Thursday, February 19, 2015

Thankful Thursday

How can I not be thankful for grandkids? 
Beckham is 1 month old and growing so fast. Trying to decide if his eyes are blue or not.
Josiah has blue eyes for sure. I'm thankful for my cell phone. It enables me to get pics of the grands whenever I'm with them.

I'm thankful for cousins. Ethan loves Ivydee and Beckham so much.
I'm thankful for messes with the grands. Ivydee had so much fun playing with beans.
Thankful Ethan hasn't seen this picture, hahaha. Ivydee was driving his car with Elmo.

I'm thankful for brothers who love each other so very much.

I'm thankful for snuggly, cuddly babies and bathtime.

Truthfully,
Joanne


Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34)


Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Words Aren't Enough

I try to speak,
no words form.
Pain is all I feel.

Betrayal, abandonment,
isolated, alone.
The pain is real.

Some burdens must be carried alone.

This burden is too heavy Lord. I need you to take it from me. I am weary and heavy laden. Give me your burdens because you have promised that YOUR burden is easy, and YOUR yoke is light.


They will have no love for others and will refuse to forgive anyone. They will talk about others to hurt them and will have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. People will turn against their friends. They will do foolish things without thinking and will be so proud of themselves. Instead of loving God, they will love pleasure. (2 Timothy 3:3-4)

Friday, February 13, 2015

Conversations

The conversation began over feelings of discouragement. My daughter wanted to be more positive, but was discouraged that life wasn't going in the direction she had hoped and planned. She expressed her desire to be grateful, but waiting was hard. What if life takes a turn and her dreams never become reality?

I shared that I understood, but even when setbacks happen, it didn't mean she wouldn't attain her goals. I remind her that when her grandparents married, they were told they most likely would never have children. It was not my mother's goal to have her first child at the age of 19. Nor did she plan to have 4 children in 4 1/2 years.  I expressed thanks that my mom's plans were interrupted by those pregnancies. Had they waited 5 years to have children, I wouldn't be here, and neither would she. These setbacks did not stop my mother. She not only raised 4 children, but pursued and fulfilled her dreams and desires. She has never slowed down. Her life just became fuller and richer.

I thought about Abraham and Sarah from the bible. God promised them a child, but the waiting was hard. Had God told them exactly how long it would be before they received their Isaac, would it have been easier for them to wait patiently?

I admitted to my girl, that it is sometimes hard to have faith and to trust God. I reminded her that God is good. If we ask for a fish, He isn't going to give us a stone.

She replied, "No, He won't give us a stone, but He might give us kale. And while kale is certainly good for you, it really is awful."

It was hard to respond to that.

Truthfully,

Joanne

"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone?" (Luke 11:9-11)

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Heart Strings

This boy
melts my heart. Monday he had an EEG-a sleep deprivation EEG.
 Basically he has to stay up until midnight. After 4 hours of sleep, he is awakened and kept awake until his scheduled EEG. I hate that he has to do this. Sleep deprivation causes seizures, which is why the doctors choose to have their patients sleep deprived before the testing. Sweet boy...shouldn't have to go through this. This isn't Ethan's first EEG.

This boy
celebrated his first birthday on Sunday.

He exudes happiness and is a mover and a shaker. Can you tell that he likes cake? My heart melts like butter. Happy First Birthday Josiah!

This girl is in town for a visit.

After a long day of travel, she was a little overwhelmed. Aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents surrounded her. I reached my arms out, "Ivydee!" She had the biggest smile when I scooped her up. My heart completely melted.
And then there is this boy:
Snugglebug Beckham melts my heart daily.
When not melted, my heart is so very full.
Truthfully,
Joanne



"Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.  And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them." (Mark 10:15-16)


Thursday, February 05, 2015

Thunk Thursday



It's sad that online news sources don't care much about editing their work. This one made me laugh. "large parents are calling his office" Dr. Goodman must have a lot of fat patients.

Saturday, January 24, 2015

That One Thing

In case I haven't mentioned it, Michael and I love being empty-nesters. We love not being responsible for other human beings. We love being spontaneous. We love being petless. (Sorry to my pet-loving family members, but it's that responsibility thing.) We love having a big empty house where there is plenty of room for people to come home. We love having a full house and we love when it is empty. We love that we have choices. Don't get me wrong, we loved every minute of parenting. We love having a large family filling our home with love, laughter, and noise, but we are embracing a new life. And we love it too. Well, except for that one thing.

I am an introvert by nature. I enjoy my own company. I can spend hours by myself. Yet my favorite thing to do is spend time with others. If you are familiar with the book "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman, I am a quality time person. You would think that would make me an extrovert, but it doesn't. In addition to needing time with others, I need healthy doses of alone time. As an empty-nester, I have arrived at the perfect world for an introvert.

Michael goes to bed early. I stay up late. It works for us, except for that one thing. Last week, after Michael had gone to bed, I had the television on, and computer on my lap. A commercial came on, I muted the tv, and that's when it happened. I heard the sliding glass door downstairs open. You can't miss the sound of the heavy door sliding against the metal frame. I was stunned, I couldn't move. Should I go downstairs to see who had entered my home, call 911, run to the bedroom and awaken Michael? It's amazing how quickly your mind races when adrenaline starts pumping.

 I unmute the tv. If it's a burglar, I want him to know that I am not asleep and that I hear him. (Are they called burglars anymore?)  I don't hear anything, so I turn the volume up louder, just in case.I am waiting for a sound to know what my next move should be.I am frozen to my chair. I realize with the blaring noise I can't hear what's going on downstairs. I glance at my cell phone. The battery is nearly dead.

Maybe I've been watching too many late night Dateline Investigative Discovery shows. I imagine all kinds of gruesome possibilities. Am I being a little paranoid? I don't hear any further noise. No one walking around, nobody coming up the stairs, and I never hear the door shut. I shudder to think what I would do if I was alone in the house. Thankfully I'm not. Suddenly, I snatch up my phone, jump out of the chair and bolt towards the bedroom.

Once there, I am hesitant to awaken Michael from a dead sleep. I stand there in the dark wondering if he is awake. Silence. Nothing.  Had I imagined the noise? Should I crawl into bed and wait? No, I don't want the police to find us both dead tomorrow morning. I turn the bathroom light on hoping not to startle him. He peers up from the covers, "what are you doing?"

I quickly inform him of the noise downstairs, that we might have an intruder. I laugh as I say it, to let him know I am only suspicious and not freaking out. He gets up and goes downstairs to investigate.  Funny thing. He finds nothing amiss. The sliding glass door is locked. I am grateful, but concerned. What made that noise? Ugh! Was it a window sliding open? Did he check to see if any of the bedroom windows were open? Maybe a homeless person has taken up residence in our downstairs. He secretly comes in every night, sleeps in a cozy room, then sneaks back out before we get up. Except this night, he wasn't very quiet about it. He's probably hiding in a closet. Seriously, this isn't so far fetched. We rarely go downstairs.

With Michael awake, and able to hear me if I scream, I go downstairs to examine things myself. No windows  ajar, nothing out of place, nothing has fallen. I wrack my brain trying to figure out what else could have made that noise. It's possible something may have been leaning against a wall, like a broom,and if it slipped down it could mimic the sound of a sliding door. I find nothing. In spite of not knowing, I begin to relax.

I wonder aloud to Michael what I would have done had I been alone.  What if something ever happened to him?  If I had a dog and there was an intruder, he'd protect me. He'd have run down those stairs and chased that thief. I'd have to get a dog-a big dog.

Two nights ago, it happened again. This time, I hear someone knock over a Diet Pepsi in the refrigerator downstairs. I know, you all think I am paranoid. I realize our house makes all kinds of creak and bumps. Old houses, especially ones with wooden floors, creak and groan a lot. The heating system bangs and bumps. But this was the unmistakable sound of a can or something hitting a glass shelf in the refrigerator. I know the sound.  Michael gets a Diet Pepsi out multiple times a day. It's a very distinct sound.

I am convinced that our homeless person, who creeps in late at night, has become brave enough to raid the refrigerator. A warm bed is no longer enough. He wants food too.

Hoping I'm mistaken, and something merely tipped over in the refrigerator, I choose to ignore the sound. I will not be afraid, or wake Michael up again. Life was easier when lots of people lived here, even pets. Noises never bothered me. When something bumped in the night,that didn't sound like the house talking, I knew it was one of the kids or a pet. It was easy not to be afraid.

Tonight I'm listening to a new skritchy noise. It sounds like a mouse. Ugh, there is nothing worse than hearing a mouse in your kitchen, or seeing it scurry across the floor. I need to remember to ask Michael to put out a mousetrap. I can't stand the thought of having to pick up a trap with a dead mouse in it. What would I do if I lived alone?  A cat, I could get a cat. I would definitely get a cat.

I could happily live alone, if it wasn't for that one thing....

Truthfully,
Joanne

In case you are wondering, the ice maker was accidently turned on when the girls and I were  making freezer meals. I had removed the ice bin to make room for the food. Ice was dumping itself  onto the shelves, sounding suspiciously like a can of Diet Pepsi.

 
"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand"

Friday, January 16, 2015

Welcome To The World

Is there anything sweeter than a newborn, fresh from God?
Introducing Beckham Michael:
Born January 12, 20015
Weight: 6lbs. 9 oz
Length: 19.25 inches
at 6:32 p.m.
Beckham has two amazing parents
 And so many family members
who love him already,

and many more to meet.
Welcome to the family Beckham!

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Blessings, Benefits, Challenges, Changes

As 2014 closes,I reflect with a thankful heart. So many changes, so many challenges, yet blessings and benefits abound. Through it all, I blogged only 39 times in 365 days.

In February, Blessing #1-Josiah,
 our 3rd grandchild was born.

In March, on my birthday, I became sick. I ended up with pneumonia. It lasted weeks. I don't recall a time where I was ever so sick that I could not keep going. I am the mom. I can take care of anything. This time, I could not. Blessing #2-family who picked up the slack, and ordered dinner out.

Blessing #3-In April, I spent 9 days in New Orleans with Ivydee. It was an interesting trip. I've never lived next door to a frat house before. Once in the middle of the night, the noise level was so bad, I peeked through the blinds to see just what was going on. I wish I could have video taped what I saw and sent it to the parents of these "kids" to show how their college funds were being spent.

I slept in the living room on an air mattress. Nearly every morning I was greeted by this girl:
She likes sleeping on cushiony soft air mattresses too. She is sweet and very protective over her lil' sister.We took daily walks through the streets of New Orleans.

What a blessing to have 9 full days with my granddog and granddaughter, and watching my son as a loving, doting dad.
Blessing #4-I began caring for these guys, 2 full days a week.In order to do it, Michael had to take over at home, which included managing meals for his mother and driving her to appointments. This was a big change.
I was doubly blessed to be an active part of caring for my grandsons.
 

Blessings #5 & #6- Two graduations on the same day. Sarabeth graduated from Metro State University,
while we were in New Orleans attending Christopher's graduation from Tulane Law School.
My parents, Hilary, and Lauren's dad were there too. Jambalaya, jazz music,


and our own crawfish boil. New Orleans is a fun, unique place to experience. We are blessed!

Blessings #7 & #8-two weddings, one in June, the other in August.

 That means we added two precious sons-in-law to our family.
Blessing #9 was the announcement that we were having another grandson. I cannot wait to meet this little guy.
Sometime after the graduations, between weddings, babies, and all things wonderful, I had a bicycle accident. My world was turned upside down, sideways, and felt like I was spinning on a merry-go-round about to fall off. Life didn't make sense. I slept for hours each night and day. I realized my brain could not function well when I was awake, so I slept each afternoon when I could take no more.

Blessing #10, I had the faith and assurance from God that I would be healed. I didn't know how long it would take or when it would be complete, but I trusted in the One who created me.

I felt vulnerable, scared, and didn't recognize myself. I had to let go of my responsibilities and let others take over. I missed being there for Ethan and Josiah. I pretended that everything was fine. I fooled a lot of people, some I didn't. I am sorry to my family and friends, when I caused you to worry whether I would return to "normal."

While I was healing, life continued. I experienced many more challenges and changes. Mostly I kept quiet. I didn't trust what I might say. I tried to blog, but couldn't post what I wrote.

Thanksgiving Day I grilled Salmon. Christmas Eve we strayed from our usual traditions. The view was gorgeous on the 22nd floor of our downtown hotel. We celebrated Michael's birthday in style-just the two of us, in spite of having the flu and a raging fever.

As I close this door, I say goodbye to the challenges of 2014 while holding tightly to its blessings. I step towards 2015, ready to embrace new changes, new blessings and new challenges.

Truthfully,
Joanne

"Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation!" (Ps. 68:19)