FAMILY = HAPPINESS

Those who know me (if only in passing), realize that my family means everything to me. Although we can't all be together often, we keep in touch regularly by phone, text, face time, and social media. With that said, Clark and I loved having our grandchildren visit us this past weekend! Thankfully, they live only an hour and fifteen minutes away.

Holly and Philip came on Friday to drop off Sunny our granddawg to stay with me while they took the children on a field trip to visit a local Hindu temple as part of their study of world religions (Holly homeschools the kids). We wanted to see how Sunny would do with us here, as we are planning to keep her while they go on vacation soon. Their boxer Bruno stayed home, since he would probably be like a bull in a china shop at our house! He's a good boy, but large, muscular, and excited when away from home, so a friend was to stop by and check on them while they were away.

Sunny is very much a "mama's girl," being supremely attached to Holly, but she did survive! Clark was subbing that day, so she had to settle for lil' ol' me. Oh, she whined for about an hour, kept running to the door to see if they had returned, but finally settled down and played tug-of-war with me, chased her ball, then got on my lap to take a short nap. Below are a couple of photos I snapped as she's looking around for Mama and the rest of the family:

"Where's Mama??"

"When are they coming back
to get me??"

Photos of the temple they visited--no photos of the interior were permitted:

Isn't the architecture beautiful? All the
carving you see was done by hand

Clark was home from school after they returned, so we visited for a few minutes, then we all went out to one of our favorite local restaurants that serves delicious home cooking. Later, Holly and Philip took Sunny (who was overjoyed at seeing them) to return home. Clark, the grands, and I enjoyed a Friday night Netflix movie at home, complete with popcorn!

Saturday was our only full day together, so that morning Clark made us a country breakfast: waffles, scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon, grits, and toast. We did a few chores, like making beds, brushing teeth, getting dressed, and straightening up the living room. I played several games of gin rummy with the kids, they visited Duke and Shadow's graves, then watched some videos on Netflix. Steak and Shake was their choice for lunch, and afterwards attended an animated movie, Leap!,  here in town. Back home for dinner, we all made our own individual pizzas with flatbread crusts, adding our choice of toppings: pepperoni, sausage, green pepper, onion, cheese, and sauce. Annika and I made the tossed salads, Clark made a butterscotch pie with graham cracker crust for dessert!

Working on our pizzas in our breakfast
nook--Alexa had already made hers

On Sunday, we left early to attend their church with them, since both granddaughters sing in the choir, and Alexa had a solo. We enjoyed seeing the many friends we've made in their congregation! Lunch at El Parian, the popular Mexican restaurant in their town, good-byes, then Clark and I headed home.

L to R: Annika, moi, Asher, Alexa

Asher and Clark

We had a great weekend, but I wish that Kurt and Bethany could have joined us--it was a bit far to get here for the weekend from Oregon, where they currently are!  Please be in prayer for all those wildfires in Oregon and Montana. Kurt and Bethany are headed for California tomorrow, and will eventually make their way back to home base in AZ (where Kurt's company is located. He works remotely when they travel). Below are photos Bethany sent us yesterday from Eugene to Medford, Oregon--notice the haze from the fires:

Bethany and Kurt, our RV travelers

Dachshund granddawgs and family . . . you gotta love 'em!

BABIES AND DOXIES: BUDDIES

"Er . . . what exactly are we looking for again??"

 

 

"What's the point of that thing in your mouth?"

"Hey, Ma!  It's kinda crowded in here!"

 

 

"Stop wiggling those piggies, I tell you!"

"See a prince charming anywhere yet?"

 

FAMILY PICS

Here are some recent pics of the family for you:

MOM: IN APPRECIATION

My mom and me when I was three

She's been in a nursing home for five years now, and in assisted living for two years prior to that.  But my mother is still my mother, she knows us, loves us, and in spite of her many health issues now, is beloved by God, who watches over her every moment.  In spite of her sometimes-difficult demeanor, the staff at her skilled nursing facility are professional and treat her well.

I've posted several times on her birthdays and on previous Mother's Days, but I want to discuss something different about her this time.  Her mind is not as sharp as it once was (well, whose is, right?), and she sometimes says something out of the blue that is odd.  She might ask about someone that we haven't seen in years, or asks why she is in the nursing home, like she's forgotten.  It is painful to hear that, bringing home the realization that life is definitely time sensitive.

With great-granddaughters

When my father died in 2000, he suffered for a couple of weeks before the Lord saw fit to take him home.  Society has tried to address suffering over the ages, especially when it hasn't been able to come up with an appropriate reason (according to man, anyway) as to why God allows suffering.  Oh, I'm not here to say that I have the ultimate answer, but I have thought about suffering, especially when witnessing loved ones in pain, illness, and heartache.

I know the Lord is preparing our family for eventually being willing to let Mom go to Him.  Sometimes He takes people in an accident, in sleep, etc., with no warning.  At other times, people suffer through the pain of terminal illness, and it can take years.  How do we make sense of it?

My brother Steve, Mom, and me

Sometimes we can't, at least not down here.  As a Christian, I do know that God makes sense.  While I don't always understand why certain things happen, I do know that God loves me and has a reason for everything in my life--and in the lives of all Christians.  It's a matter of trust, actually; do I trust Him enough to accept what He allows to come into my life?  Do I love Him enough to realize that He sees the entire picture down here, while I just see my little corner of it?

With Bethany and Holly,
her granddaughters

My mother has had a full life.  She's in a holding pattern now, certainly.  All we can do for her is love her, visit her, bring her some little trinket that she can still use, and pray for her.  We do that.  Is it difficult?  Of course, and we will visit her later, wish her a wonderful Mother's Day, and try to make her feel special, as she most surely is.  When all is said and done, she was a good mother and grandmother.  So many memories come flooding back as I write this post--how big a part she has played in my life.  Many of you have already lost your mothers, and your memories will no doubt carry you through a Mother's Day without your mother here to see, talk to, or do something for.

I am fortunate to have my mother nearby, even if she is only a shell of the full person she once was.  I am thankful, appreciative, and misty-eyed that I still have the opportunity to tell her that I love her, and I will. 

Mom, Annika, Bethany, Alexa

For now, however, I cherish the moments with her, remind her of old memories that cause her to smile, and tell her about her grandchildren and great grandchildren who live hours away.  We keep her supplied with current photos so she can enjoy them in absentia.

I love you, Mom.  Thank you for everything you've done for me.  It's my turn now to do things for you.

Happy Mother's Day!!

FORTY YEARS OF BLESSINGS

Yes, today is our fortieth wedding anniversary!  It has been quite a ride along the way, chock full of blessings and joys, notably our daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren, siblings & their families, my mom--well, you get the idea!

Whatever possessed us to marry so close to Christmas?  This definitely dates us, but Clark was in the U.S. Army "way back then," and his tour of duty in Vietnam was over in November 1970.  I had the entire year to plan the wedding while he was away, so we set the date of December 20, giving us a few weeks to finalize details after his return in November of that year.

In this age of technology (and we thought we had technology back then), I'd like to announce that we did not speak to each other that entire year, surviving on letters (handwritten) and photos!  Oh, some wives and fiancees recorded cassettes for their guys, and we thought that was a big step! 



In any case, much has changed over the past forty years, but some things remain the same:  our love for each other and for our wonderful family.  In the midst of a sometimes topsy-turvy world, some things are priceless (to borrow a phrase from a television commercial).  Being with our loved ones, sharing laughter and conversation with them, and watching the grandchildren blossom before us simply cannot be taken for granted.  The Lord has given us so much, and we are thankful to Him daily.  Our daughters are endearing, our sons-in-law are like sons, and our little grandchildren bring such joy to our lives.  My mom is the only parent still with us, and we celebrated her 83rd birthday Saturday.





Our 40th anniversary with our
"baby" Duke



Enjoy your family.  We share some wonderful times and memories, and those are so much better than anything else out there!!!