Mother's Day

I love this picture of my mom, I think she is holding Katie, maybe Janie, not sure. But I just love it because these grand kids made my mom soooo happy. She loved to be around them. I wish I could have seen her with them more, and I wish I could have seen her with my kids. That's something I can't wait to watch and experience when we get greeted by her in the after life! I miss her so much sometimes, I still bawl my eyes out, twice this very week even! We became such good buds when it was just me at home when Alex was on his mission and after he got married. We would do the shopping together, she would pick me up from high school. I would fill her oxygen tank every morning, even though it undoubtedly made me late, so she could get out and she would want to drive me to my college class. She would be tired and I would change her dialysis bags for her as she lied down for a rest. I would help her do her make up and pick out her outfits, and help her go through her closet, (you Marti girls know all about going through the closet- it was a big ordeal, became an UGLY fashion show really). We had an inside joke with this big plastic fly, she would stick it on my mirror in my bathroom and try to scare me, then I would put it in her make up drawer and try to scare her, we did this for the longest time, I have that fly, we found it in her bathroom when we packed up all her stuff:) She called me Hailey Jailey, now I call Taya "Taya Jaya", both our middle initials are J, so you see how that works. I always gave her a kiss when I said good bye or was going out, or saying good night. She always bribed me to play the flute for her, with treats or even new pairs of nylons:) We laughed together, I miss her laugh, oh how I miss it. My sister Natalie has a little of it, and I love to hear it. She always greeted my dad home with a kiss and a hug, right there in the kitchen, for all us kids to see.... I loved that. Doesn't surprise me, she belted out the song "Stand by your man" whenever and wherever it was heard! I took pictures of her first procedure up at the Hospital in Seattle in that "beginning of the end". She was nervous. When my dad called us that last day of her being coherent telling us to come quick, she said to me, " hurry, I want to see you, I love you." She still smiled for pictures, even when she couldn't talk, still making us laugh in that hospital room. I wonder all the time what our relationship would be like now, closer for sure, full of life, music, dance, advice, and laughter, lots of kisses from the grandkids. I know she would've been able to make Nathan smile. I like to think a lot of her witty actions and things she said are the same things and ways I say to Nathan to get him to warm up and smile. She had a great smile. I felt and feel loved by her, and how I love her. Miss you mom, love you. Happy Mother's Day.


Now I do have some amazing mothers in my life now! How I have been blessed with Becky and Lorna. I get to go to them with questions about kids and baking and sewing, and life, and what great answers they have to give! What great examples they are, I strive to be more like them every day. They have such great testimonies and I think I watch them more than they know. Can't wait to make more memories with them each year, and for my kids to grow up with Grandma's like you. Love you, Happy Mother's Day.