Thursday, December 10, 2015

Day by Day

Hello Everyone!
Ok I am going to try and keep this blog going, I know it has been awhile since I posted anything. I am not going to lie and say things are going great around here. It is a struggle everyday. Homework is so much fun as is packing lunches. But in reality we just miss Kate so much. I think she is going to come home soon, but I really know that is not the case. We are really blessed with all the help and support we are getting. I know I could not survive without this help. At times I feel like the little boy in the movie Home Alone. I have gone to the grocery store, done some laundry, ordered pizza, even put up Christmas decorations. I am just waiting for Kate to come back and save me from these kids, I mean the thieves. Really with all the help we have had we are surviving pretty good. I do know that I want to call Kate and tell her, Thanks for everything she did for the kids and me. I do know that every husband should give their wife a big kiss and thank them for everything they do. 
     I really want to try and update more often I will try and make an effort as I think Kate would want me to. I know a lot of our friends see this through Facebook. I do not have Facebook and I said I never would, but Kate did ask us to shut her Facebook down, so I will do that soon and figure something out. I have a lot to say about how wonderful the celebration was for Kate. As hard as that day was I can't imagine a better funeral/celebration. The mass was the most beautiful mass I have ever been to. Kate wanted a party and boy did Sue & Mark, with a huge group of friends, deliver. I can not thank them enough. A lot of people have asked for the eulogy, here it is.

Thanks for everyone's support, please keep us in your prayers. 

With Love,  
John.                          
                                                      Kate Wordeman Words of Remembrance
Wow, Hello everyone! Thank you for being here today, it really means a lot to the whole family and me. I am not sure how to talk about such a wonderful woman in 5 minutes, Kate was so special too so many people. 
I met Kate through a friend; she came to watch one of our co-ed softball games. I immediately knew I liked her, she was so pretty and had a very fun vibe about her. I am not sure if she was impressed with my superior athletic ability or just really liked me, because after that she started playing on our team. I know she didn’t like playing at all, but she did it to be with me and my friends. Kate was always up for a challenge. I think of the first time I introduced her to my family, it was the 4th of July picnic at my parents’ house. We had about 50 people playing whiffle ball all in the yard and she had to walk up in the middle of the group and meet everyone at once. I know she was intimidated but she handled it with Grace and fit right in with everyone. She has been part of the family ever since.
Kate was a great wife, daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, friend but most of all a great MOTHER! Ellie and Kate were going through some of Kate’s old papers and assignments. They came across a paper that was from Kate’s 1st grade. The paper said what do you want to be when you grow up? Kate had written in big sloppy letters “A MOM” Well Kate you accomplished this more than you know. You are a fantastic Mom!
We all know the last two and a half years have been a challenge, but if you ever asked Kate or saw Kate you would not have known it. She not only lived the last 2 ½ years with Faith, Wisdom and Grace, but I believe her whole life. I had many people tell me when they saw her that they couldn’t even tell she was sick. She really carried herself well and always gave off a positive vibe. I knew she was hurting but she never let the kids or the outside see it. 
One of the things I really admired and disliked about Kate was her generous nature and reckless spending for others.  It did not matter to Kate what kind of job you had or what you made. She was friends with people at coffee shops (boy did she love her coffee) Target employees, all the nurses, mailmen, to people that had their own company or were heads of companies. She made friends instantly. She made friends with a group of girls on a blog and they became great friends. (I know many are here today. The scrap book group, they all had a great time going on a weekend getaway every year. I think more wine was had than scrap book pages made. She definitely paid it back. She would always leave a generous tip, pay for someone’s meal or coffee, send a friend flowers or a gift at the right time.  After Kate’s first surgery when we got home the first flowers we received, I opened the card and it said from “Your Target Family” I wasn’t sure if I was in awe or furious, I know I was amazed and told Kate you spend way too much time at Target. I am sure Target and Kohls stocks have dropped after Kate’s passing.
I am not sure why God has taken us on this path, but Kate never complained once and took the challenge with full Faith, Wisdom and Grace. The kids would tell her it is not fair. Kate always responded that “fair” is where you get cotton candy. I believe God gave us this challenge to bring everyone together. Kate has brought St. Gertrude School and parish, a community, family, internet community and many more together. The love shown for Kate and our family has been amazing and I see God working through every one of you every day.  Kate always talked about how it takes a “village” to get through this. Our Village could not be any better I cry a lot in awe of what everyone is doing for us and how everyone has sacrificed for us. I wish I could name every one of you here right now, but this mass wouldn’t be over till next week. We still need the “village” Please continue to pray for us and others that are suffering in our “village.”
I love these kids with all my heart and I know Kate will continue to look out for us from above and guide us and all of you on our journey through life. I miss Katherine dearly. I have found myself driving around this week and picked up my cell phone to call Kate and just say “Hi, Kate, How are you? How are the kids doing? Ask about their sporting events. She loved to watch them play their sports. She would but their schedules on the calendar and we would look at it and then each other and she would always say “I need to breath into a paper bag.” But we loved staying busy watching them. But I realized she was not there to call. But I also realized I/we do not need to call/text Kate on the phone anymore. We can just look up or silently talk to her. She will always be with us and she will always answer our prayers. I am not sure what kind of cell plan this is but it has got to be cheaper as you know Kate loved her cell phone.
Kate and I were lucky enough to go to Kuai for our honeymoon. As you can image it was beautiful, I am sure it is as close as I have seen to what Heaven would look likeKate loved being on the beach and having her toes in the sand with a drink in her hand. We went to an off the beaten path to a place called Queens Bath. The waves would crash over the rocks and fill up a bath about 10 feet deep. I went in, but the girl that was always up for a challenge was a little scared to go in to Queens Bath. She always talked about how she wish she would have gone in that day and if we ever got back there she would jump right in. I believe today she is sitting in Queens Bath looking at us all and smiling, telling us it is ok to cry, but to start to dry those eyes and celebrate her life. She is at peace and she is going to take care of us now.      
Thank you and God Bless!