Hi all. A short (kinda long) video just sharing about the last month and a half. I hope you all had a wonderful Easter celebrating Jesus and the salvation His death provided us.
I filmed this last night after we got home from church. After I was done I remembered other things I’d written out in my head days ago that flitted away and didn’t make it in to the video. Even now after remembering them they are gone.
Today I received news that we’d been waiting to arrive since the beginning of the year. My Granny (mom’s mom) was diagnosed with a second round of Lymphoma late last year. She’d been in remission for about three years. In January her oncologist and my mom decided to stop chemo. Really over the last month her health has gotten worse. My mom believes she may have had a small stroke which didn’t help matters.
We’d been praying that God would take her and cease her suffering. She’d grown delusional and her internal clock was backwards, thinking it was evening in the morning and vice versa. She’d stopped eating, and was was receiving Morphine & Adivan (anti-anxiety) every two hours. Yesterday she was transferred to hospice.
She was often insufferable. She’d call when we were little and lecture us on money and sex. But she loved.
She was very legalistic in her Christian faith. She’d ask everyone if they knew Jesus. Even though she may not have been tactful in witnessing she cared more about the souls of the lost than most Christians.
In the last nine years she gained three great grandsons, a granddaughter-in-law and a grandson-in-law.
Today she saw Jesus face-to-face. She worships at His feet.
On Sunday as we celebrate the resurrection of our most magnificent Savior she will celebrate with Him. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Easter.
One of our neighbors recently acquired a dog.
This dog…likes to bark.
A lot!!!
Last night said dog started barking about 10 PM. I was able to fall asleep but was woken up at 2 AM to barking – which I could hear through my ear plugs. The dog continued to bark for the next two hours. **sigh** Yeah. We called the police but apparently here in Phoenix Animal Control handles these situations and they apparently have no one on duty at 3 in the morning (imagine that…sleeping at 3 AM.)
In the midst of all this lack of sleep I couldn’t help but think of this bit by comedian Brian Regan, and how at the time it was SO not funny. Bad words may have been uttered from my lips.
Shawn and I discussed this morning that we think the owner has started working nights, because any considerate, person in their right mind would have yelled at the dog and gotten them to stop barking. If we can figure out which neighbor I’m considering going over and politely letting him know his dog is barking all night and can he do something about it. Praying for sleep tonight.
I don’t take compliments well. I don’t know why, I just don’t. Which is weird since my Love Language is Affirmation. I don’t know how to respond when complimented. I feel…………weird.
My husband is my greatest fan and the major source of all compliments. He makes me feel loved (see previous paragraph mentioning love language). Shawn leaves for work before I do and is home before I am. In other words there are 10 hours of the day he doesn’t see me. He sees me at the end of the day with worn makeup, flat hair where it’s supposed to be poofy, rumpled clothes. He finds me beautiful. In that moment.
Today (Monday) was one of those days. I was satisfied (settled) with what I’d chosen to wear – which as ladies know can mean going through your entire wardrobe twice before finding something – my skirt probably could have stood to be ironed and my bangs hidden forehead could have definitely been less oily. Yet, Shawn’s response when seeing me was that “I looked good” (husband speak for beautiful).
Shawn’s favorite word for me is fancy. To him everything I do is fancy. I joke with him that I could be in a gunny sack and he’d still think I was fancy.
I may never be able to take compliments, and never think of myself as fancy, but he does and that makes all the difference in the world and makes me feel loved and beautiful.
Shawn and I had a wonderful time in Prescott over the weekend. It was full of lots of time to rest, relax, read, and just be with each other.
Saturday evening I got to see a friend I hadn’t seen in six years. In that time she has had four beautiful children. Lately we’ve kept in touch via Facebook but unfortunately life and the responsibilities that go with it have prevented us from seeing each other. It was wonderful to see her and visit. And I am excited that she and her husband are going to be in town for a wedding of a mutual friend later this month and we are planning to do dinner.
After dinner Shawn and I gathered around his laptop and over a shaky wifi signal we watched Compassion’s Help Haiti Live Benefit Concert. I was moved by the generosity of the artists that performed, and even more moved by the stories I heard. I gave a mental shout out to my friend Alece who I knew was there.
I lived in Prescott for about two and a half years. It is a nice little city nestled amongst towering Pine Trees and mountains.
On Sunday morning we woke up to snow. I have a soft spot in my heart for a bit of snow. I grew up in Northern Arizona and was accustomed to having snow in the winter. The most we ever had was four feet. Living in Phoenix you don’t get snow. You may get the occasional snow flurry if it gets cold enough, but nothing like what I grew up in. I miss snow and was extremely thrilled to be able to see and be in this. Shawn was thrilled for me too.
This was probably the first time I actually felt relaxed and rested after a vacation. I immensely enjoyed my time with Shawn.
Thank you for your prayers I am feeling better.
Photos from our hotel room and the one of us taken by Shawn.
I realized earlier today that my husband and I had started dating 13 years ago today. We ate Arby’s at a local mall and then drove out to past the edge of the city and looked at the stars. I’d worn jeans, a red turtle neck, and a tan collar-less men’s button down shirt that wasn’t buttoned (it was still the 90′s give me some grace).
I would have never thought those 13 years ago that I’d be married to that man and our love for each other would would have blossomed into what it is today. It is only because of God’s grace that we are where we are today.
Christmas is by far my favorite holiday of the year. I view Christmas as if Jesus had not been born we couldn’t have Easter and the celebration of His death and resurrection. To me they go together. I wanted to share some of our Christmas traditions with you.
Our Tree: Our tree is decorated in stars and red, gold, white and silver balls. My poor Shawn had to string the lights this year by himself since I was one-legged.
Our Nativity: We have two different Nativities that we usually put up. One is all white, very classy looking. The other is full color. I have this thing with always having one of the lambs at the manager looking at baby Jesus. As if the lamb knows that this is the Lamb of God.
Stockings: Since it is just Shawn & I we don’t do stockings for each other (don’t need a sock full of candy), but they go up. We have a fake fireplace with a mantle that we hang them on.
These are some sweetly, rad candle sticks we found at Ross for $10 & $9.
Vintage Family Hand-me-downs: I was blessed to have received this ceramic tree that had been my Grandma Parks’ (dad’s mom), the ornaments were Shawn’s grandma’s, the train was one my brother and I had growing up, and the rocking horse was Shawn’s.
Monkey Bread: Warm, gooey, cinnamony, sugary, biscuit pieces goodness. I usually always prep it the night before so all I have to do is pop it in the oven Christmas morning.
Family: We usually spend Christmas Eve with Shawn’s family if we are in town. We have dinner foods and open gifts. If we aren’t in town we are usually at my parents up North (Payson, AZ)
Nina & Ryan, Shawn, Dade (on the floor).
Christmas Morning: If we are able (at home) Christmas morning is always just Shawn and I. We spend the morning together, eat Monkey Bread, open gifts, etc.
This was our first Christmas as husband and wife. I love him so much more than I did that day.
It’s not much but it’s ours. What are your Christmas traditions?
“You are my best friend, and the one I want to spend my life with. I will be here to listen to you, laugh with you, and hold you. I will be here to encourage you and strengthen you as we build our life together. I promise to be your best friend, your love, and your helper. I commit myself to you and you alone for the rest of our lives.”
Those were our vows. I hope that eight and a half years later I’m living them out daily to Shawn. We didn’t include the traditional “for richer or poorer…in sickness and health…” but I think that all of that is summed up.
I’ve been “laid up” for nearly a week now after my surgery. My foot issues go back to June. Shawn has been exceedingly wonderful. I know it isn’t easy dealing with me when I’m not recovering from surgery, so I can’t imagine what dealing with a one legged wife with wheels is like. He’s been patient, loving, compassionate, and most of all selfless. I am truly one blessed wife.
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Yesterday we had a family memorial service for my husband’s grandma who passed away this Spring. I listened as my family told of the impact that she had on their lives. From her giving her blessing for marriage to one of my sisters-in-law before she and my brother-in-law were even dating to my husband and his brothers going to her house on Friday nights and playing games and drinking milk shakes and watching StarTrek Next Generation.
My brother-in-law, Collin said that his most impacting memory of her was her faith. Grandma Wilma was 93 when she transferred from Earth to Jesus’ presence in Heaven. As I listened to Collin, my thoughts kept circling back to I hope that when I die that the part of my life that was most impacting is my faith and walk in Jesus. I don’t want people to go, “Oh, she was a Christian?” I pray that my life would have at least have the impact that hers did.
