Two Years

"If I had a single flower for every time I think about you, I could walk forever in my garden." ~Attributed to Claudia Ghandi

Proberbs 3:1-6

1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, 2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. 3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight [a]. (NIV)

a. Or will direct your paths

Just a Coincidence?

I spent last Saturday working on our 2010 taxes. After I finished I pulled some older, no longer needed, records from the filing cabinet to shred. One of the folders contained copies of Tommy's tax returns and the other contained his elementary, junior high and high school IEP (Individualized Education Program) Goals. Shredding the tax records was easy but working my way through his life as a child was harder and I felt my throat tighten up more than once. Memories flooded my head and tears blurred my vision as I silently fed them to the shredder.

Lost in my thoughts I reached for the next piece of paper. My hand grabbed a card instead. Blue, with a yellow rose on the front it read, "It isn't easy for you right now . . ." I opened it. ". . . just remember someone cares." I read the signature and sobbed. "I Love You Mom, Tommy"

What it was doing there, I don't know.

I told David about it yesterday and shared that I don't ever remember receiving that card from Tommy. I said, "I can't even tell you when he gave it me", to which he replied, "I can Mom. He gave it to you Saturday." I cried again.

There's This Boy

There's this boy who stole my heart. He calls me Mom.

Better Than Robert Redford Dessert

Fabulously easy and incredibly delicious!

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecan pieces, plus more for top of cake
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 container (8 ounces) Cool Whip, thawed
4 cups milk
2 boxes (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding
2 boxes (3.4 ounces each) instant chocolate pudding
Large Hershey chocolate bar to make shavings for the top

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium-size bowl, mix flour, pecans and butter. Using your hands, pat into the dish and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool completely.

In a bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners sugar until smooth. Fold in half of the whipped topping. Spread over cooled crust.

Prepare vanilla pudding using 2 cups of the milk. Spread over cream cheese layer. Prepare chocolate pudding with remaining 2 cups milk. Spread over the vanilla pudding layer. Spread remaining whipped topping over pudding. (I drop large dollops all over the top then spread gently to cover the pudding)

Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Sprinkle with nuts and chocolate shavings. Cut into squares.

Normal Day

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return. ~Mary Jean Iron

Sugarpop

Warren calls Gianna "Sugarpop" and the other day when he said, "there's my sugarpop," she responded with, "I'm not your sugarpop, Grampa, I'm Gramma's muffin."