I know, it's been ages since last posted.  Just so many things going on with my daughter moving back in, my 18 year old son moving out and my husband retiring from the military.  I'll try to get back to blogging here shortly.

11 days ago on December 17th, my mom passed away.  The timing was unexpected, but we knew that she didn't have much time left.  She was on dialysis and she had stage 4 lung cancer, getting that from having cancer on her kidneys about 6 years ago.  She was in stage 4 when they caught it because she hadn't had any symptoms with it.

We had made plans to spend Christmas with my parents and were eagerly looking forward to seeing them just 5 days away.  We left on a Tuesday and they had her funeral on Thursday.  Hers was one of the best funerals I've been to.  I know that sounds odd to you, but truly, it was the way she wanted it.  Our family had a private burial at the gravesite and then we had a memorial celebration, as they called it.  The theme they wanted was "It's Not About Us, It's All About Him".  My mom was a strong and true follower of Christ and she always put Him first in her life.  There were many people who attended who were there because of her witness, her teaching and caring about them.  In fact 5 people were saved during her funeral!!!  We found that awesome and truly wonderful!

I know she is in heaven now, enjoying her well earned time with her Lord and Savior and probably just chatting away with her parents and everyone else who's lives she touched.  Someone sang the song Thank You at the funeral and that truly, truly was exactly what she was like.

I'm so thankful that she is in heaven and spared a long and painful time with her cancer.  I grieve greatly, for I miss her alot.  Every time I want to pick up the phone and tell mom something that's happened, I won't be able to.  Death IS sad and painful, but I think more so for those who don't know Christ.  If one does not know Christ as their personal Savior, they are doomed eternally.  I need to focus on that when I go out and ask God to give me the courage and the words to say so that I can be a witness like my mom was.  She meant so much to me and what she did for me after her death was precious in itself.

My dad gave me every card I had ever sent or given to them.  She had written on each of them about what was going on in our lives, and their lives at the time.  She also said she was praying for us and how proud she was of the kids and of me.  THAT was what I needed to hear, that I wasn't a disappointment to her and that she WAS proud of me.

We spent Christmas with my dad and my brother and his family.  Although we grieved together, we were able to have a good time together.  I am now starting to heal, but I think it will be awhile before I truly can be ok with it all.