I'm a Whole Hand

October 15 was an anniversary date of sorts. I spent it with Cora Klein, who was a whole hand old on that day. It does not seem possible, the answer to our prayers was born 5 years ago.
There isn't a time a time I don't look at her and think of that.



She is a hoot, saucy and wavy red hair. She can be very funny too. We had a sleepover at Poppo & Mommo's, ate chocolate chip pancakes and had spoiler sandwiches. We went to town and went junking at Goodwill and then had lunch at Fazoilli's.









She looked at me at one point and said, "I love you Mommo and I love coming to your house all by myself." She love to carry a purse with her and trust me, she has everything she needs.
















But my favorite phrase of those days was "I'm a whole hand." And she would hold up her hand with all five fingers and show me.

Yes, you are Cora dear, 5 years old.

"I thank God for my every remembrance of you."

I love you, Mommo.

Change

As I begin this blog I am reminded that change is all around us, sometimes it is very obvious and sometimes it is not.

Our family has recently closed a chapter in our lives. The Lesh siblings sold the Hager/Lesh homesite last week. It is the building site of a century farm. The home pictured is the third home located on this site, the prior ones succumbed to fire.







The barn shown was rebuilt after burning many years ago also.










We recently spent an evening walking the place with Sara & her kids and Stephanie. It was an emotional evening for Sara & Gabe in particular, as they lived here for several years before moving a year ago to La Porte City. It was also hard for Shane, as he spent an evening there before leaving for Iraq. In some ways it is just a house, but I know there are other aspects to this location that were hard to leave. The history of this place is evident in farm pictures and the ancestors of Jeff's family that worked this land and lived and died there as well. Jeff & his siblings were the first generation not born in this house, but at Allen Hospital in Waterloo.


This site was the home place for the original farm that was eventually broken into 3 parts and left to three brothers, Jeff's great-uncles, and grandfather.

Our memories are such a blessing. Even though family has past away and life has changed, we still have the privilege of recalling those special people and times and places.