April and May - Showered with Blessings!

It's been sooooo long since I've worked on this blog, but life has kept me so busy the past few months that other things had to take priority. Highest on the top of that priority list has been family. My sweet Mama arrived from Arkansas in the middle of April and stayed for about three weeks. Our son and his family arrived just a few days before Mother's Day, and it's the first time in many years we've all been together: Children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, cousins, and of course my sweet Mama. What a precious Mother's Day it was, for all of us! Needless to say, we took up a whole row in church that Sunday morning. My Mama got the prize for having traveled the farthest, and my daughter got the prize for being homebound with sick children (recently) the longest. One of my friends asked me later if I had rigged that event, but I have to say it was as much a surprise to me as it was to them - Mama & Cathy.



This is Mama on Mother's Day of May 2009 (76 years old).


And these are some of the special moments she shared with her great grandchildren while she was here.

It didn't realize how difficult it would be to play catch up after not blogging for three whole months, so I'm not even going to try to remember everything that I would have recounted here for all of you. I do remember being ill for about eight weeks before my Mama arrived, and I was so thankful that no one got sick while she was here visiting. I also have to think about the fact that June is almost over, and I'll be working on another blog in just a few days. Good grief! Is the year half over already?

I wish I could show all the other pictures we took or comment on some of the special moments that took place between the cousins and between my Mama and her other great grandchildren. There were some very precious moments, memories that will not be forgotten. Our son and daughter-in-law prefer that we not post their pictures or mention their names in our blogs (Cathy's and mine). We must honor their request, of course, but it's sad that I cannot share them with you. They are all very precious to us and we're proud of all of them!

Grandchildren are definitely one of the best of God's blessings, and we (Jim & I) have eight of them. They range in age from 2 to 13, and I close with a photo of me and my youngest grandson, Lincoln. You just can't beat it - strolling hand in hand with a grandchild who is in no hurry to get somewhere or do something. Soon enough they don't have time for this, but I'll take it for as long and as often as I can get it and cherish every moment of it. Praise God for Papa and his camera! This was one of those priceless moments that I really didn't want to end.