Goodbye, my friend

My friend died yesterday.  Or maybe it would be more accurate to say she was healed of brain cancer, just not on this side of heaven. I had the privilege of spending Tuesday afternoons with her for the past several months.  We mostly just visited, with me sharing the day to day joys and struggles of being a mom of 6 with a slightly older wiser mom of 2.  But sometimes we shared more--digging into the deeper issues of life, and God, and pain.  Audrey was my Sunday School teacher, when I was a teenager, and my first camp counselor.  She was smart and funny and independent and strong and fearless and creative and encouraging and I loved her.  I love her.  As the tumor in her brain grew, and medications became necessary, the side effects made her self-conscious; as if the outward effect of steroids could somehow mar the beauty of her as a person.  I told her she was beautiful every time I visited.  Because she was.  In this last month, my visits became more frequent, and they were less about visiting, and more about managing...."what did she eat last, was she hungry, thirsty, did she need lotion, go ahead and nap, how about I empty that catheter bag"? I wish I had had the foresight to get a picture of Audrey and I together before the effects of steroids took their toll.  Some memories we must just treasure in our hearts.  I will miss Tuesdays with Audrey.  But I'm glad she's free of that body that would not cooperate anymore.

I can't wait to see her again someday.

Rest in peace, Audrey.  I enjoyed our friendship immensely.

Carpe Diem

When we returned to the car from our hike up Dripping Springs, everyone tired and hungry and thirsty and such, the boys got talking about the mountain we were sitting at the base of, and how long it would take to climb, what kind of equipment you might need. The mountains in NM have this strange way of seeming so far away but so close at the same time. Ken was thinking it would take hours with special equipment. Jon thought it would be easy. And away he ran. To climb a mountain. And Andrew joined him. The first hill took them about 5 minutes. The summit took about 20. Round trip was about 45 breath-taking, heart stopping, exhilarating minutes. I think we should live life like that.

Seizing opportunities before they slip through our fingers.

The mountain they climbed, they stood on the top of the tall one

Top of first hill

If you look closely you can see them in the center, Jon's red shirt just a dot, almost to the top. My heart was in my throat--how dangerous was this? Snakes? Loose rocks?

Ken kept asking where they were. He couldn't see them. I could just barely see them through the lens of the camera. And then....

6,000 feet above sea level

We cheered and whooped and couldn't believe they made it to the top! Three cheers for a

can-do attitude!

NM Vacation 2012

One of my favorite places in all the world, White Sands, NM. The sky is so immense, beauty surrounds and overwhelms...God feels so near...

Cousins make life infinitely more rich...

as do sisters..

A pleasantly surprised Aunt Linda and a suddenly snuggly Sarah..

Cutest sisters in all the world ride a dinosaur at the Creation Museum in Kentucky..

A hike up to Dripping Springs...another one of my absolute favorite places to be...

A picture (that I actually like) of myself ..

Dripping Springs--there was snow and ice in the cold shadow of the mountain--and cactus off the trail, where Jon decided it was more exciting to hike!

Ken stacks some rocks

Hiking with a 25 pound squirmy toddler....

Tennessee Aquarium