This is the day...

New Cell Phone

My husband has told me to pick out a new cell phone for my birthday but I am having a lot of trouble deciding on one. We have AT&T service right now and these are the one's I have looked at so far:Tiltblackjack2 in pink
Duo

By the way I got all these images from 1-800Mobiles.com, so hopefully I have not broken any copy right laws.

I really want one that has a full keyboard instead of just a keypad because I mostly use it for text messaging and it takes forever to text on a number keypad. Also I would like to get one that I could check my email on and also one with a camera. That would have come in very handy when I had my fender bender back in January.

Do any of you have any opinions about any of these phones or have another favorite phone? We don't have to stay with AT&T, we just have been with them for 8 years and we don't hate them or anything so why change now! I keep my cell phones for a long time so I don't mind paying a bit for them, we have had two phones in 8 years so that isn't too bad.

Hubby has a blackberry from work and he loves it but I am not totally sold on it, so the blackjack 2 is really my 3rd choice at this point because it has the same type of keyboard as the blackberry my hubby uses.

Or maybe I should just throw caution to the wind and get me one of these:What do ya think?

For Those Who Might Be Wondering....

Dad did not come to our place this time when he evacuated for the hurricane. Originally they had predicted that IKE would hit near Corpus Christi, come to SA and then head up to Dallas. So it did not make any sense for Dad to come here, then when they changed the forecast to hit near Galveston, it was really too late for him to drive across Houston with everyone heading North from Galveston. So he went to my Aunts house about 45 miles inland from his town.

They are doing fine. If I ever have to go through a hurricane again, I hope I am with my Aunt and Uncle. Uncle Charles is the most prepared person I know. They have a generator (or two or three going) they are able to keep the microwave, refrigerator and lights going. Uncle Charles owns every type of flashlight known to man. I bet they even got to watch the Cowboy game tonight. (Yea! Go Cowboys!)

There is still no electricity at Dad's so he is better off just staying with my Aunt and Uncle until it gets turned back on. My brother said that there was very little damage to the house, just a few shingles blown up (but not off) and a few limbs down from the trees.

I think everyone will be fine as long as they don't discuss POLITICS!!!!

Still Missing Mama

I guess I am hormonal this week but I sure have been missing my Mama a lot. Monday I was in Target and an older lady walked by me in an outfit that looked like something my Mama would wear. Did not matter that the woman looked nothing like my Mama, still made me cry....right there in Target! Thankfully it was just a few tears down the cheek not the ugly, snot running out of your nose cry. I looked up and saw someone I knew going down an aisle (she did not see me) and so I made a Bee line in the opposite direction so I would not have to explain my tear stained face.

Tonight at church, they were practicing the songs for Sunday. I go in there a lot to help the less experienced interpreters sign the songs (to get some practice and to make sure they have the vocabulary down)and just to practice myself so I am not caught off guard by the songs on Sunday. They were doing an old hymn tonight...

If We Never Meet Again:

Soon we'll come to the end of life's journey
And perhaps we'll never meet anymore
Till we gather in heaven's bright city
Far away on that beautiful shore

If we never meet again this side of heaven
As we struggle through this world and its strife
There's another meeting place somewhere in heaven
By side of the river of life
Where the charming roses bloom, forever
And where separation come no more
If we never meet again this side of heaven
I will meet you on that beautiful shore


I believe I will see my Mama again when Jesus calls us all home. I am not sure what we will look like or how we will recognize each other but I believe we will. I am grateful that my Mama isn't suffering anymore and is at peace but I sure do miss her!

Dad, Facebook and Gustav

We have enjoyed having Dad with us this weekend. We had planned to go see HIM but my brother (who is the Fire Chief of their town) decided that Dad needed to come see us in case Gustav decided to go into East TX. So he has been here since Sat. morning. We have eaten out a few times (Dad loves Mexican food!) and darling daughter has enjoyed having her Papa here. My Brother called today around noon and said he could come home so he will be leaving in the morning. He needs to get back because he has a biopsy scheduled for Thursday, please pray that it will come back okay, we have had enough cancer for a lifetime.

I have enjoyed creating my Facebook page and Hubby has even caught the craze and created one for himself. It has been fun chatting with JettyBetty and Jenn. I can see how it could take the place of Blogging because it is less work.

Gustav turned out to be a big ol' blowhard. So thankful He did not turn out to be as bad as expected. Lets hope Hanna will blow herself out too. Hope you all had a pleasant Labor Day. Blessings!

FaceBook

I have been checking out Facebook (that is why I am up so late, when I should be sleeping!) and setting up my account. So here is a SHOUT OUT to all you Facebookers --boy that sounds BAD, don't think I will be shouting that out much!:) Would you please be my friend? If you get a request from Michelle you will know it is from me and if you don't get a request it is because I don't know you have a facebook page! Leave me a comment or email me if you want to be friends!


I know I sound hopelessly pathetic--begging for friends! That's because I am---hopelessly pathetic begging for friends!


In the words of the late great Fred Rogers--"Won't You Be My Neighbor?" oops I mean friend!


PLEASE!!!!

Expensive week!

This is how we spent our week, the first picture is the hole in the wall that the Dryer Vent Lady (yes, that is really her name- at least professionally) had to make in the laundry room wall to repair the dryer vent. The builders of our house apparently left out a piece of dryer vent and tried to bridge the gap with duct tape. It did not work too well and dryer lint has been blowing into our walls for 8 years. All fixed now! We will be covering up the hole with a cabinet soon. I have been wanting a cabinet in the laundry room for about 8 years now, so hopefully this will spur us into action. The second picture is a before picture of my daughter, followed by the after picture with the new braces and colored bands (she is very proud of her bands)

School starts a week from Monday, so we will be filling our week with Dr. visits and picking up last minute school clothes and supplies. So long summer, Hello School Year!

What I did this week!

Thank You Papa

Thank You Video by Ray Boltz

This song often comes to mind when I think of Papa. My husband and I shared this song with his grandparents many years ago when it first came out. I was googling it trying to remember all the words when I found this video. Click on the title and enjoy!

2008: The Year to Get Through!

This morning we finally got the call we have been waiting on for several years. My husbands grandfather passed away last night. Papa had been sick for about 3 years, he had been diagnosed with a lung disease called MAC. The doctors told us that the next time he got pneumonia, he would die. Well that was 3 years and about 9 pneumonia's ago! Papa always was a bit of a stubborn old coot but in this case we were glad that he hung around a bit longer. The MAC did a number on his body, turning him into a small man tethered to an oxygen tank but he was still Papa on the inside.

Papa left behind a legacy of love and faith for us. He loved the Lord with all his heart, mind, soul and strength and he loved his neighbor as himself. He was never stingy with love for his family. We will miss Papa but know he has gone on to his reward and to meet Jesus. He lived his life to sit at the Master's feet and now he is doing just that.

I find a lot of comfort in thinking that maybe my Mama met him at the gate. The title of this blog comes from my husband, from the beginning of the year when we struggled with Mama's impending death, then my husband's boss' death (totally unexpected) and now Papa is gone, my husband has repeated this saying. This is truly our year to "just get through". It has been a rough 7 months and I pray that the last 5 will hold no more funerals.

My 10 year old cried after hearing about her Papa, she said "I won't go to another funeral, I have already been to one this year!" This is really hard on her. Prayers for all of us would be appreciated.

Papa leaves behind a wife of over 60 years, a daughter and son in law, three grandsons and their wives and 5 great grandkids. He leaves behind a host of friends and relatives. Papa was a soldier in WW2, he was a deacon and then an elder in his church. He lived a life full of service and love and leaves behind a family that continues his legacy of service and love! Papa, we will miss you -- save us a spot!

Hello Dolly!

I have been enjoying (?) the after effects of Hurricane Dolly today! If you look at our weather map, you see lots and lots of green with some yellow and reds. (I tried to download some pictures but no luck) Lots and lots of rain but that is good because we need the rain. We have put the indoor time to good use and have been doing some long overdue cleaning. Hard to believe school starts in one month. Hope you all are staying safe and dry. Blessings!

For All You Inquiring Minds Out There.....

Yes, we went to Disney world again! This was a good trip for us, as we got to stay at the Polynesian (I have always wanted to stay there and they do a good job of making it look like Hawaii!) Since this was our 3rd trip, it was a lot more laid back and relaxing. We did not feel the need to see EVERYTHING. We skipped the early hours at the park and hit the late hours instead. This allowed us to sleep late in the morning, go swim for awhile before hitting the parks in the afternoon. It always rains in Florida but this trip it rained about 5 pm everyday instead of the 1pm time that it rained the last two trips we made to Disney world. We just put on our rain ponchos and kept going. It was nice because the crowds would thin out after the rain and it would not be to crowded for awhile.

I don't think hubby thought the Polynesian was worth the extra money but I sure did. The resort is smaller than the other two we have stayed at. It is on the monorail, so less standing in line waiting for the buses (still had to take buses to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom)and the rooms were bigger than the other rooms we have stayed in. I loved it!

Less crowds at resort and less walking makes for a happier Mama. And when Mama is happy everyone tends to be a little happier!

So for all 2 of you who were waiting with baitted breath to find out where we went, there you have it!

Cleaning Poem

I asked the Lord to tell me
Why my house is such a mess.
He asked if I'd been 'computering',
And I had to answer 'yes.'

He told me to get off my fanny
And tidy up the house.
And so I started cleaning up...
The smudges off my mouse.

I wiped and shined the topside.
That really did the trick...
I was just admiring my work..
I didn't mean to 'click.'

But click, I did, and oops I found
A real absorbing site.

That I got SO way into.
I was into it all night.

Nothing's changed except my mouse
It's very, very shiny.

I guess my house will stay a mess...
While I sit here on my hiney.


I borrowed this from Sandy at Flip Flop Floozie, I am not sure if she wrote it or borrowed it from somewhere, it wasn't credited to anyone....so if you wrote this let me know and I will be happy to give you credit because I think it is very funny!

Today....

Every day when I wake up, my job is to choose what kind of day I’m going to have.

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy...or, I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.

Today I can feel sad that I don’t have more money...or, I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.

Today I can grumble about my health...or, I can rejoice that I am alive.

Today I can lament over all that my parents didn’t give me when I was growing up...or, I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.

Today I can whine because I have to go to work...or, I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.

Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework...or, I can appreciate that I have a place to call home.

Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And I am the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.

What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have!

--Don Lyons

Keep Guessing

No one has guessed it yet, maybe these will help!

UPDATED ON 7/12/08--JettyBetty is on target (her comment on this post not the first one), but can you figure out specifically where we went?

We Are Back......

CAN YOU GUESS WHERE WE WENT?

Ahhhh..........Peace and Quiet!

Darling Daughter is at camp this week. So the house is mine again from 9 till 3:30 everyday! I have been enjoying the quiet this morning. Drinking my coffee, reading the paper, getting caught up on email and blogs. It has been so nice! I need to get busy now and get some stuff done because 3:30 will be here before I know it.

Is it hot where you are? Just noticed the weather bug said it is 103 here! It isn't even noon yet! So glad our A/C is working! We have a service where we pay a certain amount every month and twice a year they service the A/C and Heating Unit and guarantee they will come out and fix it within 24 hours and at no charge. I think it is the best money we have ever spent.

Those dishes and clothes are not going to wash themselves so I better get busy. Stay cool!

Busy Week!

Seems like it has just flown by. Darling Daughter is in cooking class this week. So every morning I take her up to the church for 2 hours and she cooks with a bunch of other kids. Tomorrow they are going to prepare lunch for the office staff.

My Dad also came to visit this week, so we have enjoyed catching up with him a little bit. He isn't staying very long this trip so we are trying to cram as much as we can into the time we have.

The first day of cooking class, I decided it would be a waste of gas to come all the way home just to turn around and go back so I decided to just stay out and do some shopping. Stimulate that Economy. It did not take long to realize that I was spending a lot more money than if I just drove home and used a 1/2 gallon of gas. But it was a lot more fun to go "stimulating"!


So here is a challenge for those 2 people who are still reading my blog these days--How have you been stimulating the economy? Leave me a comment and tell me how you are spending your rebate!

We have bought some new clothes and a cabinet for the bathroom. (we have been in this house for 8 years without a cabinet in the potty room to hold toilet paper and stuff---so it was about time) I had my SUV waxed the other day. Basically, everytime myself or my hubby wants to buy something out of the ordinary we call it "stimulating the economy"!

YOUR TURN!

One More Day!

It is with mixed emotions that I announce that there is just ONE MORE DAY of school!

Part of me is glad to see the school year end, it will be nice not to have to get up at 6 am to let the dog out, and get darling daughter off to school.

BUT...the other part of me does not want to give up my days to myself. I am not looking forward to hearing "I am bored"....."there is no one to play with"....."Can I call _______?"....... "Can I call_______?"......."Can we go to the pool?"........."Can we go to the store" ......."Play with me, Mama"........"How come you never play with me?" (this one is usually right after I have either taken her to the pool, store or driven her across town to a friends or spent an hour dressing a barbie doll)

Fortunately, DD has several activities planned for this summer so at least part of the time she will be occupied.

So tomorrow morning at 6 am (or earlier depending on what time the dog decides she needs to bark) I will, for the last time in 4th grade, get up, take the dog out, make breakfast and pack a lunch for DD, call my lovely sleepyhead repeatedly until she makes her grumpy appearance, suggest to her that she is going to miss the bus if she does not hurry one more time and wish her a happy day as she goes to the bus!

THEN.....As the school bus pulls away from our corner and the house is mine once again.....I will savor the moments of peacefulness....a quiet house, a cup of coffee, the newspaper.

But at 3pm when the bus pulls back up to our corner and my happy 10 year old bounces off and hurries into the house to tell me "School is out.....Summer is here." I will smile and think of all the fun times we will have together and how this will be the only shot we get at her 4th grade summer!

"Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez"


Happy Summer Everyone!




(only 81 days till school starts again!)

Whew are we tired!

We just got in from a wedding. This girl was our daughters first babysitter, other than family. She started babysitting for us when she was about 13 or 14 years old and darling daughter was 3. Now she has grown up and gotten married! Boy do I feel old!

It was an outdoor wedding which I was really dreading because "Hello....South TX almost June.....people it is hot here!" but we got there early, snagged a seat in the semi shade and it was not too bad. They had a really nice reception. They served a meat and cheese tray for appetizers and so we all had something to do (and eat) while we waited for them to take the pictures. They even had a candy buffet, which the kids loved! Prime Rib for the main course and Italian Cream Cake! Yummy!

We are home now, all pooped out and stuffed silly! Congratulations to the Newlyweds and Good Night Everybody!

I AM REAL!

Good to know I guess! Nothing happening that I want to share today so I thought I would fill in with this, so the two or three people who actually read this blog would know I was still among the living!

You Are a Realist

You don't see the glass as half empty or half full. You see what's exactly in the glass. You never try to make a bad situation seem better than it is... But you also never sabotage any good things you have going on. You are brutally honest in your assessments of situations - and this always seems to help you cope.

Are You An Optimist or Pessimist?

Just for Fun......

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 529 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

I did my husband's name and found that there are only 167 people with his name which is strange to me since I have come across guys with his name but never anyone with mine! Maybe it is because it goes by names on birth certificates and my name is very popular as a middle name? My daughter only shares her name with 8 other people so that is pretty unique since there is nothing different about her name, it is not like we named her "moonunit" or something weird.

VERY INTERESTING!!!

UPDATED WITH THIS WARNING:

I just went back to the site and noticed that there were some not so Christian advertizing links, so don't let your kids do this by themselves and don't click on the links. I still think this is interesting info but don't like the links.

Mother's Day

I hope this finds you all enjoying a very happy Mother's Day weekend. I want to take just a moment to say how thankful I am that God allowed me to have 43 wonderful Mother's Days with my Mom. I have been blessed with 10 (as of tomorrow) with my own daughter. Please take a moment to say a prayer of thanksgiving for your mothers. If you are blessed to still have them in your lives, go hug them and tell them how much they mean to you!

Color Me?

VIOLET

You surround yourself with art and music and are constantly driven to express yourself. You often daydream. You prefer honesty in your relationships and believe strongly in your personal morals.

Find out your color at QuizMeme.com!

I am not sure this is exactly me but I do love the color purple so it has got at least part of it correct!

Borrowed.....

from Lynn at Neena's Nest.

Only one word can be used in your answer and it can NOT be used twice.

1. Where is your cell phone? table

2. Your significant other? Husband

3. Your hair? Mousey

4. Your mother? Gone

5. Your father? Lonesome

6. Your favorite time of day? Evening

7. Your dream last night? busy

8. Your favorite drink? coke

9. Your dream goal? retirement

10. The room you're in? family

11. Your ex? None

12. Your fear? isolation

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Hawaii

14. What you are not? skinny

15. Muffins? blueberry

16. One of your wish list items? Lexus

17. The last thing you did? Blogs

18. Where you grew up? town

19. What are you wearing? clothes

20. Your tv is ? off

21. Your pets? mischievious

22. Your computer? laptop

23. Your life? comfortable

24. Your mood? reflective

25. Missing someone? Mama

26. Your car? Toyota

27. Something you're not wearing? shoes

28. Favorite store? Target

29. Your summer? hot

30. Your favorite color? fushia

31. When is the last time you laughed? recently

32. When is the last time you cried? yesterday

33. Your life? Content

34. Your children? beautiful

35. Your future? promising

36. Your beliefs? consistant

37. Your ego? humbled

38. Your image? distorted

39. Your appearance? disheveled

40. Would you live your life over again knowing what you know?
absolutely


Feel free to copy and play along!

Blessings My Friends!

Funny Thing Is.....

This week has included a new purchase with a broken mirror so the purchase had to be exchanged, a stubbed toe, a huge mug of coffee dropped and broken, sending coffee all over a recliner, carpet, table and lamp. Bright red fingernail polish on my soaking tub. A piece of cake dropped icing side down at church on Weds., a bite of salad with Italian dressing dropped down the front of my brand new shirt (again at church on Weds), I found a big scratch on my new car. My hubby has been working late every night this week and will have to work this weekend too. I have picked up a hundred pieces of shredded paper from the dogs paper habit. I was attacked by biting gnats at the pool. AND I have had some type of stomach bug for the last couple of days!


BUT THE AMAZING THING IS----This has been a great week compared to the one I had last week!!!!

Much Better Week--So Far!

These pictures remind me of Hawaii, I think it is time to plan another trip!

Darling Daughter finished up her TAKS test this week! Yeah, so glad to be done with that! She is going to be performing with her school choir next week, so I have been given the job of making her a pink poodle skirt for the performance! I will try to remember to post a picture of it if it comes out okay.

Well 6 AM comes early, I better get to bed! Hope you are all having a most excellent week! Blessings!

Not off to a good start....

but the week has no where to go but up at this point.

Ummmm! Coffee!

"In Seattle you haven't had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it's running."--Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO My Table Magazine, April-May 2008

Link Meme

I got tagged to do this meme, by Lynn so here goes:

The way you play is:

Just copy paste THIS and everything below up until my Five links:
I thought it would be cool to have a meme where we post links. We can post up to five. Then we tell five more people to share their links. If we all share who tagged us, our links are sure to be seen! They can be business links, favorite sites, affiliate links, whatever you want…


There are Five Rules:
1. MUST be clean. No R rated sites.
2. Only FIVE links.
3. MUST tell 5 people.
4. A link back to the person who tagged you

My Five Links:

1. Confessions of a CF Husband I have been hooked on this since back in January before the baby was born. Nate shares the experiences of his family as his wife Tricia struggles with CF. Great inspiring read!

2.PuzzlersParadise I like logic puzzles

3. Webkinz Yes, I know I am too old for webkinz but my little girl gave me one back in the Fall when I was traveling so much with my Mom and Dad. I can't just let the little thing die, so I am obligated to check on it every so often....it really is a cute little place.

4. Gamehouse free game downloads.

5. Travelocity Let's plan a trip somewhere soon!


Now comes the hard part finding people who will do this so I am going to put their blog names but not their links just in case they don't want to play or don't want their links posted.

1. Jennifer

2. TMK

3. Judy

4. Jettybetty

5. Dee

No pressure guys, play only if you want to!

Sickness Hits Again!

Darling Daughter is sick again! I took her to the doctor yesterday, they believe it is viral but did a throat culture to rule out strep. She can't go back to school until Monday. She has missed a lot of school this year, good thing she is an A student!

Just heard back from doctor, the strep test was negative, so that is good news (I guess!) Although it would actually be easier if it were strep, just take some antibiotics and you are all better. When it is viral, you just have to let it run it's course.

I need to run up to the school and get her makeup work. Hubby is at his manager's funeral, wish I could have been there for him but sick child takes priority.

Here's hoping that DD feels better soon so the weekend is not a total bust. If you are able this weekend, go have some fun for me! Blessings!

Drama

We just had a bit of drama here with darling daughter getting on the bus when she was supposed to meet me at school. No big deal just a few scary moments when no one knew for sure where she was. We reached the bus driver who confirmed she was on the bus (embarrassed her terribly) and she was sitting on steps waiting for me when I got home. Bus was still at the corner so I know she had not been waiting very long.

The dog is in time out for chewing on the rug again. It is days like this I really miss being able to talk to my Mom! Sometimes you just need someone to listen to you!

We Are In Shock

My husband just let me know that his Manager at work, had a heart attack and died at home this morning. This man is only a little older than my hubby with teenage kids. I really don't have any more information about it but I can only imagine how his family is feeling right now.

Please pray for this man's family and for my sweet hubby as we deal with unexpected tragic event.

Tricia Got New Lungs!

Praise the Lord! Go read about it here

Hymns for all occassions

Do you know there are hymns for people who drive on the highways? If you drive:


45mph......... God Will Take Care of You
55mph......... Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
65mph......... Nearer My God To Thee
75mph......... Nearer Still Nearer
85mph......... This World Is Not My Home
95mph......... Lord, I'm Coming Home
100mph........ Precious Memories




There are also special hymns for certain professions:

The Dentist’s Hymn:
Crown Him with Many Crowns

The Weatherman’s Hymn:
There Shall Be Showers of Blessings

The Contractor’s Hymn:
The Church’s One Foundation

The Tailor’s Hymn:
Holy, Holy, Holy

The Golfer’s Hymn:
There’s a Green Hill Far Away

The Gossip’s Hymn:
Pass It On

The Electrician’s Hymn:
Send The Light

The Realtor’s Hymn:
I’ve Got a Mansion, Just Over The Hilltop

I borrowed these from my preacher's sermon today, I am not sure where he got them from. Having a little better day today, I got a nap after church so that helped!

Looks like Tricia might have a new set of lungs, they are waiting to hear from the transplant team. Keep them in your prayers.

UPDATE: Tricia's new lungs were deemed unfit for her, keep praying that a new pair come available soon.

Hard Day

Today has been a hard day. I found some old e-mails from my Mom and they made me cry. I know she is better off now, no pain, no sorrow but I sure do miss her! Prayers would be appreciated.

Out Of The Mouth of Babes

This is going to be a long post, but stick with me....I think it will be worth it (if I tell it right!)

Okay, last week while Darling Daughter (DD) was on Spring Break with her paternal grandparents, the dog was a terror! She was into everything, including chewing a hole in the carpet of my family room. So one particularly trying day I sent the following text message to my hubby:

Me: Help me come up with a good story to tell DD because I am going to kill the dog

Hubby: Maggie was out chasing a squirrel....

Me: ...and she chased it up on the roof....


Later in the week after we got DD back, we were talking about that and DD said she did not "get it" so I explained to her the story....Here it is for those of you who might not have heard it or have just forgotten it because it is an old one....

A man asked his friend to watch his dog while he was out of town. The friend agrees to do this and after about a week, the man calls his friend to ask about the dog. The friends says "Your Dog Died!" The man says "WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU, BLURTING OUT THAT KIND OF NEWS!"

The friend say "well, how should I have told you?" The Man says well the first day when I called you should have said " your dog was out chasing a squirrel", then the second day when I called you should have said " your dog chased the squirrel up on the roof" and then finally the third day you should have said " I am sorry but your dog fell off the roof and died". That way I would have been prepared for the news and it would not have been so shocking.

The friend say "okay, I am sorry about that now I know" The Man says by the way.. "How is my Dad doing?" The friend says "Well, Your Dad was out chasing a squirrel!"

So we told DD that story and she loved it, she laughed and laughed about it, thought it was a great story.

This weekend, we went to see my Dad. First time we had been there since the funeral. We had a good visit with him. Went to church on Easter Sunday and then out to a cafeteria for lunch. There was a long line and we had to wait quite a while to get our food. There was an older man in front of us with his grandkids and kids. He struck up a conversation with DD. During the course of this conversation, the man asked DD if she was visiting her grandparents and she blurted out "My Granny died!" You could tell the man was a little uncomfortable but he handled it well, said he was sorry about that and they ended the conversation.

I was talking to DD and I said "you know, you shouldn't just blurt out that Granny is dead, that makes people uncomfortable" She turned around to me, totally straight faced with her hands on her hips .. "Well Mama, what am I supposed to say.....Granny was out chasing a squirrel?"

I just started laughing right there in the cafeteria line... My Mama would have loved it and been laughing the loudest of all!

Hope you all have a great week!

Happy Easter Weekend!

These were all so cute I could not pick just one, so I put all three up! Hope everyone has an enjoyable Easter Weekend.

Much Love,
Aggiema (Michelle)

Life Continues!

Darling Daughter is spending a few days with her paternal grandparents this spring break week. I had thought I might go to my Dad's for a few days but have decided to wait and go for Easter so that Darling Daughter can come along. He always enjoys seeing the grandbaby! I don't know what I would do there except go through Mama's stuff and I don't think either of us is quite ready for that yet.

I have not blogged about my Mom's service yet so I thought maybe I would share a few things. The funeral was held in a wonderful old southern mansion surrounded by beautiful mature trees and a big porch that wrapped all the way around, it really was a pretty place. I had picked out her casket earlier as my Dad wanted the whole thing pre-arranged. My brother choose beautiful roses for the spray that went on top of the casket in various shades of burgandy and pink. I can't say Mama looked natural but she looked pretty good considering what she had been through the last few months and the amount of weight she had lost.

One of my good friends from my old church really came through for me that week. He is an elder in a church in La now and we keep in touch mostly by email now and then. He had been emailing me with encouragement right before my Mom passed away and found out almost immediately from the preacher at our old church when she passed. He emailed me that he was coming for the funeral and agreed to lead the singing as Dad wanted to have congregational singing. Mama loved to hear David sing, so it was such a fitting tribute to have him lead it for her service. The songs we choose were fitting for a Christian Lady like my Mom. We sang "When all of God's singers get home", "No Tears In Heaven" and "Won't It Be Wonderful There". All three songs speak of the joy that awaits us in Heaven. David also wrote me a beautiful poem that I will cherish forever.

There were so many people that came for the visitation and funeral. They all wanted to tell us how much they loved my Mom and what she had done for them. Mama was one of those quiet Christians, that goes about her life doing good works for people but never toots her own horn. So many people brought food and flowers and almost all of them said they were just repaying the kindness that Mama had shown to them. I hope people can say that about me when I am gone.

Need to go now and get busy, I want to use this time without the "youngun" to get some work done around the house. I have definitely slacked off on housekeeping these last few months. I hope you few that read this are having a great week. If you are able-- go hug your Mom and Dad and tell them you love them. We are not promised tomorrow and it CAN happen to you!

Ever Feel This Way?

I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much.
--Mother Teresa

Mama would have been so proud!

I just got through Instant Messaging with my brother and I was asking him if he was busy at work this week because of all the time he had to take off last week for Mama's funeral. For those of you who do not know, my brother is the Fire Chief in my parents home town.

He said "well, things got a little exciting yesterday" and proceeded to tell me about it. He was out in his official fire department pickup and he saw a man with a crowbar breaking into a coin box at a carwash. He was observing him, waiting for the police department to show up when the man noticed him and took off. My brother is also a certified peace officer, so he gave chase. He chased him into another town and arrested him!

I told him that Mama would have been so proud and he said that he actually was thinking about that while he was chasing him down. There was a write up in the newspaper about it and I looked it up online. The town they chased him to is just a little bitty ole town and there was a quote from one of the neighbors. “I was about to watch my stories when I saw police outside with guns,” I thought that was a funny line!

My Brother, the Hero! Mama was very proud of him. Mama and Daddy would come here to SA to visit us and we would go out to eat or shopping somewhere and if Mama saw a policeman or a fireman, she would make a beeline for them. She would always tell them that she had a special place in her heart for Policemen and or Firemen because her son was Fire Chief and a Certified Peace Officer!

Since Mama is not around to brag on my brother, I will do it for her!

Something to think about!

"Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference."– Virginia Satir

In Memory of My Mom

Wanda Sue
10-5-36 2-26-08

Rest in Peace Mama!

Baby Girl is Sick!

Please pray for us! My daughter has the day off from school but she is asleep on the couch. She is sick with bad cold or something (we can't seem to shake this stuff)and feels really rotten.

My brother just emailed me that they have taken Mama to the hospice hospital as she has been unresponsive since I left on Wednesday.

Tomorrow is our anniversary, 17 years! Don't think it is going to be our happiest one but I am truly grateful for my sweet hubby and my 17 wonderful years with him! I hope for many many more!

Magnolia Blossoms

Two Post in One Day, Don't Anybody Faint, Be sure to read both of them though.


I found this in my parent's church bullitin-thought it was worth reprinting!

I spent the week before my daughter's June wedding running last-minute trips to the caterer, florist, tuxedo shop, and the church about forty miles away. As happy as I was that Patsy was marrying a good Christian young man, I felt laden with responsibilities as I watched my budget dwindle. So many details, so many bills, and so little time.

My son Jack was away at college, but he said he would be there to walk his younger sister down the aisle, taking the place of his dad who had died a few years before. He teased Patsy, saying he'd wanted to give her away since she was about three years old!

To save money, I gathered blossoms from several friends who had large magnolia trees. Their luscious, creamy-white blooms and slick green leaves would make beautiful arrangements against the rich dark wood inside the church.


After the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, we banked the podium area and choir loft with magnolias. As we left just before midnight, I felt tired but satisfied this would be the best wedding any bride had ever had! The music, the ceremony, the reception - and especially the flowers - would be remembered for years.
The big day arrived - the busiest day of my life - and while her bridesmaids helped Patsy to dress, her fiancé Tim walked with me to the sanctuary to do a final check. When we opened the door and felt a rush of hot air, I almost fainted; and then I saw them - all the beautiful white flowers were black. Funeral black. An electrical storm during the night had knocked out the air conditioning system, and on that hot summer day, the flowers had wilted and died. I panicked, knowing I didn't have time to drive back to our hometown, gather more flowers, and return in time for the wedding.

Tim turned to me. "Edna, can you get more flowers? I'll throw away these dead ones so we can put fresh flowers in these arrangements."
I mumbled, "Sure," as he be-bopped down the hall to put on his cuff links.

Alone in the large sanctuary, I looked up at the dark wooden beams in the arched ceiling. "Lord," I prayed, "please help me. I don't know anyone in this town. Help me find someone willing to give me flowers - in a hurry!" I scurried out praying for four things: the blessing of white magnolias, courage to find them in an unfamiliar yard, safety from any dog that may bite my leg, and a nice person who would not get out a shotgun when I asked to cut his tree to shreds.

As I left the church, I saw magnolia trees in the distance. I approached a house...no dog in sight. I knocked on the door and an older man answered. So far so good...no shotgun. When I stated my plea the man beamed, "I'd be happy to!"

He climbed a stepladder and cut large boughs and handed them down to me. Minutes later, as I lifted the last armload into my car trunk, I said, "Sir, you've made the mother of a bride happy today."

"No, Ma'am," he said. "You don't understand what's happening here."
"What?" I asked.

"You see, my wife of sixty-seven years died on Monday. On Tuesday I received friends at the funeral home, and on Wednesday... He paused. I saw tears welling up in his eyes. "On Wednesday I buried her." He looked away. "On Thursday most of my out-of-town relatives went back home, and on Friday - yesterday - my children left." I nodded.

"This morning," he continued, "I was sitting in my den crying out loud. I miss her so much. For the last sixteen years, as her health got worse, she needed me. But now nobody needs me. This morning I cried, 'Who needs an eighty-six-year-old wore-out man? Nobody!' I began to cry louder. 'Nobody needs me!' About that time, you knocked, and said, "Sir, I need you." I just stood with my mouth open.


He asked, "Are you an angel? The way the light shone around your head into my dark living room..." I assured him I was no angel.
He smiled. "Do you know what I was thinking when I handed you those magnolias?"

"No."

"I decided I'm needed. My flowers are needed. Why, I might have a flower ministry! I could give them to everyone! Some caskets at the funeral home have no flowers. People need flowers at times like that and I have lots of them. They're all over the backyard! I can give them to hospitals, churches - all sorts of places. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to serve the Lord until the day He calls me home!"

I drove back to the church, filled with wonder. On Patsy's wedding day, if anyone had asked me to encourage someone who was hurting, I would have said, "Forget it! It's my only daughter's wedding, for goodness' sake! There is no way I can minister to anyone today." But God found a way. Through dead flowers.

Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference. --Edna Ellison

A Week With Mom and Dad

Photo from www.freefoto.com

I have been here a week now with my parents, I stay with Mama while Daddy has his radiation treatments or runs whatever errands he needs to run. Mostly I sit and watch my Mama as she slips further and further away from us. I am not sure why this dying process has to be so long and drawn out. I supposed that God has something he is trying to teach us all by this. I am thankful that Mama has not been in much pain up to this point. I can't say that the rest of the family has not been experiencing pain though! It is very tough to watch and not be able to do anything to help.

When I got here a week ago, Mama was happy to see me but wanted to know when my daughter was coming. She wanted to see her grandaughter and threatened to go to SA if we did not bring her here. My husband dropped everything and brought her down last weekend. It was sweet to watch my daughter minister to her grandmother, she fed her, combed her hair, brought her washcloths to wipe her hands with. She told Mama that she was going to take care of her just like Granny had always taken care of her. I am really sorry that my daughter will not have a longer time with her grandmother, she still has so much to teach her but am grateful that they have had all the special times together.

When my daughter was born, I was 34 years old and my mother was 61. We were living in Northern Virginia at the time and it was a 1400 mile trip from their home to mine. I made my parents a promise when my daughter was born that I would let them see her as often as possible. I kept that promise even when it wasn't practical. They were her first babysitters. We saw each other as much as we could the first couple of years, with them traveling to VA several times a year. We moved back to Tx in 2000 when she was almost 3 and she has spent loads of time with them every year since. They would go up to the "farm" in Arkansas and fish in the pond. Once she started to school, the trips were limited to summer vacation and school breaks but every Aug. Mama would ask, "When is springbreak"? "When can we get the girl?"

I am so grateful that they have had so much fun together. Hubby and I have benefited by being able to take some vacations alone and generally get a break now and then BUT darling daughter has benefited the most by having 10 years to get to know her grandmother better than I ever knew mine. I hope that 10 years is enought to fill up her lifetime with wonderful memories!

I did not know that we would only get 10 years when I made that promise in 1997, but I thank the Lord that I did make that promise and that I kept it.

Tomorrow I am going home to SA. I have responsibilities and appts waiting for me there. I have a confused little girl that needs lots of hugs and love from her Mama. I hope that I get to see my Mama again but only the good Lord knows the answer to that. I will leave knowing that she loves me and I love her. I have done all I can at this time and need to go home for awhile.

Yeap, it's strep!

You know you have a bad case of strep throat when the Nurse is grossed out and goes running to the sink to wash her hands. Apparently, I set the beeper alarm off on the rapid strep test. Oh well, at least it is something that can be treated. They gave me a couple of shots, some antibiotics, and other meds. I should be feeling a lot better by tomorrow or possibly even later tonight. Hopefully, hubby and darling daughter won't catch it before I cease to be contagious!

Back from Leakey

We made it home, safe and sound from the beautiful HEB Youth Encampment this weekend. Usually when we go, we stay in Echo Valley but this time we were at Singing Hills. Both are equally beautiful, although Echo Valley is a lot larger. It was quite cold at night and early in the morning but warmed up to be very pleasant during the day. Some of the kids even went swimming in the Frio River--they were crazy--in case you don't know Frio in spanish means frigid...this river is always cold even in the sweltering summertime!

I managed to have a total relapse while I was there so I am down and out with allergy stuff again. I was afraid I might have strep throat because it felt like I had shards of glass in my throat but it is feeling a little better this afternoon so perhaps it is just the garden variety battery acid that goes along with mountain cedar allergies. I have done 6 loads of laundry today and I am still not caught up. I still need to wash the sleeping bags.

We talked to Dad last night and Mom had a pretty good weekend. The doctor from hospice was supposed to come today, so we may get some more news tonight when we call. They took her off the injectable bloodthinner and placed her on an oral one. I don't understand this because I asked her doctor if we could change Mom over to an oral blood thinner because Dad did not like having to give her the injections and he told me "No, she will be on the injectable bloodthinner forever" (direct quote from his email) I guess she has a different doctor now with hospice so he must have a different opinion about the bloodthinner. She is also receiving morphine now to keep her pain free. I have always reacted badly to morphine, so I hope she has a better experience with it.

This week will be a busy one, I need to work at the school, help host a Valentine's party for my daughters class and get the house pulled together (major job!) I also need to take my car back to the body shop, my daughter brushed her suitcase against the bumper while loading the car on Friday and the paint totally came off. There is no way that she could have done that much damage with a soft sided suitcase if the paint job had been done correctly. So I have that to look forward to this week also.

I hope to be able to leave on Friday and go spend a few days at my parents. I normally like to go during the week but just did not work out this time and I feel I need to go spend some time with the folks. Please continue to pray for us. Specifically pray that I get to go on Friday and that my trip is not delayed again. Pray for my Dad to remain healthy and my Mom to remain pain free!

Still at home!

I have been trying to get away from here and go back to my parents but unfortunately life keeps getting in the way. First of all, is everyone else as sick as we have been. Seems like right after Christmas we all came down with colds/allergies and we still have them. Everytime one of us gets a little better, someone else gets worse. I guess it is the mountain cedar because I did feel a little better the last time I was at my folks. Plus this weather is crazy, cold and windy, then hot, then back to freezing!

My daughter was sent home from school on Thursday with a cold and upset stomach, I kept her home on Friday too. By Friday night her Dad was down and out and spent all day Saturday in the bed and a good part of Sunday too. They both seem to be on the mend and went back to school and work on Monday. Me, however, I think I have relapsed or something as I am all stuffed up again with a headache and stomach ache. "I am sick and tired of being sick and tired" ya know!!!

Other people have gotten involved in the conspiracy to keep me here too. I blogged a few weeks ago about having my new SUV rear ended. We got an estimate for the repairs and the guy said that it needed a new bumper. They were going to order the part, paint it for me and then have me come in and they would take the old one off and pop the new one on, It would not take long and I woudl not have to mess with a rental car. I thought that sounded good to me. His estimate was about $650. The guy that hit me had me turn it into the insurance and they did not like that estimate, so they required that I take it to their place last Monday. I thought I was just getting another estimate. So I show up and it is raining and there is mud on the back bumper. The guy goes out and looks at the car, takes pictures and says he can repair it for $350, give me a rental car and I will have it back on Tuesday afternoon. He is ready to do the work and USAA is ready for him to do it. I had explained to him why I liked the other guys idea because I did not want to be without my car but he insisted the damage was minor and he could make it look good as new without replacing the bumper.

Ok, so they call the rental car place and they come pick me up, assuring me all along the way that USAA has everything taken care of and they will get me into a SUV similar to mine. OK, sounds good right.....no, they don't have anything ready for me, they won't give me an SUV, they clain they did give me an upgrade on my rental to a Chevy Malibu....ungly gold colored thing....it was dirty, had mud on the carpet and after I drove it a little while it became obvious that someone had thrown up in this car. To say I was not happy is an understatement!

I did not even get home from the car rental place before the body shop guy called and said that there was more damage than he thought and the whole bumper needed to be replaced. It was going to take a little longer so just keep the rental car. He had the car for about three days. The car looks okay, they did a pretty good job with matching the paint and everything but the final bill from this guy turned out to be about 100 dollars more than my estimate was and they had to pay for a rental car. So USAA ended up playing almost $200 more than they would have if they had just let me use who I wanted to in the first place. They would have saved some money and I would have only been out of my car for one day.

This weekend is the Family Retreat with Church. My family loves to go camping, me not so much so. This isn't too bad as there are cabins with heaters, real toilet facilities and showers. I just don't feel I am going to be very good company this weekend. I feel overwhelmed and torn in different directions. I always feel where ever I am at, I ought to be at the other place. If I am with my parents then I worry that my daughter and husband need me and when I stay her with them I feel like my parents are needing me! SO MUCH GUILT!

The doctor has taken Mom off her chemotherapy and they have called in hospice care to help. Dad seems to like them better than the home health aids that were coming out to help Mom with her bathing. They will work with us to keep Mom home as long as she is physically safe and Dad feels he can handle it. Once it becomes too much for him then they have an inpatient setting that she can go to. The doctor has taken her off some of her medications and Dad says she seems to be thinking more clearly now. She is still very weak and sleeps a lot, will probably do more and more of that in the next few weeks.

I hope to get off in a few days to go check on them, even if it is just a quick trip. I know they enjoy my visits and I help them make decisions about Mom's care and stuff that needs to be handled. Dad wanted to have her service completely prearranged and paid for so we took care of that a few weeks ago when I was down. It is a strange feeling to be planning someones funeral when they are still around but can see that it would be much harder to make the decisions when you are under the stress of just losing someone. The funeral home makes a video for the family and asked me to provide them with 40 pictures of Mom thru the years so I need to go thru the family albums and see what I can come up with.

Don't forget that Valentine's day is coming up! Plan something special for your sweetie!

Not Sure How I Would Handle That!

My hubby just got off the phone with my brother. We can send emails back and forth but usually rely on hubby for phone calls! My brother said that when he went to sit with Mom while Dad went to church on Sunday Morning, that she did not know who he was! She kept saying something to the affect of....I know I am supposed to know who you are....I can't even imagine how I would handle that or rather how I WILL handle that because I am sure it will happen one day soon. On a little happier note, he took her to the doctor today and she knew who he was, so that was good!

The oncologist is about ready to give up on the chemo. He feels that it is not helping to keep the cancer at bay or to give Mom a higher quality of life so he is preparing to stop the chemo. They go back to the doctor on Friday and I expect that will be the decision that is made that day.

Mom is sleeping more and more each day and becoming more confused when she is awake. I don't think it will be too much longer. It makes me really sad! Please pray that we can weather these last few months with dignity.

Bloggy Giveaways!

I have been busy all afternoon signing up for different give aways! Since I am still pretty much a blogging illiterate, all I can do is put a picture up here, you'll have to copy and paste if you actually want to check out the site.

A while back someone sent me the info for putting in links but of course I have forgotten how. Maybe I will go try and find that post and come back later and fix things but chances are I won't......ah well, you will figure it out!

Thank Goodness It's Friday!

Actually, I am having a pretty good day but needed to come up with a title for this post!

Things with Mom and Dad are about the same, Mom was able to have another round of chemo this week but her numbers were back up again. I am going to wait a few more days before heading back to Nederland, as there are some things I need to get done around here. They seem to be doing okay, so unless I hear differently I may wait til the middle of next week before I go!

I had something happen to me this week that I have never experienced before. I used one of my Credit Cards quite a bit around Christmas and as a reward they sent me an Amazon gift certificate. I bought a couple of books and got free shipping because it was over $25. The grand total was $25.10, so after the gift certificate I owed them .10, so I put it on my CC. I figured I would use the CC and that would not be the only charge on it. Well..... you guessed it, that was the only charge. So I got a bill from the CC for .10 and it said that I had a credit for .10 so I owed nothing! I thought that was interesting but wondered what they saved by doing that since they sent me a bill to tell me I owed nothing! Oh well, Thanks Amazon for my .10 credit!

There was something else I was going to post about but for the life of me I can't remember what it is....oh well, if it comes to me I will have another post! Ya'll have a good weekend. It is rainy and cold here, maybe we will light a fire tonight! Now if I only had some marshmallows!

Latest On Mom and Dad!

Dad started his radiation treatments today. So far so good, he has about 24 more to go. He will go M-F for 5 weeks instead of the 5 mega doses they originally had scheduled. This will be better, because he will have fewer side effects and be able to help with Mom.

Mom is home from the hospital. I am here helping out this week. It is good because Dad has to be gone at least an hour everyday, we need to work something out for next week when I go home though. Mom's feet are still bad. Her toes look like they have frostbite on them, they are black and the skin is peeling. However, her feet as a whole actually look better than they did because they are not red and swollen. She says they no longer hurt, which is a huge improvement over Christmas.

Mom is still very weak and needs assistance to stand and walk short distances (3 or 4 feet is about all she can manage) We have a nurses aid who comes out three times a week (at least they are supposed to, so far they don't have great track record) to bathe her. Otherwise, my Dad provides the rest of her care, he feeds her, dresses her, gets her to the bathroom (occasionally has to change the sheets) and gives her her medication. Quite a load for a 76 yr old man going through radiation treatments.

I am helping out as much as I can this week but will need to return home this weekend as my daughter is out of school on Monday but hubby has to work that day. We need to find someone to come in and help out every day, not just give a bath three times a week. Think we need to look into hospice care.

We did get some encouraging news that her cancer cells have decreased from 6000 to 3000 but am not sure exactly what that means (waiting on email from her doctor) It would seem that it means the chemo is working but the chemo is what is causing the bloodclots in her feet so the chemo is on hold for awhile.

Just wanted to let you know what was going on here. Please keep praying for us. I have been reading a blog Confessions of a CF husband, if you have a chance go read about this sweet family and offer up some prayers for them too! I am sorry I don't have the link available, I am on an unfamiliar computer and am half asleep but if you just google "confessions of a cf husband" you will find it or leave me a comment and tomorrow when I am coherent I will send you the link!

Blessings!

"What else could go wrong?"

NEVER, EVER UTTER THOSE WORDS OUTLOUD!

Because trust me......there is always something else that could happen!

I don't know if I ever blogged about my new car. We bought a new SUV in December because of all the traveling I am having to do. It is our first new car in a long time and I am very proud of it. Well.....yesterday morning I was going to meet a friend for breakfast and two Bassett Hounds decided to take a morning stroll on a very busy street. I braked for the dogs but the guy behind me was not as quick and he rear ended me! It was strange because I had time to look in the mirror and think, he is not going to stop, I hope I don't hit the dogs when he hits me! The dogs were fine...the last I saw of them they were trotting off without a care in the world. I was not hurt, but my new car does have a crimp in the back bumper now!

If you have to be in an accident, this guy was the one to do it with, he was very polite, very concern that I was okay. I don't think we are going to have any trouble with getting him to pay. He admitted that he was not paying close enough attention. We called out the police and got a police report and exchanged all the info. We got the estimate for the repairs today and unfortunately he did about $650 worth of damage.

In a way it was quite freeing because I had been having a feeling that we would have a wreck in that new car, so I was half way expecting it. Now it has the first scratch, or dented bumper on it so we can go on with life!

BUT that is not all that happened this weekend. I took the dog out this morning and was outside without my shoes on (big mistake!) I had been chasing her around the yard and I bounded up the stairs to go back in the house and stubbed my toes on the door stoop! At least I thought I had just stubbed my toes, I looked down and my middle toe was pointing due West. Toes are supposed to point North, not 1/2 North and 1/2 West. Apparently I dislocated my toe! So I reached down and straightened it out. It is turning a really pretty shade of purple now!

It is almost a game now for us, What is going to happen next? Oh well, at least I haven't lost my sense of humor ......YET!

Life goes on!

I sometimes hesitate to post anything on this blog because it always seems so negative and so down but I know there are several people out there who read these post because they love me and my family and this is how they keep up with what is going on. So for those of you wanting an upbeat post I apologize, you probably won't find one here for awhile, feel free to check back in 6 months or so!

Mom got out of the hospital today after 12 days. She is happy to be home and back in her bed but I think my Dad is worried about taking care of her, as she is just getting weaker all the time. Dad is doing well on his new medication and saw his new oncologist today. He will start radiation treatments probably next week, they are going to make his mask tomorrow.

I hope to be going back to check on them soon. I can't seem to shake this cold/allergy stuff. I think it must be allergies because I have not given it to anyone else. Seems like my hubby would have come down with it if it were something other than allergies. The weather here has been weird, very cold then up in the 80's, windy, high pollen counts, so chances are it is allergies. Whatever it is, I am tired of it and wish it would go away so I could breathe freely again! It is hard enough trying not to be depressed without physically feeling bad on top of it.

Prayers as always are appreciated. Specifically, please pray for strength for us all to get through what promises to be a very difficult year. My husbands' grandparents are both in very bad health, of course my Mom's prognosis is not good, several friends are having health issues with their parents and children. Our good friends just told us they are moving this summer. Just a lot of stuff going on right now!

I know this is just a season and things will get better but we still have to get through all of this first!

School Starts Tomorrow!!!!!!!!

Wahoo!!! Yea!!!! Awesome!!!!

I love my daughter dearly, but I am ready for her to go back to school. I have been made acutely aware that I am most inadequate at entertaining her for any sustained amount of time. This has been compounded by the fact that she has been sick and about the time she got better, her friends all got sick, I got sick AND her Dad (who is a much better entertainer than I) went back to work!

To say we have gotten on each others nerves this week, would quite possibly be the UNDERSTATEMENT of the DECADE!

So...In approximately 12 hours and 17 minutes and 2 seconds, the glorious school bus will pull away from our curb and my beloved daughter will be back in the care of those wonderful (yet highly underpaid and under apprecited) school personnel! However, if for some reason she should not be on that bus in the morning, please forward all correspondence for me to: Aggiema C/O The Texas Hospital for the Mentally Incapacitated.


PS--Dad is doing much better, Mom is expected to be released from the hospital tomorrow sometime and I am going to take a few more days to get over this crud before going back down to check on them. Please continue to pray for all of us!

Update

Dad spent the night in the hospital but was released yesterday after a medication change. Mom is still in the hospital but her feet are showing some improvement. They performed a brain MRI yesterday but we don't have the results yet. A surgeon is supposed to evaluate her for a medi-port in the next day or two. She has run out of places for them to stick her. Poor thing looks like a pin cushion! Everyone seems to be over their colds except for me and I am still feeling pretty lousy. Prayers are still appreciated!

Prayers Please!

My Dad was just taken to the ER with heart problems. My Mother is in the hospital in another town with blood clots in her feet. My whole immediate family is down and out with cold/flu symptoms so I can't go and help our till we get better. Please pray for my brother as he is dealing with both my parents being hospitalized in two different towns (about 15 miles apart) Thanks!

Christmas 2007

May your Season be filled with Love, Laughter and the Knowledge of the Love of Our Lord! May God bless us everyone!

Back with Mom and Dad

Hello, I am here with Mom and Dad for a few days. Mom is about the same although she is eating better this week. It is good for me to be here to give Dad a little break, it is like having a child in the house again for him. That is difficult when you are 76 years old, but it is sweet to see how gentle he is with Mom. We have found she eats more if we feed her (I guess it is because she does not have to expend the energy to lift the fork or spoon) but he is really sweet with her, encouraging each bite and calling her "my sweetheart". It's one of those breaks your heart but warms it at the same time. Mom seems a little more lucid than she was the last time but you really have to engage her and keep her on track and focused to get a good response from her. Today we are waiting for the home health aid to come and give Mom a bath, they are supposed to come 3 days a week but so far have only come once in a weeks' time. They need to do better than that.


Tomorrow Mom goes back to the doctor and possibly will have a chemo treatment. We will see how that goes. I am hoping to return home on Weds or Thursday so I can be at my daughters' class party on Friday. I am one of the room mom's so it would be good if I could make it. I just wanted to give you an update on what is going on, I will update as needed.

Back Home (for a little while at least)

I was really conflicted on Friday whether or not to leave my parents and come home. My brother had been out of town all week and was due back at noon but I just was nervous about leaving. I was praying that God would send me a sign so I would know what to do. I texted my husband to talk to him about it and he told me that he was at home that our daughter's school had called and she was sick. So the decision was made, so I said a little "Thank You Lord" and came home. She was very ready to see her Mama and I was very ready to see my family!

I am still very conflicted but know I need to be here for a little while longer. I sent daughter to school today as she did not get sick yesterday at all, but she had a bout of diarrhea so they sent her home again. She has not had anymore so I think it was just a one time thing. Hopefully she will be well enough to go to school tomorrow as I really need to get some shopping done this week.

Mom has taken a downward turn and is not doing good. She is wandering around the house at night and unable to take care of her basic needs. Dad was taking her to the doctor this morning, so we will see what the doctor recommends but I feel at the very least they need to get a visiting nurse out to the house. Not much I can do from 300 miles away but I know that my brother is helping Dad out so it will be okay.

I am trying to decide whether to take my daughter with me next time I go. I am not sure Mom would even know she was there. I need to weigh the benefits to my parents with the harm it might do to my daughter. I was talking with our Children's Minister and she told me that her son was 9 when his grandmother died and he told her years later that he wished he had not seen her when she was so sick but just had the memories of her being healthy. I know I can't shield her from death but am wondering what good it would do to bring her into the grim situation.

I continue to seek your prayers for my whole family as we deal with this sad time.

With My Parents Now

Hello Friends, wanted to let you know that I am with my parents now and have been here since Sunday. I was shocked by how much my Mom's condition had changed since Thanksgiving. She has lost 10 lbs since then and all she does is sleep. We took her to the oncologist who prescribed several medicines and started her on chemo on Tuesday. She tolerated the chemo pretty well but it is a long shot that it will help but we try to think positively. Yesterday was long, as we had to be at chemo center early and Mom was very weak but we made it through the day. Today has been a little better with Mom eating more than she had been. I stay on her case always handing her something to eat or drink. She eats better when I am here with her, so I fear if I go home she will stop eating again. Please continue to pray for us as this is a very hard time for the whole family.