My first born son.

Thirty-five years ago today I became a mommy for the first time. My heart began to know love in a way I had never known it. I was enamored with the fact that God blessed Kyle's and my love with this creation that was our son. Any mother will agree with the indescribable love she feels when her child is put in her arms after birth.

Born on May 2, our little Benjamin Kyle Bergen, nicknamed Benji.

Our new little family getting acquainted in the hospital after Benji's birth.

Benji has always been full of adventure. From the moment he could walk, he was crawling out his bedroom window, getting lost in the woods and hiding in secret places.

He loved the outdoors.

Ben at Ella's age of about 15 months.

 As he grew and we moved from Waterloo to woodland Georgia mountains, adventures unfolded even more. Stories are endless. And the name changed to Ben.

Ben moved to North Carolina a couple years after high school

and has lived there ever sense.

Today, Ben's family includes Anna, and their daughter, Ella. Ben adores and pours his life into his family every day. It is no surprise that the home he has built for his family is a-top a mountain where he has developed the very highest five acres of the mountain to be his family's home. He enjoys the outdoors that surrounds him and his family. Ben loves fly fishing, both alone and in guided trips he provides for other fishermen.

Ben and Ella today at the Creek celebrating Daddy's birthday.

Ben loves the Lord and leads his family to grow in relationship with Jesus too.
I so wish the 3 1/2 hours between us melted away more often,
as we love our time with Ben and his family

Ben, Anna and Ella Faye

Happy Birthday Benji, I love you so much!

Sister time.

I have always loved having a 'big sister' even though there were 12 years between us. Everyone else calls her Donna, but to our family, she is Donnie. She has been an amazing example to me over the years as I have grown up. I remember staying in her dorm at college when I was a little girl, and in her first apartment in Chicago when she had her first teaching job and countless times we took our young family to join with their young family in Indiana, making memories of cousins playing together. Donnie loves the Lord, lives out her amazing gift of hospitality and is a tireless encourager.

This photograph was taken when Donnie was about 17 and was about 5 years old.

A little side note is that Donnie is standing in front of Mother's first dishwasher!

Mother had just remodeled her kitchen in the early 1960's complete with lots of chrome, pink counter tops and a chrome front-dishwasher. I remember the a dishwasher being so exciting for us!

Fast forward to this winter.



When I knew I was going to have my knee replaced, I immediately said I wanted Donnie to come and help me. She has had both knees replaced and is recently retired, so it seemed like the perfect recipe for my recovery. Not so much because I wanted her help but an opportunity to spend time together.

She and Tom got married when I was in fifth grade and began their family when I was in seventh grade. I lived with them in Indiana the summer after seventh grade so Donnie could get her master's degree in teaching and I could keep baby Annette. When I went to Indiana to college, I loved having Tom and Donnie living right down the road from my dorm. Kyle and I dated there. 

As life became busier, we have never been able to just spend a week together with no children, no agendas, no weddings, no funerals, etc. It has just never happened. Until this week. I knew this surgery time would be the time together we need and have never gotten. She was here for six days. Wonderful. We did all the things I envisioned. We ate, laughed, watched movies, looked through old photographs, talked through memories and our  families, and played on our laptops. We spent time with our Georgia children and grandchildren. She was a great encouragement to me through the pain of therapy and what I should expect as the weeks move forward.



About 50 years later than the kitchen photo above. Still about 12 years between us.
How does that happen?

The last night here, we wanted to take Donnie to a local restaurant. We chose The Pizza Farm which began in a little farmhouse in 1972. It has been through many remodeling and addition projects, but is the same ol' place as when we found it after living here just one month in 1985. It is in the middle of beautiful rolling countryside and cattle farms. There are no other places of business anywhere near it. That's part of what makes it so fun. It is unique in style and setting. Plus, we usually see neighbors there. Last night we ordered steaks (they serve lots more than pizza) and had such a nice evening as the three of us together. We completed the evening with a drive-through-treat at Dairy Queen.

One evening while Donnie was here, brother Tom and Jane made a wonderful dinner and brought it over and ate with us. It was a good reunion of Donnie, Tom and me. We just missed our other brother, Jim.  But it was still a rare opportunity for us to be together. Jane's meal was absolutely delicious, complete with tapioca pudding, home made applesauce, and all the fixin's of pot roast.

I loved how our grandchildren never missed a beat with loving Aunt Donna. You would have thought they saw her every week. Here is a picture with Caroline, Mary Anna and Doster. We did not get a picture with Rosemary when Donnie spent the night at their house. It blessed me and of course it blessed Donnie, to have these precious kids beg to see her over and over while she was here. And, I ask, why not? They know she loves them and are naturally drawn to her.

I just have to say, this was the best week for my sis and me. We grew closer and made up for some time we have missed over the years. I pray times like this will continue, and surgery won't have to be the prerequisite.

Love you, Sis!
 Betty Anne