Farewell 2021...and Farewell

What a month it's been!  Three birthdays, boom...boom...boom.  

We celebrated Calvin's 12th birthday.

And Adelina's 9th.

And a surprise for Selah's sweet 16, followed by surgery, then her actual 16th birthday.

She really wanted a surprise party but didn't think we could pull it off.  Haha...there's a challenge accepted!  We even were able to have her good friend, Tracy, fly in from Florida!  She was super surprised!

Sweet Julia wasn't here for the group photo, so she got a special pose...

Then it was time for surgery...

Four incisions, 32 staples, a created tendon, and a screw to hold it all in place.  Two weeks in a "soft" cast for swelling, she's now in a hard cast for the next 4 weeks.  At least she has some mobility now, even though she can't put any pressure on it yet.  She's looking at 6-9 months for recovery.

She's been pretty bored but the children have been entertaining her.

And then her real birthday (which, of course, Michael and I had Covid for). Sweet 16!

Well, it's been quite the year.  While there have been many good things that have happened in the year, it's been largely overcast by sorrow.

Some things I have learned this year...

* Sometimes you make hard mistakes you can't take back, you just have to learn to live with them.

* When in doubt, wait.  Don't forge ahead when you don't feel good about it.  You can always relent later, but you can't get back what you've given.

* Every heart knows it's own sorrow.  Don't compare your grief with someone else's.  Death is not the only devastating  grief a heart faces.

* Sometimes it is hardest to let go of the life you thought you'd have.

This is not only my final post of the year, it is my final post on this blog.  I feel this blog no longer serves a purpose and I really have nothing to say.  Or at least that should be said on a public forum.  I have enjoyed making new friends through William's blog and finding new acceptance, even from such different walks of life.  This year has been especially difficult for me to write on the blog.  I pride myself on being open and transparent but I have found that to be increasingly difficult this year while trying to maintain the bounds of Christian propriety.  I am happy to continue to build relationships through email, as I have also disabled my Facebook and Instagram accounts.

I want to say thank you to those who have followed our family and loved us through hard times.  I hope the Lord has used our lives to bless yours in some way.  May 2022 be a year of drawing near to Him, leaning on Him, and embracing His great love.  Be Mighty!

And It Struck...

 So much for filling in the gap “next week.” 

Mike and I both have Covid. We are doing well. My brain is just pulling out of the fog. The updates will have to wait. Thanks for the prayers. ❤️

Crazy Times

 It’s been a whirlwind around here...

Illness

Surgery

Celebrations

I can’t even pull my thoughts together. Next week, I’ll put something out. Tonight, it’s just this great quote:

Throwback Thursday

 

I happened across this picture the other day. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to be in this time again. 

I woke up in a panic last night, remembering having him in my arms when he stopped breathing. It’s times like that when I find that sleep eludes me. I miss him so much. 

Give Thanks

We started our celebration this year with sweet friends, late into the night.  I always feel like we should do that more often!  (No picture, intentionally.) ❤️

Then we served at our community dinner, which is always such a blessing. So many people served. So much gratitude. So much kindness. Sarah and Sherrod were missed by many this year. My favorite story of the day cane from a sweet elderly lady who came to tell me how grateful she was for the meal. She had planned to cook but through tragic circumstances, ended up with custody of her 2 grandsons 3 days prior. She talked about what a blessing it was to not have to worry about a big meal at such a time. She was so sweet and my heart just broke for her. (We all completely forgot to get pictures this year.) 🤪

We were not able to get together with extended family this year. Covid strikes again. 

But we did enjoy a day with all but Bryce’s family. They are split between ND and AR for now while they are awaiting his medical release. 

And lots of fun with the clan...They created this new game they call Sparta. It’s pretty brutal but they had a hey day with it! 

And of course we enjoyed having a baby around again...

My girls...

Abby and Andrew

Celebrated 2 of my favorite A’s recently. Happy birthday, loves. 😘😘😘

Took Abby climbing for her birthday. So much fun!

And this little man is SIX! Wow! Can’t believe my baby is 6. Time is so short...

Such a handsome and sweet guy! ❤️

She’s a Fighter

Many of you know by now that Sarah had her baby. Little Katie-girl finally joined us after a long and tumultuous, up and down battle. The planned homebirth turned to a hospital birth that ended with healthy momma and healthy baby. Praise the Lord. 

I’ve had lots of questions about being Oma and if it’s any different being there for your daughter than it is being there for your son. A lot was the same but, yes, there are some differences. 

The question that has been asked most often, though, is, “Were you scared, watching her go through that?” I can honestly answer no. There was never a time that I feared what would happen. I had a peace the entire time. We definitely called on friends to be praying with us, but there was never a fear. The biggest emotion I felt was pride. I’m so proud of that daughter of mine. 

Those of you who know Sarah know her as mild-mannered, submissive, laid-back, peaceable, maybe even complacent to some degree. But, boy, can she ever rise to the occasion when needed. She’s got a lot of fight in her when she’s fighting for the right thing. 

It was a long haul and everyone was tired (no one more so than Sarah) but she never even thought of giving up. She didn’t get a break or a rest, yet she trooped on. I stood in awe. 

And now she has this beautiful gift to show for it. Katie-girl, you’ve got an amazing momma to look up to! ❤️

The Hustle of November

Michael jokes that our 3 free days this month were bound to get filled quickly. And boy did they!

We’ve started Thanksgiving baking. I love how everyone comes together for it. 

Also had a fun, furry friend visit this week. Isn’t he cute?

Turn the Other Cheek

 

I’m going to make a bit of a different post today. This has been bothering me for quite some time. The Church, as a whole, has neglected Biblical duties for far too long and therefore the Church itself is causing a great amount of suffering for God’s people. Those who need defending. Those who need someone to stand up for them. Those who have a right to expect the Church to come to their aid. Often they are simply looked at with pity and told to turn the other cheek. Or submit. We need more pastors who are dare to be a Paul in this world. 

The verse about turning the other cheek doesn’t mean that we are to look the other way and let others treat us however they wish. It simply means that we aren’t to seek the revenge. We let God handle the punishment. Scripture lays out how to handle conflict and pastors should be among the first to handle sin within their flock. Overlooking sin helps no one, especially the oppressed. If you aren’t dealing with the sin, you are adding to the hurt of the downtrodden. 

Remembering

I learned an interesting word recently. Yahrzeit is the observance of the anniversary date of a loved one. I’m glad there’s a word for it.  Leave it to God’s people to understand the need to commemorate, not celebrate, such a day. 

Six years without that precious smile, that musical laugh, those sweet hugs. I honestly did not think I would survive it this long. Much of it is still a blur. Some days I think I might just be coming out of the fog and then it hits me, maybe even harder than before.

I just miss him.