REMEMBERING A YEAR AGO

 OUR THOUGHTS HAVE BEEN WITH TERESA THESE PAST FEW DAYS.  IT WAS NICE TO GO OUT TO THE SUMMERS PROPERTY  ON SATURDAY AND FIX UP THE AREA WHERE WE HAD BURIED MOM, DAD AND TERESA'S ASHES.

 WE WERE AMAZED HOW PRESERVED THE SUNFLOWERS WERE.  WE JUST HAD TO STRAIGHTEN THEM UP A LITTLE.

 MY HARDEST DAY WAS ON MONDAY SINCE IT WAS ON A MONDAY THAT WE FOUND OUT THAT TERESA  HAD PASSED AWAY.  I DECIDED TO GO OUT TO MEMORIAL GARDENS AGAIN   THIS TIME I WAS BY MYSELF.  I SPENT ABOUT A HALF HOUR THERE.  I HAD FIXED UP AN ANGEL  SURROUNDED BY SUNFLOWERS IN A BASKET.  IT SEEMED SO APPROPRIATE.   DON, TAMI AND I HAD ALREADY LEFT SOME FLOWERS ABOVE THE PLAQUE ON SATURDAY.

I SHED A FEW TEARS THINKING ABOUT THAT DAY AND THE SHOCK OF KNOWING TERESA WAS GONE.  I HAD GONE TO THE DOCTOR, FOR THE FIRST 3 MONTH CHECK-UP AFTER CHEMO, AND FOUND OUT THINGS LOOKED GOOD.  I FELT THAT TERESA KNEW THAT I WAS GOING TO BE OK  AND WOULDN'T NEED HER ANY MORE.  SHE HAD BEEN SUCH A WONDERFUL HELP TO ME DURING MY CANCER EXPERIENCE.

I KNOW THAT MY TEARS ARE RATHER SELFISH BECAUSE SHE IS HAPPY AND WOULD NEVER WANT TO COME BACK.  I DO MISS HER AND TOLD HER THAT.

A THOUGHT CAME TO ME DURING THE END OF MY VISIT.  I HAVE ANOTHER SISTER THAT I LOVE HERE IN TOWN.  WE HAVE TALKED ON THE PHONE SEVERAL TIMES BUT I HADN'T SEEN HER FOR ALMOST 2 MONTHS.  I WENT HOME AND CALLED CLARISSA TO SEE IF HER AND KELLY WOULD LIKE TO GO OUT TO DINNER WITH DON AND I THAT NIGHT.

 WE MET AT 5:30 AT IHOP AND HAD A GREAT TIME TOGETHER.  WE VISITED FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER WE ATE.  IT WAS WONDERFUL.

 

I TOLD CLARISSA AND KELLY THAT I WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING TO THEM.  I THEN EXPRESSED MY LOVE FOR THEM AND TOLD THEM THAT I WANTED TO TO GET TOGETHER MORE OFTEN.   I WAS HONORING MY SISTER  THAT HAD DIED  THIS MORNING AND IT HIT ME THAT I STILL HAD A SISTER AND BROTHER CLOSE BY THAT I LOVE .  WE WANT TO  DO SOMETHING AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH WITH THEM IF POSSIBLE.

I WAS EXPRESSING THESE FEELINGS THROUGH MY TEARS.  I THINK I TOOK CLARISSA BY SURPRISE BECAUSE SHE HUGGED ME AND WE BOTH EXPRESSED OUR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER.   I THINK IT WAS A SPECIAL MOMENT FOR ALL OF US.

VALENTINE'S DAY

 DON CAME HOME WITH HIS NEW HAIR CUT.  I COULDN'T BELIEVE HOW SHORT IT WAS.  I TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE TAKING PICTURES THE NEXT DAY FOR VALENTINE'S DAY AND HE SAID THAT AT LEAST IT WOULD GROW OUT FOR  HIS EAST COAST TRIP AT THE END OF MARCH.

 I THEN SAID, "ONCE A MARINE YOU'RE ALWAYS A MARINE HUH?"  I DO LOVE MY MARINE!!

 WE HAD A LOVELY VALENTINES DAY.    WE ENJOYED SHARING OUR DINNER WITH RED ROBIN.  WE THEN WENT TO AMERICAN FURNITURE WAREHOUSE TO LOOK AROUND.  I FINALLY FOUND A FOOTSTOOL FOR OUR BACK ROOM THAT I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR.  IT WAS A GREAT DAY!!

A SURPRISE VISIT FROM TAMI

 LAST SUNDAY, TAMI MADE US A SURPRISE VISIT.  SHE DROPPED BY TO GIVE  US A VALENTINES BASKET.  WE WERE DELIGHTED TO SEE  AND VISIT WITH HER.

 SHE HAD BROUGHT US A CUTE VALENTINES DECORATION AS WELL AS OUR FAVORITE CANDY BARS FOR A TREAT.  TAMI IS SO GOOD TO US AND ALWAYS MAKES US FEEL LOVED.

LAST THURSDAY, NIGHT WHEN TAMI AND I HAD OUR OUTING, I HAD FOUND A BEAUTIFUL BLOUSE AT HERBERGER'S.  IT WAS ORIGINALLY  $80 BUT IT WAS ON  SALE AS WELL AS PLACED ON THE 70% OFF RACK.  WE BOTH LOVED IT AND TRIED TO FIND ANOTHER ONE FOR TAMI BUT WE COULDN'T FIND ONE.  I ENDED UP PAYING ABOUT $19  FOR IT  (WE LOVE IT WHEN WE GET SUCH A GREAT BUY ON SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY LIKE.)

I HAD DECIDED TO GIVE THIS BLOUSE TO TAMI FOR VALENTINES DAY AND  WAS PLANNING  TO TAKE IT TO HER WORK ON THAT MONDAY TO SURPRISE HER.  I HAD IT ALL WRAPPED AND READY TO GO WHEN TAMI CAME OVER.  I DECIDED THAT SINCE SHE WAS HERE I WOULD GIVE IT TO HER NOW.  I WENT AND GOT THE DECORATED PACKAGE WITH BALLOONS, ETC. AND PRESENTED THE GIFT.  

TAMI WAS SO EXCITED TO SEE THE BLOUSE!  IT'S SO FUN TO MAKE SOMEONE SO HAPPY THAT YOU LOVE SO MUCH.  SHE HAD DELIGHTED US AND WE WERE ABLE TO DELIGHT HER IN RETURN.  ISN'T THAT WHAT VALENTINES DAY IS ABOUT?

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I FEEL SO BLESSED!

I'VE OFTEN SAID THAT I DIDN'T KNOW I WOULD GIVE BIRTH TO 4 OF MY BEST FRIENDS.  THREE OF MY DAUGHTERS LIVE SO FAR AWAY AND  I'M LUCKY TO SEE THEM A COUPLE OF TIMES A YEAR.   WHEN I DO SEE THEM WE HAVE SUCH A GREAT TIME TOGETHER.

TAMI LIVES 15 MILES FROM ME AND WE NOT ONLY TALK ON THE PHONE SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK WE ALSO GET TOGETHER EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT FOR A FUN NIGHT OUT.

LAST NIGHT WE HAD FUN GOING TO THE MALL AND HAVING DINNER WHILE CATCHING UP ON ALL THE NEWS.  THEN WE HIT THE SHOPS  TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY SALES.  WE ALWAYS HAVE SUCH A GREAT TIME TOGETHER.

I'M SO PROUD OF TAMI FOR GOING BACK TO WEIGHT WATCHERS THIS LAST SUMMER. SHE HAS LOST 43 1/2 LBS. AND LOOKS SO BEAUTIFUL.  TAMI HAS ALSO BEEN PROMOTED TO A NEW JOB AT THE VETERANS HOSPITAL AND IS WORKING HARD TO LEARN HER NEW POSITION.

DON AND I HAVE OFTEN COMMENTED THAT WE MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING RIGHT TO HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL FAMILY.

I LOVE TO BE WITH MY FRIEND JANET

 JANET AND I HAVE A VERY SPECIAL FRIENDSHIP.  WHEN WE FIRST MOVED TO GRAND JUNCTION IN 1976 SHE WAS PRIMARY PRESIDENT AND I WAS PUT IMMEDIATELY IN AS A PRIMARY TEACHER.

WE HAD DAUGHTERS ABOUT THE SAME AGE THAT WERE FRIENDS IN THE WARD.

WHEN I HAD OUR LITTLE STILL BORN BABY IN 1978 IT WAS JANET THAT COMFORTED ME THE MOST BECAUSE SHE HAD A STILL BORN BABY TOO AND UNDERSTOOD MY GRIEF.

WHEN SHE BECAME THE RELIEF SOCIETY PRESIDENT I WAS CALLED AS THE MOTHER'S EDUCATION TEACHER WHICH WAS  MY FAVORITE CALLING.

WHEN I STARTED GOING TO THE POOL TO EXERCISE, THERE WAS JANET.  SHE BECAME MY POOL BUDDY!

THEN WHEN I HAD COLON CANCER, JANET CALLED ME UP 3 MONTHS LATER AND TOLD ME SHE HAD COLON CANCER TOO.  WE WENT THROUGH CHEMO AT THE SAME TIME.  WE UNDERSTOOD EACH OTHER AND HOW WE WERE FEELING  AGAIN.

JANET AND I DECIDED AFTER OUR FIRST ROUND OF CHEMOTHERAPY THAT WE WOULD GO OUT TOGETHER AND CELEBRATE LIFE!  WE BEGAN DOING THIS  JUNE OF 2011.  WE WOULD TRY TO DO THIS EVERY 3 MONTHS.

I WAS DEVASTATED TO HEAR THAT JANET HAD TO HAVE ANOTHER ROUND OF CHEMO.  SHE ONLY HAS 3 MORE TREATMENTS AND IS DOING GREAT.  I'M VERY PROUD OF HOW SHE IS HANDLING THIS.

 LAST THURSDAY  WE WENT OUT TO CELEBRATE LIFE AGAIN.  WE ENJOY  SHOPPING AT THE SAME STORES SO THAT WAS FUN.

WE DECIDED TO EAT AT DOS HOMBRES FOR DINNER.  WHAT A FUN TIME WE HAD!!  I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR SUCH A WONDERFUL FRIEND.