Happy Birthday Mom........

In the months following my mom's death back in 2001 I made a decision.

That we, my wife and I, would celebrate my mother's life, not her death.
In the past 5 years my wife and I have done a number of things to commemorate her life on her birthday:
We got fried chicken (a favorite of my mom's) and had a picnic on the Suspension Bridge in Waco.
We ate at sandwiches from the local deli in Ocean Beach and sat at Sunset Cliffs overlooking one of her favorite sites, the Pacific Ocean.
We rented one of her favorite movies (Somewhere in Time) and watched it while thinking of her.
Tonight we had dinner at Red Lobster (another favorite.....she loved the cheesy biscuits and cheese sticks) with my sister and her family.
The two little girls that my sister and brother-in-law have adopted, neither of which my mother knew, have called my mom "Grandma Heaven" ever since they learned how to speak english.

Tonight Deana, the three year old, while praying for our meal said - "Ding ding (she doesn't say thank you, it comes out as "ding ding") for Grandma Heaven. Ding ding that she is in heaven with God and she's not lonely."

Kristina, the seven year old, said later that since "Grandma Heaven" was with God that she's "perfect now."

I almost lost it.
I love these little girls and I am so grateful for the work that my sister puts into them never forgetting their "Grandma Heaven."

This day will always be about being with family and remembering the times we had with my mother...."Grandma Heaven."
I still miss her.
A lot.

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A quick little note about the next couple of days.
I haven't been a daily blogger, so if I don't update for a while it wouldn't be too noticeable.
But this time it is because I am leaving for Waco in the morning.
Can't wait to see y'all.
I will blog soon........