Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday Dad!

October is one of my favorite months of the year. Fall just makes me happy! The weather, the lack of humidity, the colors, the flavors and the birthdays. Dad and I share a birthday month. His is early and mine is late in the month so by now he probably doesn't even remember he had a birthday celebration while I try to celebrate the whole month. For example, today I am meeting a friend for birthday lunch because I have a birthday reward on PinPoint. (if you don't have PinPoint you've gotta get it)

Chris and I took the day off to meet mom at the nursing home to celebrate another year with dad. To be honest, I don't know how much he understood. For starters, he introduced me to his son-in-law, Chris. I get it...I get it! It still hurts.

Dad doesn't need things but I love to give gifts so I brought some of his favorite items. We had smoked ribs with all the fixings and a yummy cake that mom made but he really wasn't interested in eating. I bought dad two lottery tickets, one chocolate covered cherry and a senior picture of Emma. I can't say that any of those things meant much to him either. Oh the first two items may sound strange to most people but dad LOVED playing the lottery and eating those nasty cherries. Conversations tend to be difficult so we enjoy watching the birds in the aviary down the hall. I realize this picture doesn't show any birds at all but there are about 16 in there. All colors, flying around at speeds that I guess my camera on the phone can't catch. 

The girls weren't able to make it to see dad. It's hard on them to go and also to stay home. I pray that God gives us the wisdom to know what is best for Dad and strength for Mom. Lord, be merciful.

On a side note, as I am writing this post a week past dad's birthday, today would have been his sister's 77th birthday. Oh how I miss Aunt Delma! Maybe we will eat cake at our house tonight. 

Happy Fall! 
Recognize and enjoy the beauty our Creator gave us. He cares about the little things too!

Trash or Treasure

Haven't we all heard the saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure"? 

I have as mixture of both in my home...storage unit, garage, basement and family room.  Some of it was treasured by my Aunt Delma and some of it I doubt she knew she still possessed.  I have found receipts from 1937, letters from grandpa to his mother saying, "oh by the way, Lola and I got married", as well as ugly christmas ornaments and every "interesting" article from 1985 to present. 

So far the girls still really enjoy shreadding.  I question how long before the motor on the shreadder is burned out.  There's a rule in the house right now...if you are watching tv, you are feeding the shreading!

This is my garage...a mess of treasure.

It hasn't been a big deal until last week when Omaha had softball sized hail at the airport.  We were trying to decide which vehicle we could do without.  Praise God!  No hail in Millard.  However, winter will be here before we know it...gotta clear out all this treasure before snow falls.

I do want to share as much of these treasures with all those who loved Aunt Delma but there will come a time when it's all going to be donated to the Lydia House. 

Calling all family members...come get your treasures.

Salt of the Earth

One of the many things Aunt Delma loved was Hutchinson and all the small city has to offer.  Our phone calls would include stories about the most recent musician, nationally acclaimed surgeon or author who had just visited Hutch; or maybe something about the Kansas State Fair or Hutch JuCo.  However, taking a journey down to Hutch would always include taking in one of the many attractions in the city.  The last time we visited before she moved to Nebraska we planned to tour one of the salt mines underneath Hutch.  As bad luck would have it, I got food poisoning from Village Inn and had to head home.  (SIDE NOTE: not a pleasant trip home!)

We couldn't think of a better way to honor Aunt Delma than to take a tour in Hutch.  The day after the funeral the family took the trip 650 feet below ground to investigate what we had missed.  I have no doubt that Aunt Delma would have been so pleased!  The salt deposit under Hutch is 400 feet thick and stretches 150 miles by 200 miles.  It impressively holds 30 trillion tons of salt.

Aunt Ruth, Marianne, Emma, Chris, Reagan, Rodger, Olivia, Eric Regina



A huge slab of pure clear salt which weighs 6,000 pounds.  It's not often that miners find salt blocks like this without sediment or other impurities.

The crew ready for a tram ride into the rough areas of the mine.

Picking out souvenir salt

This shows one of the "hallways" blocked off with empty dynamite boxes.

There are LARGE areas of the salt mine rented out by the government and other organizations to preserve documents, historical artifacts as well as much of Hollywood's treasures.  Here you see an outfits from the movies "Talladega Nights" (Chris loved this movie), "The Terminator" and "Bat Man".  It is impossible to get to the high security areas.

What a very informative and interesting afternoon.

Saying Good-bye

I have mulled over this post for several days, not knowing exactly what to write.  From day to day I have different comments, some of them are beautiful thoughts while others are not.  It is true, events that evoke great emotion can bring out the best in people but blink your eyes and another side can rear it's ugly head as well.

Aunt Delma passed away on Friday the 6th of May. 

I still don't know what to say. Already, I miss her dearly!

Below are some pictures taken shortly after the funeral.

The Family

Emma is excited to be taller than Oma, however this picture is a little deceiving as Emma is one step up.

Wedding In 3 Days

When Chris and I got married it took eight months to plan the ceremony.  It was a big deal, a celebration of our new life together.  What  a joyous time and even tho most of it was planned by me without help from family members I had time to think things out.

This week I am planning a funeral.  Actually that's not an accurate statement, I planned a funeral in the last 18 hours.  There's so much of what I have done that resembles planning a wedding but you do it under high levels of emotion, fear of making the wrong choice and it a SHORT amount of time. 
MORTUARY:
This person is much like a wedding planner.
INVITATIONS:
Well, you don't really send those out for a funeral but there is that issue of letting friends and family know about the event however the friends might not be people you know.
CHURCH & PASTOR:
Fortunately Aunt Delma was a long time member of a christian church and I had been in contact with the pastor several times over the last 6 months.  She even called me the day before Aunt Delma passed.  Thank goodness we didn't have to wait 3 months for a church. 
SOLOIST & PIANIST:
Music is an important part of a wedding and a funeral.  Who do you ask?  What should they sing? Hurry up and decide the programs have to be sent to print 3 days before the event.  No, there won't be a DJ.
DRESS:
When you get married the dress is a main item and when you are buried the dress is less important but you do have to decide if you buy a new one or try to make something from the closet that is 4 sizes too big work.
FOOD:
No cake and punch but you do have large groups of people around and what are they going to eat? 
CASKET:
I don't know how that plays into a wedding but it's a MAJOR decision with a BIG price tag and once again, hurry and decide it's gotta get ordered.
PICKING A DATE:
Family flying in.  Long drives. You can't set the time and date until you know which relatives are coming and when they can arrive.
REGISTRATION BOOK:
Really?  $200 and What will I do with it afterwards?
FAMILY CAR:
It's much like the "get-away" car for the bride and groom but seldom does it have beverages aboard
HOTELS:
Good news here, you can get a berevment rate.
FLOWERS:
Over priced...people please send memorials.
The list goes on...
Just like a wedding most things tied to a funeral cost more than they should.  It's an emotional decision.

I'm not trying to make too light of the situation I am in.  I am thrilled to be the one who puts on the celebration of Delma's life.  I have found myself crying when it doesn't make sense to, laughing and cracking jokes that might be considered inappropriate and calm in stressful moments. 

Last week was a time of grieving.
This weekend has been filled with planning.
Next week I will be grieving and celebrating.
The following week I will be packing again.
After all that is done, I don't know what I will do. 

Defining Moments

What are you made of?  What do you stand for?  Does adversity build your strength or show your weakness?  Some days it is hard to answer these questions but when you face a defining moment, suddenly you do answer these questions whether you plan to or not.

Through a long process of moving my dear loving aunt to Omaha I have seen many defining moments for myself as well as several other family members.  My husband is simply amazing, truly a man who lives for Jesus and let Christ's love pour out at the most difficult of times.  Thank you Chris for being more than I ever dreamed of. 

To be completely honest, my mind is not clear enough right now to share the story of the last 30 hours but I can tell you it has had incredible lows, moments of peace and much uncertainty.  My first action was to ask God for strength and wisdom, He never fails me.  My second action was to drive through Starbucks, that's where I cried the first time.  How odd, thinking "I'm a pillar of strength" but then the voice of a friend and the smell of my magic potion (chai latte or caramel latte, both because they are pretty cheap) give me the permission to release all that worrisome junk I have hidden inside.  Then time, quiet time, time to listen to God instead of just barking for answers.  Aw, that is a defining moment for me.  I remember the context of the verse God gives me, Mordecai is talking to Esther but can't remember the verse exactly.  I know God has brought me to this position for such a time as this.

Now more than 12 hours later I sit in a hospital room with a lady whom I have loved dearly all my life, watching her die.  The pain I feel is tremendous.  I am selfishly begging her to live and yet pleading that she will let go of this life for one that is waiting for her in Heaven.  There will be no pain, no JIA, no liquid diet, no confusion, no anxiety...rather a loving Father with His arms held out welcoming His daughter home for all of eternity.  I want to know what comes next and when will it happen.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

I have seen tonight that there are tough times ahead.  Making final plans and some other things that I guess I can't or shouldn't mention here.  There will be more defining moments.  What I do may be the example that brings someone closer to Christ or gives them the excuse to walk further away from Christ.  Who I am and what I'm made of will show in those moments of adversity.  Pray for me that all I do and say is a witness for my Lord and Saviour.

 

Easter Week

Easter week . Holy week . Chocolate Bunnies . Spring break

The week that Christ was tortured, hung on a cross, buried and resurrected means different things to different people.  Our family enjoys the fun part of easter.  Below you will see our peep wreath, eggs that we colored with traditional dye and also silk dyed.  And when I get the pictures from Nana you'll also see the easter egg hunt.  What you won't see is pictures of us in church celebrating Christ's death and resurrection but that side of easter is what means the most to us.

My verse for Beth Moore's scripture challenge is all about the Easter good news:

For God so loved the world

that He gave His one and only son

that who ever believes in Him

shall not perish but have eterntal life.

John 3:16

 Emma's final 6th grade orchestra concert was this week.  I was so disappointed when I realized that my camera battery was very low.  However to my great surprise I was able to take several pictures and video 2 songs including Emma's duet.  YAY!  The camera shut off and I was pleased.  Oh no, they weren't done...

Emma was then given "The Outstanding Musician" award...

AND I DIDN'T HAVE A CAMERA!  dang!!



I had to capture Reagan, Olivia and friend on their DS waiting for the concert to start.  No, I didn't let them play video games during the orchestra concert.  :)



The only good use for peeps...turn them into art. 

 The girls and I had lots of fun making this colorful wreath for our front door.

Silk Dyed Easter Eggs

I found this link at Our Best Bites If you are not familiar with that site, they have some very creative and fun holiday activities.  I can't wait to make the multicolored cup cakes but I will be using natural dyes instead of artificial dyes.  I care too much about my families health to load them up with all that junk.

By the way, no we did not eat these eggs.

My girls are creative egg decorators. 

Mom and My Beautiful girls.

Visiting Aunt Delma before going to church on Saturday night.

Easter Baskets





It Is Finished

The cleaning of the townhouse I mean...
No I didn't take any pictures.  By the time I cleaned the bathroom, floors, counter tops, really every surface I didn't want to run home to grab my camera.  I was tired from 3 days of sick kids and didn't want to battle the blizzard outside.  So again I say, it is finished.  PRAISE GOD!!

Now to figure out where to put all the stuff we didn't think should go in the storage unit.  Just what my house needs...more stuff.

Boxed & Ready

We have had so many moving days it's difficult to know which one this is.  However, I'm happy to say that after doing a little light cleaning tomorrow I will be done with the townhouse that stored Aunt Delma's household goods for three months.  Talk about some expensive storage!

I just want to again thank some dear friends who stepped in to help us; Nickie, Chad and Tim faced the cold and ice for two hours.  Love you guys!

Tomorrow I will take some pictures of the cleaned location.

A quick update on Aunt Delma: upon arrival to her new home she was grumpy and sure that MRE was the junkiest place she'd ever lived.  I am happy to let you know, however, that my inside sources tell me that she has been active and enjoying her stay.  I know all these changes have been very difficult on Aunt Delma.  I thank God for his direction and wisdom.

Moving Day Part 3 or 4

I really can't recall off the top of my head how many times I have moved Aunt Delma since November 2010.
1. from Kansas to Omaha
2. to the hospital
3. to the better hospital
4. to the rehab facility
5. to the skilled care facility while we were waiting for assisted living to open up
6. and today we are moving stuff from her town home to the assisted living. 
7. later this week we will move her and her belongings from skilled care to asst. living.
8. the rest of her belonging from the town home will be moved before January 30th into storage.

Along the way we have had so much help, I can't even begin to thank everyone.  Today we have inlisted a foreign exchange student who lives with my inlaws.  Nothing says living in Nebraska like moving a total strangers belongings when it is 5-15 degrees outside.  Just think of all the stories Charlie will have when he goes back to Korea. 

Chris is back with the truck so I need to head over to the town house.  Please keep our family in your prayers for safety in moving and that Chris and I don't get irritated with one another.  :)

EXCITING SIDE NOTE:
I have a new baby cousin, born yesterday at 6:15pm weighing in at 8lbs 12oz.  That's a big baby for my skinny little cousin's first baby.  All is well with baby and mommy and I think grandma even survived the day in the waiting room.  I can't wait to start putting pictures in the scrapbook I made for him.  Thank you God for the safe delievery of little (or big) Levi.

Making Memories

What are your fontest childhood memories?  My include making homemade taffy, cooking, riding my bike to the pool, going to summer camp, being with my grandma and aunt and playing in the big dirt pile to name just a few.  When I think about the people who made me feel special I remember my Aunt Delma.  Through the years she has remembered special days, sent me letters, taken an interest in the things I care about and most importantly she loves my children and Chris.  The last couple of weeks have been very stressful for my aunt (me too) but I am so blessed to be right here beside her all the way. 

This year our family was able to share Thanksgiving with Aunt Delma.  Just look at her, she really enjoyed her time with us.  I am so thankful to be sharing special moments with this wonderful woman.