Cardinal good-bye

What a fun loving week Chad & I had with your kids sis.... Kelsey & Brett are incredible! Beautiful~smart and incredibly funny! We are making some great memories for them!

The last day of our visit: we were taking the luggage out to the car, and when I looked to the left of our car, I saw a bright red cardinal sitting on the rack of a mini van roof just 2 cars away. Staring at Brett & I! I was speechless... I stuttered and stammered a "Look, look, look ~ a cardinal just for you kids"... "Kelsey, come back here" "come quick ~ a cardinal just for you". We all stood there in utter amazement, looked at each other and smiled. So cool! A cardinal visit just before they flew!

We all Love you sweet sis ~ your kids are doing fine! They miss you something terrible, but that is expected... They bring up alot of mommy memories and I love to hear them! "Mommy did this... mommy did that...." All good sis ~ all good!

Mary's 20 year HS Reunion cntd.....

So much love Mary ~ you were represented so

beautifully at your HS Reunion sis.

Your best friend Kerri (since jr. high), stood by your table all night long. Missing you, loving you and being there with you! She drove all the way from Missouri.! It was a last minute decision she felt compelled to do ~ JUST FOR YOU! She even brought you your favorite flowers - SUNFLOWERS! The table looked beautiful. A memorial book full of Mary accomplishments, lavender candles, a cardinal, a collage picture frame and lil cards with our picture and this website address on them for your classmates to take..... to share Mary memories as they may come or to just visit to remember!
We love you Ker Bear- you will always be a part of our family!!

Here's a picture of our sis Lisa & Jenn ~ the reunion coordinator. What a beautiful soul Jenn is. We have been in contact over the last year in preparation for things to make for your memorial table. It turned out beautiful, but I think the loved ones around it made it shine even more.
Lisa with Tim ~ what a great guy he was to you sis! He was a boyfriend we all loved! He shares wonderful Mary memories with me all the time! He was a Mary fan all the way - still is! He drove all the way from Tampa, Florida just for you.......

Mary's 20 year HS Reunion - TAFT

Mary's 20 Year HS Reunion was this weekend in San Antonio. I couldn't make it to represent our sis, but Lisa and Victor did... how wonderful! They made the Friday night mixer. Looking good lil sis :) ~
I have made a few friends of Mary's through FB and other connections and each one has been a sweet blessing. Classmates and old friends are finding their way to this blog of Mary Memories to Cherish. The reunion coordinator has been a sweet soul, working with me on the memorial table. I hope to hear more Mary memories. So I can share them here with you!

Loving Mary Forever

Happy Birthday Mary!

My birthday is not the same without you sis ~ First it's yours - July 31st, then 6 days later, it's mine! It's been that way for years. We used to celebrate together as kids since we were so close.

Well, I'm still going to celebrate your Birthday sis, I made your favorite yellow cake with chocolate frosting the first year you were gone (or is that mine?! he-he), lavender cupcakes with your kids last year and this year I'll make special chocolate chip cookies for you - but I'll be sure to pick some chips out and eat them from the cookie dough, just the way you used to.

I told you that you were not going to be forgotten!!! No way ~ you were way too incredible and way too special to forget. I'm keeping your kids close sis...... as if they were my own!

Happy Birthday beautiful sis!!

We celebrate your infectious smile, your ever so giving love, your zest for life and now your memory!

Mary in highschool

Soooooo sweet - our lil Mary..... they will miss you at your 20 year reunion this month! They have opened up the reunion to all the alumni & our lil sis Lisa might go - to honor and represent you!

I will be there in spirit sis ~ sharing in your memorial!

Summer Tunes

yesterday on the train ride to work: I had just finished posting a comment on a sunflower picture that Mary's friend Kevin had posted on Facebook (FB). I told him , "sunflowers were my favorite flower and that they reminded me of Mary'.
I had also posted a consoling comment on one of my FB friends picture that she had posted of her late mom & dad. She wrote how she missed them. I miss my dad and my sister too!

Then I decided to sit back and relax in my thoughts with my Spa music on Pandora radio...
I look down to see the picture of the artist, song and CD name that is playing and I found this (look at the beautiful field of sunflowers & the name of the song that was playing was "Living Without You"):

Wow - what a sign!!

Lavender Orb

Have you ever just done something for no other reason than you felt like you should? That's how I felt about taking this random picture....

Chad's mom has this beautiful new camera that takes the best pictures ~ she was just snapping away on this nice 4th of July day!

I took the camera from her and felt compelled to just take a few random pictures in the direction that I did. No reason - just felt I should. I thought to myself and wondered "maybe, just maybe an orb was going to appear".

Well, I was right - a very special orb appeared this picture. I couldn't believe my eyes ~ a LAVENDER ORB! If you look just above it to the right, you will see a faint white orb near it and then if you look even closer, an irridescent circle is kind of seen around the two. A very similar orb showed up in a picture of me with my brother David & sister Lisa on this very same deck the night before the wedding. (It's in my "Always near" blog post on 8-16-09)

LAVENDER:
I've been very in tune with my lavender lately. It seems that mother nature is growing alot of Lavender, purple and yellow flowers this year. I see them everywhere in the landscapes of homes, developments and even the wild flowers. I associate Lavender with Mary - she loved it and has led me to believe that it is a healing color as well as the Lavender plant itself. The myth or belief has proven me right - my wedding colors were lavender! Several comments were made to me that night how the energy of that night was just full of love and peace.

Another Accomplishment

Wow Mary! Every time I go into my "Mary box", I always seem to find something new. I came across this article about you in a folder our dad had. What a great article it is..... talking about what a winner you were!

You were so amazing sis....

Thinking of You

Thinking of you today~loving you today~missing you today!

Your memories keep you alive and in my heart you stay....

Preparing a memorial book for your 20 year school reunion ~

a present for your classmates to see!

July 31, 2010 - what a treat - it's on your BIRTHDAY!

You were a treasure to many and left sweet memories for everyone to share...

Even gone, you are still with us all.

I love you Mary~today, tomorrow, forever!