Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

My Sweet Sister


As some of you may know, my sister passed away on September 17th. This passing is bittersweet. She battled breast cancer since May 2006. She is an example of fighting with all you've got.


Colleen Marie Hahn Newton was born April 1, 1959. She was the oldest of 3 brothers and 1 sister (myself). She is survived by her husband, Dave Newton, and 4 sons; Chris, Skylar, Sean and Casey. They are some amazing men!


She had an incredible affect on people. She always asked questions to find out more about...everything and everyone. She really loved life. She liked to take great pictures of flowers, people, art,, scenery. She was very creative and artistic, she had a unique sense of style.


She won't get a chance to see her boys get married or have children, but she left a wonderful legacy because they are great young men.


While she was 13 years older than me, she loved being a sister and mother-figure. We missed out on sharing clothes and talking about boyfriends, but we shared many stories and struggles as mothers. She was sincere about her interest in me and my family.


She was one of those that when she called to talk it wasn't just for a minute or two, it was more like an hour or two. And we could easily laugh, talk, cry and share together.


I will miss her terribly! She was my only sister.


I am relieved she doesn't have to suffer any longer with her physical body, it was too small to hold her strong spirit, anyway.


Until we meet again, Colleen Marie, I love you.

Monday, September 14, 2009

What's your maiden name?

Ok, I'll try to be succinct with this funny story, but not leaving out important details.

Just this last May we made a trip to Utah for a family wedding. Whenever we are in Utah we try to get together with John's buddies from high school, Chris and Stanton. We've stayed close over the many years.

Chris had been divorced for a few years and said that for our get together he was bringing a friend. MMMMmmmm, interesting. We found Janelle (the friend) to be absolutely delightful!! She was full of ideas, personality and opinions. (It is necessary to stand on your own when these boys are in a room together.)




Here we are at lunch on that very day. We are having a superb time. It was during a bathroom break that Janelle told me that she and Chris had only been dating a mere 2 and a half weeks. Granted they knew each other for 2 years in the same PhD Nursing program.

We continued talking back at Stanton's house on the back porch. Catching up, laughing, getting to know Janelle a bit more. When out of my mouth came the following sentence..."So, what was your maiden name?" At the very moment it slipped out I knew that I my brain and mouth were not working in sync. She had eluded to many points that I knew she had never been married. What was I thinking? Needless to say, everyone got a very good laugh about it, and I think Janelle handled it very well in telling me what her current and maiden name were. And the moment was relived when Stanton's wife got home later.

Now, jumping ahead to the first weekend in September.

Here is Janelle and Chris at our next get-together, they look pretty sweet on each other, right?


Here is Stanton and his wife LaRayne at the same little get-together, which happened to be the night before...



THE WEDDING!!!!



John captured this precious moment between the couple on the temple grounds of the Oquirrh Mountain temple. Sweet, huh?



Here is Chris and Janelle with his 2 children. They make a nice little family.




And what's a wedding without some cake, which was absolutely delicious, by the way.
What I just realized, in hindsight, is my ability to predict the future. I just need to work on my timing. I should have waited until after they were married to ask her maiden name, right?
It all turned out very well in the end.
I have a feeling they won't let me live it down, though.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Ode to Sidney

(I saw this on someone else's blog and so I totally had to lift it!)





So cute
Ingenious
Does well at volleyball
Notices others
Excited about her birthday
Yearns to learn





Mesmerizing eyes
Always kind
Sticks to what is good
Helpful
Extremely funny
Loves to swim




Makes us laugh
Unavoidably smart
Happens to be clever
Likes to try new foods
Example to others
Steps in as big sister
Tries her best
Exceptional reader
Intuitive
Naturally girly.




Happy Birthday to our sweet Sidney.
We love you!