This past week I have been thinking of golden wheat fields and love.

Reconnecting with relatives is such an eye opener and joy!  My father’s family in Kansas is working this weekend on putting stories and photos of years gone by into one collective spot.  They asked if I had any memories or stories to share.

Wow – do I have stories or memories?  That’s an understatement.

With very few exceptions, our family traveled first to Kansas from Idaho, then from Montana, every summer. For two weeks!  That didn’t necessarily thrill my mother but for my father going home to his loved ones was simply something his soul needed.  He needed to be around his people. It was like he needed to be refreshed.

For his three young girls, we were thrilled beyond thrilled to go to a place where there was nothing  but unconditional love and TONS of it!

As I put together my thoughts and memories it brought me to a song my two sisters and I sang often for my Dad through the years.

It was a wonderful John Denver song, Matthew.  My father’s oldest brother, Uncle Kenny, reminded us of that song. He was the oldest Son of 10 brothers and sisters.

I had not realized that this song was written by John Denver’s uncle Dean. It is really one of the most poignant of all JD’s songs. For anyone with their roots in farming and the soil, this sad but triumphant ballad strikes to the very heart. I have met people like Uncle Matthew in communities all over the world – people whose religious outlook on life, and enjoyment of simple pleasures, form the bedrock of our civilization. Anyone who thinks they are more important than the next man, sophisticated, above the crowd, then sing this song and remember that no prince, king or president can rise above the lowliest amongst us when faced with great adversity. A beautiful simple ballad and one of the best amongst many fine songs produced by JD- annon

Thanks to my family in Kansas– helping me realize and remember the love that never ends.

Happiest of Mother’s Day

May your day be filled with all the love you wish for.

Hugs!

This past Sunday, a client, who I now call “friend” dropped by with a lovely bouquet of flowers.

The colors were stunning and a much needed lift to our dawdling Spring.

Her thoughtful gift reminded me of how blessed I have been in the last months with friends reaching out to comfort me after my darling sister Sharon’s passing.

I have been remiss in sending my appreciations.

Deborah from Fairfield house sent me a gorgeous pendant. Deborah and I both lost a loved one around the same time and she is a much better person than myself, as in her grief she reached out to me. Words of thanks seem to fall short but do not diminish my appreciation.

 

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart)

i am never without it (anywhere i go you go, my dear; and

whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear

no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want

no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

 

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows

higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry you heart (i carry it in my heart)

e e cummings

I have attached her pendant to one Sharon gave me for a birthday– now it’s perfect.

Probably one of Sharon’s best friends and my newest “sister” Linda B sent the above card.

She is a school teacher and Sharon had the pleasure to “help” in the class a couple of times a month.

These children loved my sister and reached out to me after Linda explained of how sad we all were.  Sharon loved butterflies and as you can see they created a card with their beautiful butterflies for me.

I am going to have it framed.

As I pondered the time it took  for each person’s effort…I appreciate  the gifts, and cards so much more.  They are sincerely thought FULL and heart felt.

The notes on facebook, email and comments on my blog were overwhelming with love and support.

Many of your lives were touched by Sharon as she was  one of the most giving and loving people that walked this earth.  I have so much to learn from her still.  She inspired me always.

The efforts of so many in Billings were such a testament to the love you all have for my sister and her family.

The food that was brought into the house and served at the funeral, the service of speaking, singing and organization  and housing a longtime friend are gifts that will inspire me to be a better person as life moves forward.

My gratitude can really never be expressed adequately.

Sharon’s sister in law has been such a precious person.  She has been there not only for her brother and nephews but has reached out to make sure my heart was ok.  She sent me two of Sharon’s favorite bunnies.  They will reside right next to my bed and in my heart.

Simply stated, this new precious gift is so true.

My heart is very full of love and gratitude.

As I shared at the funeral… We all learned something very important by her sudden passing.

There is no time to wait to say:

“I love you.”

“I forgive you.”

“I am sorry.”

We  don’t have the promise of tomorrow only today.

Claudia

In keeping with the spirit of St. Patty’s day just around the corner I couldn’t resist resurrecting an old favorite!

May St. Patrick’s day bring you laughter and fun!

Be sure and stop by Beverly’s Pink (Green this week) Saturday!

TTFN~~ Claudia

Sharon Sauther

Today the sun shines a little less bright and the skies are a little more gray. Sharon Dale Sauther passed away early Sunday morning from complications related to diabetes. We take comfort in knowing that tonight there will be one more star in the heavens.

Sharon Dale, as she was lovingly known to friends and family, was born in Las Vegas, N.M., on Oct. 7, 1954, to Ed and Gloria Doty. The family loved music. Sharon and both sisters had beautiful voices and often sang while their mother played piano. The girls sang in church and at special events, and if you were lucky enough to attend a movie at the Fox Theatre in Salt Lake City, you might have heard the voices of Sharon, Claudia and Leslie harmonizing in the theatre lobby. Sharon loved family time and especially looked forward to the dusty trips to Kansas to visit relatives.

As the middle child, Sharon was the peacemaker and pleaser in the family, a trait that carried over into her adult life. She was happiest when doing for others. Sharon rarely complained. Even on her worst days, if you asked her how she was, she would smile and say, “Just fine.”

The Doty family moved around a bit, finally settling in Billings. Sharon attended high school at Billings West, where she was to meet her future husband. She loved this time of her life and being part of the Billings West High Majorettes. Sharon was as beautiful on the outside as she was on the inside, so making friends came easy to her. Jerry was smitten from the first time he saw her. As he likes to tell it, he turned to a friend and said, “That’s the girl I’m going to marry.” As she liked to tell it, he says “it was love at first sight,” and she says “in your dreams.”

She left Billings to attend Brigham Young University in pursuit of an “M.R.S.” Although she was never in want of a date, her father often reminded her not to forget “that boy back in Montana.” Jerry was smart enough to lasso her back to Billings with an engagement ring.

Sharon liked a challenge and that’s just what she got with Jerry. Sharon and Jerry married on Sept. 13, 1975, and together raised three sons: Ryan, Derek and Tyler. Sharon was a “girlie” girl, but tough enough to adapt to a house filled with testosterone. That didn’t stop her. When she wasn’t wrestling with the boys, she was doing her best to turn them into little gentlemen (not always successfully). From a variety of dirty sports uniforms to a menagerie of animals, Sharon took it all in stride and was the biggest cheerleader for her four men. It was a busy family to say the least, yet Sharon always had time to nurture the many friendships that she had.

Sharon had a real sense of style. She liked to have fun with her clothes and could make any piece of clothing look good. Her nieces and the daughters of friends looked up to Sharon as sort of a fashion icon. She created magic during the holidays. No small detail was overlooked and both sides of the family looked forward to holiday events at the Sauthers. Whether you were a stranger or an old friend, it only took a step through the front door to feel welcome and immediately at home.

Sharon was a jack of all trades. She had her own wallpapering business, managed the Ethan Allen store, worked at Skywest, and did interior decorating. This was all done, of course, between football games, softball games, painting the house, cleaning the pool, cooking the meals, maintaining the yard, and the list goes on and on.

The last few years held some of the worst times for Jerry and Sharon and some of the best. They lost their middle son Derek in 2005, and Sharon’s dad in 2008. These sad events weighed heavily on both of them, but they were each other’s greatest strengths.

In 2007, they were overjoyed to welcome a new family member with the addition of daughter-in-law, Mindy. Ryan and Mindy were married in Park City, Utah, on July 20. Sharon was so excited to host a barn dance in their honor and worked so hard readying the barn and living quarters at Big Timber. It was at the barn that Jerry and Sharon felt the most peaceful. The barn was a work of love, built with sweat and tears by all three boys, as well as Jerry and Sharon. Like their home in Billings, Sharon’s touch made it a showcase. Jerry was always so proud of his “little blonde.”

The happiest time came last Christmas when Ryan and Mindy surprised them with a grandparents’ book to be used this summer! Sharon announced the news by simply saying, “We got pink!” They were thrilled when California D was born this past June. Sharon worked tirelessly and poured her heart into making a special quilt for “Cali,” hoping that it could become a family heirloom. She could hardly contain herself when she talked about this special baby and never tired of showing off baby pictures!

With Ryan and Mindy happily settled in Utah and Tyler coaching alongside Jerry and completing his teaching degree, life seemed to be going their way. Tyler, too, had met someone special and Sharon welcomed Meagan Rees into the family with open arms.

Sharon had an infectious personality and people of all ages were drawn to her. She laughed a lot and wasn’t afraid to be silly. She loved her Bunko group and was proud that they had played together for over 11 years. Wednesdays were especially important to Sharon. On Wednesdays, she assisted Linda Bertleson with her third grade class. Sharon fell in love with these students and they did with her.

Sharon put others before herself and that selfless trait worked against her as she battled diabetes. She hated the disease and having people worry about her. She put up a good front — to the detriment of her health. Because she acquired the disease late in life, she told herself that she could overcome it. It wore her down and she finally lost her battle.

Sharon is survived by the true love of her life, Jerry; their son, Ryan, his wife Mindy and their daughter California; their son, Tyler; and beloved four-legged “kids” Macy Rae and Cayenne. She is also survived by her mother, Gloria Doty; sister Claudia Wrightson and her children Benjamin, Adam and Brittany; sister Leslie and Tom Aitken and their children Aliesha (Tom) Kesteloot, Jessica and Matthew. She is also survived by her mother-in-law Betty and father-in-law Walter Sauther; sister-in-law Shelley and brother-in-law Randy Cline; brother-in-law Jack Sauther, his fiancée Diana Takvam.

The Sauther family would like to send a special thank you to Dr. “Spike” and the amazing ICU nurses and staff at the Billings Clinic. Spike was not only a comfort to Sharon in her last days, but a comfort for our entire family. We would also like to thank the many friends and family that made Sharon’s life worth living.

Sharon — thanks for sharing the “dash” in your life with all of us. You will be missed more than you will ever know.

God holds her in his arms until we can hold her in ours.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the National Diabetes Association.

Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19, at Michelotti-Sawyers Mortuary. Memorial services will be held 3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20, at the LDS Stake Center on Wicks and Broadmoor Drive. Private interment services will take place prior to the memorial service

Every now and then I get the opportunity to purposefully take some shots of   “the kids” … just a minute ago he was born — now 3 years later and next time I blink he will be going off to college.   It’s that fast…

Claudia is a difficult name to say when you are a little kid — for some reason it has always come out as  ” Ta-dee-dah”  … so now they just call me De-Dah.

I know — its silly, but when someone takes the time to give you a nic name, somewhere deep down in your “I don’t feel loved” bones, you suddenly feel loved again.

Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to spend time with you — I love you.

Claudia  (Dee-Dah)

I took an early drive this morning with my camera to catch some quiet shots and great lighting. As I drove I passed a local cemetery and noticed how lovely it was dressed.

Spring has flown by without even really making an appearance, so you can understand that I had almost  forgotten it was Memorial Day.

Memorial day traditionally has been celebrated to honor those who have given their lives for us in the line of duty. But for many years it’s been a day to celebrate any of those who have left this earthy time with us. I love how we decorate our grave yards.

My cute Dad passed away a couple of years ago– He served his country and was blessed to be able to return to his family.

My thoughtful sister put together this collage for my Mom and Dad years ago and it has been quite a treasure.

I love how the young men “back then” had such pride in how they dressed.  Look at that cute way he tipped his hat.  So darn handsome.

Sadly not all come home. This photo was take byTHECoachesWife and posted on Flickr.  This is of the American Cemetery in France.

Luckily there are many more who do come home to a hero’s welcome.

This fantastic shot was by HISBRIDE – obviously he is his son’s HERO for sure.

I am so thankful to live in a beautiful country who so many have sacrificed so much so we could be free.  Thankful to all of the families who have given the ultimate sacrifce — I will never be able to thank you, but my hearts is bursting with pride every time I see a man or woman in uniform.

Some days I really worry about where our great country  is heading — but I also know that the American people are more awake than ever and will not let her fall.

The song highlighted today is a favorite of mine… Private Andrew Malone.

Happy Memorial Day everyone!

Claudia

PS… Stop by Mary’s place — LittleRedHouse is celebrating Mosaic Monday again.

Welcome Back to Friday~~Finding Beauty

Taking a moment in our lives to stop to appreciate the everyday beautiful is something I have to work hard on. I think too often we find the wrong or focus on the things we think need “fixing” … but if I can stop– breath– and be IN the moment I will find that beauty… it’s there, always has been, we need to find it.

May is a month of birthdays and Mother’s day– one of celebration in our family.

Also, my sister from Montana came down to visit us this week… What an awesome visit it has been.

I do not know what I would’ve done without my sisters– Even though I am the Oldest…(and yes they remind me when ever they can) they take such good care of me. When I have been the lowest, they have been there. When I have been in the highest — they have been there to celebrate with me. They are my biggest cheerleaders and I am thankful for them down to my toes!

Look at these cute things!

They are very happy I am not posting photos of them now–

Three Sister’s

We are three sisters
Three sisters are we
I love each of you,
And I know you love me

We’re not always together,
Life sometimes keeps us apart.
But we’re never separated
We’re in each others heart.

Now I know we’ve had our troubles,
But we always get thru.
The real message is you love me,
And I also love you.

We have had lots of good times
That we’ll never forget
Sometimes we worry
And sometimes we fret

But if God ever gave me
Something special you see,
It might have been the blessing of,
Three sisters are we.
The Lord above has given me much
Of happiness and glee
But the most special thing he did was
Make us sisters, all three.

by Francis I. Gillespie

Join with us as we Celebrate the beauty around us! Be sure to link your blog to us — making SURE you list Finding Beauty on your blog post.

TTFN~~ Claudia ♥ ♥

Is this a scrumptious child or what?

Curious Colton is not quite 2 and kept his “lil devil” side of himself hidden for a very long time… But then one day out of the blue he went coo coo on us all; cant you just see it in his eyes?

Of course he comes by it naturally, because his OLDER more “devil-ish” cousin Mr. Magoo, has started teaching him all his trickery.

Easter pictures at the school yard playground slide brought some of the funnest kicks and giggles!

Bubbles are very illusive… even for us older, more mature people. (bubbles sting your eyes when you get too close.) I love love LOVE bubbles!!

When too much fun has been had by ALL. ahem… This is where one MIGHT end up if one has too …too much fun. (Not to mention he is giggling while he is in the time out corner!)