2017 Valentine's Day

My first Valentine's Day without Bill since our marriage.  Shannon is here visiting, which helps a lot.  Friends Cher and Darrell brought a candle with a red balloon, Mike and family sent beautiful iris and day lilies (he always remembers my favorites) and Mark from Spilsbury surprised me with red roses in memory of Col. Toole.  How thoughtful was that?  I miss Bill a lot - I miss holding hands - and I miss his unwavering love and support.  In his honor, I presented the Devil Pup story to the local D.A.R. chapter on Valentine's Day.  Bill would be pleased that the D.A.R. members made donations to the Devil Pup program.

Christmas Eve Services CCSG

For several years I have had the pleasure of playing preludes for Calvary Chapel St. George's Christmas Eve services.  It's a wonderful time of celebrating the meaning of Christmas and I love to be a part of it.  Here are some PHOTOS from some of these celebrations.

 

23 Dec 2016 - A Devil Pup Visitor

Around 7:30 the doorbell rang.  I was surprised to find a Devil Pup from 2011, Kelsy, and her dad.  She’s at BYU in Hawaii now but was home for Christmas and wanted to bring by a Christmas gift and wish me a Merry Christmas.  These kids continue to surprise me.  We had a great chat and she promised to stay in touch.  Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Kelsy.

Mariah (who is serving in the Navy, see below), Col. Toole,

and Kelsy (studying at BYU, Hawaii).

 

Celebrating Jesus' Birthday

This is the first year I've set up this nativity scene from the Willow Tree collection.  My friend, Cher, put it up and added the lights.  I love it.  I won this whole set at a local scrapbook store three or four years ago.  A beautiful reminder that God sent his Son that we might have eternal life - a gift beyond compare!

Cher also brought over a Christmas tree and decorated it for me.  She is extremely talented!

 

A Family Gathering for Boppa

HERE ARE THE FUNERAL PHOTOS

He's With the Lord

I miss him so much!  He developed double pneumonia and spent three nights in the hospital.  He did not respond to antibiotics because of his extreme weight loss and weakened condition.  He returned to the nursing home under hospice care.  I was with him on Saturday morning, October 15th.  He was four days away from being 84.  What a wonderful husband he was!

Bill

  Watching his beloved Devil Pups check into 2013 summer camp.

Our Wedding Day 1978 

2008 Marine Corps Birthday Ball, SunRiver St. George

We Were Together, I Forget the Rest

As I sit in the nursing home room with my husband, who is sleeping and attempting to overcome another medication gone wrong, I ran across this sign on the Magnolia Farms website when reading e-mail.  It brought me to tears.  I've had several years with a very special man and even now, in a nursing home, we enjoy being together.