Going Home...

Mr D had a quiet and peaceful Homecoming on Tuesday evening, July 16. God gave me the gift of seeing him draw his last two breaths. As a family, we were incredibly blessed with church, friends and a community of believers supporting us through this time. A thank you seems so mundane but we truly are grateful from the bottom of our hearts for your support - God bless you all!

My nephew sent this song to me via face book and I re posted it to my Fleur Cottage page where it can be accessed by clicking on the right side of this blog. I hope you'll take the time to listen to it...it describes Mr D's passing perfectly.

http://www.youtube.com/user/iloveLIBERA?feature=watch

There are many changes coming into my life...changes that Mr D and I have decided together. I will be taking several months break from posting but plan on being back in October.

Thank you for walking along side of us in our two plus year journey!

Forty-Four Years

Today, February 1, 2013 is our forty-fourth wedding anniversary. Even as I write this, it seems impossible to believe but facts do not lie. This forty-fourth anniversary post is for my beloved husband...

 He does things right!

 He fixes my mistakes...this will never fall apart again!

His love of serving took him to Haiti even though the work was more suited for

 someone twenty years younger.

He has regretted selling his first car and this is as close to it as he could get. 

Loves spending time with the grands!

A dream fulfilled - a place for everyone to play in the water at our cabin!

Handles his cancer journey with grace.

 Loves to hunt and he got a big one in Montana.

His winter hobby is putting a 1000 piece puzzle together - the harder the better!

Fulfills my dreams by building them!

 Here we are today - forty-four years later with our seventeen grands (two oldest missing).

Tuesday of next week he'll be having surgery for a second bout of cancer. Like his first one, he's facing this with a serenity that challenges me. To me, the next month feels long and I'm grateful for our children who will be standing with us in this second phase of our journey. God has blessed us with many believers who have been and continue to lift us up to our heavenly Father - thank you, thank you!

I close this post with my theme that has carried me through times when life doesn't make sense:

GOD IS GOOD - ALL THE TIME!

Family Fun at Christmas 2013

No, it's not Christmas 2013 but we do have our Christmas get-together the first Saturday after the New Year. I'm posting these late - but I like to record a few pictures from our time together.

First off: we had a white Christmas; not much but enough to look pretty!

 We also took family pictures and it.was.COLD!

All of our grandchildren except the oldest who had a basketball tournament.

All because of two people...

More family pictures at a later time.

 The girls spent a lot of the day coloring together.

These three are best buds and played in their own corner protected

 from any little hands that wanted to grab their animals...

We can't forget the cooks!

Oh, the meal was yummy!

Kyra's Birthday

Our youngest grandchild had her first birthday over the week end - sweet little Kyra!

 She wasn't sure what to do with it...

 so she poked at it...

 and after doing some coaxing, took a bite.

Finally relaxing enough to enjoy it -

and the ten other people watching her clapped and cheered!

Sweet little Kyra!

Our Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving was delightful!

 We celebrated a friend's birthday on Thanksgiving eve with a delightful meal and delightful company in their home. We spent a good part of the day with our family at our son's house and while we all contributed to the meal, DIL M did the cooking. Her table was lovely!

 Their table is large enough to seat all eighteen of us at once.

And the bittersweet is the real stuff...

just don't use it outside because the seeds will drop and start a very invasive plant - trust me, I know!

We treasure this moment - a moment of time among many other moments.

We hug them close to our heart because we have no guarantee we'll have tomorrow...

The loud, healthy noises of seven boys enjoying each other's company.

Little Kyra raising her arms to be held and snuggling.

Daddy giving two delighted girls a pony ride.

Three year old Ty sliding off the same pony and brushing himself off and saying, 'I'm okay.'

Playing table games and hearing the men talking man talk.

Eating a yummy dessert an hour after we ate the main course 'cause it was so delicous!

Yes, our Thanksgiving was wonderful!

************************

That was yesterday.

Today I'm doing this...

Christmas decorating while I'm listening to Christmas music!

Life is good.

But better yet...

GOD IS GOOD!

Sibling Week End

Spending a few days together as siblings is never taken for granted! As we get older, all of us realize that a 'until next year' good-bye may be different. We love spending this time together! Lest you think it always was this way - it wasn't. I'm constantly amazed at the wondrous healing God did in our lives, both personally and collectively. We laugh and cry together, we pray with and encourage each other. We speak blessing into each other's lives. It is GOOD!

It was beautiful!

 Walking the trail.

The little ones are sis-ta Lil's grandbabies. They live IN and their daughter lives in PA

so they spent the day with us. Little L is leading the way,

splashing and 'fishing' in puddles and the creek!

 Love the texture of stone, wood, fern and mushroom.

Playing games while smoking the ribs.

 Soooo delicious!

E trying to stay warm.

The gang...

 and seven of eleven siblings. We missed the others!



Reunion Twenty-Twelve

Reunions are as summer as hot dogs and ball games! Mr D has one sibling, a sister who lives in southern Indiana. We have a reunion every two years and take turns hosting it. This year was our turn and all sixty-one of us spent Friday to Sunday evening together at our son Lin and Martha's house...thanks to both for doing the 'behind-the-scene' work. We had a MUCH NEEDED rain Friday night into Saturday forenoon, but nobody was complaining and were able to eat all of our meals outdoors except Saturday breakfast. Between our two families, we have have thirty-five grands! So yes, it was loud but fun!

Our week end in picture.

We spent a lot of time on their new deck - it was perfect!

We started Friday evening with a hot dog roast.

 Ty enjoying his marshmallow the best he can!

 ALL the food was delicious!

 We served Lapp Valley ice cream twice...Lapp Valley is a local farm that produces all their own milk to make their own ice cream - it's the BEST! Bryant, Ty and Curtis, our three year old grands, are loving it, too!

 Grandbaby Kyra spent a lot of time trying to pick up tiny leaves and put them in her mouth.

These roller skates were a big hit with the littles, so much so they 'shared' them!

 {yard games}

corn hole

 swinging

 boccie

The Three Musketeers played their own form of corn hole. These cousins became good buddies this week end.

Some of this was happening with various people at various times!

Saturday afternoon our two firemen sons brought the ladder truck to do a candy throw - such excitement for the kiddo's and yes, the adults as well!

 There were seven three year-olds - they hardly knew what to do with soo much candy!

 Loren waving from the top of the extended ladder after the candy throw.

 As we were wrapping that event up, a neighbour flew over with his para glider and threw more candy, creating more excitement for the littles.

Sunday afternoon was water balloon time. The adults had as much fun filling the balloons with water as the kids had throwing them!

 Lots of squeals from the girls and a 'go get 'em!' from the boys!

Sunday evening's meal was leftovers, hot dogs and mountain-pie time. It starting sprinkling so the men carried the canopy over to where the food table was.

Our weekend ended with another storm going through the area at dusk -

a nice farewell to a lovely week end!