Honoring Roger and Laughter is Good Medicine

 Today we celebrated our son-in-law Roger at a beautiful service at the Next Step Christian Church. The day was filled with good phamily, friends and a support system that kept this entire phamily upright during this past year.

Pastor Dusty opened his church and his church hall to Noelle and all her loved ones. It was simply beautiful.  My husband Avery, our son Jeremy and good friend Jeff R. each chose Scripture to read at the service. Pastor Dusty gave a short but very lovely prayer service, Scripture reading and spoke so beautifully about Roger, Then our strong and brave daughter Noelle gave her eulogy that she wrote. Twenty minutes of tears, laughter, a photo collage (thank you Tarrah) and beautiful music.

As we left the chapel area, which was packed, we saw the hallway was lined by so many wonderful friends and phamily who arrived to pay their respect. I had to stop and lean against the wall because the support was absolutely incredible. We had a beautiful meal provided by Boston Market and enjoyed the company of many old and new friends. Our phamily support was terrific. I told a good friend, there is not one person here today that did not know Noelle & Roger personally. A true testimony to my son-in-law who I am going to miss terribly. Yet I would not wish him back to this earth and all the pain and suffering he had to deal with . His grace and fortitude was epic.

Roger was very private and he took a while to get to know you. But once he did, he was fiercely loyal to all he loved. I can't help but think he stood there holding Noelle up (he did not like to see her sad and crying) and enjoyed watching us from his new heavenly home with Alastor Avery. He had said he wanted to join Alastor.  We all knew that the suffering was getting harder and he wanted to some peace. We prayed for miracles but sometime we see God Break our hearts because he has something in store for us that we know nothing about. I believe Roger knew his time with Our Lord had arrived. He left peacefully and now we walk carefully trying to put pieces of our hearts back together.

Roger had a silly side and we could laugh and be silly and his silly faces were incredibly hilarious. He had a way about him that was one-of-a-kind. Although he is now away from us in this world, we all pray we will see him on the other side. A favorite photo of Noelle's of Roger. His urn was Roger, 100 percent, all the way. . He was the coolest dude to ever ride a Harley and I enjoyed every ride he ever gave me. His safety awareness for motorcyclists was unbelievable. I always felt safe on the back of his bike. Gonna miss you numero uno Son-In-Law. Catch ya on the other side. 

So in honor of my son-in-law Roger, I am posting some good old fashioned laughter. It is  songs you should never play at a wedding. I know Roger would have enjoyed the laughter.

Bridge Over Troubled Water Simon and Garfunkel

Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town Kenny Rogers and the First Edition

Gotta Move On Diddy and Bryson Tiller

It Ain't Over Yet Rodney Crowell (featuring Roseann Cash)

No Hard Feelings Old Dominion

Burning Bridges The Mike Curb Congregation ( Kelly's Heroes)

Go and Say Goodbye Buffalo Springfield

She Got The Goldmine, I Got The Shaft Jerry Reed

Mr. & Mrs. Used To Be John Prine 

D-I-V-O-R-C-E Tammy Wynette

After the Fire Is Gone Tammy Wynette & George Jones

Making Believe Willie Nelson & Brandi Carlile

I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishing Song) Brad Paisley

You Give Love A Bad Name Bon Jovi

You're So Vain Carly Simon

Fake Love Drake

Mother-in-Law Ernie K. Doe

All My Ex's Live in Texas George Strait

Fifty ways to Leave Your Lover Paul Simon

Highway to Hell AC/DC

Love Stinks J. Geils Band

Love Will Tear Us Apart Joy Division

Suspicious Minds Elvis Presley

Go Your Own way Fleetwood Mac

A Man Needs A Maid Neil Young

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For U2

Should I Stay Or Should I Go The Clash

White Liar Miranda Lambert

Blank Spaces Taylor Swift

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together Taylor Swift

I hope you will indulge me. I had so much fun laughing with Avery as we compiled this list. Taylor Swift and  the late Tammy Wynette & George Jones are the winners here as they could sing a sad song with a back story. Swift writes much of her own music and Tammy & George were country music sweethearts with their heart break songs.

Here's to Roger for a life , although too short, was well lived.

Laughter is indeed Good Medicine!

Bittersweet Birthday Wishes

 Today is a very bittersweet day. Although our daughter Noelle celebrated her birthday she had hoped she and the love of her life, Roger would have celebrated together.  They were both born on this day twelve years apart. Noelle and her sister Rebekah had this sweet cake created for Roger even though he lost his cancer battle on December 6th. It has been a sad time for those of us who loved this man so dearly.

A photo of the two of them when life was not so complicated.

Roger was a good man. When my late mother met him, she told me, Noelle needs to be nice to him because he was a good man, a keeper. Let me tell you if you had the approval of my mom you were good as gold.

I wish I had a photo of myself with him on his Harley . I would never get on a motorcycle with anyone else. Roger loved riding his bike and he was by the book, safety first. He was a joy to visit with and I will miss the many breakfast and lunch dates we had when we were both out of work. Spending sometime with this man during the difficult times was a true honor. I will never forget all the good times and his fierce love of his wife, kids and grandkids.  He was always making sure everyone was cared for. Always helping each of them with anything they needed.

He will be greatly missed by Noelle, their children, Christal (Alex), Andrew (Tarrah) and Colton (Jacey). He said he wanted to be with Alastor, the precious grandbaby we lost in 2019. He received that wish on the night he passed away to his eternal home. 

The grandchildren will miss him and his never ending love for each one of them. Jaslin, Alexis, Devin, Jayden, Michael, Benjamin, Logan, Ella, Harrison and Shea.

When I feel up to posting full time,  I will,  but these months and particularly these last few weeks have been difficult for everyone. I hope you will pray for us as we celebrate Roger's life this Saturday . He is going to be  missed by all of us. 

John 16:22  "So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy."

Aw...Mondays/ Tuesday 4 , Happy Tuesday and More

 Aw...Mondays

We were putting up some of our outdoor Christmas decor.  Snoopy is our newest addition and we sure love these . I am including my Tuesday Thanksgiving post which I failed to post. With so much going on in our phamily, it has been a bit stressful. 

 

 

The Thanksgiving Feast

 Tuesday4

Thursday November  24, 2022 is THANKSGIVING DAY. 

Let's talk about the Thanksgiving feast.

1. Do you celebrate with family, friends or by yourself?

With our son-in-law Roger being so ill, we are trying to get together as many of us as possible. We do celebrate all together and have had friends join us that were alone in past years. Only Hannah and Jake will not be able to make it this year. we pray they will be able to move closer to us so we can get together more frequently.

2. Do you watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from New York City? The appearance of Santa at the end signals the start of  the CHRISTmas season.  What does the day hold for you?

My mom made sure we had photos with Santa each year. I was petrified of the jolly ole man!  But I love that I have good memories. We use to watch the parade but it seems they have changed into something we are not interested in these days. I love the holidays for what they were meant to be, not interested in the politics of others.

3. What foods are the hit of the Thanksgiving Day for you?

I love the turkey and pecan pie, I make my pie from scratch . My husband makes gravy from scratch. All the foods are set in my memory too. We always had a big phamily celebration so I like to think we have tried to keep that memory alive today.

4. We say grace before and after meals. Is grace a part of your Thanksgiving meal?

Yes we sure do. My late father and late father-in-law always lead us in saying grace and giving thanks. My husband has a beautiful way of conveying the blessing each meal. 

Love is.... always says the best things,,,,

Aw.....Mondays and More

Aw...Mondays 

How about a disguise as a Pink Flamingo for Thanksgiving?

These were too cute to not share. HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Love is...always says the right things,

A Sparks for this week -

Joy is the simplest form of gratitude. Karl Barth

Tuesday4 and Happy Tuesday

  Welcome to Tuesday4 still going strong in memory of Toni Taddeo. I was not blessed to know her, but so many of you were.

Do you love it or will you leave it? 

1. Coffee flavored or  coffee plain? What is your favorite kind?

Flavored, a smidge of real sugar and half and half or table cream.

2. A trip to the Caribbean or a trip to Spain? Why?

I would say Spain as my big sis Pat (RIP) loved the country but that was neon's ago! Her husband was in the U S Army. She said the people were wonderful and kind.

3. Goodies on your pizza or just plain?  What toppings would you love or leave? I love veggies the best but I will eat the meat lovers with my sweetheart too. So many people dislike pineapple but again, I am all in! No anchovies for me, only in true Green Goddess Dressing.

4.   Dinner at a 5 star or dinner at  Rosie's Diner known for home style cooking?  Definitely at Rosie's Diner. I have had both but will always treasure homestyle cooking like my mom made.

Happy Tuesday

Tomorrow is the 21st anniversary of my mom's passing and my beautiful  maternal grandmother's birthday in Heaven since 1967! You know, for me, it never gets easier. They are the women who raised me to be strong and I miss them so much. Anything good I know I learned from them. So I watched our two little grandboys this morning. watching them leave to have lunch with their Papa made me sad as they kept me busy and kept my mind on them. 

Our lil one things he is grandpa. He loves being on his side of the bed and raising the bed as high as he can go! That "Blue Bunny", he told me, "He isn't a baby bunny grandma, he is a daddy bunny!

Big brother helped me grate fresh cheese for a snack. He said he planned to eat the entire 2 lb. chunk! hahaha...I told him only if you want a tummy ache and trouble using the bathroom because too much cheese will settle in your tummy like a block of cement! Their smiles are so sweet. They are happily awaiting their mom to come home. She was on a mini trip with her mom to Nashville. Of course, Nashville had beautiful weather until they arrived and then she said it was cold too.

On my front porch and look at that SONshine! It is melting all the snow. 

A cute kitten or pup  present. Make sure you buy live pets for little ones with the intend of keeping them. Pets are like marriage vows, in sickness and in health until death do we part. Nothing is more disturbing to me then people dumping animals in shelters because little Timmy was tired of it.  I have often thought, what would little Timmy do if his parents tired of him too? Think before you buy especially during the holiday season.

Oh Maxine........

Sunday SIllies / Aw...Mondays/

 I am overwhelmed these days but think of each one of you that still stops by to visit me. I wanted to share some Sunday Sillies from the Real Peter Tork the former Monkee member and amazing musician.  His social media is still active and I love the sillies shared there. Here they are:

Q. What do you get when you drop a pumpkin?

A. Squash

Q. What is the best thing to put in a pumpkin pie?

A. Your teeth of course!

Q. Who helped the baby pumpkin to cross the road?

A. The Crossing Gourd

Aw...Mondays

Some wise words my son-in-law Zach shared with me and I shared with everyone else.

Do not ask your children 

to strive for extraordinary lives.

Such striving may seem admirable,

but it is the way of foolishness.

Help them instead to find the wonder

and the marvel of an ordinary life.

Show them the joy of tasting

tomatoes, apples,  and pears.

Show them how to cry

when pets and people die.

Show them the infinite pleasure

in the touch of a hand. 

And make the ordinary come alive for them

The extraordinary will take care of itself.

Always good to lean on those who care and love you, phamily, friend...

Basketball boys...

A thoughtful boy...

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME

 

DON'T FORGET TO CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS BACK TONIGHT!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY AND PRAYER

 Wordless Wednesday

"

A day late....but 

PRAYER REQUESTS:

ADAM

BRODY

JEREMY

LEAH

MASON

ROGER

All images from Pinterest unless watermarked Annesphamily. Thank you and enjoy a wonderful day.

Thankful Thursday and A Splash of Humor

 Many of you know, our son-in-law Roger is on hospice care. If you pray, that would be  most encouraging through these difficult days. Thank you.

If you visit Thankful Thursday join the Thankful blog hop.

A splash of humor today:

That would be my boy Boots. He was mesmerized by TV if there was a National Geographic show or anything to do with animals. He particularly loved big cats and Mister Kitty has this same  kind of indulgence.  Most felines are not happy with one home but rather with an entire house to call their very own!

My thankful list today:

The American Indian is of the soil,  whether is be the region of forests, plains, pueblos or mesas. He fit into the landscape, for the hand that fashioned the continent also fashioned the man for his surroundings.  He once grew as naturally as the wild sunflowers,  he belongs just as the buffalo belonged...." Luther Standing Bear, Chief of the Ogallala Sioux

A Fulton J Sheen quote. It is a good one to be reminded of daily. Thankful for the many people who greatly influence my life.

We have cold and wind and an icy sky today. It is always sad to see the beautiful colors of Fall fade away. But we know they will return. 

Today is a day for a cup of hot tea, a day ,to rest and recharge,  Have a beautiful and blessed one.

Happy Tuesday

 Happy Tuesday

I thought some baby smiles would brighten your day. 

Look at that smiling face. My grandmother use to say when babies smile they see their guardian angel. 

Those tiny little pigtails! So sweet.

HaHaHa ....Maxine I love you so much!

Enjoy this new week. 

I posted my Tuesday4 at my other blog https://annesphamily.blogspot.com I hoep you stop by. 

Aw....Mondays

 

Aw....Mondays 

 

 This little fellow and his relatives are getting a bum wrap from lots of ignorant and uninformed people, He is a real cutie.If you research companies like Tillamook and Menchies you will be surprised. Good decent smaller companies. Although Menchies have 500 worldwide stores we saw a story about the founder and owner of the company. He personally saw the cattle used to acquire the best quality milk for his yogurt products and did a segment on Undercover Boss where he milked them and helped  delivered a calf!. Tillamook is a small farm in Oregon and not only do they make their delicious ice cream, they also make cheese and butter.

Love is...always has the best advice.

 Keeping Sparks moving forward in these uncertain times.

I  want to thank everyone who stops by. It takes me a long while to visit everyone but I am greatly appreciative that you stop here. Have a wonderful new week.

Aw...Mondays and Love is....

Aw...Mondays 

I love handbags, lipstick and shoes! I could go on but let me stop here and tell you to visit Sandee and enjoy some smiles.

Love is....knows exactly what we need!

"The price of greatness is responsibility." Winston Churchill

A little Sparks to keep these positive words moving forward.

 Have a wonderful new week.

F E L I N E F R I D A Y

 Please visit Sandee at Comedy-Plus.com

Aw...Mondays and Love is....

 Aw...Mondays

This little one is too cute not to share. One day he will grow up to very tall and look down on us as we head to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo to fed organize lettuce leaves to these gentle giants.

A bedtime treat for me. After a cup of Sleepy tea my sweet husband will give me a soothing massage. Thank you for the reminder Love is....

"Man's greatness lies in his power of thought." Blaise Paschal

Tuesday4 and Happy Tuesday

 Autumn This and That

It's time again for Tuesday4 in memory of Toni Taddeo. it's founder and previous host. Thank you so much for joining in and keeping this alive. It is much appreciated.

It's Autumn and temperatures in many places  will be going down, days will be shorter and leaves will be falling down. 

Let's discuss these things.

1. Do lower temperatures bother you or make you uncomfortable and are you more of a warm climate person?

Oh these achy bones ache in the cold and if it is too hot my rosacea acts up. I would love to live in an ideal temperature for me, 55 to 70 degrees. But alas, I am a native Colorado girl so I deal with extreme heat and extreme cold. I am not sold on all the climate change or whatever sticker they stick on it today.  If Colorado wasn't doling out it's water to neighboring states we would not experience droughts. We get plenty of snow in the winter yet every year there are water restrictions. I can only speak for where I live and have lived my entire life. I like my weather medium cool. How is that for a simple answer? Maybe this will help:

 My hat is off to the state troopers. Seeing them on the highway this past weekend makes me pray harder for their safety. We think the accident we saw on an overpass going home was probably a fatal one and my heart goes to the men and women who deal with these type of tragic accidents.

2. Do you like the colors of Autumn  clothing wise do they look good on you?

I apologize for going off topic in question 1. I love Autumn colors and often like to wears browns, some goldens and burgundy and rust. I like to layer in the cooler months too so it is a good season for my wardrobe.

3. Would you rather...

     get lost in a corn maze or go on a hayride?

      visit an apple orchard or a pumpkin patch?

      eat a caramel apple or a candy apple?

      cinnamon buns or pumpkin muffins?

Go on a hayride always! Visit an apple orchard. we stop by the YaYa Orchard where you can pick apples and enjoy walking their grounds. It is a fun place to visit on the way to Estes Park. I use to love both a candy or caramel apple. I will occasionally eat a few caramels in the Autumn. I am a blueberry loving muffin gal. I do bake more in the cooler months so I think I will make a batch of cinnamon rolls. Thanks for the idea!

4. There are 7,500 varieties of apples. What is your favorite and do you like apple pie?

I love a Pink Lady, a Fuji or a Granny Smith. Avery my husband loves Red Delicious. We do eat apple pie. I like it with a slice of sharp cheddar. 

" Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a ruling rightly given. " Proverbs 25:11

Oh my Maxine, you said a mouthful here!

Happy Tuesday I hope you are happy and I hope you enjoyed this!

We are happy Roger returned home from the hospital yesterday. They had made a terrible error regarding his health and gave him some medication that made him horribly sick. Then they had to admit they screwed up! It is a sad world we live in, I am happy our daughter has a friend married to a doctor so she can get some truthful information from him. 

" I have chosen to be happy, because it is good for my health. " Voltaire

Aw...Mondays and More

 Aw...Mondays

It was a good thing our two favorite teams played at two different times, one early, one late. The Bills lost and the Broncos won! It was still a good weekend. We attended the Okoberfest in Breckenridge and then stopped by our grandson Andrew's house to celebrate his birthday and his oldest son Jayden.

I saw this is the window of a Kia mini van from Texas a few months ago. I really love it!  It is perfect to remember Annie sharing Sparks with all of us at McGuffy's Reader. It is sad when bloggers stop blogging. But we all have reasons I suppose. 

A Scripture fitting for Sparks as well. 

Love is...always makes Monday better! Monday's are tough for me. We usually have wonderful weekends and then off to work he goes on Monday morning. So I often get up extra early to spend a few minutes with my sweetheart. 

A snapshot or two from the Breckenridge trip. It was so busy with so many people at the Oktoberfest that we forgot to take photos there. But we have lots from the roadways and byways. We were delayed two hours due to three different accidents. So many refuse to follow the rules of the road. We  all decided the scenery was too beautiful to let the delay ruin our day. 

Hoping everyone has a beautiful new week. Take care. Fall is coming to a place near you soon. 

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday 

 Hello God, are you there?

#guanellapass2022

Our son-in-law in back in the hospital. Please pray for Roger and Noelle and their children and grands. Thank you.