28 Reasons Why My Mom Is Better...

It's my Mommy's birthday! In honor of that, Hannah and I decided to create this long list.. hehe.

1. How to bring your pitch partner and yourself back from being down 32 and win.
2.She is truthful and honest. She doesn't hold anything back from us.
3.Supportive. In EVERYTHING!  She is at every event Hannah or I am in or involved with.
4.She listens. When I feel like the world is crashing down on me or when I feel as if what I am telling her is the most fantastic thing in the world.
5.She taught me to be strong. To not let anything anyone says or does, crush me.
6.To be myself. To be me and not worry if someone else cares. If I'm happy with my life, then that's what is important.
7.She does like, everything. Like for real. Dad's gone, who do I call? Mom, even when Dad is home.. haha. Dad's gone? Mom fixes it. It gets taken care of.
8. She's taught me the proper way to fold towels.
9.Not to worry constantly. To sometimes just wing it, throw caution to the windand go for it.
10.Shown me how I want to raise my kids (in the far future) and how I'd like for them to see me.
11.To try and always put my family and others first.
12. She LOVES us; all the way to the moon and back.
13.She's taught me how to love God.
14.She's shown me how to mud a wall and how to have a fun time doing it.
-Mk

15. She's taught me that sometimes being weird is the best way to be.
16.To do want I love to do...Even if I'm not good at it. But she'll always support me.
17. Be outrageous! Meet new people because those strangers might just end up to be your best friend.
18.Treat people with respect, you never know what they are going through.
19.Learn how to love who you are. God made us all perfect in his eyes, so why worry what other people think of you.
20.Taught us to be proud of your accomplishments and your failures.
21.Girls can do anything a man can do and we can do it faster.
22.Be thankful for your family and things. It all can be gone in a blink.
23.Find a man who treats you right.
24.Love your family and friends more than anything in the world.
25.Trust in God and everything will be fine.
26.Believe in yourself. Believe that you can do anything your set your mind too,
27.She throws the best birthday parties.
28.She has been the best mother for the last 18 and will continue to be forever the rest of time.
-HK

Love you Mommy!

Not enough time.

Spent some time in Harper, KS today.  This was one of those visits you don't always like to do.  Our extended family gathered to pay our last respects for my Uncle, Lindy Lechner.  LL, as he was affectionately called, was my Mom's brother in law.  I am sure he was much more than a brother in law, but that is what he was.  LL was ornery, funny, out spoken, supportive.  He was a story teller, a prankster.  And he was loved.  That was evident by the crowd in attendance.  All of the remaining Kahmeyer siblings were there.  Aunt Ruby, Uncle Dale, Aunt Eunice, Aunt Boots, Aunt Doris, Aunt Francis, and Aunt Sue.  Of course, Aunt Leona and her kids.  All of my siblings were there.  Every family of this large group was represented.  Of course, the Lechner side was also there.

Being around all of this family made me realize something.  Life isn't long enough.  There is not enough time to take care of all your responsibilities, be it work or your own family, and be able to take the time to visit with your relatives.  I mean, to really be able to sit down and talk to your Aunts and Uncles, your cousins, sometimes your own brothers or sisters.  Then you have a day like today.  I took time to speak to each of my Aunts and their husbands and my Uncle.  But it isn't enough.  Five or ten minutes is not enough time to convey how much these people mean to you.

When I was a kid, I thought 'these people aren't that old'.  Now I am 46, and these people are getting old.  We are all getting old.  It seems like some of these people you only see at funerals.  In fact, my cousin Tim commented, "It's pretty bad you have to go to a funeral to see each other."  That's so true.  And there will be more in  the future. 

At the dinner following the funeral somebody said that there was a party in Heaven.  See, my cousin Gary, Uncle Lindy's son, died in 1982. (I hope that was the right year).  Our Uncle Roland and Aunt Em died several years ago.  Uncle John a few years ago.  My Mom and Dad five years ago.  Uncle Dwayne, last year.  Other cousins also.  I bet it was a party.  The minister today used John 11:21-27 as his Gospel reading.  Verses 25 and 26 read, "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life:  he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.  Believest thou this?"

I don't know about you, but I believe.  We will be reunited with our loved ones if we trust in God.  I also believe that we should put aside any differences we have.  Life is to short to be mad or unhappy with family.  Mend those broken fences.  Make an effort to visit with those loved ones.  Especially the older ones.  They are our history.  If we don't listen to their stories and recollections, they're gone.  And they can't be replaced.  I'm not trying to preach, just been thinking since the funeral this morning.  Life isn't long enough.  I'm going to try and make an effort to visit with those relatives.  Will you?

Rest in peace, Uncle Lindy.  You will be missed.

Ivan