Cleaning Out #3

Hello! I hope everyone is having a great day!

Today I have another minimizing quest to tell you about and show you. The other day my husband and I cleaned out the kitchen. It's really amazing the amount of stuff a person can keep. We emptied out all the cabinets, and went through every single piece of everything we had.

After all was said and done, we got rid of a huge pile of stuff, and threw away 4 bags of stuff. I try to donate as much as I can to our local thrift store so that someone else can use what we don't need. But there was some stuff like mismatching lids, etc. that no one can use that I threw away.

The next room I probably will clean out is the living room.
I hope everyone is well, and I will "talk" to you in my next post.
God Bless,

Paige

The pile of stuff from our kitchen we gave to the thrift store.

Jeremiah and Paige- Our Love Story Slide Show

Hiya Everyone!
As some of you know, I have really gotten into a new hobby of sorts lately. I discovered my computer has a slide show maker and I have really been having fun with it. :D So far I have made seven slide shows for friends and family. Today I am posting a slide show I made of Jeremiah and me. This is a time-line of when we met, got engaged, were married, and more pics of us in the 3 years we have been married.

I wanted to post this slide show for 2 reasons...One being I wanted you to see Jeremiah and mine story and since we just had our 3rd wedding anniversary. Second was because I wanted to show that I can now make slide shows, and if you need a slide show made...I will be happy to do it!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you have an awesome day!
God bless,
Paige

Memory of Mama #7

Hello! I know I haven't posted anything about my mom in a couple of days. Jeremiah was off work, and we spent a lot of time together which was so nice. And that is why I didn't get on my blog. I checked it from my ipod, but I can't post anything from my ipod.

Anyway, I wanted to tell you about something I want to do. I want to get a tattoo. I know you are thinking, what does this have to do with my mom? Just bear with me, and soon you will understand.

All my life my mom loved red birds (Cardinals). She loved how pretty they are, but she also loved that they mated for life. It spoke to her heart more deeply because she believed that a man and woman, once they make vows before God, should stay together. She loved to decorate the house in red birds, and now red birds remind me of one. It never fails when I see a red bird, Mama comes to mind.

I see them often come into my yard, and I always like to think it's her way of telling me she loves me even because she isn't here to say it herself. It's a comforting feeling seeing a red bird because it reminds me my mom is alive and perfect and she is waiting on me in Heaven. So when I get my first tattoo, I want it to be a red bird because it means so much to me now.

I love you, Mama! Thank you for always telling me you love me and watching over me!

Paige

Cleaning out #2

Hi to all my friends and family! :) I forgot all about the minimalism quest I am on until the other day. I have not been able to do much at all with cleaning out since I got burned. But I did do a little something yesterday, and I thought I would share it with you. :)

For a long time now I have been so anxious about mine and Jeremiah's paper work system. Yes, the dreaded paper work and filing. LOL! Anyway, we had papers galore, EVERYWHERE! And I'm not kidding about that. It was quite disturbing. Anyway, I told Jeremiah that we should go through all our paper work, and throw out what we really don't need. I keep so many papers for the "in case" scenario and that's how we get bogged down in papers. So we cleaned out all the paper work, only keeping old bills from this year, organizing our taxes from the past, creating files in our file box to keep everything neat and organized. Finally we went through the mountain of paper, and now only have one file box of important documents and papers. The picture below is what we threw away! Wow!

So that is all I have to show for now, but I will try and organize my kitchen next. That is the plan anyway. Hope you all are having a fantastic day! Take care!

Paige


The mountain of papers we threw out.



A different angle at the "mountain". :)

Memory of Mama #6

Hello everyone! Today is very difficult for me since it's the anniversary of Mama's death. She went to be with Jesus 4 years ago today on September 13, 2006. It blows my mind that it's already been 4 years. It certainly doesn't seem like it, it only seems like yesterday. I never thought I could live without her or any of my family. Only by the grace of God am I alive today. If it had not been for God carrying me and helping me, I would have not lived to see today. We are nothing without God!

Today I am going to go back to that painful time when Mama when to be with Jesus, and relive it here on my blog. It's going to be difficult, but I feel like it's what I need to do. It's a painful memory, but it's my last memory of my mama and it needs to be told.

It was late that night when I got the call. I was living in Florida with my friend, Jessica and her family. I worked at the local Christian school as a teacher's assistant. Jessica and I were up late that night either writing in our book or talking. The phone rang, but we didn't think anything of it except it was unusually late for someone to be calling. We let Jessica's step dad answer it, and few minutes later he came to our room saying my dad was on the phone. I took it not knowing what he was going to say. When I answered I could hear the sadness in his voice, and he told me that Mama may not make it through the night. I told him to call me if anything happened and when I got off the phone, the floodgates opened up. I went to Jessica's mom, Heidi crying and telling her what my dad had just said. She comforted me and somehow I went to sleep that night.

The next morning it was all I could think about. I went to work, trying to live as normally as possible. When I got to the school the principle (my boss) told me that I would be teaching the K3 class since the regular teacher was out sick that day. So with a heavy heart I began with the Bible devotion for the day. I can't exactly remember what the the devotion was about, but I do know that it gave me peace. I knew God was helping me and I was trying to so hard not to cry in front of the group of 3 year olds. I went through the day, clutching my cell phone the entire day. I know some of you must be thinking that I was crazy or cruel not to go immediately to my mom. But I was believing that God would heal her. I believed if we had enough faith and spoke words of life about her that she would live. She had lived before when everyone thought she was going to die. A few months earlier she had been in the ICU, and I was the only one not upset. I knew she was going to pull through, live and be okay because I had faith. She did pull through and live, just like I knew she would. That day at the school I was believing and having faith in God that He would pull her through again. I did NOT want to believe that she was going to die. Later that day during nap time, Heidi and I had our classes together since it was Tuesday and the entire school had Bible on Tuesdays. After nap time we would lead the kids to the main room where the devotions were held. It was on Tuesdays where we would let the K3, K4 and K5 classes watch a move together during nap time in one room. While Heidi (Jessica's mom who taught the K5 class) sat there watching over the kids, my phone rang. I went to into the kids bathroom so I wouldn't disturb anyone and have some privacy. It was my dad on the phone calling to tell me that he and my uncle had went to go pick out a casket and make funeral arrangements. I did not want to believe it, did not want to believe Mama was going to die. After I got off the phone I was so upset that I clawed the cement block bathroom wall and slid to the ground crying. Heidi heard me crying and came to check on me. I told he what my dad said, and told her I wanted to go up there. She told to my stuff together while she went to talk to our boss. Soon after that we left the school and went back to the house. I was trying to pack an overnight bag and Heidi helped me do that since I couldn't do it myself. I was so rattled, crying and trying to still believe Mama was going to live. We left soon thereafter and headed up to Pine Mountain, Georgia where my family lived. I cried on and off the entire trip up there and talked to my boyfriend on the phone a lot. When we got there I walked in the house and felt a lot of condemning eyes on me. Everyone had been so upset when I moved away 3 months prior. I had been the main care-taker for my mom plus doing her job of taking care of my siblings since she was so sick. She had been sick a little over 2 years with Lymphoma (cancer). With the stress of having so much responsibility at such a young age (I was 16 when she got sick) and having to live a lie at the same time, I couldn't take it anymore. My parents raised me a certain way with very strict standards, and I was 14/15 years old when I began to disagree with them. But I couldn't say anything because I would have been in BIG trouble going against my parents. So I kept it all to myself until I turned 18 and moved out. I wasn't trying to hurt anyone, I just needed to be able to spread my wings. Everyone got so upset that I left, and had all but condemned me to hell. It wouldn't have mattered in the long run if I would have stayed or left, no one was going to change God's plan. I had to do what I had to do, and it wasn't my fault that my mom died. I felt guilty for so long (and still fight it to this day) because people always said "you left", "you shouldn't have left", "how could you leave?" "you were just being influenced". Well, I want everyone to know loud and clear that it wasn't my fault and I would have left no matter what. I had been planning to move out for years, and no one was going to stop me. Fortunately I had Godly friends who let me live with them instead of leaving me to find another way out. The other way could have led to drugs and a very bad road. But no one cared or refused to see that. I guess it's easier to just blame someone when you can't figure out why something happens.

Anyway I went to my mom and dad's room where my mom was at. She was laying on the bed looking sound asleep. All I can explain to you is what she was in was a coma like sleep. Her body was shutting down from the cancer racing through her body. I knelt beside the bed, taking her hand in mine. I asked my dad if she could wake up, and he said no. I told her I was there and just held on to her. Her body was so hot, burning with fever from being so sick I imagine. After Heidi left and everyone left the room I got to be alone with Mama. My dad had said she couldn't wake up, but I had to try for myself. I just wanted to her to wake up and be okay. I wanted to talked with her, and know that everything was going to be okay. I gently shook her shoulder and said, "Mama, wake up". But she didn't and it broke my heart. The last time I had talked with her was a few days earlier on the phone. I never thought it was the last time we would talk. Never knew it was the last time I would hear her voice. You never know when the last time is, and I certainly had no clue that was the last time we would talk. I laid on the bed beside her, holding her hand, and just talking to her. They told me she could probably hear since hearing is the last to go. I talked about what was going on in my life, about how if Jesus was calling to go to Him. Now I can't imagine how I could have said that. Now I want to scream don't leave me. But that day God gave me this peace I will never understand which allowed me to let her go. There is no way I could have done that on my own. I told her I would miss her so much, but if Jesus wanted her, then it was okay. And I told her I loved her over and over again. My dad had a CD player in the room softly playing "Selah" songs from their albums. People would read to Mama, we would all talk to her, we would clean her up, give her pain meds to keep her out of pain. I also played the piano for her. The piano sat right outside her room and she always loved to hear us play. She always wanted us to learn to play musical instruments for God and I played hymns for her. I visited with my siblings, took walks, talked to my boyfriend on the phone. I don't think that some people liked that, but it was a good for me. I needed something to help distract me for awhile. She live through the night and onto the next day.

People were so kind to us, bringing over food, visiting us. That afternoon going into the evening I decided to take a walk, get away for a few minutes. I was walking on the dirt driveway when my Uncle Brent came driving up beside me. He was trying not to cry and told me I should come back to the house now. I knew something had happened. When we got back to the house a lot of people were crying and I went to my mom's bedroom. My dad and siblings were gathered around the bed, crying. She had died a few minutes earlier, and I began to sob. My dad wanted me to touch her, but I was having trouble commanding my hand to do so. Uncle Lamar gently told my dad to give me some time, and then I gingerly touched my mama. She was still hot, but she wasn't breathing anymore. We all gathered around (my dad, siblings and me), holding hands, praying, crying and being there for each other. I hugged all my siblings and dad, and we were all sad but also happy Mama wasn't in pain anymore. She had been in such excruciating pain for so long, and now she was perfect. Others came in the room, family and friends to say the final goodbye. I went to my sister's bedroom and wrote in my diary. About an hour later the nurse from hospice came and pronounced Mama dead . The funeral home people came shortly thereafter, and they put Mama on the stretcher under the dark blue velvet covering. We all stood in a line from her bedroom door to the front door in the living room. Some of us were crying, some were trying not to cry as they pushed her past us all to the front door. They left and I don't exactly remember what I did after that. I do know later on I found my sister, Mandy on the front porch crying. We both cried together and we talked about Mama.

The next day we had the viewing at the funeral home. My dad wanted the casket closed though so people wouldn't leave with that being the last image of Mama. She had been so frail, thin, hair so short, and so sickly when she died. Daddy wanted them to remember her healthy and beautiful just like she was before she got sick. We set up pictures of Mama all over the room in the funeral home so people could see her that way. My family and I arrived early to see her one last time before they closed the casket. When we walked in the building my sisters and I met in the small one stall bathroom to get ready to go in. We walked in the room where Mama's body was, and we walked over to her. She was dressed in the dress we picked out for her to wear. I gently and lightly touched her hand where it was resting on her still body. I touched her where her hand was was at, and she was very hard. I jerked my hand back, not fully expecting that. We cried and lingered there not wanting to leave. The time came when the casket had be shut, and then people started to pour in to pay respect. I felt numb, going through the motions. Everyone asked me how I was, and I said the same thing over and over again that night, "I'm fine" even though I wasn't. For over two to three years after that I kept that up, saying "I'm fine" even though I'm not. I try to open myself up more now, but it's hard. I still fight just saying "I'm fine" to this day. After everyone left, we went back home and got to bed.

The next day was the the funeral. We didn't have a service in church, we just had a graveside service. We got there and waited around for the service to start. Heidi and her family came to the funeral, and that made me happy to have them nearby, too. My dad's side of the family are wonderful singers and we all sang "Sweet, Sweet Spirit". I got through the first line when I broke down crying and I blubbered my way through the rest of the song. My dad was standing beside me, and he put his arm around me, sharing my grief. We then went to sit under the green tent in the chairs for the family. Then my dad had the song "Press On" by Selah played on a CD player. After the song was over my Grandpa (Mama's dad) spoke and then Ralph Taylor (our preacher for so many years) spoke. The whole time my dad kept his arm around me and I cried the whole time. After the service was over, lots of people hugged me. But I specifically remember my cousin, Cason hugging me and comforting me. Then we left to go back to the house. I just remember lots of people being there and people trying to get me to stay longer. My boss told me I could take some time off. But in my mind I just needed to go back to something normal, something familiar. I just wanted my life to return back to normal even though it could never happen. I would have to create my new normal. That evening Heidi and her family came to get me since I told them I wanted to go back with them. They visited awhile with my family, and then I said my goodbyes and went back to Florida.

I tried to relive that memory by giving you details that stick out in my mind, but I could never fully describe what it was like. Unless you lose someone close to you, you can never describe the many emotions you experience. But I want to say that although I do not understand why Mama had to go, I'm so grateful God chose her to be my mama. I wish she had never been sick and she could have grown old. But that's not what happened and I miss her every single day. There's just not enough words to describe how much I miss her. She wasn't perfect, she was human and made mistakes, but she was definitely a wonderful mama. I am so thankful I have the memories of her, and I always want to keep her alive in our hearts and minds. Please keep my family and me in your prayers today because it's a painful day beside the fact that she is in Heaven.

I love you, Mama. Always and Forever!
Paige

Mama's Cakes

Hi! Okay, I finally got all the pictures of Mama's cake scanned. Sorry it took so long. I got half of them scanned last night, and the rest scanned today. It will be a lot of pictures on this post, but I wanted to show them all. But this isn't even a drop in the bucket of how many cakes she made. This is only a SMALL handful of cakes she made. Hope you enjoy!

Paige




This is a wedding cake my mom made for my cousin- October/2003.


This is a groom's cake my mom made for my cousin- October/2003.


My mom with Beauty cake from "Beauty and the Beast".


This cake she made for a friend for her high school graduation- 2002.


This is my high school graduation cake. June/2006


My 18th Birthday cake. (Fairy) 2006


My 17th Birthday Cake. (Daisies) 2005


My 16th Birthday Cake (Roses) 2004


My brother, Jared's 1st Birthday Cake (Hunter) 1994


My sister, Carla's 5th Birthday Cake ("Belle" from Beauty and the Beast) 1996


My 11th Birthday Cake. (Samantha from American Girl Dolls) April/1999


My sister, Carla's 2nd Birthday Cake (Bunny) April/1993


My 7th Birthday Cake (Jasmine from Aladdin) April/1995


My brother, Jared's 6th Birthday Cake (Balto from the movie, Balto) February/1999


A cake she made for a friend's son.


My 8th Birthday Cake (Pocahontas) April/1996


My sister, Mandy's 1st Birthday Cake (Precious Moments) February/1996


My sister, Maria Rose's K5 graduation cake.


My 5th Birthday Cake. (Belle) April/1993


My 9th Birthday Cake (Barbie) April/1997


My sister, Carla's 15th Birthday Cake (Flowers) April/2006


My brother, James Greg's 6th Birthday Cake. (Bear and Bunny) February/2006


My brother, Jared's 13th Birthday Cake. (Plane) February/2006


My brother, Jared's 3rd Birthday Cake. (Winnie the Pooh) February/1996


My sister, Carla's 8th Birthday Cake (Minnie Mouse) April/1999


My sister, Mandy's 5th Birthday Cake (Precious Moments) February/2000


My sister, Carla's 1st Birthday Cake (Holly Hobby) April/1992


My brother, Jared's 11th Birthday Cake. (Arrowhead) February/2004


My sister, Mandy's 11th Birthday Cake (Cat and Dog from American Girl Dolls) February/2006


My sister, Carla's 3rd Birthday Cake (Barney) April/1994


Thanksgiving cake

Memory of Mama #5

Hello! I didn't get around to posting anything yesterday. I am laid up on the couch most of the day because my right leg, the one that took the worst burn hurts/burns when I walk. But I can't stay down all day so when I do get up I try to come post on my blog or do something else I can't do on the couch. I tried yesterday posting on my blog through my iPod, but it wouldn't let me do that. We now have wireless Internet in the house so I can check my stuff online on my iPod, but I can't post anything on here.

Today I wanted to talk about how great of a seamstress my mama was. She taught herself to sew, just like almost everything else she did. She taught herself which is amazing. She told me that she would get hard patterns and make herself sew them to learn how to do them. She made a lot of our clothes including our Easter outfits every year. She, my sisters and I would have matching dressings and my dad and brothers would have matching shirts. Every year she would spend two or three weeks making all our Easter outfits.

Now I can't truthfully say when I was teenager I liked wearing matching clothes, but I did it cause Mama wanted us to. We really had no choice in the matter lol. But it was always a big ordeal about going to pick out the pattern for the dresses and then picking out what material we wanted. The dresses were different each year and the boys shirts were usually a western design but different material.

Easter outfits were not the only clothes she made for us, but they were very memorable. I remember Mama making our Bible character outfits for Bible character night at church, she made flower girl dresses, ring bearer suit, and so many other "regular" articles of clothes for her children.

Here are some pictures of the clothes she made.


This is the whole family except James Greg (this was taken before he was born) Easter of 1998



This is everyone except my dad because he was the one taking the picture. Easter of 2000



My siblings and me. Easter of 2001 or 2002. Can't remember exactly when.


This is everyone except my dad and Maria Rose and James Greg (because they were not born). Easter of 1995 or 1996.



Carla, Jared, Mandy, and me. Easter of 1995 or 1996.



Carla, Jared and me. Easter of 1995 or 1996.



Jared, Mandy, Carla and me. Easter of 1997 I think.



Carla and me. Easter of 1993 I think.


I apologize I can't remember some the years exactly, but they kinda get confusing lol. But it's pretty accurate.

Okay, I'm going to close now. I need to go lay back down cause my leg is really burning right now since I'm sitting upright. I will try and scan the pictures of Mama's home made cakes later on and post them since I promised I would do that at some point. Hope you all have a great night!

Paige

Memory of Mama #4

Hello! While I am up at the computer I wanted to post another memory of my mom. This particular memory pretty much includes my whole family, but I want to share it with you anyway.

It was the summer of 2003 or 2004, I can't really remember the exact date that we went to St. Marys, Georgia. Two of my dad's sisters live in St. Marys, and one of my dad's brothers lives on Amelia Island, FL which is not far from St. Marys. My dad being a carpenter by trade came to help my uncle Mark with a construction job. They were replacing an old shingle roof on a house with a brand new metal roof. With Florida weather being unpredictable, it rained a lot while we were there. Therefore, hindering my dad and Uncle from working. So the job took a lot longer than we thought, and we were in St. Marys for a month.

We stayed at my Aunt Rita's old house she used to have in St. Marys before she bought the one she lives in now. The house had an apartment in the garage, and that's where we stayed. My mom, dad, Mandy, Maria Rose, and James Greg stayed in the apartment while Carla, Jared and I stayed in the pop-up camper we brought along with us.

With us being home schooled we were able to do these type of things and still be in school. In the mornings my mom would help us with our school and after we were done she would find things for us to do. She always wanted us to be doing something, she didn't like idle hands. That month while we were there she was always looking for new adventures for her children.

Almost everyday while we were there we would go to Goodwill. I remember my mom saying it was the best one she had ever been to, and she loved finding great deals. Sometimes we wouldn't buy anything, and sometimes God would lead us to something we needed. She also took us to the library so we could check out some books. She always encouraged us to read, and since we didn't do a lot of things "normal" kids did, my sisters and I LOVED to read. We all still do to this day! Back then I was into mystery books, especially the "Hardy Boys" books. Oh, how I loved them! Every night in the camper before we turned the light off I would read my Hardy Boys books to Carla and Jared.

Since my aunt and uncle were gone a lot of the time we were there (they traveled for their business), the flower gardens were overgrown with weeds. My mom loved flowers and one day said that all of us were going to get the weeds out of those flower gardens. Boy, that was a job! It was hot, it wasn't really fun, but what I took away from that was the lesson that we should do kind things for people even if we don't have to. When my aunt came back she loved that we did that, and that made us feel really good inside that we were able to help.

When my aunt was there she took my mom and us kids to the local water park, and that was a lot of fun as well. We also went to the beach as a family several times while we were there, and we had a blast! Every day we would ride bicycles through the neighborhood on paved roads. That was so new to us since we lived in the country on dirt roads. :)

Overall, it was a very enjoyable time spent with my family, and I will never forget it. It may be such simple things, but those are the things we never forget.

This is a picture of me and my mom sitting on a bench at the St. Marys playground. We were watching all my siblings play on the playground after we rode our bikes there. This is a special picture to me because it's just me and my mom in it. It also reminds me of that trip and how special it was.



I will never forget how special Mama was and will always tell my children about her so that she will live on in my heart and theirs. I love you, Mama. Thank you for taking the time to teach us important lessons in life and always trying to make life enjoyable and fun.

Paige

Memory of Mama #3

Hello to all my friends! I am going to keep this post short because it's uncomfortable to sit in an upright position right now because oh my burns. I had a cooking accident yesterday where I got 2cd degree burns on my thighs and stomach. But I felt bad for missing yesterday so I need to post this now.

Since I am hurt I want to share a specific memory of my Mama that I have. I have never forgotten it, and will always cherish it. When I was a teenager I was blessed with good health besides some very nasty colds. One of these times when I had a cold, Mama took me to the doctor to get looked at so I could get some medicine. It was just me and my mom who went, and I wasn't feeling good at all. Mama stopped at CVS pharmacy in Columbus where we were after we left the doctor. She went in and I stayed in the van because I was sick. When she came out she had a surprise for me. It was a kitty notepad that came with a matching kitty pen. I have always loved cats (my mom, too), and she knew I would love it. That little thing has always meant so much to me, and I never forgot it. No matter how small things can be to us, we never know how big they are to others.

I just thank my Mama for always taking such good care of me and my siblings when we were sick. She always put us before herself, and I am so thankful she was so caring and kind. I still remember her hand on my forehead checking my temperature, cleaning me up when I was sick, sitting beside and praying for me, and so much more.

I need to go lay back down now. I just wanted to share this with you. I love you so much Mama and I thank you for everything you did for me!

Paige

Memory of Mama #2

Hello! I didn't post anything yesterday because I was gone all day, and by the time I got home I was so tired. But I'm posting one now, and if I get to it this evening I will post another one to make up for yesterday. :)

Today I want to share a quality my mom and I shared. It's something I really miss with her being gone. My mom and I were alike in so many ways, and we understood each other. We were both shy, quiet, creative souls. So many people want me to change my personality, but my mom understood. We LOVED to talk, sometimes we would just sit and talk, and other times we talked about everything while we were doing something. I miss those talks so much!!! She truly understood me when no one could.

I also remember the love for babies/children my mom and I shared. My mom had 5 miscarriages, and we missed those babies so much. Long after the miscarriages had happened everyone would forget, but Mama and I would still talk about them and cry because we missed them. It's strange how you can miss someone you never met, but it's real. A LOT of people couldn't stand that Mama wanted more children, but she loved her children so much! I know that because she said so A LOT! She devoted her life to her family, and if that's not love, I don't know what is. I know she is spending every day in Heaven with my brothers and sisters that went before us. I am so happy that she can finally be with them and know them and love them. I just can't wait until we can ALL be in Heaven together.

I love you Mama and I love you my wonderful brothers and sisters who I have never met. I miss you all so much and I always will!

Paige

My memories of my Mama!

Hello! Wow, I can't believe it's already September! Where did 2010 go?? Pretty soon it will be Christmas (my favorite holiday! :D), and then we will be starting 2011.

September is a bittersweet month for me. Coming up this Tuesday (September 7th) is my wedding anniversary to my husband, Jeremiah. We will be married 3 years! I'm so thankful God has let us come this far, and has helped us through all the good and bad times.

But other than that very sweet time, September also is a sad time for me. My wonderful and precious Mama died on September 13, 2006. I can't believe this month it will have been 4 years since she has been gone. I never would have thought I could live without her, only God has helped me make it. I was/am a Mama's girl, you couldn't pull me away from her. I miss her so much, and just wish I could talk to her again. I miss hearing her voice, I miss seeing her, I miss having "our talks", and a whole multitude of other things I miss about her. But one thing I do have are memories. No one can take that away from me, and what keeps me going until I reach Heaven one day where she is waiting for me.

My Grandma came up with the idea of me sharing a memory I have of my mom on each day in September. That way it kinda helps with the fact of what month it is, and also you can know more about her through me. So I will try my best to each day this month post a memory of my Mom. I love you so much Mama, and I can't wait to see you!!!

To start these collections of memories I have of Mama, I have to start with what she was probably known best for (by people around town and surrounding area)- her cooking/baking!!! She was a wonderful cook/baker, if not the best I have seen in my lifetime. She could do it all! She made everything from scratch, we never had "boxed" foods. Everything she made was rich in flavor and so good. Needless to say everyone we knew loved coming over to eat! :D And I was her right hand girl in the kitchen. My other siblings were too small to be of any interest and my sister, Carla didn't really care at the time. She always had me doing small jobs in the kitchen, and always teaching me something.
People also loved to order cakes from her. She could make chocolate, caramel, coconut, hummingbird, carrot, red velvet, and more. They were delicious!!! And she would also make birthday cakes. There's so telling how many cakes she made over the years. For our birthdays she would decorate a cake in whatever we asked for. It was amazing how good she was at decorating cakes! She didn't even have any formal training, all she took were some Wilton cake decorating classes when I was a baby. I wish I could show you some pictures of some cakes she made with this post, but I'm going to have to do it on a separate post since I have some errands to run today and things to do. But I will show you next time.
I was her little shadow in the kitchen, always asking about things and wanting to learn more. She taught me all I know! I would watch her all the time while I saw her make foods/cakes. I remember one time I decided to make her Divinity Pecan Pie all by myself without her help. Everything went fine until I had to make those egg whites stiff LOL! She rescued the pie, but it taught me that no matter how many times you watch someone do something, you can't learn how to do it until you do it yourself.
I want to thank my Mama for taking the time to teach me all I know in the kitchen, and I wish she were still here to teach me how to decorate cakes. She was the best, and I believe no one can live up to what she was in the kitchen. I only hope to be half as a good as what she was.

I LOVE YOU, MAMA!!!

Paige