A day we were waiting for for 16 years!!! Taylor and I went to pick up her Regalia for graduation at Grace College. I took pictures of her going into the building, just like I did her first day of school. She grinned and put up with me because she knew I was struggling to focus through the tears. She finally got to the front door and opened it for me. Just inside was a computer screen with the...

When Archie and I decided that water "hiking," aka kayaking, sounded like the next right step, we were wise enough not to just assume we would like it. First we found a local guide who gave an all inclusive tour down one of our local water ways. That way we would see if this was something we could do near home, check out what kind of kayaks would be best for us (we were introduced to the sit on...

Today this post popped up on Taylor's fb from two years ago. Archie and I would have a lunch date via telephone every day. I thought I'd share what our "lunch dates" consisted of. If you read this on our fb two years ago, there are new thoughts at the bottom..... : Thoughts for today.... Yesterday Taylor and I were discussing why negative things/physical aliments either happen or why God doesn't...

How do you keep someone grounded yet give them wings? I don't have the answer but Archie did. When we were dating he went with me to visit my dad, step-mom, and brother. It was then that Tom learned he and Archie shared the same birthday, just two years apart. I joked I had to look really hard to find that one quality. At a rest stop on the way home I pulled out a map. I was flipping through it...

The fury kids had their annual check-up today. We had a discussion with the vet about how they are handling not having Archie home. He explained that animals grieve, too, but we already knew that. Molly is just Molly. She is so self focused I don't even know if she realizes Archie isn't here. Max is uneasy. He chews on everything, casings around the door, the door, blankets, he is always nervous....

Archie and I planned everything together, down to our future meals we were going to develop, when work slowed. Even the dishes on which we were going to showcase our concoctions. Those were mentally on the schedule for purchase. There was an agenda for everything. We had the quintessential five year financial plan. The physical plan of getting back to doing 5Ks, as the last two years he didn't...

What does supper look like at your house? How's your appetite? It is such a chore at out house. Archie and I LOVED Chinese stir-fry veggies every night. We'd then add whatever sounded good to him, for meat. Chicken or pork with various seasoning, sauteing onions and...stuff :), or marinading. It was always an adventure because you never knew what he'd be in the mood of. Rarely was it ever the...

Last night when Taylor and I were going through Nappanee we saw the theatre was playing Batman vs Superman--Archie was pretty excited about seeing that movie. My heart sunk when I saw it: his movie, his theatre....the theatre where we saw the movie on our honeymoon.... . I was talking to one other widow (I am still not comfortable with that term). One of the things that's hardest is the...

Our second night of Grief Share. I could tell this last week I was seriously being lifted up in prayer because last week's anger was inexpressible. Much better, seven days later. I haven't even slammed any doors--lately ;). This week the most interesting topic came up: fear. What are we afraid of? One lady summed up my feelings as if she stepped into my soul. She said her fear is: people will...

The nightly battle continues. I lay for two hours, pretty much the norm, finally deciding to be obedient and write what our heavenly Dad is laying on my heart. I told Taylor about my outing with Dash. Her first question: "How'd the truck smell, Mom?" For the last couple of months Arch had a....unique smell. He said it was from sweating, but for 26 years I recognized his "sweat" smell, and this...