Oh Boy!! Another Contest!!

Michelle, at My Semblance of Sanity, is hosting another contest. The prize is a lovely bracelet - you can see a picture of it (and Michelle's Gabbin Mama Thursday post) by clicking HERE.



The rules are simple:

• Find a funny photo (of yourself, your dog, the baby....whatever)
• Post it, along with a caption that will make the picture even MORE funny
• Add a link to Michelle's blog
• Post a comment in Michelle's comment section HERE
• Next week we will get a chance to vote on the best pictures, out of a top 5 of Michelle's choosing.

Very simple, right?? So get out your old photo albums, the discs you have pictures stored on, or search your hard drive for just the right picture. It only took me about half a second to think of the picture I want to use for the contest.

READY?

WHAT? CHRISTMAS party? Man, we thought you said COSTUME party!

(Pictured from left to right: Julie, Ande, Grandma, Ben, Paul, Uncle Rich, and Jordan)

And yes, that was the family Christmas party, 2003. What a fun bunch of people!!

Aunt Verla

My great-aunt Verla passed away this morning. From what the nurse said, it was very peaceful, she just stopped breathing.

I'm so glad I took the time to go visit her this past Sunday. I didn't really WANT to (not a fan of the hospital), but I knew it would mean a lot to her. She was a little out of it, but she knew who I was and was even alert enough to ask about the babies. (She had a special spot in her heart for The Jib, because the first time she ever saw her, The Jib looked at Verla and just smiled the biggest smile you ever did see!)

If you could, please pray especially for my cousin Jamie (Verla's grand-daughter) - she took off for Florida this morning. I think it's because she didn't want to have to deal with all of the funeral arrangements. Verla's daughter Debbie (Jamie's mother) died a few years ago, and Jamie had to plan the whole funeral and everything by herself. Fortunately my aunt Debbie had already written out all of her wishes, so Jamie basically just had to check things off a list, but still... Anyway, I think Jamie is having a rough time right now in her personal life, and could really use our prayers.

On a happier note, my aunt Kathy was able to get out of bed and stand a little the other day. She's still very weak, but it sounds like she is making progress. She's even able to communicate a little using a pen & paper now, which has been a great relief to my uncle.

It's my wedding anniversary tomorrow (Friday March 14), so I will probably do a post with some of our wedding pics for that. I even took a picture of myself (which is a BIG deal, I hate having my picture taken) just for Ande.

For Tricia

I was on Nate's blog a couple of days ago, and he requested that we Mama's out there make a list for Tricia. The list idea was inspired by THIS post. It's funny how we often get busy with life and forget that when we have children, sometimes EVERY SINGLE DAY can hold a "first". We should treasure them all....here's just a few that I treasure:

• Struggling to get the baby in the carseat for the first time, then being a nervous wreck on the way home from the hospital because "no one knows how to drive anymore!"
• Her first "real" bath.
• Looking over at night, watching her breathe.
• Seeing her first tooth FINALLY poking through her gums.
• Watching her try new foods.
• Hearing her say "Mama" or "Daddy".
• Hearing her say, "I love you".
• Brushing her hair.
• Kissing boo-boos.
• The sound of little feet padding down the hallway.
• Heartfelt hugs and slobbery kisses.
• Comforting a broken heart.
• Being comforted when your heart is broken.
• Hearing her sing songs she learned at church.
• Reading the same books so many times that you no longer need the books anymore, you can just recite the words from memory.
• Watching her stare in wonder at Christmas lights (and snow, if you're fortunate enough to live somewhere that gets it).
• Snuggling.
• Seeing her light up when Mommy/Daddy enters the room.
• Planning her wedding (it's NEVER to early to start, and since she's your daughter, YOU get to pay for it...better start saving now).

Well, those are a few of my favorites....I could go on and on, but sooner or later, you'll lose interest.

Updates

My aunt Kathy is out of sedation, and has a trach for breathing. She can't speak right now, and is depressed about that. I suggested to my mom that my uncle ask a speech therapist to help Kathy learn to communicate without speaking. Once they wean her completely off of oxygen, they will cap her trach until they determine she won't need it anymore. At that time, she will be able to talk again. Thanks for all of your prayers!! Now, if we can just work on her spiritual health...

My great aunt, Verla, is not doing well. She moved in with my mom several months ago due to being treated for cancer. She had been making a little progress, and had gained some weight (which she really needed to do). About a month ago, Verla fell in my mom's dining room and broke her hip. She entered a nursing home for rehab, and was really doing even better than expected. She was slated to be released from the nursing home last Tuesday. Tuesday morning my mom got a call that Verla was being sent to the hospital. She had pneumonia. On Wednesday she was doing better, but Thursday she started becoming disoriented and wasn't really sure what was going on. She got some sort of scan (I think it was a CT scan, but I'm not positive), and it was discovered that she has at least 6 cancerous spots on her brain, as well as several areas in her skeletal system that are also cancerous. The doctors have not given her a good prognosis, and it appears that if/when she leaves the hospital, she will go into Hospice care. Verla gets very stressed out over little things, and since there is really no hope for recovery from this, the decision was made to not tell her how serious the situation is. I don't know that I agree with that decision, but it's not my choice to make. Prayers for her comfort and wisdom for her doctors in her treatment would be greatly appreciated.

Ande just called me from Carol's, and he said she was doing "pretty good". I think that the fact that Bob was sick for so long perhaps helped her prepare herself a little bit for his death. While I'm sure she's still deeply saddened by his death, I think in a way she's probably a little relieved, because she doesn't have to watch him suffer any more.

Speaking of Ande, he did, in fact, put in his "notice" at the shelter. I'm so looking forward to having him home on the weekend!!

I suppose that is all for now.