So Long 2011!

As I sat at the table New Years Eve morning, I sat and realized how thankful I needed to be.  2011 was a pretty good year, and we are all still in one piece. 

Sam is still in the Navy, Lord willing!  We were really scared for a bit because of the Enlisted Review Board, but we gave it to God , and it was in His will for Sam to stay in!!!  Now we aregood to go until fall, and then we will have to start PTS, another "board" to see if there is room for him in his job, or if he has to cross-rate (change jobs).  Oh, the drama of the military!  I can say though, with the drama, comes a lot of benefits.  Sam is very proud to serve and I am even more proud to stand by his side for the past 11 years in the Navy and 12 years married. 

*Something exciting this year, Sam's great-Uncle Art gave him his 24-foot Air Stream trailer and Suburban.  Sam's mom and step-dad Mike flew Sam and David out to Las Vegas, and after a fun day of visiting with everyone there, they had a daddy and son road trip back to Washington.  They made a couple stops along the way, visiting cousins Shelly, Norm, Brittany and Isaac.  It was so great for them.  We have used the Air Stream once already, and it was a lot of fun.  We plan to get a lot more use out of it during the spring and summer.  Thanks Uncle Art, we love you!

Cheyton turnes 11 this year, and started 6th grade.  He got a new cell phone and has gained an interest in girls.  And the girls like hime too!  Oy vey!  He love playing football with the neighborhood kids, just about everyday.  He played very well in baseball and his team won the 2011 basketball championships.  Unfortunately he did have a pretty good fall one game, and there was a bully problem with one of the teams, but he survived.  We did physical therapy for a couple of weeks and were good to go!  This year, he will only be playing baseball.  If his grades improve, he'll be able to do school sports next year!  Cheyton is a talented athlete, and we are thrilled to watch his games this year!  Go get 'em Chey!

Ethan has had a good year.  We sometimes call him our emotional one.  We have been talking to him about the importance of talking about what's inside and not just crying and letting it sit in.  He is a healthy 10 year old, 4th grader.  A social butterfly right now.  His best friend is Ryan K., and his teacher is the one he had hoped for ALL summer long.  Ethan hopes to get a violin in February and start lessons with Miss Amanda soon thereafter.  We're excited to see what's coming up for him!

David!  David!  David!  Where do I even start?  So much happens in just a day with him, that it's going to be difficult to squash his year down to one paragraph.  He's really had a good year when you sum it up.  He has had some issues in school, but like Ethan, it's more emotionally driven.  He's seeing the counselor and making progress.  Once my second surgery is over, I think a lot of his worry will be gone.  We'll pray and we'll see.  He is such a funny boy, always trying to make people laugh.  Highlight this year, had to be his desire to want to celebrate Hanukkah.  What made it so funny is that he only wanted to, because he wanted to spin the dreidel.  Oh David.  David is getting real drums, and lessons this year.  He's excited.  We are too! 

I love that all 3 boys have their own place that they shine!  My ears may hate me fore it later, haha, but the end result will be haappy boys fulfilling their dreams. 

I had a rollercoaster kind of year.  Obviously there was a lot of pain, a lot of depression and just a lot of moments where I just felt like I wasn't myself.  I wasn't able to be who God intended me to be, because I was falling into the black whole.  Luckily,  I have a great team of doctors, and some great friends and family who are always praying for me.  Healing came for me!  My doctor referred me to an orthopedic surgeon who dug a little deeper and found out that surgery was our one and only option.  The physical therapy that they were doing was bad for me.  I had my right hip replaced October 28th, and I am doing really well with the recovery.  Another issue I have is fibromyalgia.  I was referred to a rheumatologist, and I was set aback when he prayed with me and had Bible verses to share with me.  God was most definitely involved in lining him up!  Unfortunately, we haven't found anything medicinal or therapeutic to help yet, but we are still trying.  We meet monthly and I thoroughly enjoy our visits.  One final doctor that I will mention, is my ENT doc.  I went to him for the masses that are in my jaw.  Most people immediately think TMJ.  No, after the doctor first thinking I was imagining things and was a hypochondriac, and lip biopsies to rule out Sjogrens disease and Lymphoma, scans showed that I have an extra set of parotid glands.  Unfortunately, there is 1 doctor in WA that has ever done surgery to remove them before.  Tricare won't cover them.  So I am stuck with the pain.  The reality is, if I have the surgery, I can get partial facial paralysis.  So instead of doing the surgery, they said I have to wait until they grow and start causing problem, such as partial facial paralysis.  They have grown a little bit since then.  I think I may make an appointment for a check-up with him...A lot going on, but one thing I know, God will see me through it!

2011 was great, and ended really well too!  We had a nice Christmas and a fun New Years Eve.  We went to the movies for NYE and saw Happy Feet 2 and Jack and Jill.  They were both really good!  We came home and had pizza with the kids and I made some homemade brownies for dessert.  We had the company of the Crews family and everybody but David made it until midnight.  I got my kiss from my hubby, love from Cheyton and Ethan, and gave David a kiss on the cheek!  A great end to 2011!

Motion Of Mercy

I was listening to the radio today, Praise 106.5, and heard a beautiful song.  It is called "Motion Of Mercy," by Francesca Battistelli. 

What it boils down to, is that the Motion of Mercy is a giving cycle.  Someone does something for you, and you SHOULD want to do something in return.  Now we all aren't capable of doing big things.  Want to know a secret???  And do me a favor too, pass it along!  LITTLE THINGS MATTER just as much as big things! 




Love is a verb, an action word! 

 Some things you might think of ...
to pray for a friend
to feed the hungry
to give drink to the thirsty
to Truly listen to person or people asking for help, before answering
to shelter/clothe/give to the homeless
to visit the sick
to visit those in prison
to start a "pay it forward" chain...
to send a card to a friend to tell them you care

Obviously those are just a few examples.  There are so many ways.  The picture above, to the right, says, "Love is a Verb!"  I love it!  We need to stop feeling bad for people and start doing what we can to make a difference!  Loving them the best we can! 

I urge you to comment about a time mercy has been shown to you, a time you have shown mercy, or maybe even if you have a suggestion on ways that you can show love or mercy to someone!  Yes, it will work for everyone, I FIXED IT :o)  I included the lyrics to the song.  I am sure you can also find in on YouTube. 

Until Next Time Friends!

Here are the lyrics:

I was poor I was weak
I was the definition of a spiritually
Bankrupt condition
So in need of help
I was unsatisfied
Hungry and thirsty
When You rushed to my side
So unworthy
Still You gave yourself away

That's the motion of mercy
Changing the way and the why we are
That's the motion of mercy
Moving my heart

Now I'm filled by a love
That calls me to action
I was empty before
Now I'm drawn to compassion
And to give myself away

Living for the lost - Loving 'til it hurts
No matter what the cost - Like You loved me first
That's the motion of mercy
God give me strength to give something from nothing
I wanna be a glimpse of the Kingdom that's coming... Soon

Living for the lost - Loving 'til it hurts
No matter what the cost - Like You loved me first
That's the motion of mercy - Moving my heart
To give yourself away - To give it all away
That's the motion of mercy

Sums it up...

That I a Better Person May Be
Author Unknown

Light that lies deep inside of me
Come forth in all thy majesty
Show me thy gaze
Teach me thy ways
That I a better person may be

Darkness that lies deep inside of me
Come forth in all thy mystery
Show me thy gaze
Teach me thy ways
That I a better person may be

Love that lies deep inside of me
Come forth in all thy unity
Let me be thy gaze
Let me teach thy ways
That I a better person may be

I found this poem online and thought it was beautiful.  Especially since right now is when everyone is planning their "resolutions."  This sums it up.  All we need is the spirit of God to be within us and make us more like Him.  That's what I am asking for me! 

The Light that is within me, is Him.  I want to bring Him out more.  Witness more to people, grow my faith and just keep Him the center of my life.

The darkness, is the depression that keeps flip flopping its way back into my mind/life right now.  I know that the Holy Spirit can take and wipe it away, even better than any medicine alone.

In 1 Corinthians 13, the Lord says that love never fails.  It is said in the Bible that God is Love.  So God never fails.  So, in the last verse of this poem, it is inviting God, (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) to come and abide in you.  I find such peace there.  Iwant him to teach me how and who to love.  Where do I go from here God?

Reality...For Just A Moment

"You are so stong!"  "You are an amazing example to other people."  "I don't know how you hold it together with all that you go through."  These are the comments that I hear on a daily basis.  I am not ungrateful, and I have learned to accept and appreciate the compliments and learn that I have been strengthened and I have been able to be an example to others in the same situation as myself. 

What people see on the outside and what is on the inside, are not always the same.  There are moments that I want to sceam and cry because I am in agonizing pain.  And YES, it is that bad.  BUT, I don't.  I put on the strong front because I don't want to be defined by my pain, my disease or my disabilities.  My boys stress about me being broken all the time and Iit breaks my heart. 

I want to be defined by my faith, by my joy and by being who I really am! 

Surprise!

Sam and I try to be the one's to help people out and sometimes catch people by surprise.  Well, the other day, I was the one that was caught bu surprise when the manager of our local commissary wanted to bless me with a $50 gift card for groceries.  They were picking people totally by random, and they chose me!  ME!  

Now, I felt really bad at my initial reaction.  All I could ask is, "why?"  I just wasn't sure if he thought I was someone else or if I had done something...Or perhaps they wanted to hurry me and my rowdy boys out of the store.  :)  He simply said that they just wanted to bless our family with some help with groceries, said a sincere Merry Christmas and walked on.  

As I walked away, people smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back.  Then I finished my shopping, keeping my eye out for the manager.  I wanted to get a chance to talk to him when my thoughts were collected.  It wasn't until the very end of my shopping trip that I ran into him.  I told him, "I just wanted to let you know that I am so thankful for the gift that you have given my family.  It was so unexpected and I am not often caught by surprise, hence my ridiculous response before.  So again, thank you so much, it means a lot to my family and I!"

His response..."Not a problem.  It's kind of neat when you get those responses because you know people are really caught off guard.  I see you have 3 hollow-boned boys to feed!  Enjoy the gift card, and have a Merry Christmas!"

I replied, "God bless you!"

He said, "May God bless you and yours!"

I was in pain the whole time, the boys were acting up, and I kept feeling like I was getting in peoples' ways, but it turned into a good day!     

Christmas Traditions

As we grow up, the greatest memories stick in our minds and most importantly, our hearts.  Holiday times, Christmas in particular for me, seem to bring family together and allow for traditions to be started. 

When I was young, we would always be with Grandma Cookie.  Christmas Eve we would all come together...Aunts, uncles, cousins!  Grandma would make her candied walnuts, and Aunt Tessie would usually bring over some of her delicious shanghai rolls.  They were both so yummy.  What I would give to have some right now!!!  After snacking on the food, we would all spend time together until Uncle Wally came over with his guitar.  Then it was my favorite time!  CHRISTMAS CAROLS!  He would play guitar and every once in a while grandma would play her organ.  She was so proud, and we were proud of her too!  We would sing and sing until we couldn't think of any Christmas songs anymore.  Then we'd sing TV theme songs!  Then Uncle Wally would sing a couple of his songs he had written, EVERY once in a while.  It was so much fun!  Finally, it would be time for us to go outside to try and find Santa and the reindeer in the sky and then say goodnight to everyone.  Then, off to bed.  In the morning, we opened presents, taking turns by order of age.  We ate coffee cakes dipped in syrup, made by Grandma Cookie and visited with more family.  All in all, it was family time and that was what was important.

Now, I am grown and have a family of my own and we have to make traditions of our own.  The other night we were at the table and my son David said, "there are three things important about Christmas:  1)It's Jesus' birthday, 2) it's time for family and 3) we can give each other presents."  I think he has got it down pretty well (not that the presents are that important.)  Our focus needs to be on the birth of Christ and making sure that our kids remember that there is more to Christmas than the commercial side.  We are lucky enough to have some family here in Washington this year with us, and we are very happy for that!  We will be missing the ones we won't be with!  You will be in our hearts.  On Christmas Eve, we will be going to a Christmas Eve service, and then I will be reading the boys the Nativity and the Night Before Christmas.  Maybe I'll get them to sing a few carols with me, who knows?!?!  We will let them open one present and the rest will be left for morning.  We are looking forward to having some of our military friends/family over on Christmas for a dessert potluck.  Should be a lot of fun!   

What were/are your traditions?  Any that you kept from when you were a kid?  I'd love to hear about them. 

A New Me 2012

As I look back on 2011, I see good things, and that's what I am going to focus on.  I am so grateful that I was able to lose weight, turn my depression around, get my surgery done and finish up school. 

Looking into 2012, we have another great family vacation planned for the Great Wolf Lodge, I have another hip surgery in February or March & after recovery I'll look for work for the first time in several years. We will be looking forward to visits from Grandma Jamie and Judy and whoever else might visit...and who knows, we may get to make a summer trip out east to visit friends...we shall see.

Those are huge things happening, that's for sure. But, I want to focus on keeping myself healthy this year. Learn more recipes, and cook them at home. Exercise more so I can tone up. Keep my therapy appointments, physical and mental. Date my husband to keep or relationship alive amd kicking (though, as most of you know, we're doing fine...always good to preserve :>). Spend time with my boys individually. Be a friend more. And finally, spend more time with God. This is obviously top priority, but plays in ask of the above.

2012 will be a good year.

Fear...

Fear of failure, fear of the unknown, fear of the future, are ALWAYS defeated by faith. You can let your imagination run wild and imagine all sorts of terrible scenarios, or you can let your imagination run wild and imagine all the fabulous possibilities. With God, all things are possible...Delilah

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It seems like many of my friends and family members are going through so much right now.  My cousin  Laurie just passed away after battling cancer, my friends mom just found out she has cancer, two sisters getting surgery, one sister whose doctor won't even order tests because she has MediCal...SO many financial needs, relationship woes, people moving, jobs lost...I can go on and on!  And this is just what affects the people around me!!!

I have experienced a lot of what they are going through...in fact, aside from getting diagnosed with cancer myself and losing a job, I've been through it all.  I am praying so hard right now for each and every one of my friends out there.  There is real power in prayer!

 

Molly Bear Party

On Saturday night, I went to a Molly Bear party. 

Some of you are well aware of what Molly Bears is...Others of you, may not be. 

The short, very sad story; My friends baby girl, Molly Christine, was still-born at 34 weeks, due to a tight true knot in her umbilical cord.  My friend was given a weighted bear, weighing close to what Molly did, and she found it comforting to sleep with it.  So she started making them for a couple of the other "angel mommies" she had received support from.  From there, Molly Bears came alive!  It is now an official non-profit and has reached EVERY state in the US and several countries!  I am so excited to see Molly live on in this way!!!!

Here is the link for more info... https://www.mollybears.com/TheMollyBearStory.php


SOOOO..A Molly Bears party is where people come together and sew the inserts, stuff the bears, and get them ready for personalization and shipment.  I learned that I can in fact sew...LOL!  It was a very bittersweet time!  I love Bridget and her whole family so much and feel blessed to have the opportunity to be involved in Molly Bears.  But as I sewed the weight inserts, and felt the weight on my lap, I knew that was somebody's BABY!  <3 Some were so tiny they could only hold fluff, others were more than 10 pounds. 

I held myself together there, silently praying for each family as I sewed. I am so glad I went and I had a great time with great conversation!  I look forward to doing it again soon!


REFLECTION:  Something that Bridget and I talked about while we were there, was that we have to look at the kids that we have as our miracles.  We are VERY luck to have healthy, happy kids.  I <3 my boys!

The Christmas Candy Cane

Posted this on facebook this morning and thought I'd put it here for you all as well!  It makes you think a bit, that's for sure...especially since you see a lot of candy canes EVERYWHERE you go!!!! 

The true meaning of the candy cane...According to and Indiana candy maker.
*White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and sinless nature of Jesus.
*The hardness of the candy was used to to symbolize the Solid Rock, the Foundation of the Church and firmness of the promises of God.
*the form of a "J" to represent the precious name of Jesus, it also represents the staff of the "Good Shepherd"
*red stripes for the blood shed by Christ at the ...cross so we could have the promise of eternal life.

So every time you eat a candy cane this year, think about what they truly stand for...Maybe you have heard this before, maybe you haven't...Maybe you know someone who needs to hear about this. Give someone a candy cane and share them what God has done for them and what Christmas is all about! Re-post if you want! Just wanted to share with you all! ~SDM ♥

 

WOF Christmas Blog Carnival (Day 4)

Topic: The Best Non-Material Christmas Gift Ever...

1998-  The year my sister, Lenetta, had her first brain surgery...She got to be home in time for Christmas!!!  Not a direct gift to me, but made all of our Christmas wishes come true that year!!!!


I miss her every day!  But have comfort that she is in Heaven and no longer in pain! 

WOF Christmas Blog Carnival 3

Topic: Your Favorite Childhood Christmas Memory

My favorite is really last year when my oldest boy, Cheyton, showed just how selfless he is and told Santa he wanted nothing else but for me to get better for Christmas. Through a lot of prayer and surgery I am a little better this Christmas…hopefully, prayerfully, next Christmas I will be healed!

Redirecting My Blog

So, I feel as though my blog has been neglected lately.  I am going to get back to writing in January, but in the mean time, I am participating in the Wives of Faith Christmas Blog Carnival.  It's pretty fun, answering questions everyday and having chances to win prizes...I will be posting the questions/answers everyday!  So check back, and feel free and respond!  :)  I look forward to getting back to normal blogging again soon!  Love, peace and MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all!