Our Last Dance

Today, June 9th,  would have been our 46th Wedding Anniversary. Also it's the 2nd anniversary of when we found out Jerry had acute leukemia.

I'm so thankful for our 45th anniversary that we were able to celebrate together. I remember it as if it were yesterday. In our hearts we knew that it would be the last anniversary that we would celebrate together here on earth. Each day Jerry had been growing a little bit weaker. 

We had planned on just a quite evening and I was going to go pick us up something for our dinner that night.

Around 3:00 in the afternoon, Jerry said, "Go get ready. We are going to go celebrate."

He had been resting all day trying to get up enough strength for us to go out to eat.  I drove us to Outback and I managed to help him into the restaurant.  We sat across from each other, with tears rolling down our faces. Our minds were full of thoughts of all the years we had spent together and what a fulfilling life God had given us together. All of our adventures, and ups and downs, raising four boys, getting to welcome grand children into our lives, all the friends we had made. God had blessed us so much through those 45 years.

When we returned home, I knew he was so tired. He sat and rested a little bit.

 We had a tradition and every year on our anniversary, in the privacy of our home, we would always dance a slow dance together. He said, "I think I owe you a dance." We held each other and danced our last dance that night to the song, "I Love You For Sentimental Reasons." 

June 9, 2012

 

It was a great day. 

I'm so thankful for all the blessings that God has given me and for all the wonderful family I have.

Graduation Days

I was so happy to get to attend my granddaughter's fourth grade graduation and my grandson's high school graduation. 

Graduations are always memorable events. They mark a beginning of a new adventure in our lives. My grand daughter, Emma, will be in middle school next year. My grandson, Greg, will be starting college in the fall.

Emma Rice

Greg Rice

With each ending there is always a new beginning.

Isn't is wonderful that God knows what our future holds and He is there walking beside us.

I always have liked the song "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow." 

 And I don't worry about the future,

 'Cause I know what Jesus said.
And today I'm gonna walk right beside Him,
 'Cause He's the one who knows what is ahead.
There are things about tomorrow,
 That I don't seem to understand. 

But I know who holds tomorrow,
 And I know who holds my hand.

        -Written by Ira P. Stanphill.

On The Road Again

Memorial Day was spent driving for 11 hours  to Cincinnati, Ohio. I have a grandson graduating from High School and a grand daughter graduating from the 4th Grade. 

You know my driving adventures are always exciting. My GPS took me on  even a different route this time. It was a highway I had never been on before. I didn't know there were so many routes to and from Cincinnati. For a while I was not even sure where I was at. Also I call it No Man's Land. For about an hour or so there is no cell phone coverage.

While I was driving I had a visitor. I was driving along, minding my own business, trying to figure out where I was at, when all of a sudden I saw these flashing lights coming up beside me.  He was  nice and could tell I wasn't for sure where I was at, let alone knowing the speed limit. 

And they always ask that important question, "Do you know why I pulled you over? You were going 73 in a 60 mile speed zone."  Thankfully, he only gave me a warning.

All in all, it was a beautiful drive with beautiful weather. And I always enjoy seeing my family

Please pray for safety as I travel.

Beautiful Wild Flowers in Virginia

Traveling through Virginia

Out of the Mouths of Babes

My grandchildren add so much laughter and joy to my life.  They are so honest.

 

One day one of my grandsons, Gavin, told me that when I died I was going to be in the ground for a long long time because I had "Lines and Dots" and that meant that I was really old.  The other day, Hayden told me that I was old because I had "Dots."

For you who don't know what "Lines and Dots" are - it's "Winkles and Age Spots."

I keep telling them the "Dots" are freckles.

I'm so thankful for hair coloring. I don't know what they would say if they saw the gray hair along with the "Lines and Dots."

 

I think I'll start telling them that the dots are wisdom spots. As I get older, I become wiser and the dots show how smart I am. I wonder if they will believe me.

 

 

 Proverbs 9:10-11

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.  For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

 

 

 

I Love Being A Grandma

Grandchildren are God's way 

of compensating us for growing old.  

~Mary H. Waldrip

 

The other day I was at the school. I was in the K4 classroom and all the kids were hugging me and calling me Grandma Rice. I thought what a wonderful name to be called - GRANDMA.

To my grand kids I'm known as Grandma, Grandma from 'Tucky, and MeMe.

The Grandma from 'Tucky was from when we lived in Kentucky.  Some of them still call me that even though we haven't lived in Kentucky for about eight years.

Being a Grandma is one of my greatest joys in life. With my grand kids I can act crazy, laugh a lot, forget about sadness, and share lots of love that I have inside for them. 

I remember my Grandmothers and the love they had for me.  They were all hard working women who raised large families without all the conveniences we have today. I still have letters that two of my Grandmothers wrote to me, even after I was grown and married with children of my own and had made them a Great Great Grandma and a Great Grandma.

My Great Grandma Creekmur lived to be 96 and my Grandma "Mammy" lived to be 91. 

I'm glad that they were a part of my life.

My Great Grandma Creekmur's  Wedding Day

My Great Grandma Creekmur

My Grandpa "Poppy" and Grandma "Mammy"

My Grandma "Mammy"

9 of my 11 Grandchildren and Me

I always pray that I'll be a good example of a Godly Grandma and my grandchildren will have wonderful memories of all the times we spent together and  always remember how much I loved each one of them.

Changes

My youngest son, Mark, and my Dad, John Knight

Proverbs 17:6

Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.

When I went to Tennessee, I decided since I was close to Indiana and Ohio to go see the rest of my family. I especially wanted to see my Dad.

He'll be 90 years old in July. Because of his age and a few health problems, he had to give up his independence. He went to live with my brother and his wife. I know that had to be quite a change for him. He had lived by himself for a quite a while and he was very independent. He drove, cooked his own meals, did his own grocery shopping, read books, and did about whatever he wanted.

To me he was always of a different era. Where men were men. They didn't show their emotions, there was right and there was wrong. You always kept a job and worked hard and you called anybody that was older Mr. or Mrs. 

When your parents start aging, there's a kind of a metamorphosis that starts to take place. We begin trading roles with them.  The son becomes the father. The daughter becomes the mother. It's hard changing roles. You want your parents to remain young forever.

And we so often take our family relationships for granted. We look, but we don't see. We listen, but we really don't hear what the other person is saying. We exist, but so often we don't feel.

I love my Dad and still enjoy being with him and talking to him on the phone. He is always encouraging to me and I hope his mind always stays as good as it is now.

I knew this time would come when he could no longer take care of himself.

After I went to visit him, I felt so good and had such peace about him being with my brother and his wife. They are taking such good care of him. In fact, they are probably spoiling him rotten. He gets a lot of attention.

Please pray for my dad and for my brother and his wife and that it will be a smooth adjustment for all of them.

He Is Not Here; For He Is Risen

I have often tried to write a poem about Easter. I have never been able to.

There is so much to the crucifixion and the resurrection. Where would I begin. Would I write about the Garden of Gethsemane, where He prayed, "Not my will, but thine." Would I tell of the betrayal of Judas and the Last Supper. Would my poem tell of Jesus' trial where Pilate found no fault in Him. The suffering from the whipping, the crown of thorns they placed on His head. The sound of the hammering of the nails in His feet and hands as they placed Him on that wooden cross. The thud as the cross was placed in the ground between the two crosses which held the two thieves.

I also think about Mary, the mother of Jesus, standing there watching as her son was crucified. The tears that must have ran down her face  as she stood there helpless. The spear that pierced His side. And the blood that ran down Jesus' feet to the foot of the cross. That precious blood from the lamb of God who was without blemish, but on that day He became sin for us.

Would I tell about the greatest love story ever known. In John 19:30 He said, "It is finished..." No man took his life from Him, He laid it down willingly.

And the tomb where they laid His body, but on that resurrection morning, death could not hold my Saviour or keep Him in the grave.  He rose again that I might have eternal life.

 

"Beyond the Cross is a tomb that is empty

You won’t find Me there anymore

And beyond the tomb is life ever-lasting

And hope forever more."