Just Catchin' Up...

Hello again!  Sorry I've been  MIA!  With a grand baby I keep a couple of days a week and planning TWO weddings, it's been CRAZY-busy around the farm!  Yep, TWO weddings!  My oldest son, Adam, got married three weeks ago in Nashville, and my daughter is getting married in October here in E Texas.  I'm a very busy gal!  My son, Adam, and his new bride, Bre.

I have no veggie garden this year either - I'm so sad!  Guess I'll be going to the Farmer's Market a lot this summer.  When we had the big tree cut down, the garden fence, etc., had to be taken down and everything moved - my raised beds, too.  Then I got "wedding-busy" and it just didn't happen this year.  So sad...  I had planned on maybe having some patio plants, tomatoes and such, but that's not happening.  So, I've had to let it go for this year.  It IS what it IS.  Trying to prioritize this year...and not stress myself out overly much.

I've been looking for photos to show of our little farm this year, lo and behold - there are hardly any pics that do not include my little granddaughter!  I have thousands already!  She's sitting alone now, jabbering up a storm and SO curious about every little thing.  And still no hair!

This picture of my daughter, my granddaughter and myself was taken in Nashville at Cedarmont Farm where Adam's wedding was held.  It was a gorgeous place and threatened rain all day, but the sun broke out towards the evening and everything was perfect!  Bella is my middle son's baby girl and Hayley is such a proud Auntie!  Bella is sporting wedding attire along with her smallish hair bow (not).  I told her mommy and daddy that she looked like she'd been to the Kentucky Derby! either that, or she is a sweet little Ganache Cupcake!

Daddy and I did do our usual ritual of jelly making last week.  This has been going on for many years now, and we were sure missing our Lisa being there to help.  Just wasn't the same somehow, but we are carrying on.  I did not think I could go on at times without my sister, but I have.  Some days are better than others.  I know the Lord in heaven is working His healing touch on our family and I'm so thankful to have Him to lean on.

Notice something different?  I cut my hair.  I decided to go short.  I am really enjoying it a lot - so much easier to care for except my hair grows fast and I have to go to the salon just about once a month...  grrrrr.  But I'm liking it.

Hope to be back soon amidst the wedding planning for my daughter and keeping my baby. She's the delight of my life right now and she makes this troubled heart happy!  Take care and keep your dress down!

Hello 2015, Goodbye 2014

Caution:  Long Post w pics...

Where oh where do I begin?  Where do I start?  I left you all here in blogland, friends, to mourn the loss of my sister, Lisa, and just flat lost my blogging mojo.  Still not sure if it's back yet, tho, so be patient with me.  Time will tell...  Grief kinda comes in waves...

In February, it'll be two years since we learned of Lisa's cancer, and our world turned upside down and sideways.  I HATED that she had to go through the surgery, hated that she had to endure the chemo which in the end didn't really help, hated that she had pain and suffering especially those last few months.  But, we had almost a year and a half to share, to love, to talk, to laugh, to cry, to hold each other, to pray together and with our parents and our families.  We saw family members mend some hurt feelings and broken bonds and we all drew together as a family. Now, we've always been a close tight family, but you can't all be perfect all the time.  Lisa's undaunting faith in the Lord and love impacted us all.  Little things that used to bother me DO NOT MATTER.  What matters is our love for God and our love for each other. That's all.

Lisa and I have always been connected at the hip.  How we could grow any closer is hard to fathom, but grow closer we did.  We had to get down to the nitty gritty and talk about some really hard stuff.  Her kids first and foremost.  All five of our kids belonged to both of us.  Tony and I now have all five of these grown kids to call our own.

With Lisa, nothing was left unspoken, no love or feelings were not expressed, no tears cried together were not cried.  I guess that's the thing with an extended illness - having time to say goodbye.  Would that I could have gone through this for my little sister. Our parents have really had a hard time.  It's not for me or us to understand except that we live in a fallen world.  And if there were no pain and suffering, we would not need the love and saving grace of God. There was no pain or sorrow in the world when God created it - it was only when sin entered the garden and the world that the perfect became imperfect.  We need the Lord desperately, and when we go through these times (and we all will) He promises to be with us and help us through.  We will understand in the great by and by.  Lisa's favorite verses...

Isaiah 40:31New International Version (NIV)

31 but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

My sister is soaring on wings like eagles and her strength has been renewed!!!

We shared SO much, sometimes we would even call each other at the same time or look at each other with unspoken words that we didn't need and KNOW what the other was thinking. One of the most wonderful things that we shared besides our faith is that we both became first time grandmothers in 2014.  Lisa didn't get to see her little grandson make his grand entrance nor did she see my little granddaughter.  But Tony said that perhaps she got to hold and love on both of them in heaven - that's comforting and I like to think that.  It makes me happy to think about her holding both of those babies before we ever got to!  I'm sharing a pic of Lisa's little Gauge, and one of my little Isabella. My daughter in law and son gave Bella my sister's middle name, much to my delight!  Of course, that brought happy tears and I know it would be a hoot for Lisa to know that!

Gauge

Isabella

The Lord is SO GOOD to us!  These two little babies have been a huge band-aid on our broken hearts!  There IS Joy in the midst of pain and sorrow!  Joy that we know that Lisa awaits us in Heaven, and Joy and thankfulness that God has brought these two little miracles into our lives at a time when we needed them most.  

So...  I want to end this long post on a good note, with a heavy but joyful heart feeling immersed in God's love and comfort upon our families at this time.  Thank you, my blog friends, for all your love and prayers and well wishes that have come my way in these past two years.  I'm looking forward to 2015!  

Summer 2014

I may have to introduce myself again - it's been so long since I've actually visited with y'all.  Still don't know what my new normal is...  since I lost my sis.  But I'm trying to move forward.

I've spent most of this past year at Lisa's house soaking up all the time I could with her.  The Lord in heaven has been so close to our family these past months, and the knowledge that she no longer suffers goes a long way towards beginning to heal our grief and sorrow over her loss.  Our faith is strong and we will eventually find our way again with His help.  I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your words, your prayers and your concern.  I shall talk about Lisa, I'm sure, but I'll try not to moan and whine.  She's a lot better off than we are right now!  This pic was taken in the spring when my brother Dan, Lisa and I were all together for the last time... Dan lives way off in NC....

 This is a picture of Lisa and her husband about 3 weeks or so before we lost her...still beautiful!

Needless to say, my garden was a pitiful flop this year.  Daddy's garden fared a little better - we were all pulled to my sis...  I've made peach jam and pickles and hot salsa.  Surprisingly, our little bitty peach tree was absolutely loaded with baseball-sized peaches this year - no thanks to me.  We had an abundance of rain this spring/early summer - totally NOT normal at all!  I'm just now having to water the yard - it's just now looking a bit dry.

My daughter graduated from Nursing school with a Bachelor of Science.  We are so proud of her!  It was hard, but she stuck it out, passed her NCLEX, and is now employed at a major Texas hospital!  Lots of prayer and hard work!

Below is our family at her graduation + her significant other in the hat and my parents.  What a great day was had by all!

I totally forgot to show y'all something I made my daughter for Christmas...

Now, don't look at the pink stuff, and don't look at the wedding ring quilt, and don't look at anything else girly or foo-foo in this room.  Just look at the rag quilt.  THAT is what I made for baby-girl for Christmas. It doesn't have the binding on it yet.  Here's what happened - it was a surprise...

Happy tears when she realized that I'd made it and put all those long hours into the quilt!

It DID turn out nice - all her cowboy colors... I'd love to do another one IF my hands can recover from all the clipping...  If you haven't seen them on Pinterest, every seam of every square is clipped so that when it's washed, the seams get fuzzed out.  She loved her quilt...

See ya next time...

My Sister Lisa

It is with overwhelming sadness of my heart to tell you all that my sister Lisa has been called home to be with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. She passed away after a 15 month battle with ovarian cancer this past Saturday in Dallas with her entire family surrounding her bedside. She lived her faith until the very end and told my cousin "me and mammaw and papaw will be waiting for the rest of you goonies to get here some day".  Lisa touched many lives and we will be celebrating her victory Saturday at her memorial service. She told us she wanted happy songs, happy faces, funny stories and no black clothes. So that's what we're doing. I'm so sad to lose my sister soulmate and my mom and dad are lost without their baby girl. Her husband and their four adult kids are grieving too. Lisa did not make it to see her first grandbaby coming in July. My husband said that Lisa would get to see that little grandson before all the rest of us. The Lord is with us all and His Spirit is bringing great peace and comfort through our memories and loved ones. We are a family of Christians and our trust in Him will see us through. Please pray for our family as we move ahead without her. Our joy is the knowledge that we will all be together again someday... Heaven is looking a little sweeter each and every day. I love you Lisa. I will miss you so very much...