Influence's of my life....

 Awhile back I was reading a book by Lisa Harper called, "Untamed Heart" and in there she asked, "Who do you look up to?  Who are your hero's?"  I first started thinking of all the people who have influenced me...by thinking of those I grew up watching.  Number one being, Lucille Ball from "I Love Lucy."  I loved her.  My mom loved her.  We would sit up forever and watch her when I was a kid.  Then I started thinking of another person on t.v.  Bill Cosby....I love him!  I watched his show all the time.  My mom would play his stand up show, "Bill Cosby, Himself"  all the time.  We would laugh and laugh and laugh.  Watching him talk about his life growing up and his life with his own family.  I remember seeing mom laughing saying, "That's soo true.  That's how it used to be.  I remember that!"  Then again another television person, Julia Andrews.  I remember when I was old enough to go to Grandma and Grandpa Van Heuvelen's house and Grandpa would go golfing and I would sit there with Grandma, watching "The Sound of Music."  She would close her eye's and just listen to Julia Andrew's sing with her beautiful voice, some of the most amazing songs.  After I got the t.v. people out of the way...and believe me there was many, many more people I could have listed.  I started to look at why I loved them and how they came to be a part of my childhood.  I look at the obvious...My Grandma Dorothy (Skaar) Van Heuvelen and my mom Connee (Van Heuvelen) Jenness.  These women have taught me so much about life that I couldn't believe that they weren't the first one's that came to my mind.  Instead, the first thing that came to me was people they loved and showed my why they loved them.

 This is my Grandma Dorothy.  I stumbled over these pictures of her when I was going through old pictures looking for baby pictures of my dad.  When I saw this I just loved it.  This, this is what I remember of her.  Her smile, you can see the life that's in her eyes.  Then when I was scanning the picture, I turned it over and saw writing on the back.  It said, "Laugh, cause you look crazy."  That was her.  She laughed about everything and about nothing.  She loved, and was loved by everyone around her.  It took alot to get this women down!  With a life long disease, she taught me not to let the small stuff get you.  She showed me that there is good in everyone.  She was an amazing women!
My most favorite memory of her was when she was at my sister Steph's wedding and her hearing was terrible, her talking was loud!  She kept talking and talking during the whole wedding.  Finally my Grandpa couldn't handle it anymore and started to shush her.  My Grandma, being the strong minded, strong heart women that she is yelled (and I mean yelled) "Don't shush me Bert." During the middle of the vows. Grandpa shot straight up from his seat and wheeled her out.  I'm honored that some people say I look like her.  But I don't think I ever will capture her beauty and grace.

This is my mom.  I love her!  She is another amazing women I have been blessed to know. I mean look at her, the smile, the laugh, the joy of life is just oozing from her. She is a phenomenal women.  Even though she'll disagree with everything I say about her....she is the most influential women in my life!   Mother of 11 children, grandmother of 17 children, and a loving wife. She has taught me more than I can even begin to tell.

All she ever wanted was to have a large family.  She has had a hard road but she's taken it head on and has come out on top.  She's a warrior like non other!  The women I am today started with her.  My Grandma may have been the one who planted the seed of who I wanted to become; but it was my mother who was there for every tear, every scrap, every high and every low.  She's my mom.  She has taught me to laugh....laugh...and laugh, how to cook for a crowd, and how to love fiercely.
My most favorite story was when she backed into Dad's pickup and Dad did his jumping up and down screaming bit.  She locked all the doors and wouldn't come out of the car until Dad calmed down.  Dad kept knocking on the window saying, "Connee, I'm not mad anymore, just open up the car."  Mom would reply, "No, no you will just yell at me."  I think I was in the car with her for about and hour or so until she finally unlocked the car and got out.  I guess the funniest part was watching Dad.

LOVE YOU MOM!