Living With Assistance

Well, we moved my grandmother into Assisted Living this past weekend. This was also the weekend of my 10 year high school reunion! Which by the way, went flawless and was an absolute blast. I also have no idea why I did not decide to take any pictures! I am hoping my friends turned out instead ;)

Anyway, we left the reunion and went to move my grandmother out of her house and into assisted living. Honestly, it was a hard day.

But, update. She could not be happier. She was actually excited about moving in. After a neurological appointment last week and having tests run at St. Josephs, we were told to not leave her by herself anymore. She either needed to be in assisted living or move in with family and have full time care when we weren't there. We tried this and she was pretty unhappy with family caring for her. I watched her over the weekend with my kids and my nerves were fried. I took all of them to the grocery store and my grandmother about walked out in front of a car. It's funny how elderly people and young toddlers can be so similar. But honestly, caring for elderly is harder because they are "people size" and you can't just pick them up or move them when in danger like kids. Anyway, long story short, she loves it here. She has friends, activities, meals, rails everywhere, and a full social calendar. I think she really enjoys being with other people in her life stage. There seems to be something healing about sharing life with others..... since she has been widowed for so long, loneliness can be a sad thing.

As nice of a place as it is and as much as she loves it, it still stings. It stings and I cry every time I visit because in all reality, she won't be moving out. I mean, rarely, does a person go in here and then moves out. This is a new transition for a safe environment for her to live in. It is also sad because even though it's not the case, there is a certain feeling of "abandonment." You see elderly people in there who NEVER have visitors, and it's really sad. We obviously are wearing the doors out of that place, but it still is hard releasing control to a facility over a loved one's life.

Anyway, I know this is an emotional post, but this is my life right now. We made the right decision, my grandmother is super happy, we are now able to rest easy knowing she won't fall all the time, but..... it is a transition that is having to sink in. And it's hard.

Emotional and Physical Strength

That's what life is taking out of me right now. Emotional and Physical Strength. And, I am trying to hang in there...

Psalm 103:1. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me. Bless His holy name.

I took Mackenzie for her 18 month check up! We did a little delayed vaccines with her this time around and she got an excellent report! She is still a peanut, but weighs 21 lbs. (10 % for her age), but in the 95% for her height. Since it's my second baby, I don't give a rip about all that. Kids are what they are. I don't stress about where charts say they need to be when they are 100% healthy. She is a smart little sucker and went pee pee on the potty this weekend. Clearly, it was random since right now I don't have a ton of extra time and energy to begin potty training with her!

My dad met with his surgical oncologist today. If you missed the last post. He had a place on his back that came up as Stage 1 Melonma Cancer. They are going to go in and shoot dye through his back on August 10th to see what lymph nodes they are going to be taking out. From then, on August 18 he will have them removed, tested, and also portions of his skin, tissue, and muscle removed where the cancer was. I still have no further thoughts except we are handling the shock of this news as best we know how. It's hard to process something when it's sudden like this. You just are forced to trust the Lords hand and know he is mighty, and the Almighty God.

My grandmother will probably be transitioned into an assisted living home in the next week. We have all contemplated her moving in with different members of the family, but it doesnt seem to be the best path. She has been independent for 25 years and doesnt really respond well when family tries to step in and take care of her.... I think she will be happier and our relationship with her will be better, if she lives independently among peers with the supervision of a nurse instead of us. My mom and dad have kept her at their house for the past several weeks and it's been really difficult, especially dealing with my dad's news. Sometimes elderly people with dimentia start rebelling against eating, bathing, and normal things like little children. My parents carry this burden heavily because they don't want to let her go, but have realized this will be a better living situation since she has fallen so many times. It's a hard thing, there is guilt for putting her in an assisted living, but even more guilt you risk of her getting injured within your own care.

The house renovation is going well. Click on the link to check out our progress! Just exhausting! I posted these pics on facebook because they are so funny..... these pictures show the transformation of myself through the renovation of this house, it truly takes a toll on you , but i had to share them with my blog friends! After all, you have seen my belly GIGANTIC with both babies =) I know, I might just be a little flat out crazy. Anyway, here is to life! All we can do is always hope, pray, and wait in expectation for the Lord to show up in big ways. He has proven to me he always does. So, in this season... I will not doubt Him. I don't go down easy!

in ALL things

And we know that in ALL things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purposes. Rom. 8:28.

This is a season of life that I will never forget. I don't think I've ever had this much on my plate before with raising 2 babies, renovating a house, working (semi) part time, and my husband working and going to HVAC school. It is a sweet time, but a hard time. Tim loves school and loves working on the house, I love helping with it, we just don't see eachother a lot right now. But, it's for a season. He will get full time work at Christmas, I will stop working, and he'll finish up school. So, I was doing okay with all of this until my heart took a plunge with my family...

First, my Dad got diagnosed with Stage 1 Melanoma Cancer. Hopefully it's just stage 1, we don't know yet...He had a place on his back that came back positive. I really don't know much and I'm sure people don't share this kind of info this early, but we don't really know a lot. He has been referred to a surgical oncologist in Atlanta and will have more of it removed and then tested to see if it's in his lymph nodes. So, quite honestly... it sucks. Cancer sucks. I will randomly burst into tears at random times, but I have to know that God is in control. And in ALL things, he works for good.

Second, my mom's mother, sweet Jammie (when we were little babies "jammie" was easier to say than "granny" so that's what we call her, is not doing well. She is in her late 70's and she is the one that is allowing us to take over Nellie Mae, one of her old rental properties.
She has fallen 3 times in the past month and been rushed to the ER. No doctor seems to have a clue why so she is now having tests run at St. Josephs. Her health has steadily gone down a little bit.... she has the beginning phases of dimentia and we took her car away. It's just hard b/c she has been so independent for so long. My grandpa died when I was 3 so she has had her own little life. I think losing independence has to be the hardest thing about that age. There are lots of decisions to make concerning her health right now. So, again in ALL things God is working for the good.

That's where I'm at. Life isn't perfect and happy. And that's okay. I've begun to realize that the more okay you are with life not being perfect and happy, the better life you will have. Sin, sickness, and death are an ever present part of this world. But, Christ is our Living Savior who gives life, and life abundantly. If we can somehow find the peace that passes all understanding, surrender our fears to him, and walk with him..... life can be sweet. Even in the midst of trials. I think the problems we have faced so far in our walk would have been catoshropic early on, but now.... we are learning to just roll with the punches. And we are happy in spite of sadness.
Please join me in prayer for my father. And for my grandmother. As we make these transitions and put our hope that in ALL things, God works for good.

Snap Shots

My life as a stay at home mommy has many snap shots that I want to photo freeze in my memory! I love watching the kids learn, grow, play, and just be kids.

They are very observantThey are curious

They are small

They are fun

They are silly

They are sweet

They play so hard,

And then they sleep so hard.I love the snap shots of motherhood.

Let Freedom Ring

It's Independence Day! Happy Birthday America! We have celebrated with friends, family, and our children.

Despite all the problems with our country, I am proud to be an American. I am proud of our forefathers and all the beliefs and values they built this country on. I will raise my children to uphold that this is one nation under God. Because in our life, freedom is an awesome thing. This year we have been set free from many things.

We are free.

We are free in Christ, that is the ultimate freedom.

We are free from Sin and Death.

We are free from debt.

We will raise our children to learn about these freedoms.

So, let freedom ring!

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For through Christ Jesus the law of Spirit and life has set me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2.