Baby Skype's with Daddy in Afghanistan

This is a photo of my son Jacob....

using Skype to chat with his one month old son...

All the way from Afghanistan!

what a priceless photo for me to see my son connecting with his son!

Granny's Pure Joy

my grandbaby Parker

I was thrilled to spend several days with my new grandbaby last week....

 I missed my son terribly since he could not be there!

We did get to skype with him in Afghanistan though.

Since a future with MS and children looked bleak, 

many many years ago....

I feel so blessed to be a Grandmother!

I think like a typical Grandmother

"Parker is so alert and advanced at only 2 weeks old"

As he looks at his Oma talking to him

I smiled at this pic since Parker was yawning.

Merry Christmas to all

as I share a few pics of the Joy of being a grandmother!

My Family Cancer Updates

Jill and Mikenzie

I was happy to report that my sister Jill's breast cancer surgery was successful......but when we found out today.....that it did spread
to her lymph nodes....that changes everything.

Please Pray for Jill.

My cousin Pam is receiving her treatments at MD Anderson for leiomyosarcoma cancer.....

She has taken 3 out of her 6 extreme chemo treatments.  

Remember Pam in prayer as each treatment is rougher on her body.

Life is precious...

I will end with the highlight of my week.....

a smile from my one week old grandbaby!

I am a Grandmother

Parker

What a wonderful gift to be thankful for on Thanksgiving.

Since my son is in Afghanistan.....I am thankful that he was able to be in the delivery room yesterday via Skype....

for the birth of his baby!

baby was minutes old

The technology is fantastic.....it is a thrill seeing pictures of him til I get to go hold him next month.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Getting Unstuck

The other day I was simply backing up to the mailbox to check the mail....in this car.

Uh oh I did not realize when I drove into the fresh loose gravel....that it was so thick.....so I was spinning in it like snow or mud.

I got out of the car easily to see that all I needed to do was to drive forward and stop spinning in reverse....which was an easy fix for the problem.

What I am so thankful for is that I could open the door of the car and stand sorta stable.

when it used to be a long process to unload from my handicap van (pictured above).....and I was unable to stand wobbly back then.

Just feeling Thankful for the small stuff!

Broken Chains

My horse dog is laying here asleep sweetly....on his bed...

with a piece of his dog-run chain from outdoors still on him.

and we used to think that the chain was impossible to break.

I guess he is showing us that chains are made to be broken!

Going to a Wedding

 

I went to my niece, Ashley's beautiful wedding this past weekend.

This photo is my favorite.......love the look on his face!

this photo was possible since it was an evening wedding.

I really enjoyed all the festivities with my family!

Making Memories....

Peaceful Moments of Love and Light Blog Tour

At the dawning of each new day
as the darkness is swept away,
hope can fill the heart anew
for what the day may bring to you.

I am happy to participate in the blog tour for the devotional book

 Peaceful Moments of Love and Light by Connie Arnold.

I have enjoyed Connie's poems for several years....such as the encouraging poem above.

For more info: Connie Arnold
Leave a comment here.....she has prizes for the tour!

Happy Birthday in Afghanistan....

I want to wish my son a Happy 24th Birthday!

I love to see pictures of the type of work that he does in the Marines 

on their Facebook site....

I am so proud of Jacob for his service.....

....I will always love him to the ends of the earth...

Happy Birthday in Afghanistan Jacob!

outside my window

Whatever I face in life.....I want to notice the beauty around me!

and be Thankful for it.

Daughter Home from Germany

Leah took this pic of Josh and the Alps

I am happy that my daughter, Leah, was able to take a trip to Germany with her Oma and cousin Josh.

They got to stay with Oma's sisters and family.....the family over there made sure it was a trip of a lifetime for them.

I felt like I relived when I went over there in 1986.....I was walking pretty good back then even though I had MS.....I could climb the stairs in the castles....and loved the family time.   

I enjoy talking to her about her trip but so glad she is home!

Cancer Gives Perspective

We were shocked again this week....to find out that my (46 year old) sister has breast cancer....as my cousin is starting extreme chemo in Texas.

I know that God has always helped me to get through the storms in the past.....so That gives me hope during this storm.

And Cancer sure does put things into perspective......and reminds me to take life one day at a time.

Birthday Observations - Guest Post

This is a guest post by Jennifer Digmann

Last week my close college friend, Jen, turned 40. Jen’s husband surprised her with a party and there was no way that Dan and I would have missed it. We drank a little, laughed a lot and had a great time. Once the festivities were over, I wondered about a few things.

Like when people ask me how I am doing and wonder about my MS (healthline link), do they really want the truth?

I usually answer quickly that, “I’m fine,” but this weekend I felt comfortable enough to answer a little more honestly. That honest answer seemed to make one of my dear friends uncomfortable. This surprised me because she always has been supportive of my dealing with this disease. But it made me wonder if a close friend only wants to hear about the positive stuff, do most people who ask really want to know the truth about this disease?

Either way, I know that while there are several  medications to help people with MS, there really is no medicine as good for your soul as time spent with the best of friends.

With Jen turning 40, I realized that I also will be 40 in 13 months. I felt pressure, and I’m not sure why. But I know I better get to accomplishing something. What I need to accomplish I’m not yet quite sure. I wondered is this pressure because of my upcoming milestone birthday? Or is it something else? Do you ever feel that way?

Pennies for Pam

new wig

Pennies for Pam

My cousin Pam is moving to MD Anderson in Houston, TX for an extreme dose of Chemo....for 4 months....to hopefully cure her rare aggressive cancer.

Pam's friend started a Facebook page with a Paypal link to help with the finances of her staying in Texas.

Like Pennies for Pam Page on Facebook....if you want to follow Pam as she is starting to travel down this cancer road....and most of all please remember to pray for Pam and her family.

Daughter and a 5K

I am so proud of my daughter for participating in a 5K with her co-workers for the simple reason of wanting to be healthier.....

She inspires me as I walk with my walker to go to the bathroom many, many times a day (which can seem like a 5K) instead of driving my powerchair....

But exercising sure does make me feel better!

My Sore Thumb

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On a lighter note.....Since I am a self proclaimed hypochondriac ......

my thumb became numb one evening.......oh dear, my mind immediately thinks MS.......I cannot lose anymore feeling in my right hand to MS!

After an hour of worrying and fretting?......I look at my thumb to see it is red and swollen and itching....Yay!  It has to be a bug bite and not the MS.

Whew! No one has ever been so happy to have a bug bite!......but the hypochondriac in me said, what if it is that West Nile thing?  

Fortunately, I could laugh it off and it was back to normal in a couple of days.

Finding Old Photos

I felt like I found a treasure when I discovered an old envelope stuffed with old photos.....at my Dads house this past weekend.

1970

The above photo was taken at my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary....when lots  of family and friends had come to celebrate with them.

I Love seeing old photos!  It lets me see a glimpse of the past.

Going Back Home

When we were driving along this road....Tears came to my eyes  since all I could think of was the last time I on this road.  

I was remembering that in July I was following Dads hearse in a funeral procession.... and my son was driving my car in his dress blues Marine uniform (and now he is in Afghanistan)....

these sad days come along......but it was a beautiful day to ride to the mountains with my hubs!  And I got to spend Sunday with my daughter also!!

My Son Deploys to Afghanistan

Jacob and Kayla (baby)

I love this photo that was taken when my son and his wife were here in July....they were able to come home for my Dads funeral.

I was so happy to see them even though the circumstances were not happy. 

However, while he was here for a couple of weeks.....

the Marines called to tell him that he had orders to deploy to Afghanistan........so they rushed back to his base in California to prepare for deployment.....such as sending his pregnant wife across the country to live with her mom, etc, etc.

Jacob will miss the birth of his first born child but he does have Skype.

I know this is real tough for my son.....but now I can realize even more how the families of our deployed military are affected also......tremendously!

Cancer Hits My Cousin

Pam and her granddaughter Maria Rose

When my cousin Pam was told she had cancer......needless to say it was a shock to her and our family. 

and then they said it was a rare aggressive type of cancer......which makes it even more scary.

The doctors are sending her to the Mayo Clinic in Florida.

Please pray for Pam as we hunker down in our family knowing God is in control and "this too shall pass".

Rainy Year in Georgia

We have been getting inches and inches of rain this year.....which I am Thankful for.

 So a few small trees have fallen on our driveway

I am not complaining either......just talking about the weather as if I have nothing else to talk about!

My Dogs Meditation Time

I smiled at this photo since my horse dog looked like a kid sticking his tongue out at me...I was taking pictures of him during what I say is....

"His peace lily meditation time"

He walks under this peace lily very slowly several times a day.....and shuts his eyes......so I figure it is calming for him??

I have been taking it easy also....

trying to learn a lesson from my horse dog.

Snake on my Deck

my horse dog was barking at the deck door.......I go to see what it is.......but when I saw a king snake...

it was way too close for comfort!

(I have a bad photo of it......but I wanted to keep a door between me and the snake)

hubs let the snake go......since king snakes kill poisonous snakes.

it was creepy but.......i reckon this is part of living life in the metro woods!

ps.  Thanks for the condolences for the loss of Dad.......

Dad would be sayin......oh that is a good snake......leave it alone.

I Sure Miss My Dad

my Dad working in the copper mines

My sister was sleeping on the couch with Dad asleep in his hospital bed.....when she awoken at 4am to notice that Dads breathing was much quieter ....she went over to hold his hand for about 10 minutes until he drew his last breathe peacefully.  She said there was such an unusual feeling of peace in the room as he passed,

1976

I spent the week before with Dad.....remembering a little humor of that week eases some of the grief.

First of all let me declare that I am the worst nurse ever!

I only took my walker to stay a week with Dad....so when he wanted an egg and coffee at 2am....I cooked him an egg and rolled it over to him on my rolling walker.....he loved that!

Later Dad woke me at 5am when he was smothering.......so I rushed to give him his morphine 

but I forgot his water to wash it down with......

(he had said earlier that it tasted so bad that it could curl your toenails).

I finally found his cup of water but somehow I spilled some water on him in bed....I dabbed him dry....then I got his oxygen back on him....

we laughed when we realized it was on upside down!

2005

Later in the week.......Dad was so tired of sitting......so when he wanted to stand and stretch....I said "Dad hang on to my walker so you don't fall".....

he did but he took off walking with my walker....

so I grabbed his walker and chased him down with his walker since he was using my walker to get to the kitchen table...

we sure were a funny pair.....both of us using walkers.

Dad was such a character....I cannot put into words a lifetime of influences he had on me.

However, on July 23, 2013 this world has just lost a good man that will be greatly missed!

I am Pratt's Daughter

My Dad did not care for his unusual first name too much.....but I was always proud to say that I was Pratt's daughter.

.....In a small town where everybody knew his name. 

He has 5 daughters....that grew up knowing that he would "always be there for us".   

I wanted to stay with Dad last week....so he would not be alone during these difficult days and be there for him....which lead to me having many priceless moments and memories.

He would tell me things like...."I was laying in bed trying to figure out how could I get Kim to stay another night"....as a parent....I know how happy he was to have his kids around.

Since I have to rest....I came home after he became bedridden Saturday....and he is sleeping all the time now.

Hospice tells us that Dad is coming to the end of his journey with COPD.

Brother and Sister Love

Leah and Jacob 1990

I love finding old snapshots of my kids.......they sure make me smile!

After the Rain

We were driving along our driveway after a really wet weekend....when I noticed all these strange orange spots in the woods.

with a closer snapshot....it looks like we have a bunch of pretty orange mushrooms speckled in the woods.

So what if I got a little wet
I am still thankful for the rain!

July 4th Weekend

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My hubs knee is doing a lot better after the doctor put a cortisone shot in it.  

When he was incapacitated....it made me realize how much he did around here....when I had to do it all!

It is raining so much here in Georgia....inches this weekend....that we changed our cookout lake plans to having my family over to my house for an inside BBQ.

I hope yall have a HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!

A Handicapped Couple

My hubs can't walk today....his knee made a popping sound this morning!  

So I am driving hubs in the above car....he will walk in the doctors office on crutches....as I drive the scooter in to visit the doctor.

We will be a funny looking or a pitiful looking couple as we start the visiting doctors routine....for hubs this time and not me which is scary.

Routine Mammograms

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13 years have gone by since I heard the breast specialist say those sobering words:

 "I am 90 percent sure that You have breast cancer" he was wrong....but I did not know that til after the surgery.

Memories of that time of my life sure makes me Thankful for those yearly routine exams like I had yesterday.....

when they say everything is clear with no sign of cancer!

My Wheelchair Days

my first scooter 1988

This old picture brought back good memories from 1988....somehow I felt a sense of freedom.....when I could zoom around in this chair at work.....and do my job.  

Thankfully, there have been many advances in the treatment of MS since then.....now I can leave these kind of chairs behind......and use my walker part of the day! 

Decoration Weekend

my cousin Debbie took this pic

I went up this past weekend for decoration ....as we honor my Moms grave and others....that has gone on with flowers.

it is also nice to see Dad, sisters, and to get caught up with cousins....that I don't get to see often.

Dad always loved these kind of reunions but this year he was too weak to be too involved.....but I am so thankful to have my Dad still here since Hospice has been coming out to check on him for a year now.

Flowers Still Blooming!

I was happy to see these flowers blooming....

 after what they 

had been through this year..

the whole picture above reveals why I thought this flower was dead....

when I am not looking...

my horse dog likes to dig around the flower...

Like a bulldozer so maybe there was a critter under it???

Many analogies can apply here!