Psalm 18:16-19: “
He reached down from on high and took hold of Karen; He drew her out of deep waters. He rescued her from her powerful enemy, from her foes, who were too strong for her. They confronted her in the day of her disaster but the Lord was her support. He brought her out into a spacious place; He rescued her because He delighted in her.” Vs. 46: “The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!”
So many of you, my dear family and friends have been praying for Karen and her family - for which I say thank you, thank you!! Just for the sake of journaling and to include in a memory book for Mike and the boys, I want to write this posting as a tribute to my precious friend, Karen Meier.
Jeff & I met Mike and Karen immediately upon our coming to FBC, Galena as pastor and wife. On Jeff's first Sunday after we had moved to Galena, he got a call early that morning, that Mike Meier's mother had passed away. So Jeff drove the 13-15 miles to their home to minister to them. Mike was "
laughingly" telling his friend, Kyle, in the lobby at MD Anderson this past week about Jeff pulling into his yard with a vehicle he didn't recognize and an "
ugly hog" tag on the front. Mike is an avid OU fan (
University of Oklahoma who do not like the Arkansas Razorbacks). Because we were so new, it took Mike a minute to register that this was his pastor. That death, however, quickly cemented a friendship that has grown and grown over the 14 months we have been here. In fact, Mike has said that the Meier family were the bookends on Jeff's first year ministry at FBC. His mother's death was the first week and then their son Bruce's death was the last week of that first year anniversary.....really not something we would have desired to be the bookends for our first year. We thought surely, after those two things, there would not be anything more difficult.......we were so wrong!
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This picture below was the last picture of Karen...this was taken in Houston on Friday by Kyle):
Backing up -- so as the weeks and months passed, we enjoyed developing our relationship with Mike & Karen. We enjoyed socializing with them; loving on them, and spending much time in intercessory prayer for them and the struggles they had during that year with their son and the situation with the twins, birth mother, etc. We so enjoyed serving together with them at First Baptist. Mike is one of our S.S. teachers and one of our yokefellows and Karen was a vital part of our music and praise team ministry. She loved to sing and always had the prettiest smile as she praised the Lord. Karen honored me by asking me to go one day with her (
approx. a week or two before Bruce's death) to take the boys for their regular doctor's appointment. I realized then, what a wonder woman Karen was, keeping up with two very active little 14 mo. old toddlers. Those boys are two of the most precious gifts God could have ever given Mike & Karen - and all of us. Just last year at this time, Karen helped Leigh and Judy decorate my home for Christmas. She was a jewel of a friend. She didn't have anything to do with the computer, email, Facebook, etc., but she sure loved to keep in contact with her friends by texting.
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This is a pic of Karen, Leigh and the boys at the parsonage on the day they helped me decorate in 2009)
On Sunday evening, August 8, 2010, Jeff & I, Paul & Mary Mooney and Rob & Janet Gant were at Cracker Barrel in Joplin eating a late meal after our evening services. We had just ordered, when Jeff's cell phone rang. It was a very distraught Karen who had been called to the location where her unconscious son was laying. She had tried to administer CPR, to no avail. She was waiting on an ambulance. Jeff said he would meet her at ER. Jeff would go immediately and the rest of us followed shortly thereafter. A little later, to a waiting room full of concerned church members and family, we received the news that 24 yr. old Bruce had passed away. It was heartbreaking.
Bruce was the father of Adam and Aiden, who at that time were 14 months old. Because of the wayward lifestyle of their mother, they had lived with Bruce, Mike & Karen in Mike and Karen's home since birth. Before we could even bury Bruce, Mike & Karen were thrown into the whirlwind of concern as to the welfare and care of those boys. Our church immediately called a special prayer service and were amazed at the number of folks who came. It was a very difficult few weeks as they said goodbye to their son and pursued getting custody of their grandsons. Finally, just a few weeks ago, a judge awarded them temporary custody and guardianship of the boys. Things were looking up!
On Veterans Day, November 11th, after going to the doctor to try to get relief for some headaches Karen was having, they were given the devastating news that Karen had a 1-3 inch glioblastoma tumor in the right frontal lobe of her brain. The diagnosis with surgery, chemo and radiation was 6-18 months to live. Many in our church family had walked this very difficult path with the Shoemaker family when Bill had that same diagnosis - so hearts were so heavy knowing what most probably lay ahead. The doctor wanted to do surgery the following Tuesday, but everyone, including other doctors in Joplin, felt she needed a second opinion. So they called one of the best cancer hospitals there is, M.D. Anderson in Houston, Texas, and got an appointment.
Six days later, on Wednesday of last week, they were on their way to Houston. There are many “
God-Stories” – and this is one of them. Mike and Kyle Vann were elementary and Jr. High friends. Their dads worked together at City Service Gas Company and Mike & Kyle, and the rest of their families, traveled with their dads around the nation staying in the same hotels together. Kyle has been gone from the Oklahoma area for many years. About 3 weeks before Karen’s diagnosis, Mike received a phone call from Kyle whom he had not talked since 1975—35 years ago. Kyle was reading “
The Last Boy,” a new biography about Mickey Mantle. The author had interviewed Mike since Mickey Mantle was from Commerce, OK and had grown up with Mike and Kyle’s fathers. So there were several quotes in the book from Mike. When Kyle saw Mike’s name, he thought, “
I need to contact my old boyhood friend and see how he is doing.” So he called Mike and they had a nice visit. Kyle told Mike they now live in Houston and that his wife had had cancer but was doing great now. What was most amazing is that both Kyle and Mike had found the Lord since those days and were both actively serving Him.
So when Mike & Karen realized they were coming to Houston, Mike called Kyle and asked him if he could meet them somewhere and lead them through the Houston traffic to the hospital. Kyle invited Mike & Karen to stay at his house and that he personally would drive them to the hospital. So the Meier’s stayed with the Vann’s on Thursday night and Kyle took them to M.D. Anderson Cancer Hospital on Friday.
Karen met with her doctor on Friday (
8 days after diagnosis), with her test results in hand. The doctor looked at them and said they needed to do surgery as soon as possible and set the date as the following Tuesday, November 23rd. Mike & Karen enjoyed Saturday with Kyle and Barbara in their beautiful, warm and inviting home. However, Saturday afternoon, Karen started feeling nauseous. They had made plans to go to church with the Vanns, but by Sunday morning, Karen was very sick and throwing up often. So Kyle and Barbara went on to church and Mike and Karen stayed home….Karen “
parked” herself in a lounge on that back patio and evidently stayed there all day. By early evening, she was so sick and in a somewhat catatonic stage.
(This is a pic with Kyle....you can see the chairs behind them that Karen most probably laid in)
There was one time during that afternoon, that Mike leaned his head over on her and just cried and she patted his head and said, “
It will be ok, it will be ok.” Mike called the ER doctor at MD Anderson Sunday afternoon, but he didn’t recommend coming to the hospital. But by early evening , they decided they needed to get her to the hospital. At this point, she was so sick, they didn’t feel comfortable taking her by car, so they called an ambulance. Mike rode with her in the ambulance to M.D. Anderson, which was about 45 minutes from the home.
It wasn’t long after they arrived, that the doctor attending her knew she needed surgery. They took her at 11:00 p.m. and finished at 2:00 a.m.
Jeff and I and Leigh Ryan (
one of Karen’s closest friends and our church secretary), already had airline tickets purchased to fly Monday afternoon in order to be there in time Monday night to visit with Karen and then be there for the surgery on Tuesday. So in the late hours of Sunday night, Jeff was on the computer trying to get an earlier flight – which we did for 7:45 a.m. Monday morning. So after a couple hours of sleep, we left Galena at 3:30 a.m. and headed to Tulsa to the airport. We arrived at the hospital around 9:45 that morning to a very exhausted Mike and a sleeping, nonresponsive Karen, who didn’t look anything like our precious Karen. She was in a medically induced coma. Her neurosurgeon came in just after we arrived and said that the CAT scan was very positive. That he saw no sign of bleeding in the brain or sign of a stroke. He felt he got the majority of the tumor. He told us that the first 24 hours were critical.
At one point during the day Monday, while Leigh and Mike were in Karen’s room, Leigh can’t help but wonder if something she observed could have been when Karen had at least one of the strokes. Mike was asleep in the chair but Leigh was watching Karen closely. Karen was beginning to move a little, not really on command like we wanted, but the breathing tube was bothering her. She was “
coughing" and mucus was coming out of her mouth. Then there were tears running. Leigh got a nurse to suction her. It really agitated her. Her pressure shot up. Leigh noticed more swelling around the right eye so she mentioned it. Then her right arm started shaking a little, so the nurse got the ICU physician’s assistant (
a wonderful male nurse!). He checked her out along with her regular nurse and another nurse. Bless Mike’s heart – he was so tired, he wasn’t even aware of all the activity. They checked pupils and they were large again and not reactive. The male nurse was worried that things were taking a backward turn and called her neurosurgeon, Dr. Rao. However, Dr. Rao felt like maybe it was not as bad as first thought and told them just to watch her. From that time on, Karen ran a pretty good fever. So it does make us wonder if she perhaps had a stroke then.
The next three days, we took turns at Karen’s bedside. Karen’s cousin, Dori Hemphill Bohl and her husband Rusty drove down Tuesday from north Dallas and spent the next three days with us at the hospital. It was amazing how quickly people bond when sharing a similar crisis. With our time very limited in Karen’s room, we spent many hours in the ICU waiting room. Not only did we become close to Dori and Rusty, but with two other families also. One family consisted of 31 yr. old Brandy who had lung cancer surgery on the previous Friday. We didn’t ever get to met Brandy, but we so enjoyed getting to know her sweet, sweet husband, Brad, her two sisters (and
were told the three girls looked like triplets) and Brandy’s mom, Bev. They live in Indiana. The pretty sisters bought Mike a blueberry muffin the first morning he was all alone and gave him some company. Brandy & Brad have 3 beautiful children. We will be following Brandy’s story on this link and praying often for this family, who are also believers. Brad, if you happen to read this blog, we want you to know that your tender heart, the tears you shared with us when Karen passed away, and your kind words meant so much!! God bless you and Brandy and we pray for complete and total recovery for your girl! I ask that my blog readers keep this family in your prayers as well:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/brandylewiswill.
Here is a pic of Brandy and her family in the hospital room (
I took from the website above):
Here is Brandy before surgery:
We also met Susan from Beaumont, Texas. Her husband has had numerous brain tumor surgeries but they had not been cancerous. This last surgery was more serious than the others, and he still had not fully awakened up when we left the hospital. They had been there many days and we will also be praying for Susan and her husband. Susan, as well, is a believer!!
Monday night, Mike insisted on staying with Karen. So Jeff and I and Leigh went to a nearby hotel and Dori and Rusty spent the night with some friends in Houston. Tuesday, we spent all day at the hospital. We were encouraged with a visit from Kyle Vann and also Sue and John Bagzis. Sue had been following the prayer requests about Karen via her brother who lives in Commerce. Sue had emailed me before we had gone to Houston offering her home and/or whatever they could do for Mike and Karen or for anyone coming to Houston. We would have taken up their offer of their home, but they lived 45 minutes away and Jeff just didn’t want to be that far away and have to fight the Houston traffic. Sue and John’s visit to the hospital was so kind. And come to find out, Mike knew each of their brothers and they had a great visit. Sue intended to bring Thanksgiving meals to the guys on Thursday, but of course, that didn’t happen. Thanks, Sue and John for being so gracious!
Tuesday night, since there had been no change in Karen all day, we convinced Mike (
with the help of the nurse) that he needed to get some sleep. So he and Jeff went to the hotel and Leigh and I stayed with Karen.
The following is an email draft that Leigh and I had written around 6:30 Wednesday morning……sadly, it was never sent out.
Happy “Rebirthday” Karen Eileen Meier!!!! Praise be to God for His Wonderful Gifts!!!
Following Karen’s MRI, at 11:45 pm we (Debbie & Leigh) headed to Karen’s room and were told she was being bathed, and to come back in 30 minutes, so we went to the waiting room. At 12:15 am we went back to Karen’s room, only to be told they were replacing her arterial line, so back to the waiting room we went. At 1:00 am nurse Teresa called for us. Upon entering the room she told us to talk to Karen for a few minutes and then to let her rest, thus keeping with her body’s normal night/day schedule. We asked her to open her eyes and squeeze our hands, but got no response. So we let Karen “rest”, and we tried to do the same, but to no avail. We just didn’t have peace in our hearts at the thought of leaving our precious Karen to go back home the next day, without seeing some sign of progress.
Several times during the next few hours we would call out to her, “Open your eyes, Karen…it’s time to wake up.” Nothing. So we just prayed and prayed, asking God for a miracle, a sign that our Karen was “in there” and still with us. At 4:06 a.m., our wonderful nurse, Teresa, came in to check on Karen. We heard her say, “Squeeze my hand, Karen…..good girl!” Our ears perked up and we looked at each other! We looked at the nurse and said, did she squeeze your hand? She said yes, come and try. So Leigh took her hand and told her, “Karen, this is Leigh, squeeze my hand.” And she did – tightly!!! She did it 4 or 5 times for Leigh and then I got my turn and she did it for me. It was the very best hand squeeze I have ever felt!!! She did that for 5 to 6 minutes, and then she went back into a deep sleep.
Please know at this point, we wanted to call Mike and Jeff immediately and get the word out to everyone. We were ready for a party!!! But the nurse strongly discouraged us in doing that. She said Karen needed to do it several more times to be consistent before we got Mike’s hopes up.
So about 4:50, Leigh went back to the bed and talked to her and sure enough, she squeezed Leigh’s hand twice and then we told her we were going to read some of her get well cards to her that our church family had sent to her. When I read one, Leigh asked her, “Karen if you heard Debbie read that card, squeeze my hand and let me know you heard it.” And she squeezed a couple of times. Our hearts overflowed and the tears joined in!!
She again fell into a deep sleep with no response. At 5:54, there were a few more squeezes. Nurse was still cautiously optimistic. After she left the room, we really pressed Karen for some movement as we knew we had to leave at 6:00 and wouldn’t be able to see her again until 10. She did not squeeze our hands but she did move her right foot two times at Leigh’s command! It was icing on the cake!!!
Karen has not opened her eyes yet, but we felt there were a couple of times that it seemed her eyes were agitated like she was trying to open them.
So the nurse told us we could tell Mike…….of course, with the caution that she could go in and out like that for a long time. But it was proof to Leigh and I that her brain was working.
Leigh and I have typed up this draft to send as soon as we share this news with Mike and Jeff is able to call Karen’s parents. The guys should be here by 8:30. Also, we are hoping to be able to add the MRI report. As of this first draft, we have no idea what that report is.
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When Mike & Jeff got off the elevator around 8:20 that morning, they were met immediately by the neurosurgeon, before Leigh and I could even say a word to them. The doctor took the guys to a private room to give them the MRI results. The doctor’s expression and demeanor the few seconds in Leigh and I’s presence quickly told us something was very wrong. After talking to the guys, what seemed like an eternity to us girls….we got the devastating news that the MRI results were as bad as they could possibly be. Karen had had two major strokes. One in the back of the head and one at the top of her head. One of them affected her motor skills, paralyzing the left side of her body. It also affected her vision and there was a real possibility she would be blind. The doctor said she would never be strong enough for chemo and radiation, which was the only way they would rid her body of the cancer. Consequently, the tumor would grow again within just a few months and there would not be another surgery. He said that they had “
extraordinary” medical equipment on her to keep her alive and that Mike would need to make a decision if he wanted to continue that or to let God determine the length of Karen’s life.
Karen had stressed over and over to Mike and to Leigh that she did not want to live like that. So after an agonizing time of counsel and prayer, Mike made that very difficult decision to remove the life support. As we talked to Karen, to tell her how much we loved her and would miss her, Leigh asked her once again to squeeze her hand. She did!! So Leigh called Mike to her right side and told her to squeeze Mike’s hand – that he needed that gift. And she did several times –
praise the Lord!! The medical personnel did remove all their equipment, around 12:30 p.m Wednesday, November 24. They gave meds to Karen to keep her from feeling any pain. Once they did all this, Karen looked like Karen to us…..she looked so peaceful. Several people, including Karen’s parents were able to talk to Karen via telephone. It was so hard for Phil & Annette Crosby, Karen’s parents to be so far from her. But with Phil’s health issues, it just wasn’t possible for them to come. Jeff called them often with any updates we had. I’m so thankful for Phil & Annette’s strong faith in the Lord as they sure needed His strength. I can’t imagine how hard it was for them to not be with Karen. Neither Leigh nor I were in the room during those times that Jeff put his phone to Karen’s ear while family and close friends called, so I can’t relate to any of those responses. However, Leigh told me of the time when she held the phone to Karen’s ear for Stephanie (
Leigh’s daughter and the daughter Karen never had) talked to her. Leigh said that Karen’s hand was on her hand perfectly still, but when Stephanie said,
“Karen, this is Stephanie,” she started moving her little finger back and forth. As they talked and Stephanie told her how much she loved her, she started moving her middle finger back and forth. That was the only time we saw her move her fingers in that way. After this, we did not get any further response from Karen until a few seconds prior to her death, which I’ll write about in a few minutes.
There were several times, Leigh wiped tears from Karen’s eyes. We don’t know for sure if they were actually tears or something medically, but we couldn’t help but think that Karen knew much of what was going on and those tears were a result of that.
We were so appreciative of Kyle and Barbara Vann coming back to the hospital on Wednesday to give us some much needed moral support. As Leigh and I talked on our flight home, we now realize how important it is to minister to others in such critical times and to “
look” harder for what we can do to help others out.
Around 7:30 that evening, because Leigh and I had no sleep for 38-40 hours, we decided to go to the hotel and sleep. At this time, Karen’s heart was still pumping strong and we felt it might be a couple more days. Jeff stayed with Mike. Jeff called me around 6:50 the next morning and said he wasn’t a doctor but he felt sure it would be that day for Karen. So Leigh and I hurried our preparations and were going down to breakfast at 7:10, when Jeff called again and said we needed to drop everything and get there. So we called a taxi, but while we were enroute, Jeff called again and said she was gone. She met Jesus around 7:22 a.m. Thursday morning - Thanksgiving Day. We so wanted to be there, but the guys said it was best we weren’t. Jeff said it would have been so hard to watch her grasp for those last breaths.
Jeff related to us that as he leaned over Karen’s bed talking to her, there was a single teardrop that fell from her eye as he said his final goodbye and then she drew her last breath……two weeks to the day after being diagnosed. It was just too short – there was so much we wanted to do!
Jeff told me he has sat by the bedside of many a dying saint but this was the hardest for him. We love Karen so much! Thanksgiving Day will never "
look" or "
feel" the same to us!
God was faithful and gave that amazing comfort, strength and grace – that only God can give! The days ahead will not be easy……still so many things that need to be settled. Most importantly, the permanent custody of the boys. Mike is determined to raise those boys, with the help, of course of family and close friends. They will be his life-line. Please join us in prayer that God will answer this desire of Mike’s heart.
(
Aiden on the left and Adam on the right)
Bless Mike's heart: Having lost his mother, his son, and his wife within 14 months is more than any one person should endure. But we must trust God in and through it all. He is in control and He will work all things for good, if we yield to His leading.
The memorial service for Karen Meier will be Tuesday, November 30 at 10:00 a.m. at First Baptist Church, Galena, Kansas. There will be no visitation.
A couple of added notes: As I've already mentioned, Stephanie Ryan is Leigh and Dave’s daughter, and a second mom to the twins as she has kept them often for Mike and Karen. Stephanie was back in Galena caring for the boys while we were in Houston. She really took Karen’s diagnosis and subsequent death so hard. Leigh, Dave and Stephanie were to fly to California, November 26 to get Steph all settled in to begin film school, December 6th, which was her dream. When they received the news about Karen, she just did not know how she could go. Karen kept insisting that she would go and she would make the boys famous. Stephanie sent the following text to her Mom Wednesday night to read to Karen. However, we had already left the hospital, so Leigh wasn’t able to read it to Karen, until after she had passed away on Thursday morning. But she still read it to her and we can’t help but know that Karen heard from the heavenly portals! Karen’s greatest fear was that the boys would not remember her. Stephanie (and many others) are going to make sure that does not happen!
Hey I need you to tell Karen something for me. Tell her I'm going to finish school and make her proud, and I'm going to use what I learn to tell her story so the boys always know how loved they were and know what an amazing woman she was. And tell her she better be watching me when I accept my award for it because I'm dedicating it to her. Tell her again how much I love her and how much I'm going to miss her. Thanks, love you & miss u so much.
The Ryans will be leaving the day after Karen’s funeral for California for Steph to follow her dream. Stephanie now has a clear focus and a purpose in life!
One other thing, on Friday morning, November 12th, after Karen gave us the news of the horrific diagnosis on Thursday night, I was begging God for some answers, some comfort from His Word. I got my Bible and it opened to Psalm 18. I had previously highlighted several verses and as I read them, I knew this was God’s comfort to me. I immediately texted those verses to Karen. Then the following Monday, I felt led to send the email below to several friends and family members to pray specifically for Karen. Somehow Karen’s dad, Phil, got a hold of the email and it was included in their church prayer bulletin – so many were praying this for Karen. And God did answer!! Not in the way we anticipated - but in His way, which is always best!!
Psalm 18 (I am using the NIV version) – I paraphrased it to make it more personal:
Verses 1-6: “I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is Karen’s rock; Karen’s fortress and Karen’s deliverer; Karen’s God is her rock, in whom she will take refuge. He is Karen’s shield, and the horn of Karen’s salvation, Karen’s stronghold. We will call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise and pray that Karen will be saved from her enemies. The cords of death entangle Karen; the torrents of destruction overwhelm her. The cords of the grave coil around her; the snares of death confront her. In our distress, we call to the Lord; we cry to our God for help. From His temple, He hears our voice; our cries came before Him, into His ears.”
Vs. 16-19: “He reached down from on high and took hold of Karen; He drew her out of deep waters. He rescued her from her powerful enemy, from her foes, who were too strong for her. They confronted her in the day of her disaster but the Lord was her support. He brought her out into a spacious place; He rescued her because He delighted in her.”
Vs. 46: “The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!”
Continue to pray for Mike, Adam, Aiden, Phil & Annette, and all those who love Karen so much.
These are just some miscellaneous pictures that I had on my computer. This one is Trunk or Treat 2009.....
This is Christmas 2009
(taken at the parsonage)
There are 15 girls that are so very glad we had a special 3 days with Karen this past spring. We had a women's retreat at my sister's lakehouses in Bella Vista. We will all remember this time with Karen -- she made us laugh over and over!!!
This is Leigh, Kellie Boyes and Karen:
Here are a couple of group pictures - one down by the lake and the other in the living room:
I love you Karen and already miss you so very much!!! I cannot wait for that grand reunion in Heaven!!
She liked the wrapping paper best!
Cute hat Auntie E knitted for her....
Those 3 babies all under a year......
Stocking Time from Great Grandma Boore!
Lainey-Bug knew what to do!
She got a lady bug for Lainey-Bug!
It was too funny - trying to get a picture with Great Grandma!
On Saturday evening, Jeff and I and our kids all came back to Galena and had our Christmas time together. Rachel found these wonderful books from Hallmark that you can record your voice so that anytime Laine wants to have a book to read to her, all she has to do is open the cover. There were two Christmas ones that Andy & Carman will record and then Rachel gave Jeff & I each one to record and give to her.
A couple of outfits from DeDe and Papa:
I had to get her a Baby Doll (actually got her two)....
Sunday morning, Mom and all of Kaye's family along with my cousin, Holly and her kids and nephew joined us for church at First Baptist and then to our house for lunch. In the slideshow below are pictures of everyone, but to conclude this Christmas posting, here is a picture of my family.
And one of my kids and my granddaughter.....
The day after Christmas, Laine turned 8 months - so here is her picture....she no longer sits quietly - ha!
And then one with her Bunny -- the bunny may not survive too many more photo shoots! Gotta love this baby girl!
Here is a slide show. It includes many of my pictures as well as Andy's and some of my sisters too.
It was too funny - trying to get a picture with Great Grandma!
On Saturday evening, Jeff and I and our kids all came back to Galena and had our Christmas time together. Rachel found these wonderful books from Hallmark that you can record your voice so that anytime Laine wants to have a book to read to her, all she has to do is open the cover. There were two Christmas ones that Andy & Carman will record and then Rachel gave Jeff & I each one to record and give to her.
A couple of outfits from DeDe and Papa:
I had to get her a Baby Doll (actually got her two)....
Sunday morning, Mom and all of Kaye's family along with my cousin, Holly and her kids and nephew joined us for church at First Baptist and then to our house for lunch. In the slideshow below are pictures of everyone, but to conclude this Christmas posting, here is a picture of my family.
And one of my kids and my granddaughter.....
The day after Christmas, Laine turned 8 months - so here is her picture....she no longer sits quietly - ha!
And then one with her Bunny -- the bunny may not survive too many more photo shoots! Gotta love this baby girl!
Here is a slide show. It includes many of my pictures as well as Andy's and some of my sisters too.
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