Christmas through the years.......

Although it has been a long time since I spent Christmas in Kentucky some of my fondest memories are there. It was probably about 1963 and we were spending Christmas with my maternal grandparents in Letcher County, Kentucky. At the ripe old age of five my grandparents seemed very old. Their hair was white, with my grandpa's hair being as they call it today a "toilet seat" area. I don't remember how or when we actually went there for Christmas but the movies and pictures bring back the memories. At Ma & Pa's house (that is what we called these grandparents) they had no t.v. only a radio and I don't remember ever listening to it. This particular year, as I remember it, we all got dolls for Christmas. My mom always treated my sister Doris and I like twins, so we both got Thumbelina dolls my baby sister Sharon got a Pebbles doll. I don't remember what my sister Pat got, she is about 6 years older than me, so it is possible that she didn't get a doll. While watching the home movies I see my parents not really open any gifts, my grandparents did! My mom always made sure they had new jammies, slippers and sometimes a shirt or dress.  While on the other hand all of the kids had several gifts! Dolls, buggies, games and clothes...those were always a favorite for any child.

As I am remembering all the past Christmas holidays, I think we did the same with our children. While being in the U.S. Army with my husband and traveling far away from family for about 12 years we learned how to make the holidays a great event for the kids.  There were years that were a little lean on all the extra fluff that went along with the food.  I hope our children remember those years with fondness.  As parents we always tried to make the meal at Christmas a festive as we could afford.  Teaching them the important fact that it was Jesus' birthday, we had cake (kids always loved birthday parties). Tradition was to have turkey at Thanksgiving and ham at Christmas with all the fixings.  Although I know that we struggled to have all the fixings through the years, Each item on the table was to remind us of what God had provided.
One year in Texas, both of us working on minimum wage pay (about $4) we were selected a recipients of a food basket and toys for the kids from the Fire Department.  At that time it was a little embarrassing to accept such charity, although the kids did not know where the gifts had arrived from, they just knew it was Christmas.  To me it was all great memories of the kids, food, decorations and helping the kids to make things for each other for gifts.  To this day the girls still do this and may I say are very creative in the gifts or ornaments that they make. I love home made gifts, nothing makes me happier than to receive a gift that someone has put their heart and time into.
This year 2013 all of the kids joined us at our home to celebrate Christmas! I was so excited to have all the kids, spouses and grand kids in one place.  Funny thing though we didn't have the big meal with all the trimmings. As adults we have accepted the fact that we don't want to really all sit at a table (our house isn't big enough anyway) as long as there is food to eat and kids to play with all is well.  The gifts under the tree were massive.....another thing the girls have learned also is to talk to the family, know them and we shop all year round for items that would be a perfect gift for that special family member.  This year we did let them put wish lists on Amazon so we would have some clue for mainly the boys..their minds change constantly! The two older grandchildren joined in using their Kindles for the wish list.  I feel so Blessed to have had all the family together.  I want to thank all of our family and friends that made this a very special year. Praying for a prosperous 2014 and Blessings to all in need of Christs love!

Nearing the 55 mile marker

So as I was sitting here thinking about the last almost 55 years...WOW they went fast. This year I am looking forward to the next 55 ;-) I loved watching the kids grow up and become independent, and again seeing the grand kids growing up so quickly. This year on my birthday (which is rapidly approaching) I started this blog back when I was the young age of 50 and was starting over because of the flooding in Cedar Rapids. It was a good venting place where I could write. cry, pray and seek God for what was to become of my life when everything was lost. I don't have a ton of stories on here but God has proven time and time again that he is in everything that has happened in my entire life! I suppose if I got started I could write an entire book of all the BLESSINGS he has given. So to start with I am looking forward to this birthday it has been a very eventful. For one thing Iowa was still getting measurable snow in May! In January I was there to celebrate our grandsons birthday and it was my first time in a ball pit! That was so much fun, it was almost like playing in water, you could just slip and slide all around.
February was also eventful, I totaled my car on the 22nd and was stuck at home for several weeks. My great family of God provided quite a few meals while I was supposed to be resting. Such a BLESSING they were to our family. It was fun to get to pick out a new ride.....it would have been nicer if it would not have been snowing. Here is my 2007 Pacifica.

In March our church had a St. Paddys day corned beef and cabbage meal and the attendance was pretty good. April is of course tax time and all the jitters that go along with that..but we got a refund! That was a real BLESSING with me being out of work for the few weeks. May was Alexis' birthday, then Sarah's then Graysons birth!! All by the 10th of the month.

It was a fantastic mothers day, I even got breakfast in bed! So now here it is June and the big 55.....I am sure God has great plans for me this year, like always. I want to let you know that I am here and waiting for those special BLESSINGS he has in store.

When I first started driving it was a big challenge to get up to that speed..lol  not so much any more! While I am racing towards that milestone this week I want to always remember that I can do all things through Christ!

 

Thank you Lord for another year to work for you and keep me in your plan as best you can.

"Stuffing" 2013

At this time of year we are all consumed by what Thanksgiving will bring. As a matter of fact we start planning weeks ahead of time for what we will need for the meal and try to estimate how many will attend. This year has been a little different, as most of you know that we have kids in various places. We have a married son and daughter-in-law in Minnesota with their little guy "Toby" (a schnauzer). Also a daughter and son-in-law living near Des Moines with their three little ones, Alexis, Jaxen and Grayson. Our youngest daughter is in Cedar Rapids working for CVS pharmacy for Rockwell Collins. Then down to our youngest son who finished his Army duty and is currently here in the Cedar Rapids area starting to take some college classes and awaiting the Militarty to pay the tuition! (jk).

So this Thanksgiving has been altered to fit the situation, so to speak.  Shellsburg and the church activities we have been a little busy. But, good busy and I also just added to my  jobs!I am now an Adjunct instructor for the community college for nursing. 

A couple years ago when the kids were all in other places we had our Thanksgiving or essentially  "the meal" that Ed and I usually have with the kids we had with church family. But the people that were there made everyone feel like family. We also were "pounded" upon, it is an old church tradition, and we are so thankful for the love and thoughtfulness of all the people at Grace Community Church.

Ever since we moved to Iowa back in 2000 the girls and I, and occasionally Adam had did the crazy shopping on Black friday. Before moving here we lived about 45 minutes from a Walmart so trying to get to a store at 4 in the morning was out of the question. We mainly go for the free stuff anyway and to see what other crazy people were out doing at that hour.

Anyway back to the title of this story! You probably thought I was going to talk about the food again!!

As I mention before we all try to fit so much food and activities into such a short period of time. So from the beginning of the week until the following Monday we "stuff and stuff" more and more each year. It seemed in years past that the cooking went on forever of course if distant family was coming the house had to be up to holiday standard too! When the kids were small I am sure they appreciated all the food and family on Thanksgiving day but the work ahead of time was exhausting.

Stuffing is one of my favorite parts of the meal. I am sure it is because we do not take the effort to have it more than once or twice a year. When making the stuffing you have to cut up the celery and onions and then saute them in butter then pour over the bread with the sage and poultry seasoning then everything in the whole house smells so wonderful. Since we have been married we started adding cornbread to the bread mixture and I love it. I know this sounds like a recipe exchange but I am getting to the point......

God has taken us through so many difficult situations the last few years, well every year! It all depends on how you look at things. With the directions I was giving before there are essential step to getting the final delicious "stuff". When we consider the little things that happen each day these are the suppressors that accumulate throughout the year (just like the veggies in the pan)they are then sauteed on a warm stove until everything is tender. That is truly God working in our lives when he gives us the essential seasonings to make all those things look beautiful. He adds things like love, peace, joy to our mix so we can be over comers of this stress.

Sometime it takes us until Thanksgiving to realize that we have been truly BLESSED each and every day. The things that we have "stuffed" or lives are just things that God can help us get through. He can teach us daily how to be stronger and show others how abundantly God will supply our every need. I want to be thankful for the life that God has chosen for me. I know that he has been through every event that has happened in our family  and BLESSED us beyond our best dreams.

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all! May your stuffing be BLESSED beyond measure!

It is OVER!

So I guess this is just a vent site today!

This was my final day at my job. I am sooooo excited for the new adventure that the Lord is working on. I am truly BLESSED today!

It was a very good day at work, I had great employees to work with, they were sorry to see me go. Thanks so much.

I know God has plans for my future as well as yours. As in my prior blog I talked of all the Blessings that the Lord had done with the moving adventure. He is still on the throne and still working in each in and everyone of our lives!

Well maybe this isn't a vent night!

God is good, yes he is, he's good all the time!

With this title of this blog, it reminded me of all the sacrifices that God has provided. I am ashamed of trying to vent on you and want to remind you..............WE ARE SO BLESSED!







Have a blessed night!

Faith Community Nurse - The Beginning

So, since the Parish Nurse program ended
I have: talked to the Pastor/Husband,
He in turn announced to our congregation my new status
Stopped to visit an old friend and she had taken the first FCN
Pastor helped me get matching business cards

I know this does not sound like a lot, especially since my husband is the Pastor. Those that I have talked to in the congregation were very happy that we are reaching out to the community. Shellsburg is such a nice little town, they have reached out to us to make us feel welcome. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to carry out the Faith Community Nurse role her in Shellsburg.

Faith Community Nurse

Parish nursing in Iowa.

Blessings!

"My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory"

I just love this scripture. I don't know how to explain, the great things that God has done in my life.

Each day, month, year holds great memories of the blessings that God has done for me. It is so hard to see them when you are in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the moment. I think each of us probably have that same feeling. As the saying goes "hindsight is 20/20". How many things would we have changed, how many blessings would we have missed out on because of those roads that in our mind was the way to go.

Some of the choices that I have made, I would have been very angry if my kids had made those same choices. Although some of the choices of my kids!!?? Well now I know a little of how my parents felt with my choices.

Well someday I will have to try and record all of the daily blessings (that I know of)! How many things do we really KNOW!

In March the purchase of the church was a great blessing, especially how you could see God's hand in each step..

In June with the prospect of the city finally finishing up the business with the flooded property we started to look at houses in Shellsburg. Well we looked at several houses, some good/bad/a little creepy. As we made "our plans" we added/subtracted, pros/cons and talked through many options. Now our plan was getting closer to looking like we knew what we were doing. Making an offer on each home, but were counter offered on each one and decided to wait till we knew exactly what the city's plan was. The pros outweighing the cons on some, not so much on others. Re-looking at the Internet pictures, to see how our memory of the real place added up.

We the final paperwork was signed for the city on the 29Th of June and were told it would be 8 weeks before we would see anything. So we slowed down on really deciding on the house that we were going to purchase. We would have plenty of time to figure things out-8 weeks worth.

So after we talked to the city and found out about their time frame, we put the mobile home up for sale. And someone wanted to look at it on the 2ND day! No, they didn't make an offer. :( All that cleaning and hiding for nothing. It isn't so hard to clean but putting things in hiding places is a little harder. And just so you know, anything placed in a box will be needed before the box is moved.

Well this week the real estate lady said she had a showing at 9:30 on July 5Th! O.K. we had plans for that weekend, now the cleaning/hiding had to begin. Adam came and visited, Bekah had a 3rd of July party on 8Th street. Great time, good view of the fireworks on the river. Well the 9:30 cancelled but she did have another appt for 11 if that was OK. Since we were working and the animals were visiting relatives it was not a problem.

Shortly after the family looked at the mobile home they had the real estate lady called with an offer, a cash offer! Ed didn't have to even ask me, we had discussed a few times what we would need when we sold our home. So it was a done deal.

Now back to look at the home we decided we were going to make an offer on. All the paperwork done, just waiting for a date, this time for the closing on the mobile home. We set the closing date for the August 2.

So we have started the process on the home...hopefully it will happen August 2 also....

I am Blessed, I am blessed, I am Blessed.....I am sheltered clothed and fed I am blessed, when I wake up in the morning till I go to bed at night, I am blessed.


Keep us in your prayers...God is NOT finished yet.....the city of Shellsburg has no idea what is on it's way.

If God is in it, set it and forget it!