Welcome Miss Amy

What a blessing. February 13, 2013 at 110:01 am, my daughter Michele, gave birth to her first child.

A precious baby girl, Amy Kay Carswell.

 My cup runnith over.

Mother and daughter are doing very well. The first month has been spent adjusting and bonding. Those first few weeks are so special and new. Everyone learning their new roles. So many hugs and smiles. Sleepless nights and tired days. That's where Meemaw comes in. I have been taking time off work to spend helping in any way I can. Lots of time rocking and patting and kissing my newest grand-daughter.

                           Today Miss Amy is 1 month old!

I give thanks that both mother and child are healthy and happy. God is great!

Another Goodbye

A very special woman in my life has been called to Heaven.

John's mother, Joanie. Joan Amelia Shetler Murphy.






She passed away after a fall and very brief hospital stay of not even 24hrs. Her heart was very weak and she simply slipped away. Recently, she had told many family members, including me that her was life had been perfect and whenever the Lord called her home, she was ready. She even made an audio tape and at the end she said....Do not cry or be sad because I am happy. What a wonderful wonderful woman.
She is now with her husband and oldest son. I know she is smiling.

After John's death, my mother-in-law became even closer to me. We shared daily emails and she advised me in many ways. I will miss her deeply but I will try to follow her wish and not be too sad. I will remember her contagious laugh and beaming smile.
             Aways the smile.

Fun Afternoon

At 12 noon, Chele and I left for the big city...Ft. Worth.

She registered at Target.....

Babies R Us.... (Yes..she gets to park in the special space!)

Then Lunch. She said she wanted a Reuben sandwich but had never had one. Do you know what is on it, I asked. Sauerkraut for one thing-and as far as I knew she did not like it. I guess we can chalk it up to pregnancy craving. She tried it and loved it.

These are the times I remember with my mother and am so so thankful I have those memories.

What a blessing to make memories with my precious daughter.

Later we headed south and back to the country and the dirt roads.

We spent the drive talking and sharing our thoughts of the future.

As I look to the future, I feel myself reaching out to some personality traits that have been laying dormant.
Independence. Strength. (and my personal favorite) Adventurous.

2012 is coming to an end.   2013 may will be a new beginning.

Mother Daughter Weekend

Have you heard the saying- "My cup runnith over"?

It is something I have heard since childhood. It is a fond saying. Happiness or warm feelings are running over.
That is how I felt this weekend.

It began by finding out that my new grandchild is a GIRL!!!

 Michele and I planned a getaway to Fort Worth for baby shopping. We stayed in a hotel,

spent time with family

shopped and just hung out.

When our children become adults and have their own lives to attend to, it becomes harder and harder to have that special one on one time. I forgot how much I enjoyed seeing my girl's face first thing in the morning. Greeting the day together. Talking about anything and everything. Sharing ideas and laughing. Children are such a blessing and they are ALWAYS our children, no matter how old they get or responsible they become.

My children may be twins, but they are very different. My son is....well I like to say..."a live wire". Always in high gear-laughing and talking. My daughter is calm and quiet-soft spoken and gentle. But they both share a loving heart. Both are kind and giving. Does it sound like I am bragging or boasting? I suppose I am but just this time I think it's OK. My daughter is the child who calms ME. The tables turned somewhere along the line and now she calms ME.

One day was spent at the local fabric store selecting material for the nursery. Let me say that I have traditional ideas and my daughter has unique ideas. Michele is artistic. She paints, draws and decorates so it took me a while to begin to see her vision for the nursery. Her description.....feminine Victorian princess with little or no pink!

 I can't wait to see the end results. I trust her vision and decorating and know it will be unique and beautiful.
I am planning a rag quilt with these colors...

My contribution to the nursery is a family heirloom rocker. It was handmade by family around 1905. It has been on my mother's side of the family since then. New padding and covers made in crimson will give it new life.

The circle of life! Thank you Lord for my many blessing.

Labor Day

Mom's think of certain type of "Labor" when we hear
"Labor Day"....

True Story:

My 27 year old twins were born on July 5th. The day after a fun celebration for the 4th of July.
At 7am we were on our way to the hospital. Their daddy had celebrated a little TOO much and...well let's just say he was praying to the porcelain God! My mother walked into the room and when she say me-fainted smooth out on the floor.
  The nurse came in and said ( In a thick southern accent)
     "Honey do you have anyone who can handle this?"

Oh, sweet memories. Makes me laugh every time I think of the look on that nurse's face!

One Year

On this day, one year ago, early in the morning as a light rain began to fall, the man I loved left this earth.

                             Memories flood my mind today.

I want to share the first time I saw John Alfred Murphy. June 1995
It was a hot summer day ....at Six Flags over Texas. I was working for American Airlines at the time and it was AA day at Six Flags where everyone there was either employees or guests. I was there with my 2 children and friends.We were in line for the "old fashioned cars". As we winded around in the lines, passing me in the opposite direction was a very tall handsome man. He had long dark blonde hair and a booming voice. As the lines weaved around, we passed several times. Each time noticing each other more. A girl friend of mine was in front of this man. Later that day, I asked her, "who was that tall guy in front of you?" She told me it was her husband's good friend who worked with him. Then the light went on in her head. Hey, he is single with 2 kids. Would you mind if I mentioned you to him? Sure......Later I got a phone call and he introduced himself....John Murphy. After 2 weeks of phone calls and getting to know each other we found that we had grown up in the same town, gone to 6 years of elementary school right across the street from each other. Our paths had been so close for many years. Maybe it was fate. So in July, we had our first date. That's another story for another day. But it can be said that it was love at first sight and we were hooked. One year later....June 26th 1996 we were married.

My life was forever changed on that summer day at Six Flags.
 It began a series of events that brought me to where I am today.


 As sorrow overwhelms me, I am reminded.....life goes on. I am so thankful for the beautiful memories I have. The dreams we shared and many we accomplished together. But life continues on. I look around and see that everyone is going about with their lives. Me included. Everything is continuing on....without John. Years ago, I felt the same when my parents left this earth. We continue to go on, minus our loved ones. But I know that this world, my world, was better for having them in it. It may have not been for as long as I wished, but God's plan will be revealed someday and I will understand. So for now, I am trying to continue on. Look for new dreams. Find happiness. Enjoy this beautiful life that God has blessed me with. Learn again how to be independent and most of all....move on. Wipe my tears, hold John in my heart for eternity and move on. Knowing that each year August 29 will be a day of sad memories.
My heart goes out to every women out there that has a day of sad memories.
The term "Widow" is not one I though I would ever share.

Circle of Life

With all of the changes in my life, there is one change I welcome....a new grandchild!
What a blessing. My daughter is expecting her first child and is due in February.

27 years ago....

On this date, 27 years ago, there was a paradigm shift in my world.
Two precious gifts from God.

8hrs of labor and a natural birth later....at 3 1/2 weeks early, they were both perfect.
An angel girl, Brenda Michele, weighing 6lb 6oz(right)
and a sweet boy, Michael Bradley weighing 5lb 11oz. (left)

There is nothing like the love a mother has for a child.
 I must admit in the beginning it was pretty scary.
And VERY busy....... Each year brought a new degree of difficulty. But more pride and love.....
Years passed and events came and went. Their love remains the steady rock in my life. Their smiles warm my heart and give me strength.

I thank God every day for my blessing.

Makes it Final

In some ways, 5 months seems like forever and in others it seems like last week. But the reality is-time has gone by one day at a time. 24 hrs a day. 7days a week-normal time passing, except nothing is normal.
John and I had talked about beginning a family cemetery on our own property. Sooner than I expected, but it is here. I must say, I like it. It is passed by all who enter the ranch. The headstone has been placed in the cemetery which makes things seem so final. It is a beautiful headstone. It is so hard to choose a headstone for the man you love and the wording that would be there FOREVER. I wanted it to say something about John so that anyone who saw it would know a little about him. It was a hard task but a decision was finally made and now it is here. Believe me, I know it is not something we want to think about, but the truth is-we are all going to leave this earth someday. The people we love the most will be left with the task of making a lot of touch decisions if we don't take care of it first. I am making plans to have all of those decisions made so that my children will not have to. Ok Ok....that is it. That is it for the doom and gloom talk. I just wanted to pass that valuable insight along. Oh, I also designed the granite oval that now sits on the fireplace. The place that made the headstone also made it.





Sooooo, what do you think of the headstone? Just by what is one it, what would you think about this man, John A. Murphy?