Hello! I apologize to the handful of you out there that have wondered where I’ve been. I’m still around. It’s just that since Jaxson’s birthday, my computer has decided to become uncooperative and well, let’s just say to get the few photos for this post took a painfully long time, but I did not want to wait for my new computer! So here we go.

Guess we should go back to Easter…

We enjoyed spending the day with Mom and Dad at the nursing home, attending the church service there and then bringing in Olive Garden for lunch. Dad was having a good day and we took a little stroll along the river. It was a beautiful day!!

A week later and  it was time to celebrate Jaxson’s 1st birthday!!!! Where did the year go?!

I think he LOVED his cake don’t you!

It was wonderful to have Mom come along and join the celebration. Thanks to the good care Dad recieves from his caregivers and a special nurse/friend who went every day to be with him, we had little worry about being away. Thanks Donna!

There was lots of love poured out on the birthday boy from his Auntie V and Uncle Mike

his Mimi and Pop Pop,

his Nana and Papa

and lots of friends.

Jesse and Amber were awesome hosts to all of us. You would never had known they had moved the weekend before!

Jaxson just took it all in stride, just as happy as can be!

Our time together as family was a gift.

Next was Mothers Day and it is always a blessing to honor Mom. Her strength, beauty and wisdom are things our family treasures and loves about her.

And finally last week we found out we are having another…

That’s right! Mike and Veronica are expecting a boy in October. They invited me to go along for the ultrasound and “meet” my newest grandson! We saw his hands, fingers, feet, legs, head, spine… and his precious beating heart… all being wonderfully knit together by God into a perfect little boy… what a miracle!

and look at the baby bump… so cute! It’s hard to resist a little pat.

So as you can see there have been changes… blessings for our family.

To be honest there have also been some challenges…

There are days when I really struggle seeing Dad in the condition he is in. Some days it seems totally unexceptable to me and I have to work through that. I am thankful for the good care he receives, for the things we are learning through this journey and for the time we have with him, but honestly sometimes it’s just plain hard.

Like most Americans, the economy has really created some big challenges for Mark’s business and we don’t know what the future holds or what changes it might bring. The hardest part for me is to let go of the reigns and let God be in control! But strangely enough, I am at peace about this.

There is always the challenge for me to keep my thoughts focused on the Lord and his goodness, not on my circumstances. When I focus on my circumstances, those I love suffer. And yes it’s true my computer is not making blogging easy right now, but I have also been in some sort of funk… not really knowing what to say or how to say it. It feels good to be back.

So this is life… beautiful, messy, ugly, joy-filled, difficult, challenging and wonderful… all working together under God’s faithfulness to complete what he has started in us. I am so thankful for that!

May you find something beautiful in your day!