Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Great Email!

My grandmother sent me this email and I had to share... It is LONG but worth the read! Thanks Goggie!


The yellow shirt had long sleeves, four extra-large pockets trimmed in
black thread and snaps up the front. It was faded from years of wear,
but still in decent shape. I found it in 1963 when I was home from college
on Christmas break, rummaging through bags of clothes Mom intended to
give away..
'You're not taking that old thing, are you?' Mom said when she saw me
packing the yellow shirt. 'I wore that when I was pregnant with your
brother in 1954!'
'It's just the thing to wear over my clothes during art class, Mom.
Thanks!' I slipped it into my suitcase before she could object. The yellow
shirt be came a part of my college wardrobe. I loved it.

After graduation, I wore the shirt the day I moved into my new
apartment and on Saturday mornings when I cleaned.
The next year, I married. When I became pregnant, I wore the yellow
shirt during big-belly days. I missed Mom and the rest of my family,
since we were in Colorado and they were in Illinois .. But, that shirt
helped. I smiled, remembering that Mother had worn it when she was pregnant,
25 years earlier..

That Christmas, mindful of the warm feelings the shirt had given me, I
patched one elbow, wrapped it in holiday paper and sent it to Mom. When
Mom wrote to thank me for her 'real' gifts, she said the yellow shirt was
lovely. She never mentioned it again..

The next year, my husband, daughter and I stopped at Mom and Dad's to
pick up some furniture. Days later, when we uncrated the kitchen table, I
noticed something yellow taped to its bottom. The shirt!

And so the pattern was set.

On our next visit home, I secretly placed the shirt under Mom and Dad's
mattress I don't know how long it took for her to find it, but almost

two years passed before I discovered it under the base of our living-room
floor lamp. The yellow shirt was just what I needed now while
refinishing furniture. The walnut stains added character.

In 1975 my husband and I divorced. With my three children, I prepared
to move back to Illinois ... As I packed, a deep depression overtook
me. I wondered if I could make it on my own. I wondered if I would find
a job. I paged through the Bible, looking for comfort. In Ephesians,
I read, 'So use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy whenever
he attacks, and when it is all over, you will be standing up.'

I tried to picture myself wearing God's armor, but all I saw was the
stained yellow shirt.. Slowly, it dawned on me.. Wasn't my mother's love a
piece of God's armor? My courage was renewed.

Unpacking in our new home, I knew I had to get the shirt back to Mother.
The next time I visited her, I tucked it in her bottom dresser drawer

Meanwhile, I found a good job at a radio station. A year later I

discovered the yellow shirt hidden in a rag bag in my cleaning closet.

Something new had been added. Embroidered in bright green across the
breast pocket were the words 'I BELONG TO PAT.'

Not to be outdone, I got out my own embroidery materials and added an
apostrophe and seven more letters.

Now the shirt proudly proclaimed, 'I BELONG TO PAT'S MOTHER.' But I
didn't stop there. I zig-zagged all the frayed seams, then had a friend
mail the shirt in a fancy box to Mom from Arlington , VA. We enclosed an
official looking letter from 'The Institute for the Destitute,'
announcing that she was the recipient of an award for good deeds..

I would have given anything to see Mom's face when she opened the box.
But, of course, she never mentioned it..

Two years later, in 1978, I remarried. The day of our wedding, Harold and I put our car in a friend's garage to avoid practical jokers. After
the wedding, while my husband drove us to our honeymoon suite, I reached
for a pillow in the car to rest my head. It felt lumpy. I unzipped the

case and found, wrapped in wedding paper, the yellow shirt. Inside a
pocket was a note: 'Read John 14:27-29. I love you both, Mother.'

That night I paged through the Bible in a hotel room and found the
verses: 'I am leaving you with a gift: peace of mind and heart. And the
peace I give isn't fragile like the peace the world gives.. So don't be
troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will
come back to you again. If you really love me, you will be very happy for
me, for now I can go to the Father, who is greater than I am.. I have
told you these things before they happen so that when they do, you will
believe in me.'

The shirt was Mother's final gift. She had known for three months that
she had terminal Lou Gehrig's disease. Mother died the following year
at age 57.

I was tempted to send the yellow shirt with her to her grave. But I'm
glad I didn't, because it is a vivid reminder of the love-filled game she
and I played for 16 years. Besides, my older daughter is in college
now, majoring in art. And every art student needs a baggy yellow shirt with
big pockets.

Monday, April 18, 2011

April-craziness

Happy Birthday Edie Lane Gustin!... Jame and Ashley welcomed their sweet little one April 7th! Wes and I were able to go visit her last Saturday... she is just SO little! It is hard to believe only 4 months ago my little P was smaller than that! wow! Proud Papa James below... These are some pix of the infant baskets we are doing for the Bernard C. York Foundation!

They are full of formula, wipes, diapers, pacifiers, etc. After mother's pick up their baskets they are able to help themselves to our clothes closets to help dress these precious children. Attempt at family photo! Yes .. that is my ELDEST -AKA Bubba! Mr. Redneck decided he didn't want any clothes on and was in the process of undressing.. right in time for a Kodak moment! And Yes Perry is WAY too small for York's old walker but he LOVES it! I throw a sweatshirt in the front to help hold his tiny self up and he goes to town! ((Would have NEVER done that with York... I guess second children are different!))
My boys... sad Perry was looking down!! I had the honor of speaking to a local church about our Charity. My grandmother (momma jo's) sister does a Ladies Tea Party each year and they get together eat delicious food, enjoy entertainment and each other, and have a keynote speaker. I was blessed to be their 10 annual speaker and all donations benefited Bernard C. York foundation!! Woo hoo! They are a wonderful group of ladies and welcomed York and I with open arms. I was a little nervous about speaking but they made me feel right at home... Thx for all of your donations ladies you are giving innocent children a chance to stay healthy, full, and warm!
These are the ladies that won Hat Prizes!!

(Most creative, Most romantic, Most Beautiful, Most unique, etc)
This is My Momma Jo and Mr. York!
Momma Jo and I before I spoke~
York enjoying the TEA with tractors and trucks!
York and Zoe watching a movie... Good thinking Heather!
So these last 2 weeks have been CRAZY!!! We are always running up and down the road for some reason or another... I wouldn't have it any other way! We are gearing up for Easter and I'm getting the boys pictures done on Friday. Hope we can get some good one... and remember these sweet/hectic times! Enjoy your egg hunts and family time but remember why we are celebrating this Sunday...


1 Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Say What??

Jabber Jaws weekly update


In the car on the way to "schim" swim lessons:

York - "Sching wouder momma... I yike dat!"

translation: Sing louder momma, I like that!

((Thank you York... You may be the only person on Earth who likes to hear me sing!))


In the car on the way to see a movie:

York - "Happy... movies make York happy"

((What a sweet boy!))


At dinner the other night...

York- "Daddy ... you tha bombed"

Mom -"Is mommy the bomb too?"

York -"no jus Daddy!"

((Thanks son!))


At the table for lunch this week:

I hear York telling Perry about his "goggles" and I tell York that that particular toy isn't a goggle and he says "Yes um is... Daddy says so!"

((GREAT! we are already starting this??))


I yell from downstairs:

Mom -"York can you help me make Perry's bottle?"

(trying to urge him to come down!)

York -"No mom... I too yittle!"

((He is too smart for me!))


We are driving down the dreaded 280:

York -"Wach out cars... mommy hit choo"

((Awesome! he understands my road rage!))


At my mother's house while we were away:

My mom was changing clothes and of course York is by her side...

York -"Mae Mae has BIG O BOOBIES!"

((Yes son... not everyone has A cups like your mother! eek!))


And lastly.. at dinner the other night!

York is spitting his dinner out -"I don't like yat! ucky!"

"York finish" as he pushes he plate away

((I hope this is because he had too many snacks and not because he is getting picky!))

Monday, April 11, 2011

My kinda FUN!























Wes and I enjoyed last week in Sunny Florida! We went for business (hehe) to fish!! Wes had been invited to fish a Tournament and decided to take his lovely bride (aka ME) along with him. We had a blast and were able to "unwind" and enjoy being a party of two again! I desperately missed my rug rats and feel that 5 days is about 2 days too long! This momma will only be doing LONG weekends from now on! I missed them so badly and had a hard time enjoying myself the last two days! It was the best feeling pulling up to see York waving ... then running full speed to hug me when we arrived home! W. O. W. my heart was and IS so full! Perry grew 2 teeth while we were gone and York grew another 2 inches it seems. My sweet mother took care of them the entire 5 days.. what a SAINT! Thx momma! We are home and enjoying staying in PJ's and playing ALL day long! Of course Wes is back to work and missing out on all of our fun (ie: Sponge Bob watching, four wheeler riding, dirt digging, teddy graham snacking, baby cooing, slide climbing- my kind of FUN!) Glad to be back to our "world" and soaking up every second!


**Special prayer request for my best friends family as they receive medical news sometime today... this news will determine treatment options/plans. God please lay your healing hands on each of the family members ... especially Mrs. H!