Strawberry pickin

Since my birthday, we have had so much fun enjoying the spring. We have recently finished an addition to the house, a screened in porch, and we have really enjoyed it these warm days. My sister, Cindy and her husband, Jim along with my niece Cate have relocated to Monroe...closer now to me...yeah! So, as they were in the midst of packing and unpacking Cate spent a couple of nights with us and boy did we have fun. Pierce always enjoys playing with his cousin Cate. But we made an extra special trip to Patterson Farm and went Strawberry pickin'. It was the perfect day...a little bit overcast but still warm.
There were surprisingly still lots of strawberry ripe for us to pick even though it was the last week of the picking season. Cate and Pierce each got a basket and raced along the rows of strawberries. Nikki, who is now able to walk, wasn't quite as balanced on the uneven ground but she managed to get her hands on some sweet strawberries. Pierce and Cate both searched and searched for the "perfect" strawberry and both found many. It was a lot of fun and very yummy.

The big 3-0!

I didn’t want to turn 30. I like being in my 20’s. But whether we like it or not, time marches on and unless we lie, we get older each year. Reaching 30 has always scared me. Not because it is old. It is just a gentle nudge to the next stage in life and I feel like I am finally getting a handle on the stage I am leaving :o) Since mom past away, I have almost felt like it isn't right to have such a milestone without her here to personally witness it. This month I have felt myself overwhelmed missing her. Even Cate and Pierce have talked about how they wish she was here to celebrate their birthdays. I find myself wishing that she wasn't missing so much of the good stuff that is going on right now in my life and in our family. But then I remember where she is and know that she is thinking the same thing about us...she is waiting for us because we are the ones missing all the good stuff.

For my birthday, we had dinner at Bravo! with family. The food was delicious and the chocolate ganache cake sinful. But the best part was the gift I received. My sister put together a “notebook” of messages from people in my life. Some family, some youth, some new friends, some long time friends and some from people I have not talk to in such a long time. Reading the notes and messages, I cried tears of joy and I laughed as I thought of so many of the memories and times, both good and bad. What I felt most of all was a feeling of being full. My heart is so content. One note actually stated "don't measure your life by your age but by your friends." I thought if that is the case, how rich my life is and man- am I old!

I had an incredible day full of so much love whether it was a FB message, a birthday song, flowers & balloons, a phone call, cards and many hugs from Pierce and slobbery kisses from Nikki. I am determined that no matter how "old" I get, I will be thankful for everyday that I have been given to enjoy all that God has given me. He is so good and I am forever in debt to Him for the life that I have. And look forward to the journey.

Spring time is Here

With the arrival of sunny weather and temperatures in the mid 60’s to upper 70’s, spring has come and we are so glad of that. It has been really fun this year to get outside and spruce up the yard…work on the house…and just be together as a family. Pierce loves to do what he calls “man work.” So we get on our gloves and get a little dirty, planting, mulching, pruning, spraying and doing whatever needs to be done. And all the work has paid off. The grass is green, the flowers are blooming and the house looks better than we imagined.
While working out in the yard, Nikki will either play in her playpen or sit on a blanket enjoying the sun and the company. I guess she is the supervisor because she usually talks up a storm and tries to tell us all what she wants done. Pierce loves to help in whatever way he can. He is the assistant. While digging he found several worms and says he is ready to go fishing. Shane, the project manager, takes care of the lawn and even added a little walkway area to the entryway. It looks so good. I did some mulching and some pruning for the first time ever. I guess that makes me the field hand. It has been fun to get out there and “garden”. When I am out there I can’t help but wish that mom was still here to help me. She could make anything grow. So as I weed and de-head plants so the blooms will come back later, I just think that she would be proud of how good the yard looks and that she would be proud of me too. We set a memorial stepping stone at the front door as a reminder that who mom is will always be a part of who we are.
Spring is in the air. The weather is warm. The sun is out. The flowers are blooming. And all around is the miracle of new life. I am thankful to God for all of the seasons. But my favorite season of all has always been spring. This year, as we have come through a symbolic winter, where we had loss, where it was dark and a bit cold, we welcome the beauty of God’s refreshing warmth and His power to make our spirits blossom and grow to be all and more than we could have ever imagined.

Pierce’s birthday

Five years ago, God blessed my life and the lives of many others when Pierce was born. For five years now this little man has filled my life with joy, strength, and has served as a precious reminder that God is faithful to His promises and His word.
Pierce turned 5 years old and we really wanted to do a party up right. We invited friends and family for a fun birthday party. Family arrived a bit early and everyone got to hang out at the house before it was party time. Nikki was so excited that it was her brothers birthday she decided to have two milestones: her two bottom teeth appeared and she began doing some wild and crazy expressions she had not ever done before….one of which we call “the look”. It is amazing that in just hanging out together, we had such a blast. But then it was party time at Monkey Joe’s.
Monkey Joe’s is an indoor inflatable play place. Pierce wanted his theme to be Transformers because he just loves those guys….who doesn’t…they are more than meets the eye. So family came from out of town for the day and friends traveled from Greensboro just to celebrate with us.
Pierce had an absolute blast jumping, running and sliding from each station. He was having so much fun he even tore the toes out of his socks….it was rather embarrassing for mom. But he didn’t mind too much. We are so thankful for all of our family and friends that came to celebrate with us and we truly missed the ones that were not able to come. But we know that even those far away, whether South Carolina, Washington State or even as far away as heaven, are always in our hearts. Thank you for being a part of influencing Pierce’s life. I am grateful for the years we have had, but looking forward to all that is to come in his precious life.

December

Nikki is 6 months old and as cute as a button. She is able to sit up with better control although when she is not happy she will bow her back back and lose her balance. She doesn’t like being on her tummy much so we have no idea when she will crawl. But she loves to push up on her legs and walk around. When she is in her walker you better watch out. She actually likes to chase Pierce. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if she skips crawling and goes straight to walking. She is full of smiles and laughs. One sure way to get her going is when she watches brother swing. She cracks up and let’s out happy screams and cackles. Brother loves it. He likes that he is making her so happy. He loves her so much. Daddy does too. Daddy loves that we are so close to his work. He comes by almost everyday for lunch. Nikki lights up when she catches his eye and of course can pretty much get almost anything from dad (ie licks of ice cream, sips of soda or water, picking up).
Pierce amazes me with how much of big boy he is. He is so helpful and so thoughtful in regards to Nikki and his family. When Nikki had to get her 6 months shots, he was so nervous for her. And if anyone can get sis to smile, it is brother. He likes to throw up his arms in the arm and jump and down saying “yeah” over and over. Nikki looks at him and is all grins. Christmas was such a wonderful time despite the fact that we continue to feel a piece of our family missing.

Thankful…but it’s all a blur

With all that just transpired, Shane was very worried about us moving away at such a vulnerable time. Speaking with daddy, we decided that not only did we need to continue with life as we had planned but it was what mom wanted for us. She was so excited about our family getting through all the obstacles we had and to finally be able to move. Actually she told us that after her surgery, she had to help me pack. So as difficult as it was, after the funeral on Wednesday…we began to get things orchestrated for closing on that Friday. Being that it was Halloween, we did take a break from boxes to get some sugary treats for the kids. Cate was a baby, Pierce was Optimus Prime the leader of the Autobot Transformers and Nikki was a no calorie Tootsie Roll. They had a ball gathering all the candy they could.

On Saturday, we had help from family and friends and began the move. The boys packed and moved things. The girls and kids stayed in Huntersville and painted. It was emotional to be moving in and to know that mom wasn’t going to be a part of it. I was very grateful that mom did see the house prior to us closing and she approved. I love our new home. When we walked in that Saturday, in midst of all the crazy emotions, I did feel a sense of comfort. I sensed God’s presence and blessing for the great things He has in store for me and my family.

For the first week, we were in the house, I was a maniac. I was determined to get things situated in their place and be somewhat organized. People marveled at how quickly house was set up. Shane assured me that everything didn’t have to be done right way but doing was my therapy. I kept busy…and tried my hardest not to focus on how much my heart hurt that mom wasn’t there to comment on the colors or the layout or to watch the kids while I worked. I was thankful to have the distraction.
I allowed myself time every night to let it out- tears, questions, thoughts, memories- and then brought myself back to realizing that this would be a process. And amongst the tears, I was able to smile…she would have wanted me to smile and look forward to all of the precious memories there were to make….like Thanksgiving.

Even before mom’s passing, we had planned to do Thanksgiving. I wanted to have everyone over at our new home. Our families had gone through so much and had been so supportive of Shane and I. I really wanted to have a celebration of where we were now through God’s mercy and grace in our lives. I mean in the past 2 ½ years we went through my divorce, custody, remarriage, pregnancy, job transfer, commuting for a year, custody again, and the birth of Nikki (just to name a few things). With mom passing it just added to the events that God was bringing us through to grow us, to strengthen our family and we chose to continue with plans for Thanksgiving in Huntersville.
Cindy, Jim and Cate came early and we had a wonderful time hanging out and preparing for a Thanksgiving feast. Dad & Grandma, Nannie, Papa Jack, Tonya, Luke and Zach, came on Thanksgiving day. We had so much food it was ridiculous but oh so delicious. We had turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potato casserole, collard greens, broccoli salad, deviled eggs, rolls, Jim’s stew. Then we topped it off with Pound cake, Tollhouse pie, Pecan pie and Oreo Yummy Delight. It was a wonderful.

I am so thankful for my family. They are so precious to me. November came in with a bit of sadness but went out like a blur with some blessed times.

In honor of Mak Ye Choe Rogers

In the midst of our loss, as a family we were overwhelmed with support and love. Whether it was a prayer, a phone call, a meal or a card received in the mail, we were grateful to feel such warmth from those who were touched by mom’s life. These messages still encourage us and make us smile as we move through the grieving process.

I wanted to post some things that people said about my mom. Note: these things were written in cards or emails. I think if we asked people to specifically address something that mom had said or did that made a difference in their life, the response would be overwhelming.

"I’ve always known God is cross-cultural, but it never really hit home until today. Your mom touched lives that were very different from her own. She had her own culture with their traditions and practices, but she put that aside to befriend and help others. She was a foreign missionary right there in her own home. She didn’t let her broken English stop her from sending cards, cooking for others, helping at church or, from what I gather, anything else. So many people would have taken the back seat and not done any of those things, citing communication as a weakness."

"Our physical hearts are heavy today, but our spiritual hearts are rejoicing."

"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed,for I am YOUR God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10"

"Mak Ye was a one of a kind treasure. She always had a smile for you, and it is as though a little section of sun stopped shining when she died. The only comfort that can be had is to imagine her entrance into heaven and her first glimpse of Jesus."

"Mak Ye left an everlasting imprint on so many hearts. I’ve never ever met anyone like her. She definitely left a sweet legacy. I will miss her smile, her voice and of course her bear hugs. You always felt so loved when she hugged you. She is now in God’s glorious presence and she is now an incredible treasure for heaven to cherish."

"There is only one Mak Ye-special and kind."

"One day at a time, little by little, the memories of sweet Maggie will shine brighter and will overshadow the pain. Her love lives on in you and always will."

"She was a very warm and gentle person."

"Your mom was such a wonderful person, loved by everyone who were blessed to have known her."

"Christ walked among us and I missed it. Mak Ye was the best example I think I have ever seen of his love, acceptance, service and humility. She was able to minister to the leadership and the youngest baby. I grieve with you and for you. Mak Ye was able to walk so effortlessly into your lives and support the leadership with her quiet but total commitment and acceptance. May God give you grace to walk Calvary through this difficult time as your hearts are broken more than most."

To anyone who would like to view the slides from the funeral they are located at the web addresses below.

http://calvarytriadl./h.com/video/dave.html - slide show of Mom and Dad, mostly

http://calvarytriad.com/video/makye.html - slide show mostly of Mom by herself

http://calvarytriad.com/video/family.html - slide show of Mom with family

http://calvarytriad.com/video/friends.html - slide show of Mom with various friends

http://calvarytriad.com/video/babies.html - slide show of Mom with children and grandchildren

To anyone who would like to view her funeral service you can check it out at www.calvarytriad.com/video/funeral.html