FOREVER

Today I was thinking back on what may very well be one of the greatest love stories I have ever heard.
Now this isn't one of those flowers and candy type of love stories. This was one that I will never forget.

When we lived up north (well we lived in the "deep south" whereas now we live in the "far south") we had a friend (Terry)whose parents had been married for many many years (50+) They were a farming family and all the family homes were built with only an acre or so between them. When we knew Terry, his father had been moved to a nursing home, but someone always took his mother over every day to see him.

We received a heartbreaking call from Terry one summer morning around 5am. He said that his mother had gotten up to get a drink of water in the middle of the night and had sat down in her chair and died. It was a peaceful passing, but the family had always expected his father to be the "first to go".
We said we would come right over. Their home was an hour from ours. When we were up and dressed we headed that way. We got there, but they were crying so hard that we could not understand what they were saying. After almost another hour of comforting -this was the story.....
At 6 am the nursing home had called. The night nurse had noticed the light on in Terry's father's room around 5am. When she went in he was completely dressed and sitting on the edge of his bed. When she asked him what he was doing, he had replied "I've got to go - I'm supposed to meet her in the parking lot" She assumed he was confused and asked him to go back to bed. At 5:30am she had gone back to check on him and he had peacefully died laying on his bed - fully dressed - ready to go meet her.
We laughed and cried through the story as we all imagined her teasing him for making her wait.....
I can just see a farmers wife lovingly waiting on him to "catch up" and not wanting to go anywhere without him. The beauty of their love continuing on into eternity.

What better love than eternal love?!

This is a true story. I hope it blesses your heart.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Don't forget to tell your loved ones how very special they are to you!
The greatest of these is LOVE. ICor 13:13

With all my heart~
Michelle

A MOM VIDEO

A TRIBUTE TO MOMS HERE

FOR EACH VIEW IN THE MONTH OF MAY - THEY WILL DONATE 6 CENTS TO EVERYMOTHERCOUNTS.ORG
A GROUP SUPPORTING GLOBAL MATERNAL HEALTH.

THE JUBILEE PROJECT MADE THIS VIDEO TO HONOR MOMS :)
ENJOY!

P.S YA MIGHT WANT TO GRAB A TISSUE FIRST :)
M

The best birthday EVER

I labeled this photo "The greater wall" in my computer!
This is what I came home to after hubby took me out for a movie (surprise)
in the middle of the afternoon!
OH and there were balloons, and a delicious dinner, and flowers (big sunflowers) and a HUGE chocolate cake...and a potted flower and...CANDY CANDY AND OREOS :)
all my favorites - jelly beans, twizlers, mike & Ikes
I can't even begin to tell you what a wonderful surprise it was.
My favorite of course was the wall of pictures. I know it's a bit blurry but it says "all because two people fell in love" in the middle and then it is Jam-packed with photos. Each kid and grand baby got an 8x10 mixed in with a ton of little ones.
I cried.
This to me was the ultimate mom gift! It was perfect. I will NEVER forget it!
Now each evening when I'm drifting off to sleep and each morning when I'm waking up....I see all my babies...all the love...the only important legacy I may ever leave behind. :)


With all my heart -
Michelle

FOTO FRIDAY LINK UP

The foto friday challenge this week was "beauty in the ugly"
I picked out two of my photos from our trip to the Dominican Republic.

The ugly of course is the need. The tumble-down shacks standing in water.
The beauty is that they are THANKFUL for what they have.
THEY are THANKFUL for a "home" even if it is 7+ people living in one room.
Even if the walls are barely standing and at high tide they have up to 6" of water standing in their "home"
THEY are THANKFUL and that, my friends...is a beautiful thing.
May we all be so thankful.
May we all rejoice in what we have.

With all my heart -
Michelle

A giveaway!? How fun!

Ipad2 give away HERE

Learned about it over at Adventures in Babywearing

Wouldn't it be a lovely prize to win?! (Cause..lets face it...I won't be able to afford to BUY one any time in the near - or far- future :)
So...a giveaway is PERFECT! :)

A Giveaway!

Wonderful looking products over at Motherlove - and a giveaway over at Barefoot Childhood!


"""Their site is full of organic goodies for mamas and babies. While browsing, I was super excited to find a diaper rash balm that is compatible with all diapers...even cloth! *"""

I personally was super excited to see the extensive line of breastfeeding products available! How lovely to see natural options!!

Go check it out!
M

NO Children! (a poem)

No Children!
by Edgar Guest

No children in the house to play--
It must be hard to live that way!
I wonder what the people do
When night comes on and the work is through,
With no glad little folks to shout,
No eager feet to race about,
No youthful tongues to chatter on
About the joy that's been and gone?
The house might be a castle fine,
But what a lonely place to dine!
No children in the house at all,
No fingermarks upon the wall,
No corner where the toys are piled--
Sure indication of a child.
No little lips to breathe the prayer
That God shall keep you in His care,
No glad caress and welcome sweet
When night returns you to your street;
No little lips a kiss to give--
Oh, what a lonely way to live!

No children in the house! I fear
We could not stand it half a year.
What would we talk about at night,
Plan for and work with all our might,
Hold common dreams about and find
True union of heart and mind,
If we two had no greater care
Than what we both should eat and wear?
We never knew love's brightest flame
Until the day the baby came.

And now we could not get along
Without their laughter and their song.
Joy is not bottled on a shelf,
It cannot feed upon itself,
And even love, if it shall wear,
Must find its happiness in care;
Dull we'd become of mind and speech
Had we no little ones to teach.
No children in the house to play!
Oh, we could never live that way!


Special thanks to Rebecca over at Renaissance for this heart warming poem!

Pregnant mom flash mob :) TOO CUTE!

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=KLP7P7NX


this is just too cute! Share it with your momma friends :)

cookie cutter kids

I could actually post hundreds of pictures proving my point that my children are cookie cutter kids - there is a point with each one of them in photos where I have to really REALLY stare at the pic to figure out which one it is :)

In this pic - the one on the right (in suspenders) is my now 23 year old.
The one on the left is my 15 month old.

Crazy how much they look alike!

:)
Happy Monday!
~With all my heart
Michelle