I was 16 years old when I first met "Aunt Mary Lou" ... “Wait until you meet my Aunt Mary Lou and my Uncle Donnie, said Stuart”, my then boyfriend...What a first impression! Thanksgiving in Pembroke with all the fixings and all the family. I wasn't quite sure how someone so small could have prepared all that food and moved that fast..Seemed impossible for someone that was only as tall as the stove! What was even more amazing was just when I thought it was time for dessert she gathered everyone into the living room and played Santa?!

A gift for every person in the room, brother-in-laws, sister-in-laws, nephews, nieces, girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, wives and extras in case anyone stopped by. Every gift reflected how much effort she had spent through-out the year selecting a gift that fit each person just perfectly. Stuart and I each received a Hallmark Christmas ornament. When you are 16 and someone tells you that someday you can hang the ornament on your own tree someday seemed like a lifetime away.

Stuart and I married got our first Christmas tree and whose ornaments do you think were the first to go on the tree…they were the only ornaments we had! We continued to spend every Thanksgiving with Aunt MaryLou, Uncle Donnie and their family whether it was in Pembroke or in Templeton and MaryLou continued with her tradition of giving us all a Christmas ornament every Thanksgiving.

Every year when Stuart and I decorated our tree we had a special box for Aunt MaryLou’s ornaments, each year the box got bigger and each year we would say “oh remember this one?” Thirty-Nine years later the ornaments not only cover a 9ft Christmas tree, but have been shared with our 2 boys on Christmas trees of their own.

Aunt MaryLou not only gave us a gift from her heart every year, but the gift of memories that have and will continue to last a lifetime.

Aunt MaryLou, thank you for being our gift! I love you.

Mom said she was supposed to go to Niagra Falls for her Honeymoon. Never made it, so, we rented a RV and off down I-90 we went. Amazing three days with amazing Mom

While at Niagra Falls, we rode on The Maid of the Mist. Fun stuff

Hanging out with all of us in Corolla, NC

One of the only things Mom wanted to do while in NC, was tobsee the wild horses....check! What a great day

High speed four-wheelin’ in our way to see the wild horses

Mom and Lori on the US side, beautiful fireworks and light display

Love you Mom

One of the last things we did was visit the gardens. Very tropical and colorful