A day to remember

Today is a special day and one that I will always hold near and dear to my heart.
Coupled with a sleepless night last night, it's also going to be a terribly long day to get through by myself here in Spain pero bueno. Así es la vida. At least I have an awesome trip to France tomorrow to look forward to!! Something inside of me kept telling me to write this post, primarily because a Facebook status won't do it justice. Well, here it is.

Happy 79th birthday Mommom. Words can't describe how much I miss you. Not a day goes by where I don't think about you and remind myself of all of the great memories we have as a family with you. I thought this heartache would have passed by now, but the more I think about it the more I believe your presence will forever be missed and always be remembered. So vividly I remember that dark April morning when we watched them come to the house and carry you away, as I've never before felt such anguish and pain. And although there may be pain in the night, joy always comes in the morning. Hay que pensar en lo bueno. April 14th will forever be engraved in my memory as well as November 7th. I remember a time when I once forgot Mommom's birthday. That memory always makes me laugh. She made me repeat it back to her 15 times in a row so I'd always remember. I assure you now Mommom, I won't ever forget your birthday!

For those of you who don't know Mommom, I'm sorry that you never got the opportunity to meet her because she was such a special person. I've never known such a genuinely kind and loving person before. Mommom's heart was filled with pure love and joy. She was happily married for over 54 years (Pop you know how to pick 'em!!) and was a faithful, loyal, and loving wife, mother, and grandmother. Mommom loved spending time with Pop and visiting local nursing homes to entertain and sing along with the elderly and less fortunate. She and Pop have both touched so many lives through this. Mommom also loved to bake, and boy was she good at it!!! No one bakes cookies like Mommom! Whenever you stepped into Mommom and Pop's house you were greeted with smiles, hugs, a soda, and cookies. Today, you are still greeted with those same smiles and hugs, but no cookies. No matter what day it was, Mommom made sure that everyone else was satisfied before even thinking about herself. She was truly a selfless person and thoroughly enjoyed serving others no matter the day of the week. Mommom loved her grandchildren with all of her heart. In her eyes, we are perfect and can do no wrong regardless of what our parents have to say! But most of all, Mommom loved the Lord, and there's nothing greater than that.

For about the past 10 years Mommom's health was in serious question. In all honesty, the past 10 years with Mommom have been a bonus for each and every one of us. She had very serious problems with her esophagus which made eating any sort of actual food incredibly difficult. I'd say she hadn't had a solid meal in those 10 years. Liquid this, ice cream that, and towards the end she couldn't even stomach liquids. The pain that she went through during those years must have been unbearable, yet I never once heard her complain about her situation, how she was hungry, or anything of the sort. Amazingly so, she was always in a good mood. It still amazes me, her strength. I can't even go one day without food, and Mommom went years without food. It's just another testament to the type of person she was.

Mommom was and still is such a blessing in my life, in everyone's life really. She was an exceptional example of how to be a mother. As much as I miss Mommom in my life, it brings me such joy to know that she is in Heaven, with a perfect new body, having a huge feast with Jesus. Her spirit lives on and I can only imagine what it will be like to see her again one day.

Mommom, I always remember you telling us that you were going to pour soup on our heads from above if we're doing something silly. I'm holding you to that!! :-) I love you so much.

One last thought - happy one year anniversary to my amazing sister Sandi and brother-in-law Marc! What a true joy it was to be able to share your special day with everyone! Can't wait to meet your little one come April/May!!! I know Mommom will be smiling down from above, especially when I start teaching the potato Spanish!

Un abrazo fuerte para toda mi familia hoy!