Cherished & Glad

 It's been a whirlwind.   The girls talk to me each morning at 5:30.  Maddy on DUO while she gets ready for her school day and Meri in my kitchen making sure I eat a good breakfast before she heads back home for her day.  Then each night, we're enjoying food from our church ladies this week.  The other food from the prior weeks are either eaten already and leftovers frozen.  

The turkey that Meri made the day or so after Robb's death, had been de-boned by another one of my sisters that weekend and then stuck in the freezer until I was ready to make bone broth from it this past weekend.

Look what I found inside of it when I pulled it from the freezer to stick in a couple Instant Pots!  

I was WONDERING where that knife went!  Joking of course.  And the bone broth turned out amazing!  It made about 12 baggies (2 cups each) of frozen gold for the deep freezer.

Another sister organized the funeral dinner with some of Meri's friends as volunteer servers.  A lot of family donated money to the dinner and I really have no idea who gave...  But the servers made sure all the food was out and ready to start serving for us as soon as we arrived at the hall and they cleaned up afterwards...  What wonderful family and friends God blessed us with!!

The day after Robb died, two of my sisters that live within 3 hours away came here together with one of their daughters and as soon as they walked in the door and after hugging me fiercely, crying, they asked what they could do for me. Um clean my house??!

and they did...!

They hummed around, vacuuming, dusting, washing dishes, sweeping, sorting toys with Leon.  I was astonished and warmed by their love.  Margaret sat and watched them buzz around and asked me privately if she could pay them to vacuum her living room downstairs.  How about we just do that in about 30 minutes?...  No need to pay.  I "helped" them by walking into one room, clearly with a purpose and then staring around in a daze and then carrying a sock into the other room, repeatedly. Probably the same sock...

After they finished the main floor, we all took a break and everyone took pictures of pictures in photo albums to send to a nephew and brother-in-law who were putting together a slideshow of Robb's life then we tackled my mother-in-laws area.  Her living room took all of 20 minutes and we were back to the photo albums before they had to leave town and go home again.

Whew...  I'm so glad I was into scrapbooking!

I'm so glad I was able to gather up Robb's recipes for our family cookbook this Christmas!

I'm so glad I sat on the bed with Robb visiting all Sunday afternoon and we were together all day on that Monday.  It's like God gives me little nudges sometimes.  If I suddenly feel the need to clean off the dining room table and pick up scattered shoes, I DON'T FIGHT IT! Someone usually stops by unannounced and it's like, "Oh yeah... I see what you did there God!"  

I had felt the urge to just hang out with my sweetheart and now it's like, "Oh yeah...  THAT'S why! Thank you God!"

I'm so glad Maddy called that night and just talked about her day with him. 
Her FB post later that week.

"Yesterday evening I called my dad and shared with him a story from school.  One of my kindergartners had said, "Let's get down to the bottom of this WHOLE trinity thing."  Dad and I both shared a big chuckle.  A few hours later, Dad joined Jesus in heaven and understands the mystery of the trinity."

I met with our vacancy pastor last night while Leon watched youtube videos in the Sunday School room.  It was a REALLY good meeting and lasted longer than I'd budgeted for, but that's ok.

That's been the kids and my motto lately.

"And that's ok!"

I might have to make a plaque.

Anyway, more memories and events of the last two weeks of my life later, but I don't want to forget anything!  Sorry it's so discombobulated...  

But that's the story of our lives.  and that's ok.