Precious Memories

As I sit and look at my pictures from this weekend, I almost feel like the memories are so sacred, I want to "ponder them in my heart" for a while before I share them.  I am SO glad I was able to go to Michigan for Lori's funeral, the celebration of her life.  I will treasure these memories.

On Friday morning I went to the Bellefonte Weis Markets, not too far from Route 80,  to meet up with my ride.  My sister Mary Ellen was driving, and her passenger was Jane Moyer, a sister to my brother-in-law Elvin.  My sister Doris had hoped to go along as well, but a new grandson was born late Thursday evening, and she decided it was more important to wear her grandma hat than her aunt hat, understandably so!

So the "aunt train" took off from Bellefonte Weis around 8:45 am Friday and headed to the Detroit, MI area.   Only three women, but I don't think there were five minutes total on the whole round trip that we were not talking.  We seriously did not ever run out of things to talk about!!   So many stories, so many laughs, and a few tears.  We've known Jane ever since her brother Elvin started dating our sister Janet over 50 years ago, but our paths have crossed only occasionally over the years.  We had lots of catching up to do!

When we got to the area of our destination we went to our hotel first.  We were amused by Siri's declaration, "You have arrived!"  By that time it didn't take much to amuse us!

After freshening up, we went to the funeral home where family visitation had been going on since noon.  The atmosphere was very informal and relaxed.  There was no line of relatives to shake hands with, as is often the custom.  Instead everyone just mingled.  There was a buffet of delicious foods with round tables at which to sit and eat.   There was an open casket and her husband Jim stayed right by its side talking non-stop about the love of his life. 

At the hotel that night I was so tired and so ready to sleep, but for whatever reason, I lay there feeling like I would have had five cups of coffee.  Plus we had noisy neighbors.  I'm sure I was still awake at 2 am!  Getting ready in the morning - three 60-ish women, used to having a place for everything and everything in its place - all trying to dress up in a small hotel room, was almost a comedy.  But we did it!  We had breakfast in the hotel lobby, then headed to the church.  

I took this picture as I sat waiting.  So many tears as people saw Lori's body, beautiful even after the merciless ravages of cancer. 

The service was filled with beautiful music, messages, and tributes.  Lori's life, one of vitality and total trust in God through the good, the bad, and the ugly, was a tremendous inspiration to everyone.  They played a recording of Lori singing with her young stepson Bradley at church a few months ago - "Where I Belong."  Those lyrics have never meant so much to me, and I will never sing it at church again without hearing the sweet blend of their voices.

"All I know is I'm not home yet.
This is not where I belong.
Take this world and give me Jesus,
This is not where I belong!"

There was a wonderful meal afterward, and we had such a good, good time with Lori's family - her dad Elvin and stepmother Pauline; her brother Scott and his wife Sheri and their three little boys;  her husband Jim and their children, Jared, Sydney, and Bradley; her aunt Jane who had traveled with us and Jane's daughter Diane who had come that morning from Cleveland;  Lori's best friend Bee and family; Jim's family also.  

I realized after looking through my pictures that the only one I have of Bradley is right here - he is at the bottom right of this photo in the black shirt.  He was having such a fun time with all his boy cousins.  Lori's husband Jim (Bradley's dad) is across the table, also in a black shirt.  I did not get many pictures of him either, as he had a never-ending stream of people loving on him.  He is the family hero, having so tenderly and totally given Lori everything she needed throughout her illness.  He is a truly wonderful man, and as Scott said in his tribute at the funeral, "Our family is forever indebted to you…."  

Scott and his boys.

Cousins, Reid and Sydney.

Robin (Jane's daughter), Jane, me, and Mary Ellen.

Aunt Sheri with Sydney.

Not sure what Scott was being so animated about!  Lori's son Jared is to his left.

Lori's dad Elvin and stepmother Pauline.

I really, really do like Jane a lot.  My facial expression doesn't look like it here, haha!!

Sheri with Jonah.

Sydney with Mary Ellen.

This was to be a picture of us Witmer aunts with Jared and Sydney.  But little Jonah didn't want to let go of his big boy cousin.  (-:

There were SO many beautiful flowers.  Here are some of them, but I missed some of the most spectacular ones. 

After we helped Jim to load up leftover food and flowers, we all went our separate ways to take naps.  In the evening we gathered at Jim's grandma's house for a picnic of delicious leftovers.  

We called this "upside down pie" - created by Jane. 

Later we all went to Jim and Lori's house where Sydney was packing for her first year of college at Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois.  She would be leaving in the morning, so we all had to say our goodbyes to her. 

Sydney is an amazingly mature young lady, so lovely and graceful just like her mom.  This was her testimony on Facebook:  "Wednesday, August 20, I lost my beautiful mother and also my best friend.  She fought a very long and hard battle, and it gives me  peace that she is finally out of pain and in Heaven where she deserves to be.  She set the perfect Christian example for my life, which gets all the credit for the woman I am today.  She taught me everything she needed to in the 17 years we had together.  Life is not fair, and sometimes we don't understand God's plan for our lives, but I will keep trusting him with my future and everything He has in store for me."  Pray for Sydney as she starts this next stage of her life so immediately after losing her mama.  

This morning I wept as I read Jared's FB message, along with a childhood picture of him with Lori and Sydney.  "This week the two most important women on this earth left me.  Mama went to heaven and Sydney is going to school.  Back to back days, miles and miles apart.  I want to be 10 years old again, and I want everything to be back to normal.  This sucks."    Pray for Jared!

And pray for Jim.  The void in his life is gigantic.  And there are so many things for him to figure out in the aftermath of Lori's death.  One thing we know is that this family is surrounded by wonderful, caring friends who will be there for them.  They are very, very loved. 

Mary Ellen, Jane, and I went back to our hotel, and I slept good.  I found out this morning that we again had noisy neighbors, but I slept right through their noise. I guess it was my turn.

We packed up, ate breakfast again in the lobby, and left for PA by 8 am.

I liked this bridge near Toledo, Ohio.

Again we talked nonstop the entire trip, and arrived at the Bellefonte Weis at 4:00.  Mary Ellen and Jane still had a few more hours of travel to Lancaster County, bless their hearts. 

Before I finish out this post I want to share some very precious pictures that the Peifer family gave me permission to share.  They have an annual tradition of spending a week together at Elvin and Pauline's home at Lake Meade, PA - Scott and family coming from California and Lori's family from Michigan.  This summer Lori longed to be there one last time, even though she was already very weak and bedfast.   Jim rented an RV so she could make the trip lying in bed.  Elvin rented a hospital bed for the week and set it up right in the living room overlooking the lake.  Not only did she want to be there, she also wanted one more family boat ride!!  Her wish was granted, and we were told that she told her dad she wanted him to make it go faster!

They also had a party for Lori!  

Each person in the family read to her their messages of love and appreciation.  This picture of Jim and Lori is one of the most touching love scenes I have ever seen.  

I hope that somehow my dear sister Janet is able to know how beautifully and intentionally her family has held together even in her absence these ten years since she passed away.   I don't know exactly what heaven is like, but I like to think that Lori is telling her all about it, and that they are enjoying being together again and are no longer crying or in pain and they are hearing their Savior say, "Well done, good and faithful servants."