The Love of Sisters

My Sisters...... the world is a better place when you have sisters!



Below is a great quote I like alot - it makes me think of my family ~ how their love and inspirations have passed along to all of us siblings and now to the world around us. Thank you mom! Thank you dad!!

"Motivation is everything. You can do the work of two people, but you can't be two people. Instead, you have to inspire the next guy down the line and get him to inspire his people".

-business legend Lee Iacocca

My new feathered friend - the House Finch

I am just so amazed at how many new birds are flocking to my tiny lil patio here!

Here's the latest - a male House Finch! Isn't he beautiful? He looks like he dipped his head in a bucket of red paint!

He's even made friends with the cardinal......

A Gift for You ~ A Gift for Me

We always knew what to get each other... not that it mattered what we got each other, we just loved to give. I still have my star necklace you bought me & the star holders with my name engraved on them... so much I have that you gave me brings back sweet memories of you. I cherish everything sis. Most of all the love and happiness you brought me!

I've really been missing you Mary! I hate that your gone. My heart cries for you and prays you are always around!

Nephew ~ BRETT B-DAY

Happy Birthday - Brett's double #1! The big 11! He got an ipod, Mario cart for Wii, an electric skateboard and a Guitar hero game for Xbox & saw "Transformers" on the opening day today!!

If any lil boy deserves it the most - it's Brett! I love you so much!!

Remember these?......

I just love that we have these lil cards. Remember how our creative dad helped us stand out from everyone else's "senior cards"?

I don't even know if kids do these anymore, but back in our day, we used to hand out cards with our names on it to put in our yearbooks. Dad said "lets put your pictures on them" ~ everyone will remember you for what your were. I was the dancer & Mary was the cheerleader!

Happy Fathers Day!

FATHERS DAY ~ Today is a day that I used to always look forward to when my dad was alive. I loved giving him presents. He was not a materialistic person so I loved buying him new things. Any chance to spoil my dad ~ I jumped on it. In my book, he deserved everything and then some.

Have you ever heard that expression, "He was so kind he would give his shirt off his back for you".... That was my dad! He gave everything away to help another human being who needed more than him.

Everytime I went to his home he would look through his cupboards and say, "do you need this? or some of this? or this?".....

My dad was such a wonderful dad. He was not wealthy materially, but the abundance of love and wisdom he had is the wealth that counts.

I know my dad is still with me. It was 8 years ago (on Father's Day) that I ended up in the hospital to get the help i needed and then again that year (on my dad's death Day 9-9) that I ended up there again. I didn't realize it at the time that these days were those days. I see them now as signs that my dad was helping me get the help I needed. He is not with me physically, but I feel his presence and love with me everyday.

I'd like to share a quote with you that I feel relates to my dad & my sister in describing their energy in life:

"Happy people are beautiful. if somebody walks in the room and they're drop-dead gorgeous, they're fun to look at. But if someone is giving of their spirit and they make you laugh and feel good, that's a whole other level of beauty"

~ actress Drew Barrymore

When my dad died at the early age of 49, I was sad and sickened with grief. I was only 24 and needed my dad. As you know, I grew stregnth and bonded even more with my siblings and decided to find gratitude. I chose to be grateful for having my wonderful dad for the 24 years I did. I could have had a terrible dad or no dad at all. So therefore I changed my sorrow from grief to gratitude and with my open heart and mind, I am able to feel his presence around me. He is gone, but I am not alone.

Auspicous

I have learned a new word that I am in love with..... Auspicous. I read it about 8 months ago in a book & liked the sound of it. when i found out the meaning... i loved it.

Then someone I know said to me yesterday that my wedding date 8-6-09 was an Auspicious date, I was baffled to hear that word again. It took a while for me to recognize it because I hadn't used that word or heard it in months and then I realized I had learned it almost a year ago.

aus⋅pi⋅cious 
how Spelled Pronunciation [aw-spish-uhs]

–adjective
1. promising success; propitious; opportune; favorable: an auspicious occasion.
2. favored by fortune; prosperous; fortunate.

I don't know why, but there are certain things that happen or come into my life that feel special, stick out.... like the coincidences, all the birds and the very particular times they appear to me and my thoughts or wishes coming to fruition. People being brought into my life.....

Beautiful signs all around me that I am in tune with and aware of.

This word feels like its one of those things so that's why I'm sharing it.

It feels special. It feels like a sign.

As I am writing this, two beautiful blue birds are in my tree outside my window (along with the cardinals & squirrel). What a beautiful site. They are all very feisty today.

More Fond Memories.....

Would you believe it, the same day i posted my last blog with the only comments that were saved from the Broussards website, I got an e-mail from one of the friends that signed the web guestbook ~ Mary's good friend Christie. I have never heard from her and it was a pleasure to receive this e-mail (all the way from Germany). Another connection to my dear sis. Mary was so dedicated to her work and her family, that she didn't have alot of time to establish too many close friendships... but the ones she had were pure! One by one, I am being brought together with them! How wonderful it is to share our love for and fond memories of Mary.

Maybe I can start a fan club - I will be President.....

I'd like to share the special heart felt memories Christie shared with me in her e-mail so you can see how Mary inspired and encouraged her:

Hi, I can't believe it has been over a year since everything happened but I am thankful for the time I got to see her in February last year. Alot of the times when i am swimming I think of her and how when I worked out with her in Nederland she always pushed me to go farther and try harder than any person has every pushed me to do before. My family and I recently moved to Germany and it is crazy how the movers came to our house in the states packed everything up and when I got here and unpacked I have so many things that use to not mean much but know that she is gone they mean sooo much and i could never part with them...little things like swim caps we use to collect and notes she would write in my swimming programs before my races (insperational messages is what I call them) I even have pictures of me and the kids I miss them so much. I have tried to e-mail and call bryan to check on them all but he never replys, are the kids doing ok? I am not sure if you know but my daughter got to meet Mary when I saw her last and it was incredible the way she took so well to her and the kids, she is normally shy around new people. We are having another baby soon, I am due January 9th and I wish that this kid would have gotten the chance to meet the one person that inspired me in highschool and still does to this day. It is not many times in life where you come across someone that makes true footprints on your heart and lets you know that no matter what you are worth it and teaches you to be strong when life takes a rough turn, she did all those things for me and I looked up to her in high school and will continue to look up to here in heaven for advise throughout my life.
I hope you are doing well and coping with everything. Remember she is always with you and she loves you alot. The last time i visited her she talked about you, she told me how you were the person she had been relying on and talking on the phone with you was one of the best parts of the day for her and that she was stronger because of you.

Stay strong!
-Christie

Like all of us, she was touched by an angel.

Broussards website gone

I'm really sorry, but the Broussards website is gone. On May 5th, 2009, I discovered it had been deleted. I wrote to the funeral home and found out it was asked to be deleted. I did get a hold of a sweet person named Nellie who received my e-mail, she said she would see if she could find it on the hard drive and forward it to me. The website was supposed to be forever and I was so happy about that. The funeral home did a beautiful memorial. I have a copy of the pictures they put on disc and the obituary, but its the guests that signed on and gave their condolences that i don't have. I told her that it was a memory site for family and friends and that I hoped for her children to have access to it one day if they wanted to. They could see how wonderful and loved their mommy was. I had a link to it on my blog site here and hate to take it down. I am going to post what was found of the site - Nellie was nice enough to forward it to me.

The only thing Nellie found was this:

A new guestbook entry was posted on Friday, April 04, 2008 at 12:38:02 PM.
For: Mary McCrawFrom: Charlotte WolfEmail: cwolf10@mail.accd.eduCity, State: San Antonio, TXMessage: Mary''s mother, Sara Folger, is a dear friend of mine. The loss of a child is one of the greatest sorrows I can imagine, but Sara holds on to Christ our savior for comfort and knows she will see Mary again when she gets to Heaven! My prayers are that Mary''s family will find comfort in their relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Love CharlotteThe message can be reviewed here

A new guestbook entry was posted on Thursday, April 03, 2008 at 12:26:28 AM.
For: Mary McCrawFrom: Christie ReuberEmail: christie.reuber@yahoo.comCity, State: Shreveport, LAMessage: Brian, Kelsey, and Brett, Mary was like my 2nd Mom when I was in High School, she taught me to always follow my dreams and believe in myself no matter what. She was not only my Swim coach as you all know she was my best friend. You all are in my thoughts and prayers I love yall so much. When you need a friend to lean on or talk to I am always here. The message can be reviewed here


A new guestbook entry was posted on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 at 10:21:44 AM.
For: Mary McCrawFrom: Lynette Ochoa & familyEmail: kyptonite@grandecom.netCity, State: Midland, TXMessage: Our sympathy to you Lisa and your family. We will continue praying for the family.The message can be reviewed here

Angelic Mary

I don't know why, but the past week a white bird has circled above my head and flown away. I have become keenly alert to birds these days and am drawn to them when they are near. Not sure what and why the beautiful white bird has been around for but I will be happy to think I'm being watched over. One of the bird appearances was last Wednesday in NYC when Chad & I were meeting with the jeweler to make our wedding bands.

Fond Memories

Here are some kind memories a friend from our High Shcool shared with me:

"I was thinking about your sister after you mentioned her and remembering just how darn energetic and enthusiastic she was at Taft. No one had more determination or energy or positivity on that team than Mary. Since I didn't see her in any of the shower photos I had a sinking feeling--I am so very sorry for your loss. I have very fond memories or Mary and I will keep you and your family in my thoughts. I know I haven't seen you in forever but I am so very sorry and I can't imagine how that feels. I lost my father almost 20 years ago now and my sister and I are extremely close so I just can't imagine...." Take care, Jeni

How nice it is to have memories like this shared with me. Mary was memorable and it was all positive. They all say how much enthusiasm for life she had. My Mary!

Amazing Connections

The most amazing thing happened to me today:

I was at work today... crazy Monday of course! Then, after finishing a phone call, I look up and see a little lady standing in my doorway just smiling a peaceful smile at me. She was wearing a white scarf around her head, dressed in a simple black dress and looked as if she was waiting for me to invite her in. I smiled at her and said, "come in, come in - how are you?" She put her hand to her mouth, tilted her head and I could see she was still smiling. She tried to say something but couldn't say anything i would understand. She spoke no english. So she called out for her son, "Amir, Amir" and Amir appeared from the lobby. He kindly apologized and said, "My mom likes you, she wanted to come by to see you and say Hi". I was so flattered and told him to tell her thank you. She started speaking to him to translate. She was asking me if I was getting married in August. I was stunned and say, "Yes, but how did she know that"? He just laughed and said she was guessing. He said I had a glow. I was baffled and thanked her again. Amir's mother kept speaking to him to give me more information she wanted to say. She was saying to him that I will be with baby this time next year. I should hurry - something due to my age. I couldn't believe my ears. How in the world?! Then she said she sees two babies. She was just smiling and speaking so happily - hoping her son was relaying the message correctly. He told me she was wishing me happiness and blessings. I don't know how to describe the warmth I felt from her even though I didn't understand a word she said. Her kind, loving energy was flowing right to me.

Little did they know that I had a reading from

two seperate intuitive counselors that said the same thing.

Amir came back a little later and said he forgot to tell me that his mother was also telling me that one of the babies was going to be a boy and he was going to be tall, a big boy.

This was such a sweet and amazing connection that I couldn't wait to share it with Chad and my friends. All amazed!

As I was siting on the train headed home, looking out the window telling my friend Tina all about it, guess what flew right by my window ~ yup, a bright red cardinal!! I look out the train window EVERYDAY & never have i seen that. It flew right in my view and over the train. I couldn't believe my eyes. It seems like some sort of confirmation if you ask me......

The craziest thing is that I was wondering recently if someone would ever tap into my energy and give me a psychic reading.

Never a dull moment when your heart and soul are open for the surprises life has to offer!

Hi Sis

I just wanted to say Hi & let you know how much I love you Mary!

Not a day goes by without you in my heart and mind.

Thank you for staying with me ~

I feel your spirit everywhere!

Here's a quote from my "Thought for the Day":

We learn as much from sorrow as from joy, as much from illness as from health, from handicap as from advantage - and indeed perhaps more.--Pearl S. Buck

Wedding Shower Gifts from Above

It was Friday afternoon and I left work on-time for a change. I was so happy & excited about my wedding shower the next morning (5/30/09). I know ~ it wasn't a surprise. That's okay. I've been getting other surprises that make up for what is normally supposed to be a surprise. (I like it that way better anyway!). So, it's still daylight out as I head home from the train and I took my normal everyday route. Something seemed different - purple ribbons were tied all over the place.... trees, stop signs, light poles! I couldn't figure out what or why. Then all of a sudden I had a thought - MARY!! Mary wanted me to see them because she was excited with me about my shower. As everyone knows, lavender and purple are my colors! I was so excited about the mysterious ribbons that I got home and dragged Chad out of the house before it got dark & made him drive the route to see my purple ribbons!
Early Saturday morning I woke up to the chirp, chirp, chirp of the cardinal. I hear them alot, but there was something special in this over active chirp. Plus it was 5:30 in the morning!! Yikes!! I woke up, heard the cardinals, thought of Mary, smiled and went back to sleep.


Chad & I had to pick up the little finger sandwiches we had ordered from my new lil spot "Robinson's Tea Room". I love this lil place, hidden away.... did I mention that the owner (Loretta) has a cardinal story too? I know this because she has a cardinal on the wreath of her doorway & I mentioned how I love cardinals.... the story began. Instant connection. Anyway, as we pull up to the Tea Room, only one parking spot was left and guess what standing in the middle of it as if it was holding it for us: A Robin!! Guess what time it was: 11:11!! That time is very significant to me. I see the clock everytime it is that time. That happens to be the last day I say my Mary 11/11/07, so to me it's a sign from Mary that she is with me & wants me to know it!

These were some of my wedding shower gifts from above. I love you Mary ~

Then............... the shower!!! Courtney, Chad & Lisa surprised me by buying a ticket for my mom to show up at my shower & surprise me! That she did! I couln't re enact that surprise if my life depended on it. That's okay, Courtney got it on film :)! So many gifts. How lucky am I??

P.S. Did i mention that it was Kelsey's 13th B-day the same day as my shower? Yes, I spoke to her - a couple times.... she was very sad, missing her mommy! I gave her words of love and encouragement and reminded her that she has Me, Aunt Lisa, Uncle David & her G'ma to help her keep her mommy's spirit alive. She seemed to be happy with that. Her G'ma Jojo was taking her & 3 friends to the Houston Galleria to stay the night in the Hotel there and go shopping for her special B-day & even agreed to take her & her friends to try on her Bridesmaid dress choices.