Blessed, Blessed, Blessed

Well, it's Valentine's Day and my husband's birthday.  It has been a wonderful day.  We celebrated Valentine's Day on Saturday and have hardly seen each other today but it is such a blessing to love and be loved on this day.  I remember my single days and Valentine's Days without a date that were no fun.   (How many times did I use the word "day" in that paragraph? No prizes for the right answer, sorry.)

The big news today though is that Bennet is officially a member of the family!  His adoption was finalized today in Texas and tonight he is in Alabama with his new mommy and daddy.  I am just so happy for them! I am really looking forward to kissing his sweet cheeks soon.

A much less exciting but still exciting news item is that I finished a hat for my mom tonight.  I finished it on Friday but it was too small for her so it was turned back into a ball of yarn and remade yesterday and today.  I hope she enjoys it.  I found the pattern on Ravelry.com.  If you haven't discovered that site yet and you enjoy knitting and crochet, you ought to check it out.  Since my sister is the only person who actually reads my blog though (Hi Sis!), that little piece of info is very unneccessary. 

I Finished!! :)

I finished the baby blanket I've been working on for my new grand-nephew!  I am so proud of myself!  I love finishing something because it allows me to say "so there!" to that voice in my head that says I never finish anything.  Yeah.  I know that's twisted.

In other news, doesn't 'grand-nephew' make me sound old?  Somehow being a great-aunt sounds older than being a grandmother.  I don't know why.  Anyway, my grand nephews and grand nieces are so adorable that it doesn't matter at all.  And anyway, I kind of like getting older.  It makes me feel wise.  Here is that adorable little boy.  My nephew and his wife are adopting him and we are all so excited!  I can't wait to kiss that baby!  But until I can get to him, my blanket will just have to hug him.  sigh.

Home Alone

We have had a wonderful week off thanks to the blizzard of 2011.  Tonight both teenagers are spending the night with friends and the hubby comes back tomorrow from a week long business trip so I am here with the dogs and the cat. 



This was forced relaxation.  After all he's a hunting dog so he only has one speed - CRAZY.  The old guy has just moved his main activity inside from the back yard but I think he could get used to this.



Yesterday my daughter and her friend cleared the driveway so that we could get out of the house.  She made her dad a happy man by LOVING the leather coat he has never allowed me to get rid of because it was a "classic".  I pulled it out because it's warm and she has worn it every time she has gone out since.  I think she has officially adopted it.  He is so happy.

So tonight I'm washing sheets in hot water to get rid of last week's flu germs, remaking beds and looking forward to seeing my family again tomorrow!   Who knew all I needed was a week of snow days?!

Back to life . . .

The love seat has recovered from its heavyladen-ness. 



We all feel much lighter now.  Nothing like TWO WHOLE DAYS of laundry and housework to get you back on track.

Didja notice that the art behind the loveseat is different?  I sent out an s.o.s. to my best friend to come help me rearrange my furniture in my living room.  She looked at it and said I just needed to move my loveseat back about a foot.  Huh?  And she was right.  She's pretty smart.  Then she looked at my wall and said "that needs to be rearranged too" so we fixed the wall.   The next day I still felt inspired so I redid my kitchen and entry way walls and my front room (which is basically empty right now).   Here's my favorite outcome of that afternoon of inspiration:

to tell the truth . . .

To tell the truth . . . I have been at work a LOT more than I thought I would be since September.  So I haven't been the daughter I thought I would be.

To tell the truth . . . this is what my living room looks like right now.

 . . . but I'm working on that.  Wait!  No I'm not!  I'm blogging!

To tell the truth . . . that's why I haven't blogged since Thanksgiving.  I've been trying to climb out of the pile of laundry.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Thanksgiving!  Our tummies are full and the first load of dishes is in the washer.  More family will be here soon for the leftovers meal and the BIG GAME!  And I have time to update my blog. 

The big news today was that Mom was able to come to Thanksgiving!  She has had a rough month.  The chemo treatments have been hard on her.  The stories we hear about people working full-time during their chemo worry us a little because she DEFINITELY COULD NOT work  right now.  She is exhausted.  Her blood counts have been seriously low and she just feels cruddy most of the time. We had been concerned about whether or not she could come to dinner because her white count was down too low to be around people.  Her platelets and hemoglobin were also really low so she had a transfusion two days ago and we were waiting on a call during the meal to know whether or not she had to go inpatient for a platelet transfusion.  Thank the Lord she was able to be with us and didn't have to go into the hospital today.  She will have another blood test tomorrow but it looks like her numbers are coming back up.  The doctor said they will decrease her meds some for the next chemo treatment because apparently, although this was the normal dosage for her weight, it was too much for her. 

The reason it's been so long since I posted is that I have tried to return to my normal work schedule.  Dad has been such a blessing and a wonderful caregiver for Mom.  It's what she was "thankful for" during our meal today and I am truly grateful as well.  My dad has always been a great man - an Air Force pilot, a leader in every church we attended even though we moved every two years, a college professor and dean, my husband's mentor and my son's hero.  Now he is showing us all how a man loves his wife "in sickness and in health".  As their daughter, I have been given a gift that I must attempt to repay - both to them and to the Lord. 

I have been sick A LOT this month. Nothing ever really serious but some fever and just crud that keeps me from being able to see Mom.  It's been pretty frustrating.  And why have I been sick, you ask?  Ummm, let's just call it stress.  I started taking vitamins today and I am trying very hard to remember that everything I say "yes" to that I really want to say "no" to requires me to say "no" to something I really want to say "yes" to.  Did that make any sense?  Read it again if you need to.  Go ahead.  I'll wait.

I think the most important lesson I'm trying to learn right now is to say "no" to people.  Especially people I love.  We have had two divorces in our family this year and they have resulted in some really serious needs that we want to meet but can't always.  It is really hard for us to see someone we love in a hard situation and not try to help.  It is definitely our first inclination.  But we are learning that if we use all of our resources helping in "emergencies" we will miss out on the things that are truly our responsibilities and the things that bring us joy.  Wade and I are just trying to be led by the Holy Spirit and keep our priorities straight.  Not easy.

SO . . . today I am truly thankful for another day with my Mom and Dad.  I'm thankful for a husband who is my partner in this life.  I'm thankful for a job that brings me satisfaction as well as income.  I'm thankful for two teenagers who are growing in grace.  I'm thankful for little doggies that cleaned up my meal prep mess from the floor as I was cooking.  And I'm thankful for quiet moments in between family times.  Life is good.  God is better.

Mom has been SO MUCH BETTER the last couple of days.  Yesterday we went shopping.  She became tired before we got home, but so was I.  On Friday when I pulled up to her house, she was standing out front working on trimming up a plant.  She looked so healthy and wonderful.  It made me happier than just about anything I can think of.  Also, this week we heard from Dr. Moore, her oncologist.  Her CA 125 level has come down to almost normal.  That is great news that means that the chemo is working.

So, life seems to be returning to normal or rather the new normal.  Right now my life consists of family and work - and I LOVE IT.  It has been so wonderful to simplify.  I know this is where the Lord has me and I feel great satisfaction here. 

I'm sure Mom will continue to have good days and bad days and none of us is promised tomorrow but today my renewed knowledge of that truth is a good thing.