From My Family to Yours!

It has been an extremely busy, stressful and hectic month. 

 Today we stopped to get together and celebrate Thanksgiving.

Both of our sons, daughters-in-love, and our precious grandkids,

 and my mom came for dinner today. Along with our

nephew from New Jersey, who is as close as a brother and son to 

our family.

Our little house is quite packed when everyone is together.  We squeeze eight adults and a high chair at the table. (Really squeeze when the guys are 6'7", 6'6", and 6'4"-then DH is still almost 6'3"

                                           Five of the grandkids sat at the "kids" table. 

                          Grandson #3 still had to sit next to mom and dad at the big people table.

Granddaughter #4 slept through dinner.  As soon as she was awake she found her spot on Great Grandma's lap.   Of all the food, the biggest hit is always Great Grandma's homemade rolls.
 

God Bless,

Linda

Therapy Results

Finished just in time for a Baby Shower this afternoon for one of our assistant pastors wife's shower.
They are expecting their first in December.  It is a "clothesline" shower.  All the gifts are being brought unwrapped or in gift bags.  Jess will be opening them as the guests arrive with everything hung on a clothesline or set out for others to see.  Since they are new to our church she doesn't know many people.  This way she will associate a name and the gift.

God Bless,

Linda

In Need of Therapy

           

I am in desperate need of some therapy time.  I need to relax my mind for a while.  DH had two days of normal sinus rhythm.  Today he is back in Afib.  I will be making a call to the Cardiologist at the Heart hospital in the morning.

I will update after some quilting time.

God Bless,

Linda

Home Again......

 The Sheraton Minneapolis Midtown  was my home away from home Monday thru Thursday morning this week.  

 DH was a patient at  the Abbott Northwestern Heart Hospital again.  . Once again he was in AFib and AFlutter.   We have been there so often the nurses even remember us!   His Cardiac Electrophysiologist told us the next step will be a second ablation.

My days were spent in his room until about 7:30 or so.  Then I would return to my room.  The hotel is connected to the hospital by a secure 1/2 mile skyway.

So...when I had a few hours to myself at night I watched TV and fussy cut small pieces for two upcoming baby quilts.  I am so glad I bought a small cutting mat.  It fits great in the suitcase.  Now to find the time to put them together.  One needs to be complete for a shower on November 10.

Our own bed is going to feel so good in a few minutes...Back to school in the morning.

Sometimes You Just Smile!

One of the wonderful things about having special daughters-in-love is their doing special things for me.   After years of not celebrating my birthday they now make sure it is a special day.   Travis' funeral had been held the day before my birthday.  The anniversary every year was too difficult for my DH to do anything special for me.  It bothered me most because my sons weren't taught how a husband honors his wife on her birthday.  That has all changed now that I have DILs. 

We tried to take a picture.  The kids were either not feeling well or just too tired.  I subtitled the picture, "How many grand kids  can cry at one time in one picture!"


                    Currently the grandkids are 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 10 months and 6 weeks! I am so very blessed!

                                Kylie's star arrived yesterday from Scrap Happy Creations.

                         

Kasey called last Saturday afternoon all exited.  She said, "Grandma the swans are back on the pond.  I just saw one taking a bath with its tail feathers up in the air."   So the next afternoon she and I went on the 4-wheeler to take a picture.

Sometime I hope to return to my quilting!   I learned this week that my forever friend and adopted sister's  son and DIL are expecting their first baby.  They have had difficulty becoming pregnant.  Everyone is thrilled for them.  I have been saving John Deere baby fabric hoping this day would come.

(Oh!  I am holding with my weight.  The best part is that I have not gained any of the twenty pounds back. Hopefully I will be able to return to class soon!)

If you have extra time in your prayer time...DH's heart is not beating correctly again.  We meet with the specialist on Wednesday to see what the next procedure will be. Thank you!

God Bless! 
Linda

Potpourri

Memories

 

October 3, 1981

The day our lives changed forever.  Our precious four year old, Travis, was killed in an accident on our farm.  We remember this day hour by hour.  We had the first frost of the  fall the night before.  We went out to pick his pumpkins that morning.  He spent the day loading, unloading and hauling them .   One of the tragedies remains that we no longer have a relationship with our nephew who was driving the tractor that ran over him. We all live with the "what ifs."  Especially that DH trusted someone else with our son who was doing something we didn't allow.

We are so very thankful for the four years the Lord shared Travis with us. 

A Child Of Mine

I will lend you, for a little time,
A child of mine, He said.
For you to love the while he lives,
And mourn for when he's dead.
It may be six or seven years,
Or twenty-two or three.
But will you, till I call him back,
Take care of him for Me?
He'll bring his charms to gladden you,
And should his stay be brief.
You'll have his lovely memories,
As solace for your grief.
I cannot promise he will stay,
Since all from earth return.
But there are lessons taught down there,
I want this child to learn.
I've looked the wide world over,
In search for teachers true.
And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes,
I have selected you.
Now will you give him all your love,
Nor think the labour vain.
Nor hate me when I come
To take him home again?
I fancied that I heard them say,
'Dear Lord, Thy will be done!'
For all the joys Thy child shall bring,
The risk of grief we'll run.
We'll shelter him with tenderness,
We'll love him while we may,
And for the happiness we've known,
Forever grateful stay.
But should the angels call for him,
Much sooner than we've planned.
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes,
And try to understand.

by Edgar Alan Gast

WooHoo!

Even with all of the added stress with my caseload and work at school I am still losing weight! 

I am down 20 pounds since I started the end of July.  It may not seem like much to some people..But to me it is a huge accomplishment.   These are some of the great things that are happening!

My HUGEST challenge is after school when I arrive home.  I am still looking for a solution or help for that time of day!!  Any suggestions will be appreciated! 

Warning Granma story: Conner and Kasey were playing here one afternoon last week after school. I heard Conner ask Kasey, "Do you want to play Cowboys and Native Americans?" Something gets lost in being politically correct sometimes.

Sunday Afternoon Quilting!

I spent Saturday doing farm bookwork, cleaning, and laundry.  So today after church I spent time pin basting a quilt.  Last summer my cousin, Diane, told me she uses melamine board on sawhorses to pin baste quilts.

The eight foot board takes up much of a spare room upstairs.  To get from one side to other I crawled until the table!  I think it will work great for cutting also! When I take down the twin bed it will add a little space to work around.  I have the melamine board on a 4 foot table. 

This is the view from the upstairs window!

What post would be complete without a grandbaby picture! 

Granddaughter #4 at four weeks! 

School is challenging again this year.  I have 19 students in grades 3-6 with disabilities on my caseload.  They have many needs.  In my class I have 2 students with Downs Syndrome who each have their own aide.  The other  students range from CD (Cognitive Disabilities),  HI (Hearing Impaired), SLD (Specific Learning Disabilities), EBD (Emotional Behavior Disability), and OHI  (Other Health Impaired). It makes for long hours at school and home.  I will save school stories for another post.

Until next time!

Finally!!

I hope to post this weekend!  In the meantime!  IT IS FINALLY FRIDAY!  

Linda

Never Forget

There are two events in our country's history that I will never forget where I was or what was happening when I learned of the tragedy.  The first was the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The second the tragic attack on Sept. 11, 2001. 

A Farmer's Wife

A few weeks ago Janet from A Hug Delights,  posted this column written by a young farmers wife, Sierra Shea,  from South Dakota.  It is now available as a print or bookmark from Sierra Shea's store.

Being married to a farmer is full of challenges.  One of the challenges is the weather.  This spring was wet and cold.  The planting of corn and soybeans was delayed due to wet fields and then not knowing if the seed would grow because of the cold weather.   Immediately following we went into drought.  We have had very little rain this entire summer. We have watched some of our corn fields and bean fields dry up and die.

Last night when DH was baling hay I took these pictures.  The dirt and dust was rolling out from behind the baler.  The brown part of the field was under water this spring.  Now it is so dry DH cut and baled it for hay to feed the beef cattle. 

I have often thought of writing a book entitled, "What Town Girls Need to Know Before Marrying a Farmer."   I have several chapters outlined in my head such as one on hand signals from the farmer to you when either of you is operating machinery or 10 lessons on how to and not to help chase cattle.


After our emergency trip to the Abbott Heart Hospital last week, DH is doing better.  The local ER doctor had spoken with  his cardiac electrophysiologist when DH's heart rate was 120 pbm.  It had been that way for four or five days.  After another cardioversion he is back in rhythm with another change of heart medication.  We need to monitor his heart rate and blood pressure closely.  The cardiologist told us that each time this is happening it is causing more damage to his heart.  The doctor reminded us that previously he told us that a second ablation may be required.

Take care my friends,

Oh-with my tests, then DH's trip to hospital in Mpls, and school starting I haven't been able to make it to official weigh in.  However, on our home scale I have lost 18 lbs.  WOOHOO!