St John's Episcopal Church

No matter the angle, the church was beautiful. The gardens were especially nice with a great entrance poem stating~

VADE ME CUMM

(Your *Go With Me*)

Your own bible is your tour guide to *go with you* as you grow through the Garden of Eden! Enter in Peace! Genesis 2:15

My favorite, St Francis, who wrote this poem

(I first read it when I was 9, it is still the most significant I've read yet)

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.

The journey is almost complete, John has hand carried his father's cremains from Georgia to Oklahoma, now delivering him to the Church the Meachams attended, grew up in, all still in Norman. John is actually holding his Dad here.

Father Dwight and Twila, who conducted the service, which was most touching as
John's Dad has at last joined his Mom as they both desired and planned.
John put the cover back on the Niche, which was special as it was the one last thing he could do for them.
Mission Accomplished!

Oklahoma University

Mr Meacham was a very proud Sooner!
We loved to hear him tell stories of how Sooners arrived in Oklahoma, as well as stories of OU. Every Christmas and Brithday, his sister Martie would send him OU shirts, blankets, sweats, switch covers, noise makers, anything and everything OU.

The Meachams have a large OU history beginning (as far as we know) with John's grandfather, who was a noted football player as an undergraduate,

then went on to teach

and become the Dean of Sciences..
There is an hall the Student Union named, *Meacham Auditorium*.

Ferrell, his sister Martie, and well as Marties best friend Patti (Ferrell's future wife, John's Mother) all went to OU.
The next generation to attend was one of John's 4 brothers, Marc, where he met his wife Cathy, some cousins etc. We think Mr Meacham loved it best, he wore his 1948 classring with a gold Kappa Sigma insignia as long as I knew him. In fact we spent much time tracking the ring down when he would forget where he had put it. More than once, it was in the bedside table, but he always knew when he didn't have it on!

What an incredible walk down memory lane, wondering about the changes as three generations of Meachams looked at this huge clock

Sooners VS Cornhuskers 62-28

It takes a real SOONER to make a hat like this

Sooners satrted winning in the first 5 minutes!

Prettiest part of the field

TOUCHDOWN! Well, one of enough to total 62 points!
I bet Ferrell and Patti are laughing!

What a totally wonderful day of HomeComing

Ranes - Halloween 2008

Oh No! I have all of these great Halloween Shots and can not get the individual pictures to save so I can blog them! HELP!
I have *snatched* pics from another blog, but never got them from another Web Album (other than my own), am unable to save them to MY Picassa. Yikes!!

Until I learn this new trick, click below to see some incredible costumes and kids having fun!

Picasa Web Albums - Ranes - Halloween 2008

My Son in a Skirt

Since I was not a blogger last year, I claim the right to blog my first born son in a skirt!

Wonder what he will do for an encore this year!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

One bright October day, Winnie the Pooh and Piglet decided to carve their Halloween jack-o-lanterns. Pooh wanted to carve a scary face. Piglet wanted to carve a happy face. Pooh was so busy working that he didn't notice that Piglet had disappeared! "Piglet, where are you?" called Pooh. "Here I am, Pooh," cried Piglet, as he popped out of his jack-o-lantern. Both friends laughed and finished carving their pumpkins.

I'm snatching pics again~ Addison and Carter are ready!

I've been told that Sky is a Red Devil!

Braydon is a Punk Rocker!

Tyson is a Mad Scientist!

and

Kayleigh is a Princess!

We are headed to Norman Oklahoma this morning, will return Sunday, may have to help Nebraska Cornhuskers get whipped by the OU Sooners! (and may watch it froma distance, like on TV down the street :))

Polynesian Boys

The Green Pumpkin

I snatched this picture because it is SO good in so many ways.

The green pumpkin, the evident weight of the pumpkin, the location of a few orange pumpkins, the Church in the background, and last but not least, the look of sheer delight on Carter's face!

In Memory of Lucille

No, her name is not really Lucille, is but a name I tagged her over 30 years ago when we first met and started working together. This is actually Peggy Harrell, my best friend through thick and thin for many years. She crossed over in 2001 to join her Heavenly Father and has been missed on a daily basis since then. She was my children's GodMother, loved them almost as much as I did, and was one of the best Respiratory Therapists you would ever need. She fed Sky her first cheese cracker, had the chance to meet Braydon, but left us a couple of weeks after Tyson was born. With Tyson's loving personality, I think she might have had a word with him hefore he left heaven! The day of her funeral was the day I met Tyson for the first time.

So today is her Birthday, and a great time to let her come live in our Blog. This particular photo is a favorite as we were in Mexico eating shrimp and avocados after going to a wildlife reserve to hide in blinds and take pictures of Green Jays (yes there is) and Road Runners (yes they were too). Peggy was already sick at that time, so she was in a wheelchair, but sharp enough to throughly enjoy watching me overcome with awe to see a REAL roadrunner. My mouth simply hung open as she said *Beamer, you're missing the picture*. Beamer is what she called me for a long time, stating that the room lit up when I walked in. It was true if she was in the room, my headlights would automatically jump to *Bright* just to see her there, ready to listen to my every word, respond as if no one ever talked before, and live my life with me as if it were her own. That is all she wanted, to share with others and make THEM happy!!!

What an act to follow!

SO... HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUCILLE

See ya Next Time

Peggy Harrell and I, for all those years of friendship, began the phrase *See Ya Next Time*, as it was not as harsh as goodbye, or even bye! It means that we will surely see each other again, somewhere on earth or otherwise.

Braydon and Tyson are giving Mamoo a few tears to hold on her blouse, or maybe that is her tears, who knows, they are just loving each other until next time.

Poor Blace is just outright boo hooing!! She and Kayleigh really bonded this visit, don't know who loved who the most, but I see some sugar in action here!

Uncle Waymon, Uncle James and Uncle CL, brothers of Mamoo, prepared Ranes a full bushel of boiled peanuts to take back to Utah with him. It weighed in at 47 pounds. Now that's a LOT of peanuts, so you Utah friends make sure you get a sample!!

The End~~~until next time!

Ranes gets Philly Cheese Steak ready for Oven

I was in on this action, was having an incredible fit of laughter on the inside as both Mamoo and Ranes are trying to be the kitchen Boss! It is Mamoo's Kitchen, but Ranes is cooking! Need I say more??

Then it got interesting! Jamie even had to send for the recipe after seeing this shot, had no clue what Ranes was doing (since ye scribe had not entered text yet)

Off it goes in the oven, just for us to enjoy as the Fabulous Five prepare to pull off.

After they were gone, the kitchen began to fill up with the aroma of baking break and melting cheese. We we SO sad to see them leave, but Ranes left behind quiet a treat!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMIE

We have to type this one FAST as Jamie's Birthday is almost done in England!

This picture is fabulous in that it gives me a chance to wish Jamie a HAPPY BIRTHDAY as well as to show you how far off base I was about Alison's shoes in Ashdown Forest. You are LOOKING at Ashdown Forest, Allison appears well shod, Jamie's feet are mostly muddy, not sure if the stains came out or not.

At any rate, from all of our Southern US Hearts, we wish our friend Jamie

a Huge Happy Birthday which was once shared here in the US with our Matriarch, Thelma!!

Even as I speak, we are STILL celebrating her arrival of 8 decades, how cool to be 80 in 08.

MORE TO COME! Promise!

ROSE CITY RED HATTERS

Ranes named the group! This is the Thomasville Charter Red Hat Society!

We happened to be having our quarterly Monday Luncheon! Our Queen Mother (right behind Ranes) was SO delighted to see Ranes and family as Ranes was one of her Nursury School Students at some point of her 30 years career of pre-school teaching!

John is the only *Red Cap* present this meeting, he gets to assist with out bags etc, we LOVE him and all of our *Red Caps*

The Queen Mother has just appointed the great grandaughter of the VICE Queen (Mamoo, she says she is the Queen of Vice) as the newest Red Hat Society member! Since she is not 50 yet, she can only wear a pink hat now, so she was given these dazzling pink and crystal ear rings that I imagine she will never forget! Since the Vice Queen is touched, dhe allows Kayleigh to wear her Red hat for her Pink Lady coronation!

And of course, Kayleigh gave us a show! Is this too adorable or what!

A personal favorite as Kayleigh made this exact same facial expresion the last time she visited. She was just 10 months old, and stood up for the first time!!

The REAL Birthday!

As luck would have it, our Church just happened to be having our annual Homecoming this particular Sunday, the day of Mamoo's Birthday. What could be great, all of the company, all of the food, a feast with a special cake just for Mamoo! It is Hummingbird Cake on the bottom, Italian Creme on top. Yum!

On the right side of Mamoo's special seat, we filled with pictures of she and Daddy when first married, then she, Daddy and her Mother *Lil Mema*, Mamoo wsa in her 50's, and lastly, a recent picture of Mamoo in her *Red Hat Lady* outfit, was a parade shot!

There was a long rectangle table to accomodate children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and any other folks that wanted to join us. We were in FEAST mode!

Whoever you are, you HAVE to know how special this picture is to me. My son, my daughter, my mother and me. Does it get any better? It's not even my Birthday! I personally think we are all gorgeous, especially our spirits!