to have at it. They ate the whole bowl. One of her favorite stories to tell. Welcome her with open arms, Father, and show her the dance floor with Grandpa AK. Please comfort our hearts, as we grieve and remember down here. I love You Father, and I love my Grandma. Amen.