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.

Yeah for Mom

I went with Mom to her last chemo treatment. She was grinning ear to ear. We were so happy when the Doctor told us that she didn't need to see her again until June!!!!  She is one of the 20% that is cured and we are so happy that she is one of the few to keep that stat up alive and well.
I went with Mom to her first appointment to Dr. Prysest and heard all the dismal news. I was concerned but never felt like it wasn't incurable. (Hind sight tells me that we all reacted with a positive this is just a step along the road and we will beat it attitude.... her attitude was catching even then). Anyway we are all excited to have Moms cancer gone. I am so glad that we still get to experience up close and personal her positive attitude, her faith and her hopefulness. We should all follow her example it would make this a better world.
Mom asked an interesting question on our way home..."Now that I have been given this extension in my life, what is my responsibility?" What is expected of me?
What a great thought for all of us to think and act upon.  Mom is truly remarkable woman who is faithful and positive. I am sure that Mom will come up with many wonderful ways to serve those around her.
I have learned so much through Moms experience, not only about cancer symtoms but about faith, hope and attitude. They all make a difference.

Gary and I have said numerous times what a crazy year for our parents health wise. All of the experiences have been learning ones for us and have made us rethink our preparation for life's challenges and how we would respond if  I was the one experiencing it. With the two scariest health issues, Bills and Moms cancer we saw it through with two different but equally good outcomes. Mom is still here with us but Bill left this earth. Moms question about her responsibility is one we all need to be anxiously engaged in. What is my responsibility and do something.  Bills experience made me face my religious beliefs head on, do I really believe in what I believe in?

Oh life you are such a learning experience.

MCC

Getting Old Sucks....

and I'm not complaining because I am old, I am complaining for our parents.
Welcome to my Pity Party! ( I remember Mom telling me that pick the time I as going to wallow and be in my pity mood, do it and then move on).......so here it goes........

Gary's dad Bill, returned home at the first of June from an extended vacation in major pain and could hardly walk. A month later he had his hip replaced only to discover some cancerous tissue in the hip. They fit the hip back together with the replacement parts but told him that there would probably be more cancer and that his hip would never heal properly until the cancer was removed...... fast forward, the hip wants to heal and he is at a rehabilitation center, but the cancer is slowing the process. Now after a more extensive look they have found even more cancer, in his hip, shoulder and ribs.  He is in a lot of pain and is now undergoing radiation treatments to stop the growth of the cancer. 

My mom Sheri is having problems too.....her lungs keep filling with water.  When she first had the water removed in May they checked her heart, kidney's etc... and only found that there were cancer cells in the liquid. She had all the usual cancer things checked out and they couldn't find any cancer, she seemed to be fine; that is until 2 weeks ago when she said she knew she needed to have her lungs checked again. Once again they removed the water, she then came to Bear Lake with us (She  loves begin at the lake with the family more than Christmas).  Of course not even 4 days later she had to leave the lake and get more water removed form her lungs.....They are saying that there are still cancer cells present in the liquid. They have also told her that there is a leak that needs to be patched and today they found a blood clot in her lungs, so they are putting her on meds to break up the clot and they are installing a tap, (for lack of a better word) that they can access to continue to remove the liquid that keeps accumulating in her lungs. They have given her oxygen to use at home to give her some breathing help and She now has to wait for 4 weeks before she can get the patch and they still don't know what to tell her about the cancer........Getting old sucks.
Mary and Lyle the spouses are troupers, each with their own ailments and aches and pains. They both have had knee replacements and  with in the past 18 months. They tirelessly support their spouses through all of this, driving them too and from their Doctor appointments.

So what I am taking from all of this is that getting old sucks. You try and take care of yourself and eat healthy and be active, but it may not matter, the aches and pains and ailment will still get you in the end. Our Physical bodies just wear out eventually. I know it is all part of the plan, but this is the part I don't like.
Party over, I am done complaining, time is up. It is time to be positive and move forward.  Life is good, it is an adventure and we all know that there will be challenges of all kinds while here on earth in our physical bodies. We need to do our best, love one another, learn and lean on the Lord and T endure to the end gracefully.

MCC