Thursday, July 29, 2010

Our School, Our Community in Mourning







SHS Football Coaches Scott Mitchell and John Paystrup 
depart after interviewing with the media Wednesday afternoon.




SHS Football - Team Brandon



Head Coach Scott Mitchell holds a meeting with the team on Wednesday, and shares his faith and hope with his football team.


 I imagine that Coach Mitchell had several words of solace and comfort to share with his team from those powerful pages of the book he is holding.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Happy 9th Birthday Rosalie!

Over the past year Rosalie has grown more beautiful and more sweet. She really is the best daughter and much more than her mother deserves. 

Rosalie's best friend in all the world is Marissa, her cousin. They are just 11 days apart, beautiful, sweet and kind, put up with younger brothers diligently and boy crazy! Not too bad though for their ages!

Watching Bradley's varsity baseball game up in So. Jordan Spring 2010

Painting Easter Eggs Spring 2010

Say "Cheesy!"

Relaxing while reading the riddles the Easter Bunny left her.

Our little girl is the best reader and she loves it. This is something that I may just have to take credit for. When she first came into our home, she could barely read. In fact, that was the reason why we held her back in 1st grade. But since, Rosalie has gained a love for reading aloud and silently. I feel perhaps it's because her mom likes to read so much, and can't go to sleep without reading at least a paragraph. 

Where do kids get those cheesy grins? Grandpa Kester, that's where!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

In Memory of My Beloved


I have to acknowledge God's tender mercies when thinking about the tough times the past few weeks. My beloved little Arwen Even Star was hit by a car and killed. However, she was able to crawl out of the street (so more cars couldn't hurt her) and then I took a different route home (first time in a year) and found her a little after it happened. I was able to sob and rock my poor lovely kitty and kiss her soft furry head. She was the furriest of kitties I've ever had - so soft like rabbit fur.

She was probably my most refined and dignified kitty ever. She hardly ever played unless unceasingly tempted. However, in the spring when the weather would warm up enough for her to handle, she would race around the yard chasing unseen foes. She'd bounce and crouch and stop immediately on her belly. And look around hoping no one had seen her.

In the cold months of fall and winter she would snuggle and love on me while I spent time on the computer or as I was sleeping on my side she would snuggle up near my shoulder and be a soft, sweet, purring warming Love. I desperately cherished those moments - being few and far between. When I would catch her sleeping in public I would love on her as much as possible and stroke that incredibly soft fur.

The most frustrating thing she would put me through, is first not holding still and letting me smother her with loves. Second, when it was cold outside she would fight an inner battle. She would want to go outside and play and beg for me to let her out. However, as soon as she was out she'd wait by the sliding door and meow and beg for me to let her back in. It was a sick cycle. And one that I, as her human servant, couldn't help but repeat with her over and over for 5 months out of the year.


Arwen loved her daughter Sinatra dearly. Although she was aloof to people, she would snuggle with Sinatra at a drop of the hat. I don't know if cats know that a grown up cat is their offspring, I just don't know. However, I like to think she did. After all, I had Sinatra sniff poor Arwen after the accident. I didn't want Sinatra to wonder where her mom had gone. I wanted Sinatra to know Arwen was deceased. Sinatra has been different without Arwen to tag behind, and although Sinatra usually stayed indoors during the Spring/Summer months she has already has filled Arwen's role of being gone most hours of the day and night, whereas before she'd stay home and cuddle with me.


I am grateful for my wonderfully naughty children who were able to mourn Arwen with me. I never appreciated them so much as when poor Rashady and Ty would start sobbing so heartbreakingly over Arwen's death. It was nice to have someone to comfort and cry with. Darin really doesn't care, not being an animal person. I was really missing my dad. He was so sensitive to my delicate feelers. Darin is to my children what my dad was to me, though. And that's more than I can ask for.

Followers