Has it really been 12 days?

I can't believe that it has been so long since my last post. It has been a very busy time since the last one.

On Saturday, May 17th we left with my grandmother and headed to my Uncle D's home in Lubbock for my Aunt's funeral. Sunday was the viewing and there were so many people that came to see the family. Monday was the funeral at their church. Aunt K wanted congregational singing and it was so beautiful. If you have never heard 200+ people singing beautiful hymns accapella, you don't know what you are missing. She had chosen some beautiful songs. The service was very nice and I learned things about my Aunt that I never knew. Monday we made the 8.5 hour trip home where she was to be buried. Tuesday morning we made our way to the cemetery (this is the same cemetery where our baby boy is buried and she is buried very close to him). It was one of the most beautiful days; sunshine but not hot because there was a slight breeze. There were quite a few people there. Even though it was a sad occasion, it was wonderful to see our family and dear friends. The service was great. My dad lead some songs, again it was accapella and was awesome, my Uncle T read some verses from the Bible, Aunt K's son-in-law had some nice words to say about her and then we closed with a prayer. We then all went to my grandmother's house for lunch and a "family" reunion. Even though we now have an empty place in our hearts, we know that Aunt K is no longer in pain and is with the God she loved so strongly. Everyone except for Uncle D headed back home. He went home on Saturday.
Wednesday I started tutoring 5th graders again but this time on a one -on-one basis. This lasted until yesterday. I worked with 7 kids who were not at all interested in working. It was a struggle but I am now done. It is up to them to pass the test in July.
Saturday I went with my honey to the school to pack his office. They are building a new elementary school and new admin offices. Well, after 5 hours, we only got one bookshelf packed up and a bunch of junk thrown away. This Saturday will be a repeat of last. I am not looking forward to it.
Friday we have to go to another funeral. A lady that I have known all my life passed away yesterday after a 3 year battle with cancer. She died a little over a week after her youngest son got married. Just like my Aunt, she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer (a different type) and lasted much longer than originally predicted by the doctors. She also had a strong faith in God and is now with him.
Here is the latest update on Miss Kitty: she had a doctor's appointment last week and it was a good one. She has three troublesome spots that aren't doing what the doctor wants. One is from a spot where donor skin was taken and the other two are burns. She will go back in 2 months to see when more surgery will be scheduled. She is usually at church on Sunday mornings and is really looking good. A couple of weeks ago my mom and I went and visited with her while her parents went to a doctor's appointment. It was nice to just sit and visit with her.
Mrs. H's sister in law was in a car accident tonight and though she, her toddler, and her unborn twins are ok, the person who caused the accident died. Please keep Mrs. H's family and the other family in your prayers during this difficult time and pray that the babies continue to be ok.
Well, I guess that is all that has been happening around here. Now I have to get back to my chores at home (I haven't got much done the last 2 weeks and it shows) such as mowing, cleaning the house, folding towels, etc. So, I guess I had better get to bed so I can be fresh in the morning when I get started on the house work!
Hope you are having a good week.

Her Journey Has Ended

Last night after I posted on my blog, I received the call from my mom that I knew was coming but hoped beyond all hopes that it wouldn't. My aunt took another turn and my uncle and their daughter called the ambulance to take Aunt K to the hospital. Unfortunately she did not make it there. I am happy that she is no longer in pain and that she will be reunited with her parents who both passed away when she was rather young but the selfish part of me wishes she was still here. Please pray for peace and comfort for her husband and children and for the rest of the family as we now have a huge hole to fill in our lives.

My Aunt

Well, I got a phone call from my mom earlier this evening and I just knew it wasn't bringing good news. She was calling to let me know that Aunt K has taken a turn for the worse. She has been sick all day today and this afternoon she turned a corner. Please pray for peace and comfort for Aunt K and her family. It has been very hard on all of them as it is when loved ones have to watch their loved one slip away. Also pray for the rest of her family as none of us are ready for her to go. I know that the next phone call I get from my mom could be the one that we have been dreading and I am not ready for that. But when are we ever?

Thank you for all of your prayers.

Back in the good ol' days

This is what I see when I look out my back door. The building on the left is the old milking barn and the buildings on the right are the old feed barn and the hay barn. The home we live in is my great grandmother's. She and my great grandfather who died young had a dairy and after he died she continued running the dairy along with their four children and a gentleman named Eddie. This is all that is left of the dairy. Three years ago a tornado came through and partially knocked the milking barn off of its foundation (left) and to the wall off of the log feed barn. Although everything is still standing right now, eventually all of it except the hay barn will be torn down and a piece of history will be lost. This is why I love living on the old home place and do not look forward to having to leave when we buy ourselves a home. Just wanted to share a little about where I live.

Hope you are having a great week.

Happy Mother's Day

I just want to wish all of you wonderful moms out there a very HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! You have been blessed and are a blessing.

Tuesday Thoughts

Prayer Requests:
My Aunt K is still hanging in there. Her son, his wife and daughter had to leave to go back home on Sunday and my Uncle D said that is was a very difficult goodbye. I can not imagine what it must be like to leave your mom knowing that more than likely it is the last time you will ever see her. I know it breaks my heart that the last time I saw her was in March and more than likely I won't see her again. Her daughter and grandson have been able to extend their stay so she can help her mom. This week Aunt K's sister and brother are there spending time with her. Please continue to pray for this family.
My second cousin Steph is having a double mastectomy tomorrow. Please pray that the surgery goes smoothly. Steph is my age so this really hits close to home.
Also, my friend Holly is having surgery on her neck tomorrow. This is hopefully the last one she will need to have to be pain free. Another request is for RM who after finally getting pregnant, lost her baby last week. I understand what a difficult time she and her husband are going through. And continue to pray for Mel and her husband at the loss of their baby. She was in my request last week. One more is the Daniel family and their new baby, to find out about this family go to their blog at http://beauandbrittanydaniel.blogspot.com/.
Lastly, I am dreading Mother's Day. Most would expect that after three pregnancies, I would be celebrating this day but I have come to dread it. I wish I could go to sleep on Saturday and wake up on Monday.

Thank you for taking the time to read through the many prayer requests.

Now on to something a little less serious. About a month ago I told you that I would be posting a recipe for Swiss 'n Chicken and I totally forgot about it. Here is the original recipe with my modifications. Enjoy!

Swiss 'n Chicken
4 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey ( I use canned and saute it with the onion and mushrooms, seasoning salt, pepper, chili powder and garlic)
2 cups croutons
1-1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Swiss Cheese
1 cup sliced celery (gross - not used in my cooking)
2/3 cup MIRACLE WHIP or MIRACLE WHIP Light Dressing
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped onion


PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients.
SPOON into 2-qt. casserole dish.
BAKE 40 min. or until heated through.

Well, that is all for tonight. I am pooped from teaching, tutoring and mowing. It was a looong day! Hope everyone is having a good week!

Hi Mrs. H's mom!

A New Week

HaPpY mOnDaY!!!! Can you believe that May is already here?

Monday addition:
I had a busy day of mowing and tutoring and not much else to discuss. I do want to remind everyone that this week is "Teacher's Appreciation Week". Don't forget to thank the teachers that you know for a job well done. It is not the easiest job in the world but it is rewarding! THANK YOU TEACHERS! YOU DO A GREAT JOB!

Updates

My aunt is now under hospice care. Her daughter posted some photos of her today with her grandkids and she looked as beautiful as ever. She has been a little stronger the last couple of days. She seems to be at peace with what is happening. Please continue to pray for K and her family.
I would also like to request prayers for my friend Mel. We became friends through a mutual friend who thought that we might be able to help each other through the loss of our babies. She recently found that she was pregnant but at her doctor's appointment this week they discovered that the baby no longer had a heartbeat. She is now having to wait for the inevitable miscarriage. Please pray for peace and comfort as have to go through another loss.
I hope that you are having a good week and can relax this weekend. I will be busy getting my house cleaned up in case family needs to stay at our home in the next few weeks. Although my aunt doesn't live in our town and the funeral will not be here, she will be buried here very near to my precious baby boy. Plus the honey and I have to try to get a big limb off of the roof of our house!