A Trip just for Mama

I said I was going to make some changes in 2012. One of them is that my family was going to take a front seat in my priorities this year. That means more trips to TEXAS!

I just bought my tickets to fly to Corpus Christi this month to be with my mom. I told mom this trip was dedicated to her. I know this means a lot to her and that means a lot to me. She has been a mom with so much love for her children and for that I am grateful and will do anything I can to be there for her. I love my mom so much! She is having a catheter abilation for her heart flutter and speedy pulse rate and I want to be there for her in the recovery. Looks like we are ALL going to be there.

Tickets weren't cheap, but for some reason I just didn't care. I didn't worry... I had a faith that this was angel money appearing. Plus my BFF Tina lives in Corpus these days and said she'll pick me up. It's only 20 minutes to Port Aransas... she also mentioned that she works for the Port Home Health and said if mom needed a home nurse to check on her, she can make that happen .... how comforting was that?!

My sister Lisa and her beautiful family will be making the trip from San Antonio to be with us in Port Aransas (aka ~ Port A). YAY! Now all we need is our brother David who lives in Houston and maybe even Kelsey and Brett, all the way from Beaumont..... it's a bit challenging with my family spread throughout Texas EVERYWHERE!!!

I was having a textversation with my lil brother yesterday morning, informing him of all the details. He said he will make it happen and make a trip to be with us. YAY! Now, the creative part comes in where it will take some team effort: Kelsey and Brett live the furthest away from Port A... close to 5 1/2 hours. BUT, since their Uncle Dave is headed to Port A for sure, the kids could hitch a ride with him if they can get from Beaumont to Houston with the help of Grandma Jojo... Kelsey loved that idea and thought it would be awesome to spend that time with Uncle Dave and then to surprise Grandma Sara. That just warms my heart to hear her say that. Those kids need as much family as they can get. (I pray their dad doesn't do what he did last Christmas when Uncle Dave tried to see them ~ say okay, then act like they had something to do when they didn't). David is all for the road trip with the kids.

I was having this textversation with my brother Dave, niece Kelsey and BFF Tina while commuting on the railroad to NYCity to work yesterday morning. I was so happy with all these wonderful connections and loving how it was all working out. I took a deep breath, a smile ran across my face and my heart felt warm. I looked up from my phone and out the window after receiving my last text with my brother: "Whatever I need to do I will ok. I'll be there ok! Promise! Keep me updated I'm here for family. I'll take care of it for sure! And I LOVE YOU AND OUR FAMILY! :)"

I was full of content and bliss. I felt Mary's presence and knew she was happy about all this family connection. Then, at that exact moment that I was feeling this love and looked out the window I saw a big piece of cement wall with the name DAVE spray painted on it! I went from bliss to mind blowing numbness... then I smiled to myself and did a little giggle. What an amazing sign!

I hear you Mary - I hear you!!!! I'm excited too!

I couldn't get a picture of DAVE on the cement since we were in transit, so I'm posting this precious picture of David at Mary's grave last year.........

$5 from Heaven

I bought a couple random cards today to send to Kelsey and Brett, Mary's lil angels.

I wanted to put a little something in each card before I sealed them. So, I checked my wallet and saw that I only had one $5 and a few $1's.... that wasn't going to work :(.
(You have to admit, its so much more fun getting a card with money in it. My dad always did that.)

I decided to take my Honey dog out for a quick doggy break. I saw my neighbor with his little dog Guy & started talking as our dogs were running all over the snow. Cardinals were everywhere. He mentioned he had a friend who is a bird watcher and I told him about my cardinal. He said the cardinal story gave him chills....

Then, as if out of nowhere I saw a $5 bill sitting in the snow near him. I pointed to the $5 bill and asked my neighbor, "Hey is that yours?" He said "No. I checked my money this morning and didn't have any $5 bills"........
I said, "REALLY? We've been out here and I think you even walked by that area".
He walked over to it and said, "No, not mine. Here, you take it"...... then he looked a little startled and said, "Wow, that appeared out of nowhere!"

YES, it did! Well, not really "nowhere"..... $5 straight from HEAVEN ~ Amazing!

Hehe - it was meant for Mary's lil angels! She knew I needed another $5!

Wowsie!!!

Crying in the Shower

I just had to post this to my Mary blog... there is something in this picture and these words that reminded me so much of me. I did A LOT of crying in the shower after Mary passed away. The crazy synchronicity with this picture is: If you look at the name at the bottom of the picture in white, it says "Jenny Marie" ~ THAT IS MY NAME!!!!!

(This was a popular post on my Little Red Bird Chirps page ~ 166 likes. It seems alot of people could relate to this picture too. There's something comforting in that. We are not alone!)

6 Word Memoir

Hope - Enthusiasm - Change - Pain - Recovery - Faith

I was born with HOPE. I live with ENTHUSIASM. I have experienced much CHANGE. With many of the changes came PAIN. I am living in RECOVERY. I am living with FAITH.

Mary's Morning Visit

Thursday morning as I'm getting ready for work:

Chad was in kitchen.
I was in bathroom.
He yelled "Jen?"
I came out of the bathroom and said "What?"
He looked like he saw a ghost.
He said "I thought you were in the living room. I saw a 5 foot shadow walking around.... Now I have chills!".

Hehehe - My Mary was 5' tall! This is not the first time her Spirit has been spotted here.
My cat Boo was acting very peculiar too!

No More Doubts

I was driving through my neighborhood this morning.... Looked up at the sky and said:
"Good morning sunshine, I hope you know how much I love you!"
This message was intended for my Mary, not really the actual sunshine.

As I left my neighborhood I started thinking about Synchronicities, how they happen and how they are meaningful coincidences. Especially the license plates with the consecutive sequence of like numbers..... I was asking myself: "How does that work?! How does the universe put that exact car in sight. Is it really just a coincidence?" For those few seconds I had a doubt, then as of by magic, a white car drove past me with 555 on the license plate. I couldn't believe my eyes. I hit my steering wheel and said "WOW - you did it again!" I was in sheer bliss by this magical answer to my doubts and started to giggle. All of a sudden the song "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis started playing on the radio! This is my Mary's song. My bliss meter was off the charts.
I feel so in touch, so in tune.
There is no doubt my thoughts are being heard and I am not alone - hehehe - lucky lucky me!

OH: throughout that whole day I caught the time's 2:22, 3:33, 5:55 & 11:11. I DON'T look for these times ~ it just happens by chance that I see them. (whenever I've ever 'tried', it never works)! These pictures here are from my iPhone - I'm able to snap a picture as I see the time.

Friday the 13th - Day of Signs

I had an amazing thing happen this morning as I was leaving my neighborhood.

I was driving through, looking up at the leaveless trees thinking, "Where are you Mary? Where are you? I'm really missing you today!"
No cardinal, but I did get a nudge to turn on the radio. A song I'd never heard before with the chorus "Everywhere I go I see your smile" was ending. I thought, "Awww, that's me about Mary!"

Then as soon as that song ended, the song "Hey Soul Sister" came on - I can't even describe my excitement!!

Mary - Mary - Mary, so attached to my soul!! She is with me....she actually hears me. Woohooooo!

As the day went on, so many number signs were EVERYWHERE! After the fun trip to the train, I got into NYCity.... headed to a meeting uptown to have my annual review, I happen to look up and see this address: 888 8th Ave!Then I caught this plate with 111!

I had a wonderful review and even got a little raise. I am so grateful for my job and don't expect anything, especially in today's economy, so when I got this news, I have to say, it was an answer to a secret prayer.

I left my meeting happy as can be and as I am about to walk into my own building, I saw a little red car parked outside with 444.Then to top it all off, I got this text from my precious niece Kelsey:

I am so blessed by my Angels......

A Cardinal Visit

I was up all night blowing my nose - gargling with warm salt water & sucking on throat lozenges :(.... But as I left for work this morning a beautiful little female cardinal flew right in front of me as I was leaving my breezeway!


She's saying I'll be okay ~ YAY!!

Spirit Lives On

When Someone Dies, their Spirit Lives on in Us!

We can't hug them or see them with our eyes.

But we can still feel them in our hearts.

That brings me comfort.

I hope it does for you, too...

When we love someone,they become an indelible force in our lives, even after they're gone.

We remember the way they told a joke, wore their hair, and walked into a room.

The littlest things will trigger memories of the sound of their voice, their scent, the times we spent with them.

We recall how they dealt with hard situations when we are faced with the same things.

We think about them for no reason at all:

What would they say right now?

We will always wonder: are they watching over us?

Do they know how much we miss them?

Even though we'll never see loved ones who've passed on walk through the front door again,

I hope you can find peace with the knowledge that you'll always have a part of them with you.

When we love someone,Their spirit lives forever in our hearts.

~E.D. Frances