Karin's Mor-Mor

Great Mor-Mor, Marcus, & Thor - August 2007

In early April, my grandmother (my Mor-mor) passed away just shy of her 90th birthday. She has been in a nursing home for a while now, but still very active and social (just forgetful and a little confused). She was a wonderful woman, who taught us all how to have fun whenever we could, and to love Jesus wholeheartedly. She had such a childlike heart, and such a tender spot for animals (all of whom were called by their colors, Blackie or Blondie, when she didn't know their real names). She loved being at her cabin in Moose Lake, MN and loved swimming at every chance she could. I will always think of her when I eat a jelly bean (a special treat for washing our hair at the cabin), eat soup and pie for lunch ("have a cookie to tide you over until pie" is one of Dave's favorites of her sayings), and go sledding. She blessed us in so many ways (we wouldn't have the cabin if she hadn't gotten her children gathering scraps to sell to make the extra money) and lived for us the faithfulness of God. Every July she would read a Proverb a day, and loved to do so on the deck at the cabin with a cup of coffee. I am sad that my children won't know her growing up, but she helped us bring them home and I am thankful that she at least got to meet them both. She read an article in the local Iowa paper where she lived about a family who adopted several children from Russia, cut out and saved that article, and started praying for the orphans in Russia - long before Dave and I started the process. Van's great Mor-Mor helped to pray him home!

In early April, we loaded the boys up for our first family of four raod trip to Arthur, Iowa for he funeral. We are blessed to have family living close, so Mom could travel down early to help make the plans and we were able to travel with my Dad and brother Jon for the funeral on Saturday. All the family was able to be there, and it was wonderful to see! I kept thinking that Mor-Mor would have loved that aspect more than anything ... to have her 4 children and their spouses together, 10 grandchildren (plus 5 spouses), and 7 great-grandchildren. A lot of chaos, but a lot of that wonderful family-sort of chaos ...

Dave's profile, Aly's knee, Nancy with Joey, Karin with Thor, Eric sitting, Kristina's ponytail, and Greta playing on the floor

Kathleen reading a story while Vanya, Greta, and Marcus crawl into "bed"

Greta, Marcus, Thor, Ava, Joey, Isabella

Vanya, Caleb, Kathleen, Corbin (and Hans, too)

The whole Lovain clan!

The drive home added its' own adventure! Kris & Tony's car broke while we were there, but was driveable home with the potential that it could quit moving at any time. So Marcus climbed in the back seat of Papa's van with Uncle Jon, Thor & Vanya took the middle seat, and Dave & I were in the front with the snacks. The van doesn't always like to start unless you hit the ignition with a screwdriver. And off we went in a mini-caravan (my parents said that they were staying another night, but I think they just didn't want to be in our caravan!). Thankfully, we all made it home safely.

Joey, Tony, & Thor

Vanya and a REAL tractor!