Blessings

Nathan Matthew Crowley

Two baby blessings in one month. What a joy and a very real blessing. Nathan was blessed the first of the month and Jocelyn was blessed this week. They couldn't be any cuter. We took lots of pictures, but none of the babies. Too much fun going on. Gabe got some cute ones of Nathan and we are dressing Jocelyn back up to get some good pictures.

Lunch at Matt and Gabe's in honor of Nathan.                                                           

 

Shannon Crowley with Nathan

Three cute Crowley Women

Kara, Shannon with Nathan and Gabe

Kara and Shannon

Jordan must have something on Matt

Our beautiful Nathan

This Nathan is such a beautiful and special little guy.  Needless to say, we are crazy about him.  He looks just like his sister Lottie.                                                                                                           

Our Week

Rich is our anchor in the Crowley Family.  His birthday was this week and the family came together for the party.  Gabe made the cake and there were smiles everywhere.

Celebration!  Rich's.  His favorite angel food cake and his request for porcupine meatballs was the menu.  We topped it off with Heath Bar ice cream.  Wow so good. 

He asked Charlotte and Audrey to help blow out the candles.

Don't ask about the blue candle.  It had a purpose, but now I can't remember what it was. 

That's some fun babies in the background.  Gabe with Nathan, Andrew with Jocelyn.  Andrew and Matt are trying to get Nathan to smile.   Melanie is  cleaning up the counter.  Thanks Mel.                                                                                           

Then I started to plant the flower boxes on the deck.  I have to admit they are so cute.  Here is the model for the new deck furnitre from Pier One.  That fab guy Rich.  So fun.

I put these planters together to save the $35 each at Lowes.  I figured I could do them for half that.  I did indeed, but spent $78 more because I found three colors of beautiful iris and shasta daises.  Oh Oh.

Melanie's parents are here staying with all of us.  The baby blessing is tomorrow so hence the flowers needed to be done for the blessing lunch.  Audrey is in little girl heaven.  Once she figured out that she had two sets of Grand parents she was so happy.  My next blog will be the fantastic blessing of two babies in one month in the Crowley Family. 

Happy Mother's Day

I know - belated.  See Heartbroken below. Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers I know.  I love you all.  As moms we wake up every morning thinking and worrying about our kids, our husbands, the tasks we should have finished yesterday, but I remember the day I had my first baby and was still in the hospital.  I wanted to call my mom right away from the recovery room  I was thinking.......  Wow.............I owe my mom a present on my birthday every year.  She went through this for me.  and...........The older I get the more I appreciate all the stages of motherhood -- they are many. 

I had a different experience at motherhood.  Rich and I waited 8 long years for our first baby to arrive and two more came soon after.  We felt so blessed to have three wonderful sons.  Because we had waited so long, I cherished every moment of every day.  It seems like being a mother was what I was born to do.  I loved it.

I have enjoyed the examples of all of the young mother bloggers.  My daughters-in-law are such amazing moms.  I love watching them nurture and care for my beautiful grandchildren.  Each mom gives something special to her children.  It's a very busy life -- being a mom.  Thanks to all moms -- especially mine.

         Yes, here's my mom.  She's 86 and going strong.  Darryl takes her to all of the Five-Guys grand openings.  He says she is his best asset.  Here she is in her uniform.

My Mother:  She always worked hard to make sure our family had everything we needed.  She always thought of others and she was the last to get. 

Here are some of the other lessons from MOM.


1. She always wanted me to put my best foot forward -- even if that foot hurt.

2. She gave me the courage and confidence to be and try anything and everything.

3. Mother taught me to enjoy even the mundane humors of life and to especially to learn to laugh at myself.

4. She taught us always to honor our grandparents and father. She engendered in our family a fierce family loyalty and pride.

5. She always told me that my brothers and sister would always be my best friends.

They are..........
6. Mom gave me a life long love of literature that started at a very young age. I loved going to literary club with her occasionally. What a great gift.  It's no wonder I majored in English in college.  Her influence is so present in my every moment.

7. Mother also taught me to look for life lessons in all that I do. She believes you can learn something from everyone and everything.

8. Mother taught me to be thrifty. She wanted us to stretch our dollars.

9. Mother always taught me the value of hard work and the value of a job well done.

10. I wish I had learned her ability to never procrastinate. I'm still working on that one.

11.  The best lesson from Mom..............."figure it out".  When life gets tough, just figure it out.  Nothing is so overwhelming that it can't be figured out.

There are so many other lessons I've learned from my mom. She has always been a great example to me. I can see her in my minds eye kneeling at her bedside in prayer. I still catch her there.   She loves the Lord and honors her covenants.  She made sure her kids were in church every week even when their dad was not active.  She involved her kids in church in every way.  We all still remember her coercing us into a fashion show when she was in charge of the grand opening of  the new DI  in Pocatello.  How can you beat that?  We got to keep one item.  That is one thing I still haven't figured out with my kids.  How did she talk us into so many things?

My mom is the best. I don't have to worry about growing old.........no problem. She still thinks I'm a kid. The rest of you should be so lucky.

I sure love my mom!

My own Mother's Day was restful and fun.  My thirty something sons grilled steaks and prepared a delicious dinner.  We had a royal feast.  What valiant men they are becoming.  I had asked them each to email me a spiritual experience rather than giving me gifts.  They are my gift -- for eternity.

I love being a mom.

Heartbroken

Have you ever misplaced or lost something precious to you?  Well, here is my story.  I needed to return some children's chairs to Kohl's a couple of weeks ago on a Monday morning.  I decided to take a break from life and browse the store for awhile.  I can browse without buying and have lots of fun.  I looked at all the kitchen items three times, home decor items, dishes, glasses, vacuums, candles,  and then found myself in the towels looking at the soft beautiful colors.  I really need towels in the master bath.   My ring snagged on one of the towels which was odd.  I looked down and couldn't believe my eyes.  The diamond was missing from my ring. 

I had the sickest feeling and immediately started searching the towels.  Nothing.  I starting moving all of the towels near by and found nothing.   I traced back over my steps in the store -- even the ladies room.  I was on my hands and knees searching and searching.  I finally ask the manager to help me.  I wanted to go through the trash in the ladies room to see if the stone had fallen out when I washed my hands.  She put on rubber gloves and carefully went through every waded up towel.  Yuck!  And.............nothing.

The store manager then ask a couple of sales staff to help look.  We spent three hours searching and moving displays, etc.  Nothing.  I kept looking at the empty ring thinking the ring would somehow be there.  It wasn't.  On the verge of tears I called Rich.  He was at lunch with Matt and they immediately came to Kohl's.  We searched everywhere again including the parking lot and car.  A couple of people in the parking lot started looking too.  Nothing.  I was sick sick sick.  We all were sick.  Finally, after about three hours,  I reluctantly went home with such a sense of loss trying to remember the exact last time I had seen the stone in the ring.  It sits up so high off my finger, I thought surely I would have noticed if the diamond was missing.  I thought of all of my activities that morning.  Nothing.  I tried to retrace my every step and movement.

Needless to say, my week was a wreck.  I couldn't think of anything except looking for the diamond.  I searched everywhere in the house even on my hands and knees.  Six times.  I took all the bedding off the bed.  Rich looked through the trash at home.  I looked in the car, the garage, and I finally went back to Kohl's as I recalled looking at glasses.  I hurried back thinking surely the ring would be there.  Something made me recall the glasses I had seen but not checked.  Nothing.  A needle in a haystack.  I knew only a miracle could help me find the ring............if it was findable.  Gabe called me to say how sorry she was.  She said to pray hard that she had a good feeling about finding the ring.  I prayed hard many times a day.  I asked that if the ring was findable..................please guide my looking.  But, still nothing.

I finally called the insurance company.............................nope ....................not the extra coverage needed.  The thing is..............this ring was not my original engagement ring, but a very large diamond Rich had given to me about twelve years ago at a huge expense.  I knew we could never replace it.  I really loved that ring.  I wanted the marquis diamond to help elongate my fingers and it did just that.  I kept saying..........................it's a stone.  No one has died.  Stop feeling so mournful.  But I couldn't stop the sadness.  It felt like I had lost something very symbolic.  What a dope.  Why hadn't I checked it recently with the jeweler?  Why hadn't I insured the darn thing.  No answers.  Just kicking myself around the block again and again.  I had to get back to my life. 

On Friday I met with a newly called RS Meeting Coordinator at a restaurant to train her concerning her duties.  I was to meet her at twelve.  I ordered a soda and waited.  She didn't come.  I then noticed my wallet was not in my purse and remembered pulling it out to look at the children's chairs online at Kohl's.  I was ordering different ones than the ones I had returned on Monday.  So here I was sitting at a table with a soda and...................not a dime.  No way to pay for the almost gone soda.  No debit card.  Misty hadn't shown up yet.  Rich out of town.  Hmmmm.  I called Melanie at home knowing she couldn't drive over.  She had a week old baby/ by C-section and couldn't drive, but I ask her if my wallet was on the desk.  She said, "Yes, and you are in luck.  Andrew is right across the street at the grocery store.  He just returned from Fairfax.  I will have him bring you some money."

I hung up and waited.  By 12:35 the friend came and I knew that money was on the way.  So I was saved.  I called Melanie back.  She said that I was not going to believe what just happened.  She had called Andrew and since he was in the grocery store he asked her to check to see if we had any pepperoni in the freezer.  She pulled out the freezer bottom drawer and rifled through the contents.  No pepperoni - but some ice flipped out onto the rug.  The miracle:  One of the pieces of ice was my diamond.  She said,  "I just found your diamond."  I started crying.  She said, "If you hadn't called about the wallet and I hadn't called Andrew to take you some money and he hadn't ask me to check for pepperoni, I would not have been digging in the freezer, and I wouldn't have found your diamond."

Can you even imagine how we all felt?  We had been so sick about the loss, it didn't even seem real.  So the diamond was found. I am all in tears writing about this.  I took it straight to the jewelers for an appraisal for the insurance.  The stone is being reset and I can't wait to get it back.  Wow!  The events that were set in motion  that allowed Melanie to find the diamond were not a coincidence.  Prayers are answered.  Miracles happen.   How grateful and happy I am.  How grateful to have been heard.   Learn the lesson I have now learned.  Check your rings to make sure the settings are tight and get them insured.  My heartbreak ended up being one of my "happily ever after" moments.