Birthday Wake for Mary Lou

Today is marked on my calendar as Mary Lou's birthday. I know if I ask God to pass along a "happy birthday" hug for her, He will. But I want to put up some pictures. She passed away last Spring. Pretty much her entire family was able to come together and remember her and visit together and send her off at the end of a long and wonderful life.

So, in honor of her birthday today, I am putting up some of the pictures I have from her funeral, of all the people she loved best and prayed over every day, when we were together and our hearts were tender.

It's a lot of pictures. I am having a hard time deciding which ones NOT to put up. But I love this Mason clan, and I love Grandma Mary Lou. So, here are the memories in pictures from a year ago.

The pallbearers, grandsons all

Chris and his Beasey

Me and Yvette

See all those sunflowers? They are Grandma's favorite.

 Grandpa told all the girls they could have any of the flowers from the flower arrangements that they wanted. I think this is what my daughters will remember the most about Grandma Mason's funeral: all the beautiful flowers, and holding them, and smelling them, and remembering Grandma.

Adam, Kevin, Brian, Eric & Jesse

Katie and Lucy

Heather, Hannah and Becca

The lovely Heather

Sarah and Ruth (and Logan in there somewhere)

Chris and Caleb

Mason handing out flowers to Jason and Konner

Grandpa Mason and (most of ) the Galbraith grandsons

Chris and Tara and their boys

Grandpa and Katie

Grandpa Mason and all of the great-grandchildren in attendance

The Hochhalters!

Heather and her brothers

Bekah and Ginny visiting during the family luncheon

Maggie, Yvette and Ella

Eliza Rose and the rose Grandpa Mason gave her

Seth and Jarom

Brian...love this guy. You know, I've only met him a couple of times, but I really like him. Maybe it's his sense of humor.

Kevin and Andrea

Becca and Hannah

Heather and Jesse

Austin & Erin

Ginny, Mark and Cindy

Ginny, Cindy, Chet and Mark

Becca and her rose

Daniel

Matthew, Kyle and Caleb

Rex

Annie Louise and Seth

My six (at the time) kids at the end of the luncheon.

That evening, we went to Grandpa Mason's house, and visited and visited and visited some more. The younger children caught frogs in the pond, there was a bonfire with marshmallow roasting. It was so soothing and enjoyable to be together. Is it wrong that it was an enjoyable day? I don't think so. It's not that we don't miss Grandma. We do. But we are happy for her. She certainly leaves a legacy of service and love and joy behind her, it only seems right to remember her joyfully.