Flashback Friday...

My mom's birthday is in a couple days so I'm working on a lil' something for her and it involves lots of pictures of my sister and me growing up so of course thought I'd share some sweet pictures from that project!

Laura & Michele
at my Granny & Poppy's home
Easter 1971

 circa 1971

Sitting on the front steps at our DuPont home...

705 Louviers Avenue

I sure did love that house! We lived there until 1977

I remember how much I loved this purple outfit! It even had

polyester purple pants!

Isn't my sissy too cute in this picture?

circa 1974

This was such a fantastic day! Every Saturday morning my Poppy came

and picked up Laura and me at 9 a.m. sharp and took us to breakfast at VIP'S.

This time there was an Easter coloring contest and guess what???

I WON! the BIG PURPLE rabbit!

I remember my Poppy calling me and telling me I won and then he came

and drove us down there to pick up the wonderful prize! :)

This was our trip back to Iowa to visit my wonderful Grandma Miller!

My dad had built a bed in the back of our VW Van and we just

thought it was grand! That's our family dog Pixie with the cool shades on!

The Miller's

my dad Kenny, Laura, my mom JonElla, PIXIE and Michele

Pixie gets all caps because my sister and I were just

quite sure my mom loved pixie more than us! XOXO

Of course it wasn't true...now as an adult and a mom myself

I can't believe the things kids think sometimes! Sure is

a good thing mom's go with the flow and understand!

May 1, 1977

Laura was 7 and I was 9

I REMEMBER THIS DAY VERY VIVIDLY!

This was after a piano recital at the Officer's Club on Fort Lewis Army Post

I had been taking piano for 4 years at this point and remember playing

"The Spinning Song" for this recital. My dad and sister were also in

this recital. Mrs. Andre was our piano teacher and I will say she was

the best teacher and I have her to thank for my good foundation in piano.
 I also remember how very much I LOVED this dress! :)

Larry Donaldson Gillespie

Last weekend my mom and I went over to Seattle area for my uncles memorial and finalizing of some of his affairs. Larry was my mom's brother and it's been a hard situation and a reminder of how we don't always understand reasons for circumstances yet was something we needed to go through. In the past 4 months my mom has lost 2 brothers. Frank died in April and Larry died in August. It's been very surreal at times and full of varied emotions. 

We did not know Larry's whereabouts for the last 22 years and then through circumstances surrounding my grandparents death were able to find him. We don't know the reasons he walked away from all his family nor will we ever know or understand. In the past few months after my Uncle Frank passed away, my mom and Larry reconnected and my mom flew over to Seattle on August 13 and met Larry for several hours. They had a plan at that time that he would come over to Spokane in October. That was not to be. Larry had a stroke on August 16 and passed away on August 30. Many questions unanswered however it is what it is! Very sad also to find out all these years he had indeed been only 40 minutes from our family.

Larry had a wonderful circle of very dear friends and they have been very helpful to my mom during this time. So last weekend we drove over to the west side of the state and met his friends who were family to him and had a memorial service for Larry. My cousin Dylan, whom I absolutely love and adore also went with us to help go through this unusual situation. I made a memorial board and program and his friends made some handouts and also had some of Larry's model airplane collection on display. The Honor Guard came and presented his flag and performed Taps...it all came together quite nicely.

A huge lesson I again have been reminded of from my precious mom is FORGIVENESS! We all make mistakes and we all have received enormous amounts of forgiveness in our lifetime. I know I have! We will never know why or really understand why Larry made the decisions he did. It wasn't how they were raised...my poppy died never knowing what happened to his son. That was heartbreaking. It's also a reminder of how important family is and how crucial it is to stay in touch NO MATTER WHAT! 

I took lots of pictures and wanted to share them and also really thank his wonderful friends for all they did!

Just love love love Dylan! 

Very best friends to Larry...

Rob & Ellen

We went to lunch on Friday at Randy's and visited & visited & visited...

My mom - JonElla & sweet Ellen

Larry's very dear friend Julie, Dylan, Rob, my Mom & Ellen

The memorial service was Uncle Mo's Snappy Inn on Saturday and there were approximately 60 friends who came to honor Larry and share memories. That was also nice as mom and I learned about Larry and what he had been doing the past 20 years.

Honor Guard performing Flag Ceremony...

Mom receiving Larry's flag...

She in turn presented his flag to his 

best best best best best friend Ellen...

Ellen with her treasured flag...

Many friends gave tributes & shared stories about Larry

JonElla, Michele, Larry & Mary Peterson...

they were very dear friends of Larry

 

JonElla, Uncle Mo, Michele

JonElla, Walter & Ellen

Again...thank you to all his wonderful friends for all they did to make a difficult

time easier to bear.

the PINK room

As children start leaving the nest their rooms become available to this mama to do with as she has always wished! I have always wanted a shabby chic PINK room. I have one now and I LOVE IT! We left the walls a pale yellow although I wanted to paint them pink. Jim said that might be a bit much! He was right! So I just decorated that guest room to my hearts content in all things PINK and shabby chic/vintage! I threw in a splash of aqua and just love it! It is one of my favorite rooms in our home! I love to go in there and look around at all the pretties. It always makes me smile.
Another little secret... I love to take naps in there! :) 

I have so many favorites in that room and just thought you might like a tour of the PINK room...

 This old window is a wonderful purchase from "Farm To Market" and it holds lots of treasures! I love the old hankies, old & new pictures to love, lots of crystals and baubles. The vintage pink purse was a purchase from "Funky Junk". Isn't the paper wreath above it just spectacular? The girls at "All That Glitter" made that!

I must say this window with another paper wreath in it is top of my list! The narrow table underneath is very dear to me and belonged to my a very dear friend who was like a Gramma to me. She used to LOVE to put contact paper on all her tables! I started to take the marble looking contact paper off this table and then stopped! I realized that was the character to this table and also the memories I have of this table were with the contact paper! The pictures on top of the table are especially precious as they are mine and my sister's pictures when we were little. The picture on the left is me and the one on the right is my sister Laura. The Band hat all decorated is done by "All That Glitter". The pink window I found at a yard sale...you just have keep your peepers open and you never know what you may find!

Really my all time top favorite thing in this room is the vinyl pink chandelier with crystals on it! It's vinyl from Upper Case Living and my daughter Lauren very patiently put it up for me! Have you ever seen such a magnificent headboard!!!!!

Another view of all the neat things in the PINK room!!!

This dresser is special to me...it was my sister and mine as little girls. There had been a built desk in this corner and Jim ripped it out and then painted the bookshelf above it so it looked more shabby chic! The chandelier is an old light fixture with wiring taken out and votives and doilies where the lights used to be. Pretty spiffy...I purchased this at "Orphaned Decor". It also has crystals dangling from it!!! Love it!

Can you believe this is an old piece of bed spring? Neat holder I thought...the cupcakes and ice cream cones are all made by "All That Glitter". Looks yummy enough to take a bite out of!!!

A PINK Christmas Tree! When I took down the pink holiday decor after Christmas last year...just couldn't bring myself to take down the PINK tree! It has pretty PINK ornaments on it some of which are vintage. The sign above the PINK tree reads "I'm Dreaming of a Pink Christmas". SIMPLY PINKFECT! This sign was actually the first thing I bought many years ago because I just knew someday I would have a PINK room!

Love the old PINK medicine cabinet! Purchased that from "Farm To Market" at the Farm Chicks 2011 Show!  It hold toiletries for when guests come and spend the night and may have forgot something. Towels are also on the door...I love it when people come stay with me! We've had a few...Shara came last November and she was the first guest in the PINK room. My girls refer to it now as "Shara's Room". So excited that she's coming again in just a month! Jim's mom and sister have stayed in it a couple times and my friend Elise who lives here in Spokane has stayed overnight so we could have a girls night! The girls have had friends who have also stayed in this room....so it's open and available anytime! Would love to have you!

Perfect for me...a monogrammed "M" handkerchief

A treasured picture my mom gave me in memory of my sweet sister

 

Sure do love chenille...

Just made some small changes today to the PINK room...put an Audrey Hepburn saying and changed a couple of the decorations...

Little nightlight from my nursery when I was a baby!

I'm just sure every PINK room needs a PINK poodle!

Hope you enjoyed a peek into my PINK room!

Happy Birthday Judi!!!

 Today is my dear friend Judi's Birthday and I just wanted

to wish her the best birthday ever! I met Judi 22 years ago as she was my mom's friend and now I'm blessed to say over the years she has become a very special friend of mine!

My mom - JonElla, Kate, Judi & me
 Women of Faith AT Women of Faith Conference
Spokane WA...September 2011

JUDI...
We've had many wonderful times together over the last several years. The above picture is one of those times. The conference was much needed spiritually and emotionally...glad we could share that time. Some of my favorite memories with you have been on the Cruise to celebrate your folk's anniversary! It was all family however you invited and included mom and me and it was so special! You have an amazing family! Our train trip to Portland was another great weekend to celebrate your retirement! Even if I did take too many pictures! Trying to keep our legacy going ya know!  All the pizza's at Cloverleaf...YUM! You were so good to mom and me during the battle of her cancer! The times you were just "there" for mom and me and were a safe place to land will always be a very sweet memory in my heart!
I LOVE YOU!
Michele

p.s. i love your jewelry!!! :)

the VIEW from MY kitchen window...

 I was doing dinner dishes tonight and looked out the window and saw the most beautiful sunset! The sky was beauty beyond description...the clouds swirling...the colors breathtaking...colors of pretty pink & purple, golden yellows and burnt orange all mixed perfectly together!

Psalm 148 : 1-5

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights above. Praise him all his angels, praise him all his heavenly hosts. Praise him sun and moon, praise him all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the Lord.