September wraps up.

 Ashlyn is still playing volleyball.  There's only a few more weeks of this sport left on the schedule and they are playing well!  Hadassah is coaching the girls so we get to hold Gunnar during game time!  It's been a blast!

I love that my phone put together an album called Mommy D OVER THE YEARS.  I have so many photos of us together because I was intentional with taking a photo when I had a visit with her!  And over the funeral time of her passing, we looked through so many old photos too!  I love this one of me and my older cousins with Daudy and Mommy D!!!!!  I remember right where this was and could you there yet today!  So precious!

The garden is growing gorgeous lettuce and radishes!

The day of Mommy D's funereal was also the day of Charlie Kirks memorial service.  I want to watch the service so I taking it bit by bit.  With it being over five hours long, it will take me a bit to watch the whole thing but I sat and looked through the new book my mom gifted me!  There's so many powerful words being spoken and the name of Jesus is being proclaimed!

Wednesday is the day that I would visit Mommy!  I didn't stress if I didn't get there for some reason.  It didn't happen every week but it was the day that I tried to make a visit with her!  You never knew if she would be awake or how sharp her mind would be when you arrived but she was always happy to see me and I loved it!  I didn't stay real long because I was then off to workout class by noon!  

This was last Wednesday.  I visited her grave now instead.  The flowers that were laid on her grave were still blooming.  I miss you Mommy D!!!!!

And Gunnar got to go along on my morning walk!  He fussed and made baby sounds as Lind and I made our laps around the park!  He's such a cutie pie!

Our church had a "Meet you at the Cafe" night!  This was for the ladies from church that RSVP and they didn't know until that day where they were going and who was going to be there!  They knew it was going to be ladies from church but didn't see the list of friends until they arrived!  I met with this group of ladies at the Village Cafe and chatted and laughed and made new connections with church friends!

And we are in thick of school these days.  Austin is liking his new teacher!  Being in fifth grade is going well for him.  Last week was a lot of studying.  He had a book report to do.  A few tests to study for plus the normal spelling words and bible memory!  I am so grateful that we have good teachers to teacher our children well!  I got to review and learn a few things too while I helped Austin study!

 

As I watched the Charlie Kirk memorial I jotted down a quote from his wife Erika Kirk.  She said, "Your role is to make heaven crowded!"  I have a small spot in the kitchen that has collected quotes or notes over the years and now I have a new one to review!

These Gingerbread Biscottis are a hit right now in our home!  I made a double batch and they are so good dipped in coffee or tea!!!!  The house smells amazing after baking these and Austin loves how professional they look after the chocolate gets drizzled over top!

Home ... it's the place where I get to display the cute pumpkin patch photos I took of the kids when they were younger!  Its the place where I can have fresh flowers on display in the kitchen!

It's the home where we eat a lot and I wonder how many times this pantry door opens each door?  I grabbed myself a hot Pumpkin Chia after grocery shopping and it was delicious!

And herels a photo of my grocery haul yesterday.  Every Sunday I like to sit down with a paper and pen and a cookbook and plan out our meals for the upcoming week.  Then I grab groceries on Monday.  A favorite right now are the Sugar Snap Peas from Target.  They are so good!  The girls love these!  Also the chocolate milk from Maplehofe Dairy Farm.  The boys love this drink!  

With taking the kids to school in the morning, we had to come up with a solution about making a stop at Latte Luv!  We you drive past the best coffee shop around every day, you need to have self control and not let drinks drain the money bag!  We decided that Tuesday would be the day if we stopped!  The kids love the Autumn Shaker but this morning they both got the iced vanilla breve.  I already made a cup of coffee as I packed lunches so I passed on a drink this morning!  These morning school runs came be so sweet!

September is almost over.  We are in the last days of this favorite month!  It's been beautiful.  It's been on the dry side and we could use the rains!  The garden is still looking good but the flowers are dwindling down.  The radishes and lettuce were awesome!  The farmers are started with cutting the corn down in the fields around us!  That always sends the mice running and we almost always catch one in the basement.  The traps are set if they find their way inside.  The school sale is over and Austin has a few more fall ball games to play.

I love September but the next month coming up is the month of color!!!  Fall leaves start to burst with color!  I can't wait to see it!

MOMMY D. .... is now with Jesus!

My grandma ... Mommy D.  

Growing up we always called her Mommy Dienner.  When Hadassah was born and started talking she called her Mommy D.  Her name stuck and now we all call her that!

I loved Mommy D.  I grew up living right next door with my grandparents!  Daudy and Mommy D. were very special to me!  Mommy made the best egg sandwiches with lots of cheese and buttered bread.  She served the best homemade strawberry shortcake and chocolate cake and made the best pumpkin pies!  She loved to make meadow tea and iced tea.  Her and Daudy made their living by going to market and I had the privilege of working for him at his little drink stand before I was even a teenager.  Mommy always had an Easter Egg Hunt for us grandkids!  Every Christmas Eve the Dienners always met at Daudy D's and Mommy had a gift for everyone!  Daudy D put in a tennis court and in ground swimming pool at their home place so obviously we spent a lot of time playing and swimming here!!!!!  

Fast forward to years later, I got married.  Moved into a small rancher with Mike and Mommy D would come do my weed eating for me.  She made the best lines with her small gas weed eater and it looked so nice after she was finished!  She bought Longaberger Baskets from me when I was still a consultant for that company and gave the baskets out for Christmas.  She loved on my children!  My only regret is that she didn't get to meet Gunnar in person!  Of course, I showed her a picture of Hadassah and Gunnar when he was born.  I was so proud to show her but I knew she didn't really "get it."  I told her the very last time I had a conversation with her that I am going to bring Hadassah and Gunnar with me the next time I visit!  I really wanted to make it happen but God had other plans!  Now she lives in heaven!!!!!

When my mom called and said that Mommy wasn't doing well, I had intentions to go see her on Wednesday like I did most times before workout class.  I dropped a pan off at moms and she said she was just down to see Mommy D and her words were all slurred.  I decided to wait for my visit if she was having an off day anyway and went off to workout class.  Mom and Dad went to the cabin because they have a pickleball court project happening up there and a forest fire that state firefighters were fighting.  When Mom called me on Thursday morning and said that Tel Hai called and said that Mommy's breathing changed and that they should consider coming to the home, I knew I needed to go see Mommy D!  I called Mike and we met there right before lunch time.  My parents were heading home from the cabin to come be with Mommy D.  

When I got the retirement home, I waited outside for Mike to arrive.  I sat my their outdoor water fountain and thought that maybe this would be my last visit here on earth with Mommy.  When we walked into her room this is how we found her.  All snuggled in her bed.  Breathing hard.  I thought she moaned when I started talking to her but after watching her breath so hard, I'm not sure?  I cried when I saw her.  She didn't look good.  Maybe her time on this broken earth is finally over soon!  I talked to her.  I told her I loved her!  Mike asked if I don't want to hold her hand or give her a kiss.  I looked at her and didn't want to disturb her sleep but I wish now I would have held her hand because that was her last way of communication with her children.  She did squeeze their hand when they gathered around her and she passed away.  I walked back out of her room and walked over to the nurses station and started crying.  I said, "She doesn't look good."  Mike and I grabbed lunch together and I came back home.  

Mom and Dad were on there way home from the cabin and all her siblings sat around Mommy D's bed that night.  She worked hard for every breath she took.  At midnight, my parents went home to try to get some sleep but at 2 AM Tel Hai called again and said they should come back.  Again, another change in her breathing.  I woke up Friday morning and checked my phone right away.  Mike and I had our football weekend planned for this weekend.  Plane tickets and motel room was booked.  We had game day tickets to watch the Cowboys VS Bears play on Sunday with John and Kathy.  We couldn't wait for this weekend together!  I asked Mike if we should still go ahead with our plans and he said that we can't live in the what ifs and we should stick to our plans to hear more from Mommy D.  I agreed.

At 7:23 AM, Mom texted and said that Mommy D just passed.  Mike and I were going to get picked up at 8:30 and taken to the airport to fly to Chicago.  Our plans changed really quick and we were not going anywhere but to be with the Dienner family celebrating Mommy D's life!  

This is the last photo I took of Mommy D!  September 18, 2025.  She died the next day.

We were all packed up for our weekend away and the kids couldn't wait for the sleep overs with cousins.

I drove down to my parents to help clean up the reck room area and get ready for the Dienner family to gather at my parents house that night.  Mommy D was brought by the undertakers for our first viewing that afternoon.  The Dienners were welcome to come and be together that night.

Mommy D's home church brought us meals over the entire weekend.  I told the ladies that Mommy D's favorite were banana splits and that was our dessert that night!!!!  I loved that!  Thank you!

We came home that night to a bouquet of fresh flowers!  People are so thoughtful!

On Saturday, Austin had a baseball game.  We didn't think we could attend because of being in Chicago but now we were home and cheered him on!  He's loving this fall ball season and had a great hit!

Saturday night, the Dienner family all gathered again around Mommy D's casket in her home church basement.  Many friends and family came out to goodbye and give hugs to those of us that loved Mommy D!  She will be missed by many!

Sunday ... again we had plans to be in Chicago but because we were home for Mommy D's funeral day, we decided to go hear our friends speak out on their Faith Story with the passing of their son Parker five years ago!  Brian and Erica did a great job through their tears share their tough journey of how Jesus helped them through some of the toughest days of their life!  I'm so proud of them!

We grabbed lunch with our children that also went along to Freedom Life Church that morning.  Then we rested at home before it was time to head to Mommy D's funeral.  I knew I would cry the moment some family shared memories of Mommy D!  She was so special to me and one of my best friends!  I have a million memories of her and will miss her!  A grandchild of Mommy D, one from each family, was asked to be a pallbearer.  I'm so proud of them and they proudly carried her casket to the grave yard!

Again, we cried.  We laughed.  We sang hymns.  It was such a wonderful farewell!  Mommy D lived a good life of 89 years old.  We didn't wish her well anymore but wished she could go to heaven to be with Jesus!  With Daudy D!  With Charlie Kirk that also has his memorial service today.  What a rejoicing it is in heaven today!!!!!

She was special to so many littles!!!!!

The kids took turns shoveling dirt on her grave if they wanted to!  So precious!

Flowers were passed out to be laid on her grave!

The Dienner family that I love so much!

I'm so proud of my parents too!  Over the years, they lived next to Daudy D's.  They cared for them so much!  So lovingly and kind to them!  When Mommy D was taken down to Tel Hai, that was a tough decision for them!  They knew it was going to take a crew of good nurses to help care for Mommy D now with a broken hip and needing theory and fighting dementia.  Tel Hai did such a good job!  Thank you everyone!  

And now we are left with a tomb stone that sets at the gravesite of my grandparents!  

I love you Daudy and Mommy D!!!!!

In memory of Rebecca K. Dienner.

This world can be so cruel and sad but today, angels are rejoicing and the saints of God are rejoicing in heaven!!!!!

So much has happened over the weekend!!!!  Thank you Jesus for carrying us through each moment!  Thank you for dying for us!  For loving us!  It is because of Jesus that some day we will meet again in heaven with those that have died and now live in eternity!