48!

Yesterday, my old man turned 48...How did that happen?  I still feel like we are in our early 30's but in reality, that was a looooong time ago!

By the looks of this cake, our 30's were a VERY long time ago!

We just returned from a trip to Flaming Gorge (I'll blog about that tomorrow), so I didn't have time or energy to do a big party.  So, it was just us Kellers and a few stragglers who happened to stop by.

That's better!

Singing Happy Birthday

Not sure what is going on here....

Jaxon and his dimples were partying!

Ileah came over to get her hair done...Unfortunately for her, I took this picture before I fixed her "fro"

Happy Birthday Babe!  I love you more than you know!!

Debra Lynn

I have been so busy lately that my poor blog has suffered.  The school year started, I'm busy being my sister Jeanna's matron of honor and helping her get all the details of her wedding taken care of, and I've been very busy making plans to have my little sister's body moved and buried with my mom.

Sorry the picture is upside-down and grainy...

Debra Lynn was her name and she died in 1968.  Mom always wanted the baby to be buried with her when she died.  I really wanted my mom to have her wish so I took on what ended up being a very involved project of moving my baby sister's little casket from a HUGE city cemetery a half hour away to the cemetery where Mom is and having her buried in the same plot.  It has proved to be quite the undertaking.  We have to have what seems like a million permits, we are responsible to move the headstone ourselves and the cemetery will only dig down to her casket and then we will be responsible to raise it.  So yes, we will be responsible for lifting our sister out of the ground. Besides all the permits, we've had to coordinate 2 cemeteries and get a mortician to come with us and take responsibility for the disinterment.  It's been quite a learning experience for me. It will take several trips and 3 days to accomplish the entire task.  It is truly going to be a job for the entire family.

We are all getting excited now for this to take place and to fulfill Mom's wishes.  I'll post more about it when we take care of it in a couple of weeks.  It should prove to be quite interesting.

Cleaning up the grave a bit.

 Making all these plans has been emotional and spiritual.  To think that we will be moving the vessel that held my baby sister's spirit and placing it with Mom is quite an amazing thing.  The feelings are inexpressible, the emotion at times, overwhelming.  After visiting Debra's grave site today, I feel a love for her like I never have before.  Perhaps it is because I understand so much better now what the loss of a baby means.  As we left the cemetery, the song "I Saw God Today" by George Strait came on the radio.  Since I don't believe in coincidence, I have to believe that it was one of His tender mercies.  The tears came as I listened to this awesome song...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q06AvQF5NOw&feature=related

Many prayers are being said that all goes well and I believe we are getting help from above...

Seven Years??? Really?

           Good thing I'm not superstitious, or believe in luck at all...

Otherwise, my 'burb would have 6 years and 364 days left of bad luck!

Do you like the way I pimped my ride with packaging tape?

Belated Gratitude and a New Headstone

Yesterday, Mom's headstone was placed on her grave.

It is beautiful but has such a permanence about it that I wasn't ready for the emotional reaction it would evoke. 

Something about seeing your mom's name etched in brass on a permanent grave marker is difficult to see.  Mom picked it out 4 years ago and we had no idea what she had done.  I love the two figures holding hands in this last picture. 

                                                                   

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Now for the belated "thank yous"....
The day of the funeral, we were so fortunate to have a police escort for Mom's entourage.  Some of my nephew's buddies from the police force came in on their time off to provide us with that escort.  They did it because they wanted to, not because they had to.  There are truly so many good people in this world!

The City's Finest!

Here is a copy of the thank you card I sent to each of them.

Dear Officers,
We wish to extend our gratitude for providing Gayle Osborn such a wonderful escort to her final resting place.  If you had known her, you would know how deserving she was of such a privilege.  She was one who always stopped her own life to help another.  So it was a fitting tribute to have others stop their lives briefly for her as she was transported by.
Thank you for the gift of your time and expertise.  Your kindness will not be forgotten.
Sincerely,
The entire family of Gayle Osborn

       

Summer's Almost Over

In just a couple of weeks, it will be time to start school again.  Of course, it isn't too much of an adjustment for us because we homeschool.  Why homeschool??  Many reasons really, but here's a couple of my favorites...

  On a morning when Jaxon wakes up and asks you what dry ice is, you can go to the grocery store and buy a couple pieces...

                            Then Amanda gets intrigued.


  Then you do a couple of experiments you saw on YouTube...

Cool, huh!!

A couple of days later, you find your kids doing this...

And you realize that learning doesn't have to be done in a classroom.

One Month Gone

ONe month ago today, my mother died.  Not sure how you are supposed to commemorate a one month anniversary so Stacey and I spent the day helping my Aunt Carol move into her new apartment.  She was Mom's bestest friend...Remember this post?  Nothing like spending a day of service to hep take some of the sting of the sadness of the day.

Aunt Carol

Later, we went to the cemetary to take flowers to Mom.  Dad came up with his little dog, Jazmine.  While there, we saw an older man take a folding chair and his puppy over to a headstone.  I walked over and introduced myself, and as my dad got closer, he realized that it was somebody he knew because the both work in the same temple.  Both men were within a year of each other, (age wise) both had been married to the same woman for well over 50 years and both had lost the loves of their lives in the last 2 months or less.  I hope my dad will go get his folding chair and go sit and talk with this man.  I think they could be a great support to each other.

                 I miss her more than I thought I would.

                           Saying Good Bye the night of the viewing.

One month down, many more to go...

Short Stories

Dad, Mom, Me, Jeanna, Stacey

My baby sister Stacey and I went grocery shopping on Sunday.  While driving the 'burb over to the local Wal-Mart, we were discussing crying about adjusting to life without Mom.  Just as I stop at a red light, I notice that the car in front of us has vanity plates that say "2GAYLE". For those of you who don't know, that is the exact spelling of my mom's name and it is not common.  I'd say it was a coincidence except that I dont believe in coincidence.  So, I have to say,  "Thanks Mom" for finding a way of letting us know that you are still here looking out for us.

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On the day Mom died, I was making phone calls to our family to let them know that it was time and say good bye.  Mason heard my conversations, teared up and said "Mom, if we get enough doctors here can we save her life?  It broke my heart to see my kind hearted son learning one of the tough lessons of life.  Some of his innocence was gone that day as he realized that doctors are only human and do not always have the abilitiy to save lives.  I explained that we all will die sometime and that this was Grandma's time and that no number of doctors would be able to save her.   

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What a beautiful opportunity it was for all of us to be with Grandma as she died a peaceful death and to have the opportunity to say good bye and to surround her with love as she left this world.  It as had a profound effect on me and most certainly on my kids.

When the hospice nurse arrived, she began taking care of Mom.  Mason stood right in front of me and within earshot of the nurse and began complimenting me.  "Mom, you're the best mom.  You know why you are the best mom?  Because you teach me so much and I love you."   The awesome nurse decided at that moment that she would wait for Mason to get old enough and then marry him...I think he will make someone a great husband one day and I can see why she would want him ;o)  You have quite a wait Jolene, but I'd love to have you as a family member!!

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A few years ago, Mom had a surgery for a strangulated hernia.  If I remember correctly, she was also in the hospital because something neurological was going on and she was losing her hearing and was unable to move her head without vomiting.  It was really a tough time and it aged her considerably.  She spent much of her time that week having very spiritual experiences.  When she came home, I would go over to help her with her dressings and make sure she had taken her meds.  During one of these visits, we got into a coversation about the experiences that she had while in the hospital.  She told me that what she learned is that love is the only way we are going to fix this nation and fix our families.  Complete, unconditional, love.  She told me that what she had learned is that in order for our children to survive and thrive in this world is for them to have the safety net of parents who love them regardless of their faults.
What incredible advice I got from my mom that day.Of course this was how she lived her life so I have a great role model.  I will always treasure that conversation and pray that I use her wise advice.

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I'm so grateful that Gayle Marie was my mother.  I truly am blessed to have been her daughter.