My How Time Flies!

This is what my youngest son's room looked like Saturday night. Was it really eighteen years ago when I first looked into those warm, loving eyes? First held those little fingers? My how time flies! Was it really all that long ago I was depended on for everything he needed and wanted? Seems like yesterday I was nurse, taxi service, counselor, judge, referee, cook, maid, cheerleader and mom to this young man! Well I always knew this day would come just not this fast! So we packed up his stuff, alooot of stuff! Yesterday we drove my youngest son to college. We joined hundreds of other parents on this journey. I tried to remain calm and cool. I was pretty sucessful I didn't break down into a total blubbering mess. Today, another story as I feel eerily sad and lonely for a part of me that has left. I just have to hope and pray I have taught him all I could and he has the knowledge and skills to survive out there in the big bad world on his own! I'm happy he is there with his best friend and they are also roommates.(hopefully this all goes well)

Not a braver battle was fought

Just wanted to say thank you for all your thoughts and prayers for my cousin and her family. That was greatly appreciated! She courageously lost her battle with cancer last Wed. I just take comfort that she is now free from pain and suffering. Her family held the most beautiful memorial celebration of life ceremony for her. Where friends and family just gathered to share memories and look at photo's. I was amazed to see the awesome scrap books she had made for her four kids since they were babies. She was an amazing mom! At least they will have those memories to remember her by. Good Bye sweet angel, Angi.

my nieces

Wow did last week fly by! My darling nieces arrived from CA. We took them to Pella. A very picturesque town and got them some awesome baked goodies they loved!
My niece sure got a kick out the rainstorm we had one day. she insisted she had to dance in the rain. My sister-in-law and I managed to sneak off to go to a store I love in Pella. It is a furniture store bout they have lots of accessories too. We modeled the adorable red gingham aprons with crocheted roosters dangling from them. Unfortunately we couldn't justify the $59.00 for them.

We took the girls to the Iowa State fair one day too. I don't know how Holly could look so cute eating a pork chop on a stick?! Katey looked adorable with her hat in the wagon! My husband snuck off with Holly and to our surprise put her on a camel to ride! She loved it!

We ended the week by taking the girls to Mall of America. My older niece loves to shop! You can tell she is already a fashionista queen wearing her sequined hat with pink sunglasses. I think we wore out the younger one! We couldn't believe she was actually sleeping like that! All in all it was a really fun and busy week! I miss them already!!

Life is unfair!

As I tossed and turned for the last two hours in bed dealing with a heavy heart. I decided to get on and try some stress relief writing. I just found out my beautiful cousin is in her final stages of her battle with colon cancer. She is a mere 36 years old. Just recently remarried. Has four beautiful children. I remember when she came into my life. I was around nine years old my uncle was going to marry her mother. She has two sisters. I was so excited to have some new cousins and girls! I only had one other on that side of the family. We had so much fun growing up together. I will always remember her as shy, loved to read,very funny,she had the most beautiful long dark hair(I was so jealous of),amazing complexion, great confidante and sweet. She lost her mother at the tender age of 13 to cancer. (also one of her sisters passed away at the young age of 24 to cancer) When she was 18 she had a falling out with my uncle so, we lost track of each other over the years but, had just recently reconnected through emails. We had spoke of getting together but never did. My heart aches for her and her family! They are trying to stabilize her enough so she can go home and die. She is currently incoherent and it doesn't sound like she will make it home. I just ask that everyone say a little prayer for her family, to prepare them for their long hard journey and the possibility of losing a wife, mother, sister, and friend.