Surrender

     It was the night before Nolan and Kay's wedding.  I had been stressing about it for six weeks; the amount of time we had to plan it!  Worrying if the weather would be good, no rain!! As if I could control that part of it.  But still my mind whirred on constantly as I worked on invites, decorations and details!  
     I dreamed I had to get to Mike and Jane's camp to set up the tables and chairs.  For some reason I started to walk there from my house in Enosburg.  It was early morning and I thought to myself, maybe I better not go there so early to set up.  Instead of turning left to the camp, I walked straight to the Lakes edge.   The sun was shining, the lake was calm and quiet.  I stood there peacefully without concern.  Just enjoying the beauty of the water and sky before me. 
     I can only take this as a sign that God was in complete control of the weather, the wedding, the details and the bride and groom!  I had done my part and planned to the best of my ability and the rest was in HIS hands.
      I went to Bible study today and the one word that stood out during the entire class was Surrender!  I can plan all I want but some things I just have to release to HIM.  Ultimately, HE is in control.  He gave  Nolan to me as a son for all these years and now he is on his own and has his own family.  God will take care of them.  I just have to stop at the waters edge, rest and wait and see what HE has in store for me now!

Welcome to the Family Alahna Grace 2/11/14

     I got a text from Holly in the morning that she was 4 centimeters dilated and the Doctor thought she would go into labor in the next 24 hours.  A couple hours later, she reported that she thought she may be in labor.  Should she go to the hospital??  "Of course", I replied!  I was at lunch at the Abbey with Paul and Franny and another friend.  I was anxious to finish and go see Holly at the hospital.       
     When I arrived, she was comfy in the hospital bed.  The Doctor had just broken her water and she was having some minor contractions.  Oh good, I thought.  Plenty of time to put the car seat in the car, pick Ebby up at day care and bring her to Paul in Enosburg and then go back to hospital to be there when the baby arrived!
     Boy was I wrong!  By the time I did all that I got back to the hospital and Holly was in the same position in the bed, the baby was in the incubator crying up a storm, and it was time to meet Alahna Grace!  I guess those second babies do come fast!

She is like a perfectly wrapped present!

Proud parents, Holly and Anthony!

All dressed up to go home from the hospital this day; February 13, 2014
An early Valentines Gift!

Ebonie meeting her sister for the first time.  Holly had tears in her eyes!

Ebonie gave her a little attention but then she was more

 interested in the blueberry muffin on the breakfast tray.

She is perfect!

Rosy and pink and sugar and spice and all that is nice!

May God bless my granddaughter Alahna Grace with peace and happiness!  Walk with her all the days of her life Lord Jesus!  Amen!

Love Grandma

:)

Ella~Somewhere Over the Rainbow

 

  My husband lost his Mom last week.  She was 83.  How to fill up this empty page with words about her.?  It's easy.  It might take a while.  I will try to fill in the space first with words about the celebration of her life on February 4th.  A gathering at Milton Cornerstone Community Church was held in her honor.  It was beautiful to see all of her family there.  Six children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, cousins, friends and family.  The church was full.  Pastor Kim started out by saying that it is usually a depressing thing to be at a funeral but he wanted this to be a celebration.  I had brought my Bible with me because I wanted to share a verse that brought comfort to me.  It's in John 14.  I didn't need to share it because one of the first things Pastor said was that we should be happy because Ella is in heaven.  She knew the Lord!  Jesus said in my house there are many rooms!  The verse goes like this. 
 John 14:1-2 "Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to My self that where I am, there you may be also.  And where I go you know and the way you know." 
For me hearing Pastor say the exact verse that I had marked in my Bible that morning was confirmation from the Lord about where Mom was.  It brings me comfort and I hope it brings you comfort too.
     Then Pastor said that the word that came to mind for him when he thought about Ella was "dignified".  He said that no matter what she was doing or wearing or where she was, she carried herself with so much dignity.  He invited everyone to share something about Ella big or small.  It didn't have to be an elaborate speech.  He encouraged us to say "I remember when Ella........ and fill it in with a story or memory.
     People talked about how she always made them feel welcome.  She would greet people at church on Sundays and gave everyone the biggest smiles to make them feel welcome.  When I met her she accepted me into the family immediately despite the circumstances.  She was so very kind to me.  I remember when we were at her house for Christmas.  I was enjoying playing with one of the grandchildren.  She said to me, "Why don't you just go ahead and have another baby!"  To me that was a special and complete acceptance into the family to give her another grandchild.  Paul chimed into say that we complied and Faith was born so she stood up!  :) 
     Shelley talked about how the first time she met her, Ella greeted her at the door and said I will love you just like one of my own daughters.  Sarah said that the first time she met Ella was when she came home from a party with Barry and was completely welcomed into her home and even lived there for a while.  Mom always opened her home to family and their friends regardless of circumstances.
     I like the story that her grandson Paul told about the time he and Fallon and Bridget were fighting over a tootsie roll.  Ella said, "give me that tootsie roll!" and proceeded into the kitchen where she got a knife and cut it into three pieces so that they could share it.   What a sweet memory!
     My Paul mentioned how his Mom used to leave the discipline up to his Dad.  She would say "You wait until your Father gets home!"  He continued on to tell a story about how one time she didn't wait til his Father got home.  Paul had stabbed his sister Franny with a pencil.  When Mom discovered what he had done, she took the pencil and stabbed him in the rear end with it!  Needless to say, he still has a mark! 

 

Don't know why but just wanted to throw this pic of Paul in.  Mom, thanks for giving me a husband who likes to do fun things like make snowmen!!  

 

     DeeDee remembered how her Mom would rub her back and continuously do the figure eight on her back with her fingers.  It was a soothing beautiful memory.  How wonderful to have a loving Mama!
    To DeeDee and Shelley, I would like to say thank you for the wonderful care you took of her.  I would also like to say, that despite how hard it was to say goodbye, it was an oppportunity to share, and love and cry and be a family.  Mom brought everyone together even in this hard time.

     I remember the time I brought my granddaughter Ebonie there for the first time.  Mom opened her arms right up to her to hold her.  I love this pic

Faith and her Gramma in 2010.  Faith loved helping her do puzzles!  So did I!!

 

I want to write more and will add to this.  Family, please send me any memory that you would like to add.

     After everyone shared their memories of Ella's life, they played a cassette recording of Mom singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"! I had no idea that Mom could sing like that.  It was beautiful!  So to all of you in the family, Mom knew how much she was loved!  And right now, she is somewhere over the rainbow, in that mansion that Jesus has prepared for her.  I just know it!!   Love to each one of you and comfort! 

 Sincerely, Janet
 

 

Tribute to our friend Mike T.

  Last week was a really rough one for my husband.  He found out that a good friend of his had passed away.  It was the way he found out that made it worse.  You see, Mike Trudell died on November 10th  and we found out on January 9th.  He had visited Mike during the first week of November.  Then we got busy with the holidays.  Work, parties, shopping, visiting family.  All the things that everyone does.  Paul called Mike on the New Years but his phone was disconnected.
      On January 9th, we took a ride to his house in Georgia and discovered noone home.  When Paul looked in the window, he saw very little furnishings in the house.  "Could he have moved in with a family member" I asked?  Or maybe he is in a nursing home?"  "Why don't you look up his brothers number on your phone,"  Paul suggested.  So I did.  It didn't take long to discover Mike's obituary as soon as I typed in his brothers name.   We were shocked and saddened that we knew nothing about this.
     The reason I am writing this out like this is to show the lesson that Paul and I learned from the experience.   How very important it is to keep in touch with loved ones.  To not let the busyness of life interfere with what is of utmost importance and that is PEOPLE!!!  To stop and call or send a note.  To put people first! 
     My husband felt like he was not a very good friend to Mike for this to have happened without him knowing about it.  He is mourning his friend Mike now.  Fondly called "MikeyT" by him.  I could only reassure him that he had been a very good friend to Mike for years.  Mike had become a bit of a recluse because of his muscular dystrophy.  He stayed home for the last few years and had help from other resources.  But I know my husband's heart hurts.
    So let me just say this about MikeyT.  He and Paul were friends for about 25 years.  They met at church.  They really understood eachother.  Mikey would call Paul Magilla Gorilla!  He admired Pauls ability to fix things.  They would chat on the phone for hours.  When Faith was little the three of them started a car business called "Good Faith Auto" and would go to Hirshacks auction to buy cars and sell for a profit.  They spent a lot of hours talking and planning to make a few extra bucks.  Many hours at the auction eating junk food and just being together!  Paul recalled to me one time that as they were driving there one time, they heard "Maria" the song by Brooks and Dunn on the radio!  He, Mike and Faith were all singing it together at the top of their lungs!  What a great song!
     Mikey was the best man at our wedding!  He was sweet and supportive to me.  He would talk to me on the phone too, at length.  He had funny stories! Paul told me about the time when he was at a church dinner with Mike and his wife Stephanie.  Paul was eating something from the buffet table and apparently it didn't taste very good.  Paul commented about how terrible it was, only to find out that it was Mike's wife who had cooked it!!  After the uncomfortable moment had passed, it was always something they could look back on and laugh at!!
     Another time, Paul had to go to the airport to pick up Mike after his trip to Florida.  They were waiting in line at the baggage claim for his suitcase.  When they finally found it, Paul figured it was time to go but Mike said that he had another box that he was looking for. It was a box of oranges.   They waited and waited and it never showed up on the baggage carousel.  Finally Paul wandered over to the other baggage claim area and there were some oranges ~~falling out of a box.  It was a box all right but it was in a Stayfree Maxi Pad Box with tape all around it and the oranges were falling out!  They had a great laugh over that one!  Surely you could have found another container to put them in Mikey?!!
    

 I remember him telling me once that Paul and I had a wonderful marriage because as he put it.  Paul "cherished" me and that is something you don't see a lot of these days.  He would buy our family of 7 a case of toilet paper for Christmas.  He knew how much we could use it.  It made me laugh when I opened that big box!  He worked for St Albans Glass.  He fixed my sliding glass door in the kitchen for me.  He had a presence about him.  Conversation and coffee was what he loved because he was unable to get around very well.  And he really did think carefully about what he said most of the time.  Though I never did confront him even though he spilled the beans about Paul's surprise 50th Birthday Party. 
     Mikey, you were a special guy.  I am sorry, we were not there for you at the end.  Thank you for the laughter and wisdom you shared with us.  You loved the Lord and I know you are in Paradise with HIM now. 

Nolan's Graduation Day

     December 14th, 2013.  My son Nolan graduated from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Dietetics!  A huge reason to celebrate!  He has also recently got engaged to be married to Kay Tetreault.  I am so very proud of him and happy for what the future brings!!

Major Jackson giving the commencement speech.

 Author of three collections of poems:  Holding Company, 2010.  

Hoops, 2006 and Leaving Saturn, 2002.

 

 YOU DID IT!!

 

 

 Nolan and  Miles

 I think it was the coldest day of the year.  Negative 10 or so.

 

 

I really like this picture of me and Mama in the kitchen preparing lunch.

  She did teach me everything I know.

 

Ham salad, lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, cake....

 

Daddy loves a celebration.  He is one proud Grandpa!!

We also celebrated Faith's 12th Birthday!  

Ebby giving Nolan a big hug!

 

 Ebby loved the cake!  Proud as can be sitting with her Uncle Nolan!

I was thrilled to have everyone together so I could take a Christmas Card picture!

Congratulations Nolan.  We are so very proud of your accomplishments; graduation and six years in the Air National Guard and engaged to a lovely girl!!  A Mama could not ask for more~!

Snowy Christmas Walk

      Probably my favorite part of this Christmas 2013 was when we all bundled up to go for a walk with the dogs.  Jacob, Nolan, Kay, Faith, Grover, Layla, Kota and I all headed for a hike.   Paul headed out later on.  I don't mind the cold as long as I dress for the weather, with many layers and always with ski pants on!

The boys didn't want to fall through the ice so crossed over on a little foot bridge.

 The layers of ice and snow are spectacular on every tree!

 

Faith is always most content when she is with her brothers and her dog!

I think my favorite color is the blue of this sky! 

My beautiful kiddos!

Sliding down the hill!  Lots of laughs!



Nolan went belly first!

 Paul is not into hiking.  He prefers horsepower!!!!

 The dueling dogs.

What a view!

Merry Morning to us!