MOM, RORY AND LIFE . . . .

Life is something of a conundrum. We are in the middle of "tending" two separate family members:  One is our adorable baby great-granddaughter, Aurora Rose "Rory" Mills, who is 7 weeks old. The other is Denny's 88-year old Mom, Joyce. She is not doing well, and is now living in a nice Group Home near her own home in Tempe. It seems such a terrible joke, somehow, that our loved 88 year old Mom needs quite a bit of the same care that our baby girl needs. It seems that LEAVING this Earth is a lot like ENTERING it. OUR job is to make the LEAVING as sweet, comfortable and enjoyable as we can. Mom loves visitors, enjoys music (will frequently join in singing), adores babies, and chats with anyone who enters her room. Visiting her is a sweet experience. It is a wonderful opportunity for us to give BACK for all of the things Mom has done for us. In the past, she had been worried a bit about leaving us (her kids) an "inheritance". I have told her, and will tell her again and again, that the "inheritance" she left (to ME, anyway) is the wonderful man she raised. I thank her from the bottom of my heart for the generous, kind, faithful, gentle, loving man I "inherited" from her. I don't need another thing. Thanks, Mom . . . .

Rory, on the other hand, is just starting out in life. She already has a sweet temperament and a fun personality. The fact that she is VERY pretty is just another part of her. Her deep blue eyes (so like her Daddy's) are beautiful, and she loves to stare you down. She has RE-taught us absolute, unconditional love for a tiny new human being. It's been nearly 17 years since we last had a baby in our family (Trevor). Rory has reminded us just how close we are to our Heavenly Father . . . we know she is trying hard to tell us all about the place she just left. She has recently left a world our Mom is trying to enter.

They are tied together, Mom and Rory- one arriving and one preparing to leave. We are blessed to have these special spirits in our lives. We love them both "bigger than the sky".

NOTES TO OUR HOUSE . . .

Dear house,

First let me tell you how much I love you. I love the idiosyncrasies that make you "special": like the fact that it takes at least three minutes for the hot water to reach the back bathroom. This gives me time to brush my teeth and lay my pj's out before a shower.

I love the little front parlor that is absolutely never used. We call it our "Home Teachers" room . . . but have yet to meet with our Home Teachers in there.

I love having Gilbert Road as our back yard. It makes us feel like part of the community to hear the police cars, ambulances and fire trucks go screaming past.

Living across the street from a strip mall is interesting too. The Subway neon sign never goes out, lighting our backyard for free!

I love the big air duct high on the wall in our great room. To others it could be an eyesore. To me, it's proof that we can be comfortable because we have AC!

I love the stove that came with you- because even though it is not gas (which is preferable), I don't cook enough to burn much anyway!

The trees on the property are a special love too. We have planted gorgeous trees- watched them die in the frost- then replanted new ones- and watched them get frost bitten and cut back to little saplings. But they are growing beautifully again. House, please protect them. If we have to plant again, they'll be something HARDY- not so pretty. And I want PRETTY!

Thanks, house, for the protection you give us. We love you and all of your craziness. We are NOT moving again, until we are hauled out in pine boxes!

Love, Sue (your tenant)