Girl Getaway

Kristina, Felicity, Johanna, Stephanie and me at Main Street Bakery in Shops of Legacy. 

Kristina and I were newlywed friends and we have plotting her coming to visit me in TX since I moved here 8 YEARS ago. It finally happened! It was the same week as my mother's passing, which was good for me. K knew my mother and we could talk and I could grieve with her.

 We had big plans for the few short days we would be together. The first thing was to go to Waco, TX to the Magnolia Silos. This was a cute place to visit the HGTV's stars' from Fixer Upper stomping grounds.

 

We only bought food! 

 I told her we had to find a blue bonnet field!

 The other grasses were starting to overgrow them, a week too late.

 I also had to take her to Bucee's. Ha!

We stopped at the Dallas Temple on our way to the hotel.

 Dan let us use his hotel points to stay at a Westin in north Dallas at the 635 and 75. It was a very nice hotel. Kristina awoke the next day suffering from the stomache flu her kids had had at the beginning of the week. Poor girl! She was so brave and tough. We stayed in bad chatting until noon and then decided we could venture out to the movies at least. She was super sick, but pushed through it so we could still have fun together. We watched Avenger's End Game on opening day! Then we walked around North Park mall.

 We lounged beside the frigid pool on a beautiful day (mid 70's). And then we met another friend of hers living in the area for a meal at Rise souffle restaurant.

 Morning rush hour on the 635.

 Our last day we went to Reunion Tower.

 We then grabbed a meal at Klyde Warren Park.

We then toured the DMA and Nasher sculpture park.

Last stop was to the airport to send her on her way home.
The last 2 weeks have been so crazy. Lots of emotions and challenges. I am thankful for my Savior and His grace. I am thankful for my spouse and children. I am thankful for my dear friends. I am truly so blessed!

Mom's passing.

While driving home Easter Sunday I received a call saying that mom had to be put on life support and we needed to decide what to do. My mother was suffering from a severe infection. It is believed that her colon may have burst and that she was in septic shock from the Cdiff bacteria. She was already in kidney failure and was suffering from diabetes before this event. She was a nurse and would never have wanted to be on total life support. It was decided between Rick, Charles, me and Aunt Vickie that we would take her off of all the life support. It took 14 hours for her to pass away after that was implemented.

She loved her sister, husband, children and grandchildren. She loved her pets, reading, embroidery, swimming in her little above ground pool and gardening. She had a very hard life from her abuse, addiction, poor choices, and unfortunate circumstances. I know she is with her daddy in a beautiful, perfect place of peace.

Debra 'Debbie' Lynn Brown Staudt Koenig 

10 Mar 1960 - 22 Apr 2019
Our family is blessed to have you as an added angel watching out for us. I rejoice in knowing that one day we will be reunited with love and laughter and a perfect understanding of one another.

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Cor 15:22

Mormon Prom

I first heard about Mormon Prom when Alex came home for church and said Bishop spent the entire hour of quorum discussing with the boys, who they were asking/going with. At that point Alex was like, 'whatever, I don't care if I go.' But word came around that someone needed a date, so we encouraged Alex to ask a girl from our ward to go. But you don't just call up a girl and ask her to go, you have do a 'promposal'. Dan actually has experience with this (I do not) so he suggested putting puzzle pieces in balloons asking if she would like to go. He wrote his message on the puzzle pieces and then we had to figure out when to drop it off. 

 50 puzzle filled balloons.

Cleverly contained in Dan's hammock. 

 Alex and I dropped off the balloons while Claire was out shopping with her mom.

 She said, 'Yes!' And then clothes, flowers, date plans had to be made. Teamwork got all this accomplished on a high anxiety week for Al with UIL, WHAP (world history) problems and then I left for Arkansas. I missed the whole thing. I just got pictures. And very little words!

 Word is that they had a very good time, that dinner was delicious, and that Claire blew her midnight curfew by 1.5 hrs.

 The only person knew in this group besides Claire was Camden, who is also in his quorum (3rd from the left).

 So cute! I am glad his FIRST date is over! Why did it have to be the biggest date of the year?!

Mar/Apr

 Makayla and M at choir rehearsal.

 Activity Days talent show.

 Macey played the piano. Convenient that she has a talent... that she doesn't want. ;) Ryan videoed it for us...

 Ryan band concert.

 Nice day to make videos on the tramp.

 A beautiful seminary sunrise.

 Combined rehearsals are the best!!

 Taking Ryan to a docto's office is like taking him on the best field trip. He loves to touch everything. Even giraffes.

 General Conference.

Stephanie had a day off from work so we went to Nebraska Furniture Mart to browse and then we went to Top Golf! She was awesome. I was mediocre. Or terrible, actually... :)

 Hmm, this doesn't look like a cozy way to nap. But if you want to lay on all 3 pillows at once...

 Wow, who knew the lighting in a boys locker room would be so good! This is us backstage pre-concert. (Jenn Erickson and Sheryl Carroll) I have loved working with these ladies. Jenn is retiring this semester. I am going to miss her!

 Macers, Makayla, and Mom!

 Water fight over the fence!

 UIL day.

 Diego and Alex.

 Log destruction. This log brings her so much joy. It is great for tug of war. And now, for unstuffing.

 Cardboard is the best gift sometimes.

 I got a call on a Tuesday from Rick, 'Your mom is in the hospital.' Dan travels so much that I couldn't get away until Thursday. I drove the 5 hours by myself. Shew that was a long trip.

 Mom had a ventilator and was sedated the whole time while I was there. She would open her eyes, but it was mostly a blank stare. She was very ill and being sustained mostly with medication and machines. I sat with her Thur-Sun until I had to return. I did take some time off to drive around town.

 Here is the Wal-Mart home office. I learned that W-M is finally building a new beautiful complex to house it's operations over the next few years. Finally!

 I also got to visit friends. This is Nick Petersen and Kenny Lowden, church and school friends from way back. Nick taught me to drive a stick shift, was my ride to seminary, and my buddy! Kenny was the funny, trouble maker who was everyone's friend. We had some good laughs down memory lane! I also spent time with the Isabel's and even went to the adult session of Stake Conf. It was Easter weekend, so once I got up Sunday morning to say good-bye I headed home just as Dan was heading to the airport again.

 Once I got back from that trip a friend asked to have a quilt made for a school project for her kid. Here is Macers hanging out while I worked on that project. It took me about 6 hours to make the whole thing.

The kid is going to write in the purple square, so it wasn't a finished product when I handed it off.