Remembering Meme

We returned home yesterday after an emotion-filled few days in Virginia, saying goodbye to Randall's mother - our children's Meme. Her passing came all too soon. We just knew we had several more years with her, and we were thrilled to have even more time now that we were within driving distance. Easy weekend visits. Holidays. Birthdays. But, after the kids spent our moving week at her home, she was taken from us, and we were forced to find peace in the memories rather than focusing on the fun times still in store.

Here are some of my favorite shots of her with our children, and my favorite picture of Randall with his mom.

Betty was a lot of things to many people, and I always admired her strength and faith. Attending her funeral and spending a lot of time thinking about healing has caused us to give more thought to our own faith and the way we hope to raise our kids. She would be very proud of that.

She LOVED her family. It was #1. Her boys, their wives, and all the grandchildren. It was her favorite role in life --- providing for and loving her family. She worked very hard to raise her boys with no spouse around, and she did a pretty kick ass job. Mike and Randall made her proud. They are good people, and it's no surprise coming from a mom like her. I feel like Mike's wife, Muzette, and I got the best work she ever did, and I'm grateful for her every day.

As Randall told his mama before her casket was closed, "We will take care of those babies for you." We will make sure they know who she was, and we hope they turn out to be people she would be proud of. She loved them so, so much.

We miss her already. Rest in peace, Meme.