Happy Mother's Day

Me and Rose #3 walking in Guppy's Grove

 After dinner we went over to Guppy's bench to plant some more flowers.  We were pleasantly surprised to find that the Cherokee Park maintenance people had not mowed over the flowers we planted in April.

The planting crew

One of the pansies we planted in April

My tree climbing monkeys: Rose #1 and Rose #2

A view from the street - the bench and the flower ring surrounding

I am very thankful for my Roses and miss my mom so much.  I hope everyone had a happy mother's day.

Beautiful Flowers

On April 1, 2012 (no fooling) these beautiful flowers appeared in the sanctuary at church in loving memory of Katy Gray, who died on April 10, 2010.  We work to keep her memory alive.  I asked our flower coordinator to put me down for "Sunday closest to April 10" for the next five years.  Every Sunday when the ministers ask us to say the names of people we have brought with us, I always say "Guppy."  (For the last few months I have said "Guppy, Livi and Liam," but I think Livi and Liam are good now!)

I'm no photographer, more's the pity, but these are some pretty flowers, yes?  And here's Guppy's bench:

Sometimes I wonder if Mom would have thought all this grief is maudlin.  I worry that she would have, but I never talked to her about how she felt about losing her own mom.  I guess...grief is grief, right?  We can't get over it any more quickly than we do.  I know she knew we were going to miss her, and she was right.

Spring Daffodils

Rose #2 and a couple of her friends at after-school care found a daffodil, and one of the teachers sent me an email titled "We Love Your Kid."  That is a really nice message to get in the middle of the day. 

But...

I spend so much time agonizing over our life choices: we work too much.  We don't see our kids enough.  We don't get to spend a lot of family time together.  Rose #1's time at home is halfway over, people!  She is halfway to age 18!  (I know, she probably won't be moved out for good at age 18, but still.)  The time when they think that I hung the moon is about to pass us by.  That makes me really sad.

So when I see pictures like the above I am so glad to know that Rose #2 is searching out daffodils in the middle of the day, but oh, how I wish that I was there with her.

We're Still Here...Practicing Resurrection

Happy Easter!  This morning I was awoken by all three Roses, who had set their alarms for 5:25 a.m. (!!!) and crept down to the kitchen to make H and me a surprise breakfast!  Lightly toasted sourbread toast, Bran Chex, and apple slices.  Luckily they contained their excitement and didn't wake us up until 7:00.  Phew.  The breakfast was, well, delicious!

At our house the E.B. (that's what we call the Easter Bunny) leaves clues to where the Easter baskets might be found.  Each Rose had as many clues as she is years old:  5, 7 and 9.  There was some gnashing of teeth and some grumbling and some pleas for help, but in the end, all three found their baskets.  (See above.)

And, each had a chocolate bunny.  With bitten-off ears in each case.  Well, bitten-off now - they were intact in the package.

I rousted everyone out the door for the 11:00 church service.  Forcing the Roses to sit through church is like asking them to scrub the bathroom floor with a toothbrush or making them organize their clothing drawers:  an unlikely prospect, and certain to not go very well.  After Rose #3 dropped her "Kid's Activity" book and hymnal on the floor for about the 78th time, I almost lost it in the middle of service.  Luckily everything settled down and we made it.  The title of the sermon was "Practicing Resurrection."  I love that.  I also love that our ministers know that on Family Sunday when the kids stay in the worship service for the whole time, the sermon needs to be short.  7 minutes:  PERFECT.

We are about to head out to Cherokee Park to plant flowers at my mom's memorial plaque site and to have an Easter egg hunt (both my ideas, and I think they are fairly brilliant).  Then to dinner at Aunt Boo's.  We are practicing resurrection all the time, aren't we?  Keeping on with life even after terrible loss afflicts us.  Keeping up old traditions and making new ones.  Guppy, we miss you so, so much.  I know you would have loved an Easter egg hunt.  I wish you were there with us to see it.

Blissed. Out.

Rose #3 and I had a wonderful mother/daughter day today since H went on Rose #1 and #2's ski trip.  We went to Rose #3's ski lesson (at Mt. Como) and then to lunch (Jimmy John's, I'm afraid) and then...to Happy Nails!

I was going to get my own pedicure and then decided it would be more fun to watch Rose #3 enjoy her  time.  She loved getting her feet washed...

And she loved her massage chair...a few times she actually relaxed... 

This is the near final product...I should have waited to take the picture until the nail tech painted flowers on each and every one of her toes!

I had to give Rose #3 a piggyback ride to the car since her nails weren't dry yet...and she kept her little foam flip flops (which I threw away later).

I didn't get a pedicure until I was about 25.  Rose #3 has me beat by 80%!

Welcome Two More Redeemers! (And Farewell Tooth.)

Today we welcome two more redeemers! My niece, Olivia Walker Gray, and my nephew, William Michael Gray, born January 22, 2012, weighing 2 lb 10 oz (Olivia) and 3 lb 1 oz (Liam). They were a teeny bit early (born at 30 weeks) but they are healthy and their mom is healthy and we are SO. DARN. RELIEVED!  Pictures when I get them!

One more piece of news, just slightly less dramatic than the first:  Rose #3 had a wiggly tooth!  She bit into an apple and 24 hours later the tooth was gone.  Here she is in her jack-o-lantern-like glory:

Could we be any happier than to have new babies and one fewer tooth, and so many other blessings?

A Lifelong Ambition, Fulfilled

I have always wanted to make homemade bagels. Now I have:

They were delicious for Christmas luncheon!!