Wow a lot has happened since my last post, a whole summer's worth of happenings! There have been some good things to happen and also some not so good things to happen. We did have good holidays this summer, we had family cook-outs with Pete cooking ribs on Father's Day and on 4th of July and family gatherings on both of these. It was a lot of fun. My new little nephew who was born on May 20 was able to attend both of them....he is so cute and the best little baby. I'll have to post pictures of him soon. I am going to get back to doing this on a more regular basis.

At the same time we have had the good times, we have had some bad to go along with it. My mother-in-law was in and out of the hospital through much of the summer. Her heart condition just continuing to get worse and worse and her kidney function to also started getting worse. Her last trip to the hospital was on August 24, we brought her home with hospice care on September 5 and she passed away on September 21. She was a remarkable woman there is just no way I could say enough "good" about her. She took me in as part of their family from the time I met her youngest son, Pete and we have been married 28 years, together 29 1/2. He is the baby, spoiled rotten, and she let me know this from the start and reminded me again before she passed. She was so special to me and I will miss her with all my heart. She was so very proud of her family and her last request for us was that we continue getting together as a family after she is gone, we would never think of not getting together, but it was comforting for her to hear "we will". She was a wonderful cook, cooking was her passion and we are going to make a cookbook on her memory. I will let you all know when this project is completed....you will all want a copy of it I'm sure.

It is funny how the Lord works in mysterious ways. I couldn't imagine loosing my mother-in-law, my husbands mother, who he absolutely adored, and my children loosing their grandmother. They have never lost someone some close since their birth. Yes, they have been very blessed, both sets of grandparents live within a 7 mile radius and until now, both sets were living. I often told them how lucky they were. They know now what I meant. But what I was going to say is Nanny got to come home for a little over two weeks. We (all the children and grandchildren) took turns sitting with her and Daddy Bo (her husband who never left her side) every day and every night. Giving meds, making her comfortable, helping her to sit up, get up, drink, talk, we did lots of talking, just whatever she needed. In the end, we new it was time, she knew it was time and not that it was easier, because we still wanted to be greety and have her here with us, but we saw it wasn't the quality of life she wanted to live. She gave it her all and the Lord called her home, and she was ready to go. It was hard, still is, but we know she is in heaven, having a feast!

I was so proud of my son, Peter, he talked at his Nanny's service and he did such a wonderful job. A niece put together a picture memorial and she did a beautiful job. I'm telling you, this woman was loved by all of our little community, I believe we had 300+ people to come through for visitation....what a blessing to be so loved.

I guess I have gone on long enough....I will catch you all up with the other happenings very soon.

Love,

Your friend from East Texas,
Pam