Thursday, May 30

The Circle of Life

In the past 2 weeks we have experienced the circle of life with the birth of our second grandson CK, and the passing of momma Sheri onto the next phase of the plan....what a bitter sweet time.  My emotions are bigger than words can express.....

We didn't know if Mom would see CK on this side of the veil or not, but on Tuesday May 14, Mom told us that she had a dream (She never remembered her dreams) and that the baby was coming today. At 3:00am May 15 baby Call arrived.  He is so precious. Great Grandma didn't get to see him in person, but through facetime she saw him and talked with Jordan and family. When I asked her later if this was the baby she saw coming, she told me yes he was..... I want you to know, that I know Great Grandma Sheri visited with CK after her passing. I was sitting with Laurie while we were waiting for news from the Hospital about Captain Awesome's concussion. It had been a day since moms passing, life was tender and a bit on its side. I got a frantic call from Laurie that Jordan was taking Captain Awesome to the hospital, he had been hit in the head with a rock and passed out  ran to be with Laurie and sent Gary and the other Grandparents to the hospital. I was praying for Angels to attend Ry at the Hospital on my drive to their home. While we were waiting we were so nervous and upset,  wanting to here more about his condition, talking too much about dumb stuff to keep our minds from awfulizing, Suddenly little CK began grinning and almost cooing at someone in the room, he wasn't even looking at us.....Instantly Laurie and I were at peace and both commented that the angels were attending. I then said and not just any angels our angels with the addition of Grandma Sheri. As I said that CK became even more animated and smiley. I know she was with us and Jordan said he knew she was with them at the Hospital as well. (Grandma Karen confirmed to me that she too called for our Grandma Sheri Angel to attend them). And all is well!







Mom's passing was too soon, but indeed a blessing. We had the wonderful blessing of not only spending last precious days with her reminiscing, planning and saying until we meet again, but we had the opportunity of serving her through the violent ordeal of vomiting to eliminate waste, and administering her IV and medication every few hours. 
I learned so much while serving mom, about unconditional love, compassion, mourning and even a small glimpse of what it must have been like for our Savior during his time in Gethsemane. It was truly and awesome opportunity to serve and to love my mom. I wouldn't have traded this experience as hard as it was sometimes for anything.

I know the days may be harder with out my number one cheerleader physically by my side to push me along, but I do know that she is still there for me, as one of my new angels, wanting the best and expecting the best from me.

Momma Sheri's funeral was a goodbye party, it was a celebration of her wonderful life and a notice of her opportunity to move forward into immortality. If you were to measure a persons earthly existence by those in attendance at her funeral, she was a wealthy woman! She loved unconditionally and was always looking for the best in others. She was the 'you can do it lady.' She never met anyone that she didn't inspire to be their best. She was every one's biggest fan. And apparently everyone was her biggest fan in return...you give love away, you get it back 10 fold.

At her funeral I spoke of the way to show her my love and honor her memory was to be more like her. She was a builder of people, a lifter of souls. She lived, laughed and unconditionally loved.
I know mom had no regrets of consequence.  She made sure she was right with people and right with the Lord.

Mom's testimony of the Gospel was so strong, she was a living testament. Like the stripling warriors in the Book of Mormon said  "we did not doubt, our mothers knew it." My mother knew it too. She told me in one of her last coherent moments that "it is true, it is true, The Gospel is true!"

and so life goes. we are born to die, that we may live again.

I love you mom!

Until we meet again!




Singing one last time for Grandma Sheri
Dad the great at his sweethearts side.
yes, my heart is too full, the words aren't enough, but the spirit comforts me and I know it is until we meet again.

MCC


Sheri Butters Cole (Sharolyn) passed away May 21, 2013. She forgot to breathe in. "I love life, life loves me!" she said. 2 years from her initial cancer diagnosis, she now says farewell. Sheri was born May 9, 1939 to Grant and Eulala Butters. She married the love of her life, her rock, her sweetheart, Lyle Cole on June 9, 1959, they have spent 54 years together with eternity still to go. We celebrate a life lived with grace, beauty, and style that she exhibited to the end. She was a builder of people, a lifter of souls, an example to us all of how to live, laugh and unconditionally love. She touched so many of us with her passion and energy; she shared her talents and gifts everywhere she went. For you it may have been dancing for her in 30 years of musicals at Bountiful High, or in dance lessons in her home studio, or as one of the many hundreds taught life lessons and time management as a professional trainer with Charles Hobbs and Franklin Covey. Did you work with her in the Sweet Adeline's or Beehive Statesmen? Or in one of the many choirs she has choreographed or directed? Did you watch her dance across Utah with the Sheri Cole Dancers? Or hear her singing with her Mother and Daughters in the Cole-Collection? Or as the drama teacher at Davis High School or as the choir teacher at Bountiful High? Were you a student, or one of her families with Washington Online? Did you carry a banner as an LDS Young Woman in the days of '47 parade? Or were you part of her LDS mission to Scotland? Perhaps you witnessed one of her 4th of July spectaculars at Rice Eccles and Spring Mobile Ballpark? Or one of the many amazing Relief Society lessons she faithfully taught? Better yet, maybe she was simply your friend to comfort you in times of need and give you that boost of positive energy she had for everyone. Did you see her in a show? She loved the theater. She directed, danced and performed in shows too many to count. She spent genuine time with each of us, building us, teaching us, and was always everyone's biggest fan! She loved us all!
She lived to have a party and would make up reasons if she had to. The legendary Thanksgiving pie party, Halloween doughnuts, and summer scones brought family and friends together. Her favorite role and best party was as loving wife and mother to her family. Bear Lake on the beach will never be the same without her, but we will never forget how she loved spending time with us there. We will never forget the Christmas records playing all year round, sitting with her at parades, puzzles on the dining room table, family talent shows and concerts, her love of learning, always the latest books, The Color Code, family nights at pine view reservoir, The Love Languages, road trips in the Pace-Arrow, her beautiful paintings, and living in "your essence." She was a one of a kind - an original.
She is survived by her devoted husband Lyle Nelson Cole, children Marcie and Gary Call, Melinda and Wayne Welch, Adam and Christine Cole, Elizabeth Cole and Allison Dennison, Angela and Guy Brown, 20 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. Also survived by her brothers and Sisters Darlene and Jim Ostlund, Lynette and Lynn Poulter, Stephen and Mary Butters, Diane and David Hill, Bailey and Christie Butters, Brad and Karen Butters. Preceded in death by loving parents Grant and Eulala Butters and brother Grant Michael Butters.
We know she is returning to our Heavenly Father with honor!
We will never forget her legacy of unconditional love; her remarkable style, beauty and grace and her testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are all better for having known her. A life well lived.

We love you Sheri!

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, May 29, 2013 at the Woodland Hills LDS Ward, 640 South 750 East, Bountiful, Utah. A viewing will be held Tuesday evening from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m at Russon Brothers Bountiful Mortuary, 295 North Main, and Wednesday morning 9:45 - 10:45 a.m. at the church prior to services. Interment-Lakeview Cemetery.

Saturday, April 6

Happiness is Being a Grandparent

We were lucky enough to spend Friday night with Captain Awesome our Ry guy. We hadn't had dinner so we thought it would be fun to take him out to get something to eat and then some Ice Cream!!!
We were not disappointed it was way fun and funny.
It all started with the installing of the car seat in to my car. On Sunday when we were putting the car seat in the car I said "oh crap" and Ry told me we don't say that....Grandma was chastised and will now watch what she says...so back to Friday night; when we were putting the seat in on Friday he reminded me that I  shouldn't say 'oh crap' but say 'oh my goodness'.  He then told me that daddy sometimes says 'oh crap'.........  Got to love him.

We asked if he wanted to go to Five Guys or Pace's... He chose 5 Guys it was which was great with me. He had already eaten dinner but we knew he would like fries and a drink...however he wanted fries, a cheese burger and a wyemmamade (lemonade).  We went with fries, share grandmas cheese burger and wyemmaade. Wrong he wanted his own cheese burger and he wouldn't take mine. I knew he wouldn't eat it so we compromised with cutting my burger in half..... he didn't eat it.

Anyway all was well, we promised ice cream at the yogurt place next door. He kept telling us he wanted chocyet.  All was well we got our yogurt cups, but no chocolate...really. So after a scene we convinced him that we would go to a place with chocyet ice cream.  Then the fun began. We have forgotten about drips and messes. We were so glad we decided that we had to eat at DQ and didn't go through the drive thru.




 We ended the night with a bath, and Finding Nemo!

Happiness is being a grandparent.
MCC

Friday, March 15

Hiding Out

We had a fun afternoon making forts and hiding out....
Everyone ended up inside the "fort".
Nelson and Meg were both happy that I had sheets to use instead of blankets...the "to hot to stay inside the tent" memories were played out by them.
We had a fun time and no one wanted to be done. Mu Bet is it is going to be a long tent building summer.






MCC

Wednesday, March 13

Wednesday Weigh In

Wow it has been a very long time since I did the weigh in thingy. And this time it will be exactly about what it sounds like...diet and exercise
Over the past year I have been just living not particularly paying great attention to my diet and health and I can see how that is a problem...15 re-gained pounds this year later....yikes!
I wish I was more disciplined in this area....unfortunately I am not as good as my sister who I admire for doing her clean and healthy eating. That really takes a discipline I don't think I have, at least not now. But I do know I can do it and that it takes sometime to move those extra pounds away.
Once again I really need to figure out some healthy menus for dinner and ideas for snacks.  Breakfast and lunch parts of the day aren't a big deal for me it is the snacking and dinners that are my undoing...everyday. Why does healthy eating take so much preparation???  I also need to stop the quick and easy meals and eating out without thought......Why does being healthy require thought??? And it is time to get back to exercising regularly.....with the nice weather the walking will resume but I need to do more. For my birthday I think an elliptical trainer is in the cards and will be joining our household.... the low impact and the chance to move my whole body in my own home and on my own time should be a good thing.
so with spring beginning to spring I am now springing into a new attitude about health .....however not so happy with he springing ahead with the time, three days later and it is still kicking my butt....

Life is great!
MCC

Saturday, March 9

I'm Alive

Yes, I am a live, I just have had a hard time trying to decide what is worthy of writing about.....I need to get back in the 'this is a kind of a journal' frame of mind....anyway today while reading some of my favorite blogs I decided that the time has come to begin again... at least write something.

I think I have been in a life is changing depression. Not a deep depression but a mini one where in I can act and am not debilitated, but I am merely existing, I am just floating along getting by. Today I decided that I have been living in my books. Thinking on this I know I have read at least 3 books a week since the first of they year, yeah that is a lot of time and a lot of books....and by doing so I have been ignoring life around me, getting lost in others lives. I have time traveled back to the 9th century, gone to many a ball in the Regency era, traveled extensively around the world and through time, lived in the country and city, solved murders, kidnappings and other crazy crimes. I have learned a little about shoe making, movie making and fashion.....  I could go on but It is time to emerge from my self inflicted library and enjoy my life a little more.

This week will be better and I will enjoy my life a little more. Maybe it all has to do with the winter freeze we experienced this winter and the quick thaw that is happening....I must be thawing as well.

MCC

Wednesday, January 23

A Rocket ship for Ryan

Captain Awesome or Ry guy, or Rhino, now he is three, is rocket crazy!  He is all about rockets and going to the moon and space.  For Christmas that is all he wanted was a bigger rocket.  He got a rocket or two for the big Holiday and when we asked if it was a big rocket he just looked at us and said no it's a medium rocket.   So for his birthday I thought will get him a rocket maybe something like a playhouse of tent.  I had seen a few rocket ship tents on line from very pricey children's store.  When I say pricey I mean pricey. They were not only expensive but unfortunately out of stock. Other play houses were out of the question. After looking at the only tent that I could actually purchase I thought I can make that for probably 1/3 of the cost.....and I did for about 1/2 the cost and lots of time and grandma love. It was worth it in the end since he loves it so much.

Tuesday, January 1

Happy 2013

What a way to start my New Year....in tears after talking with the happiest sounding kid I know. Elder Hayden is off to Utica today after a brief stop in Detroit, and a short flight to Syracuse. He called us from Detroit since he knew we wouldn't be as excited about a 5:00am phone call...smart kid.
He sounded so happy and I am so excited for him, but my mothers heart is missing him so much after hearing his voice. I couldn't want more for him which is a consulation of sorts of not having him around.
When we asked him what he was looking forward to most he said sharing the gospel with those who don't know how awesome it is....and not just with fake investigators.
He will be a great missionary, because he is a great guy and gives his best to what ever he is involved in.
Mondays email won't come soon enough.

Happy New Years Eve










Now for my 2013....what to do?

MCC

Wednesday, December 26

Christmas 2012

Why do they call the day after Christmas Boxing Day? Because you wake up feeling like you've been punched in the face.

Christmas Eve Breakfast







Christmas Day
















It was a long Fun Day!

MCC