I have peace in my heart

I have peace in my heart but it also aches.  My grandmother passed away on Tuesday.  She has been sick for a long time, surviving two bouts of colon cancer and suffering through the healing of multiple surgeries and the side effects of having many inches of your colon removed.  She went back into the hospital a few weeks ago with severe anemia but the doctors (I'm forever dissappointed with human medicine) told her it would take 10 days to get the results of a bone marrow biopsy.  She went back into the hospital on Monday and they diagnosed her with leukemia.  She didn't last 24 hours.  We were blessed to have gotten to talk to her on the phone on Sunday and Morganne got to speak to her too.  I had a feeling that might be the last time as she sounded so bad.  My grandma and I got along well.  She was a very timid person with great humility and kindness.  She lived through a rough childhood, much of which I don't know all the details.  She had a good sense of humor but had a stubborn streak of worrying herself sick over many things.  Family was one thing the worried about most often. (Unfortuntely, I get that from both sides of my family.) 

Though I miss my grandmother dearly and the thought of death and never seeing someone again puts my stomach in knots, my heart is at peace.  She knew Jesus and loved him, so I know where she is and that she is no longer in pain.  I have been SO immensely blessed in that the people people closest to me are also followers of Christ, allowing me to have the peace that if I lose them here on earth, I know someday I will see them again and that they are enjoying the pleasures of Heaven and getting to meet our God in person.  I'm not sure how many people read our blog regularly but chances are, that if you do read it, it means we care deeply for you.  I hope you too know Christ so that if we become separated here on earth we will one day meet again.  I am so blessed with great memories of my grandmother with my girls and surprise, surprise I have many pictures too.  (This is a reason I take so many, because I never want to forget and I want my girls to know who loves them and what they've been able to do.)  Here are a few pictures from this last summer, and a video that I will forever cherish.

Morganne and Great-Grandma

Great-Grandma and Kaelynn

Four generations



McCormack babies!

We had the McCormack family get-together last Saturday.  A fall tradition that has happened for the last few years since Papo and Phyllis venture to Florida for the winter and are not around family for Christmas.  2010 was definitely the year of babies within our family as 4 were born, starting with Kaelynn and ending just a few weeks ago with baby Lucy.  Papo loves to see all of his grandkids and great-grandkids, and we love being around him and the rest of the family.  I feel extremely blessed as I have been one of the grandkids that has gotten to grow up living close to Mamo and Papo and have gotten to know them well, and now Phyllis too.  I'm very thankful that my girls have gotten to know them too.   He has so many grandkids and great-grandkids that I would really have to sit and think about it longer than I want to at the moment to get a count.   Let's just say it's a full house when we all get together and I can't think of the last time ALL of us where in the same place at the same time.  Family is very important to me.  Here are some pictures of the baby mania!!

Here are the 2010 Mommies and babies: Alana and Lucy, Me and Kaelynn, Amanda and Maci, and Emily and Idris (sp?)....

 Morganne enjoying playing with her second cousin Jocilyn (sp?). 

 Papo with all of the "yougest" great-grandkids.  Morganne is the oldest here at 2.5 years.

Here are some pictures I took today.  Morganne is so proud that she can hold and feed Kaelynn; even though Kaelynn is half her size and this won't be possibly I'm afraid for much longer. 

During Morganne's nap time, of course Kaelynn didn't want to sleep too, so we headed outside for some vitamin D and some pictures!  I got this hat and a set of gloves that match from a former client of mine as a baby gift.  We think Kaelynn looks like a little baby doll in it!  It's too cute!

My new favorite picture!!!