Christmas

Merry CHRISTmaus!

Let it snow!

It's December...It's Michigan...it's time!!!


Disclaimer: I don't like to drive in it or shovel it, but it's so pretty.

thank-full

I am full of thank.
My heart is overwelmed with the goodness and love of God.
TODAY I give thanks for:
a good bible study & prayer time at C3.
seeing my grandkids...and getting those love hugs..
my darling daughter in love, April
Meleluca tough & tender

getting the dishes done, and paperwork started...
My daughter Sarah dressing me so i will be cool.
Bob's job...our home...my yard.

I know, it's all random..
remote controls...cordless phones
permanent press- i used to hate ironing.

Joel & stephanie's impending visit
I CAN"T wait!
shaklee stove scrubber stuff

lots more...

Thankful for Music

Awesome! Pop-Up Hallelujah Chorus at Macy

AMEN!
When I was a freshman in high school...I was drafted into the chior. They pulled kids randomly out of study halls to encourage them to join vocal, choral, glee whatever. I remember The director saying are you an alto or soprano? "I can sing anything", I replied. (he smirked, thinking I was arrogant; I was merely naive...couldn't everybody sing high or low?) He tested me and a started to laugh...you're right! Would you like to be in the chior? "sure." I was in chior from then on and it was the highlight of my high school experience. When I was a senior, someone told my Dad that it was an honor to be in the Senior Choir in any grade, but to be in it from a freshman was special. I never had known that. The Halleluia chorus was one of the first pieces I learned, and one of my favorites.

Thankful for Our Troops

thankful for....

Our Rose....

Thankfulness - Freedom

I am also thankful for...
The United States of America...
The Constitution & Bill of Rights
Those who gave their lives to obtain this freedom I enjoy.
Those who continue to stand by on duty to ensure this freedom I enjoy
Freedom to Associate and protest peaceably
The ability to read/hear/watch and inform myself via
Cable, Internet and Radio and personal conversations.
;) The Tea Party Movement and all the buzz they have created
making it all the more interesting this go-a-round, and
getting lots more people engaged in the process
The Freedom to have a sense of humor
FOXNEWS, Fair & Balanced (more or less)
& The Glenn Beck Show for educating me about history that school never did....and current events other outlets refuse to address
All the while enjoying the ability to choose for myself
while remaining friends with those who disagree with me politically.
and on top of it all- a voting booth I can walk to!
All this and apple pie too?
God Bless America!

THANKFULNESS

“Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day”
-Robert Caspar Lintner
Today....
I am thankful for...
God , the Father Almighty
Jesus Christ , His Son, My Savior.
The Holy Spirit within
His Word to guide and teach me ( yes and reprove and correct)
My Church, My Pastors ( their wives) Deacons...
Godly Friends, who speak the truth in love.
Study Books...and
Spirit filled Mentors...
those women who have shaped me and held me up and pushed me forward.

Turn the Page....

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremaih 29:11

Thankful For

Flannel sheets & chenille bed spreads.
I-Pod- especially my worship mix
My lil yellow room...
My Bible,
My Easel & pencils
slippers and sweatshirts
The Presence of the LORD!
My friendship with God
My best friend ;) you know who you are...
Autumn...all of it.
Our Nurse
TV Ears
individual hummus cups.



yeah....its' the little things

He Knows, He Cares

Simple pleasures I miss...
Talking with my husband uninterupted...
Taking a daily walk with Bob.
Going to the show...
A quiet dinner...
Dinner out...
Being spontaneous...
Freedom to go as I please...
The choice not to cook tonight...
Watching the News with Bob...or anything for that matter
A good night's rest...& snuggling...
Working outside- when I feel like it...
Time to sit and pray, study, meditate,read,worship...
Silence.
Choices.

Doodle Therapy

My life has been a tad stressful to say the least....
I have always liked to doodle- drawing flowers on all my notepads...

A new friend of mine blessed me with some colored pencils and here is what I doo-dle with them.When things get frustrating I flee to my sanctuary (aka spare room)and begin to express my emotion with a sketch...by the time I am 'done" with it...I feel calm and at peace. Next, I write down the attribute I wish to respond with.

After the roses, Sarah remarked, "oh Mom, so you're doing the fruits of the spirit"? lol....I hadn't realized it. Here is the results





mispelled...intentionally. :)

Sundowner’s Syndrome

also known as sundowning, is a condition often associated with the early stages of Alzheimer's. Sundowners syndrome can also be considered a mood disorder or even a sleep disorder. Sufferers experience periods of extreme agitation and confusion during the late afternoon or early evening hours, leading to irritability towards caregivers. It was once believed that sundowners syndrome was a result of missed day/night light cues, hence the sudden onset at sundown. Current research points towards more organic causes such as drug interactions or stress associated with lower cognitive function.

Rose suffers from this every evening...she gets angry and irrational...even more demanding than ususal...she obsesses over when her hair was washed last...or if we are having dinner... Though she will say she is not at all hungry, she throws a tantrum if dinner is not at 6pm. We offer to make her dinner...but she is completely undone if we don't all sit down with her and eat what she eats. Needless to say dinners are very stressful for all of us. I haven't enjoyed a meal at home in months. You would think this would lead to weight loss for me...wouldn't you? no such luck.

a place of rest...

ahhhh a good night's rest...is there anything sweeter?
ask anyone who is sleep deprived.

The last 48 hours have been a real trip. The Dr put Rose on some new meds...to calm her and help sleep...they did not. in fact we had 36 hours of sleeplessness and hallucinations. Can I just say, my husband is a saint. seriously.

Rose saw people, children, dogs, bugs in the house...she doesn't know why she is here.

Kudos to the home appraiser who came to appraise our home,
and graciously snuck around so we wouldn't upset Rose further...
I am finding that lots of people have experience caring for older folks....and they are filled with compassion.
This was all further complicated by us being essentially in-between Doctors on a holiday weekend...So we had to make the decisions oursleves...we chose going back to the previous meds.

We finally slept......all of us...and some of us are still sleeping and this,
is a gift from God the Father -To whom we bow our knee and ask humbly,
Please sir, could we have some more???

Face it

Flee temptation.... but Face your troubles.

Troubles don't go away by ignoring them, do they?
They may be the vehicle to a higher calling- a destiny

Let us face them, toe to toe. armed with the glorious gospel of peace...after all,
nothing is too difficult for God. In His strength, we plow thru- we don't always get the result we wanted...at least I haven't...but I have come thru, and when I ponder outcomes, I usually have ended up in the good position, wiser for the wear,
and always more compassionate toward others going thru a similar thing...judgment falls away...
replaced by a quiet confidence that this too shall pass...

I am hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; persecuted but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed.... -2 Cor 4:9

Piece of cake :)

Family Field Day 2010 teaser

MC CREW a combination of Carlson's & Maus's

The cArlson Team

is it just me...or is this a scene from Lord of The Rings...?

It's all how you carry it, I guess

Everybody has one...nobody wants to be one...


Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

My new study topic....

We have entered the world of caregiving, a world of mystery...the unknown. Well for us anyway...SO I might as well share what i'm learning...

The 6 Myths of Caregiving

a new day, a new life....

Rose came home yesterday...
she is in a wheelchair...and requires 24/7 care.
We have a caregiver coming in when Bob is not here, as
I am unable to lift her to transfer her....
so this is a new day and a new life for all of us.

we moved her upstairs next to us, and on the main floor so she have access to
the kitchen dining and front room....we built ramps to get her in and out of the house...we are installing grab bars and other equipment to help her.

Bob is shouldering the heaviest of loads and has lost
quite a bit of freedom in his life. What a wonderful son he is.

It will be quite a while until we can go for a walk...to dinner or a movie...
or even church together.

Please pray for us as we figure this all out....one day at a time
( and lest you think I am crazy...it was sarah's birthday yesterday, and hence the party hat)

The bloom is off the Rose

an update on our Rosie.
Last month Mom got ill with a UTI & cough.
She became so weak the Dr put her into the hospital.
she is now at a rehab center.....
where she should be getting her strength back and coming home.
however.... Lil miss stubborn won't due the therapy.
One day she walks 10 steps...the next she refuses to try. The powers that be have informed us that she is not progressing and will be discharged, needing 24 hour care.

Her reason's?
I don't feel like it. (i don't blame her)
I'm not a morning person...(2:00opm)
I could walk if I wanted to just give me my cane.
This is a bunch of @#$%.
My sister isn't doing any of this stuff.

Her twin, is still walking around (with cane) but doing very well.
This drives Rose crazy! She is furious that her twin can do what she can't...
Today I connected the dots...All these years (32)
Rose has refused to do anything that her twin wasn't doing....
She won't come to Mother's Day functions...unless Wanda is invited.
Christmas, Easter, thanksgiving...you name it...If Wanda is not included...she's not going. She refused to attend the kids "Grandparents Days" at their school- because her sister couldn't come too. Sports games...even lunch.... any invitation offered (not only by me, but our inlaws as well) was responded to with,
"Chuck and Wanda too?" If not, then she would pout and refuse to come.

So now she finds herself in a nursing facility, and all she can think about is,
"My sister doesn't have to do this stuff!"
We eventually accepted the fact that they were a set-one would get you three and we made our plans accordingly.. but now I see this stubborn soul tie is hindering her progress and could mean the difference between coming back home to live with her family...and spending her remaining years in a nursing home. How sad.

We have prayed! we have warred in the heavenlies...we have talked to her, explained over and over, tried to reason- explained the consequences...her twin comes daily and tells her to "just do it!"
Bob has shown up everyday to be there at therapy with her...all to no avail.
barring a miraculous intervention....her fate is being sealed, by self sabotage
and I don't know what to do. :(

Did We Give Peace a Chance????

In the 60's & 70's...the youth were crying out to just give peace a chance.
Did we?
Those same people are today well, grandparents. They are loving, kind, involved in their communities.

But when it comes to politics...then it's all fangs and claws. Listen up.
If I dissagree with you on an issue- no way does that make me...stupid, ignorant, racist, deceptive, evil, moronic, bigoted or crazy...

Name calling is running rampant in our society. This practice of attacking the character of someone rather than debate them on the issues , would indicate the insulter has either no facts, or no vocabulary to support their belief. It diminishes us all. It is mean spirited and unlikely that I will want to stop and listen to your point of view after being insulted.

In the political arena, we see these names accompanied by the promotion of violence..."this person deserves to be punched in the face, punished, raped or killed."

While there may very well be bigots, idiots and yes, even an Anti-Christ among us, most folks just have a different view of how things should be done. They can be wrong and not evil.

Is it really necessary to assign the blame before we play out the game....why not strive to be better, do better, get better results, and let our posterity judge us, rather than try to judge without knowing all the facts or outcomes. I am dismayed by otherwise kind hearted people, who work for justice and have compassion on everyone, except their politcal opponents. Those, they would flog mercilessly and without end. What's up with that?

Whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.... Whoever says, "You fool!" shall be in danger of hell fire (Matt 5:22). (woops, my sincere apologies to all those I-696 drivers)

Love your enemy...bless those who curse you....
Civility and polite discourse, minus the personal insults, if you please.
World peace (that's right Gracie) starts with your annoying neighbor.

All I am saying♫ ♪♪♫ ♪♪ is give PEACE a chance ♫ ♪♪

otherwise occupied

April's Birthday!!

This is a repost from last year...all good things bear repeating!

What can I say about our April?

That I loved her the moment I met her (she was taking Nate to a political debate)...or that she fits into our family like a glove? (after that first Easter when she jumped on Chris's back to stop him from getting an egg)...or that she is such an amazing daughter to me??? My very first daughter in love...and she sure spoiled me!! ha! Not only is she a loving daughter to me...a terrific sister to Sarah, Joel & Stephanie...an amazing MOM to three lil boys...and a totally devoted wife to Nate ....but a good friend to me, and not just a shopping, "girls stick together friend"...but truly a friend in the Lord whom I can share spiritual things with...Her love for God and His will in her life far outshines any others I have seen...She embraces all of God with such vigor and complete abandon that it stirs up faith all around her....This Gal is going somewhere with God...and If you want to come along....you'd better have your running shoes on! WE LOVE YOU APRIL!!!
Praise God from whom ALL BLESSINGS...LIKE APRIL...flow.....






Was this Prophetic??????














YES,Kaeden looks just like YOU!