Early Partying

Anna's 16th Birthday Party is this Saturday.

We're getting ready.

Wesley has assembled a bench and 2 stools all by himself straight from the box.

  

And he thinks ready to assemble furniture is fun : ) !

Some of Anna's friends (who are not in school yet) came to stay a couple of nights before the party.

So the party has started.

But even with all of the fun (and work), a silent reminder of 

who will not be at her party arrived in the mail.

My first checks without his name on them.  

Great News

My mother's mammogram on Wednesday had not changed from the last one 6 months ago.  

Nothing cancerous.

That's great news!  

Marking Time

Today marks 11 months since my Rob died...

Someone very innocently asked me why I mark the time

(as if the thoughts and the memories and the dates 
that bombard my mind at every turn is a choice).

My answer is that I do not mark the time.

My times have marked me...

...forever.

Thoughts

So now I have

1)  piers that were put in the wrong place 7 years ago when we moved the house and the support wall is NOT being supported

2) termites

and 3) today I discovered that my roof is leaking -

the NEW ROOF that was put on 3 weeks before Rob died - 

the roof is not quite a year old and it's leaking.

Sometimes I do wonder why it seems EVERYTHING in my world has to be such a struggle

and things that should be okay (LIKE A NEW ROOF) turns out to be JUST ANOTHER THING to take care of and get fixed.

Sometimes I feel like the attic insulation that I was pulling back and the attic floor that I just spent an hour crawling around on trying to find the leak.

That insulation and floor have taken drip after drip after drip after drip since last year when the new roof was put on and over time, the water drips have worn a path right through to the living room ceiling that is now leaking.

Drip after drip wears down insulation and wood seams. 

Thing after thing is starting to wear me down.

HOWEVER, I know I have lots to be thankful for and I AM!

And I know that God will give me the strength, wisdom, and the means to get everything taken care of.

But sometimes it sure would be nice not to have to.  

Psalm 119: 116

...Never let it be said that God failed me.

Wedding Day

Our daughter, Crystol, and Alan got married today.

(Saturday, August 11, 2012)

Anna was her maid of honor.

Wesley gave her away.

Luke escorted me down the aisle.

It was a glorious day.

I took over 1400 pictures.

Here are a few.

Reunited

My friend, Heath Carriker, passed away today.

(see July 7th Thresholds post for who Heath is to me)

These photos are from the last visit my dad and I had with Heath.

(July 23, 2012)

It was a good visit...

...between 2 old friends.

The prayer my dad prayed was inspiring and comforting.

Heath said again that day that he sure would like to see his Jacqueline 

(you can see her photo on his bedside table in these photos).

I don't know how Heaven works.  I've never been there.  

I know from Scripture that being in God's presence is the priority and the awe and honor of that is unimaginable!  I've yearned for that day in an entirely new way since my Rob died. 

But somehow I believe that God is allowing Heath to enjoy being reunited with his love, 

his Jacqueline.  He has missed her so.