Walking down memory lane with my MOM

I wish I could still see my mom every day but alas, I can’t…. I only have a few pics and a lot of memories.  As the saying goes…. I love walking down memory lane, because I get to run into you.

I can see my mom standing on stage at Bountiful high counting the dance off while the kids do choreography  around her.

I can see my mom backing down the motor home with the boat attached in to the water, screaming and swearing out the window at my dad that he is making her do this…  she hated launching the boat. Mom had a favorite swear word that she would use on these occasions....as Laila would say, "shizz"  Mom would say after using this word, "If you can't say something nice, at least say something soft and warm."  

I can see my mom coming with rose decorated cupcakes to my 1^st grade classroom as the room mother.  All the kids said she was “ so pretty.” I hadn’t really noticed until then…and yes she was! She had her makeup perfectly on and her blonde hair up in a stylish beehive.  1967 looked good on my mom.

I can see my mom in her kitchen with her rust colored, flour streaked apron on making   apple pie, pumpkin pie, cherry pie, pecan pie… pie after pie for her famous “one of each” kind of pie party the night before Thanksgiving.  I can see her slicing the many pies into slivers and putting them on a 12 inch plate to create a new pie, per se, all different flavors with vanilla ice cream in the middle.  This was not for the small eater.  Mike Morley could finish it, but very few others would even try.

I can see my mom sitting on her deck in the trees of her front yard.  The hose hanging in the trees spraying water to provide some sort of air conditioning.  The deck that my parents built instead of going on their 25^th anniversary trip to Hawaii.

I can see my mom sitting on a floatie not wanting to get her hair wet while we swam and played around her at grandma’s pool.  She had beautiful bleached blonde hair and didn’t want it turning green with the chlorine of the pool.

I can see my mom singing next to me in church, trying to point out and teach  me to hear the alto line in the various hymns.   I loved her voice.

I can see mom walking in her garment top and bra from her bedroom to the laundry room in what she called her “clothes finding outfit.”

I can see my mom on the phone….the one with the long chord that reached to every room in our home.  She was a master phone talker.

I can see my mom singing with all of us in the Cole collection.  I loved to catch her eye as she belted out her low alto to my high soprano.

I can see my mom sitting with Grandpa Butters in his gazebo on a hot summer day.

I can see my mom  giving a talk down at BYU’s women’s conference on  picking your self up when you are down…and the blessing of a “do over.”  

I can see my mom pulling on her nylons and spraying on her Emeraude perfume as she got dressed to go out with my dad.

I can see my mom hosting dinner parties, “because some one has to” ..and she really enjoyed people  so much.

I can see my mom doing her love language or color code talks to me , my family, and to every RS group out there.

I can see my mom dancing in her garage turned into dance studio.  She taught all ages the thing she loved most…dancing.  I remember going to the door and asking her how to make macaroni and cheese for dinner. She didn’t drop a beat and just told me what to do.   I wasn’t a very good listener.  Being in charge of making dinner a few nights a week was really good for Marcie and I.

I can see mom hanging out in her “angel wings”  -- tank top over her garments because she would get so HOT!

I can see her holding my babies.

I can see my mom setting up her sandwich shop on the beach at Bear Lake for every lunch time.  She didn’t want anyone to have to leave for lunch, so she would cart everything down and make pb and J, pb and honey, turkey, tuna..you  name it.  She knew NOT to put in on a plate that would just blow away  and get sand in the sandwich, but to put it in your clean hand and tell you Not to put it down…just eat it, 

I can see her holding my dad’s hand as they walked to and from the Bear Lake beach and looked out on to the water.

I can see mom doing her paintings of the lake as we sat on the beach day after day and saying..."look at those clouds.  How would I paint those?" all in wonder, and amazement.

I can see my mom laying in her cancer bed trying to be so up beat..but being in so much pain.  I can see her giving her last “sharing Sheri” talk about what she knows as a testimony, what she has learned in this life and what she wants us all to remember.  I  can see her singing "I am a child of God" with tears streaming down her cheeks, knowing that she was going to see her Savior very soon.

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I can see her so clearly… I hope she can see me