HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We pray you have a wonderful day with your family, reminiscing about times gone by and making new memories. Remember to take time today to say a special thanks to God for the many blessings and thorns in your life. It is hard sometimes to see the purpose in our thorns, but God uses all things to mold us into who He desires us to be. He is faithful in the good and bad times. God is so good! Have a great day! We love you!

"O give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known His doings among the peoples!" 1 Chronicles 16:8

Happy Birthday Mikey!

Today is Mike's 37th birthday. He isn't much on celebrations but the girls and I took him out to dinner and showered him with gifts. They each wanted to have their own gift bag for him. Chloe picked out a card, brain teaser, stress relief ball and a shirt. She would have given him the store if I didn't stop her. She was really in the giving mood. Lauren was content with guitar picks and a goofy card. She picked out a card with a monkey picking his nose on the cover. Hilarious for those that know her, you know she has a love for her nose as well. :) I got him a metronome that he has been wanting at his favorite store of all times, Guitar Center. We had a sweet time together. I am blessed to have a Godly husband and the girls for having a goofy loving daddy. Happy Birthday honey!

p.s. Mike hates his picture taken so I thought I would give him one more gift..........no pictures of him posted on my blog for his special day. Ha!

Thanksgiving Dinner with Grandma Mc

Tonight we celebrated Thanksgiving with my Grandma Mc at her Assisted Living Facility. The staff invited all the families to come and enjoy dinner with their tenant family member. The staff fixed her up by painting her nails and putting makeup on her for the special occasion. She looked so pretty. It was very nice and several members of our family were able to come. Grandma seemed to enjoy us being there, though she didn't recognize many of us. She didn't seem to mind though. She called my sister and I both Shirley, my mom. I told her she was very close. She just laughed. My cousin brought pictures from my grandma's last birthday in July. While she was looking at the pictures, I asked her if she knew what those pictures were of. She said, "Why shore (her slang-too cute), they are of my 80th birthday party". I told her the birthday party part was right but she gave herself about 10 yrs off. When I told her it was her 90th birthday she replied, "Really?, oh my". I asked her if she thinks she will live another 90 and she said "I sure hope not" with a chuckle. She just seems very content and happy.

Sweet Service

The Memorial Service Saturday for my Aunt Sue was very nice. Many members of our family were able to come from various parts of the U.S. Following the service, we proceeded to the cemetery for the burial. Aunt Sue was buried at the family grave site next to where my grandpa is buried and my grandma will be buried when the Lord calls her home. Following the graveside service, we went to my Grandma's house just down the road. My grandma is now in an assisted living facility so isn't quite the same without her there or my Aunt Sue, but it was so nice to be there together. Wow, I have so many memories of being there growing up. The holidays were always a big time there. Tons of food, kids running around (inside and out), football games on the lawn across the road, basketball in the top of the barn, hide and seek in the spooky basement, and lots of conversation amongst the adults. Sweet memories. I hope we have many more gatherings there as a family. :)

Here are a few pictures from our get together. Mc Family - I so enjoyed being with you, I love you all! -- Oh, and please keep in touch, you guys that don't live in our neck of the woods. :)

My Dad w/his siblings & The Cousins

(there are more cousins - we missed you guys!)

Me with two of my sweet cousins!

Lauren and her cousin Meg found these hats of Grandma's and came in strutting their stuff. They met each other for the first time this past weekend. They had a great time together!

Forgiveness

Tonight we had a great time with almost all of my Dad's side of the family. It has been around 10 years or so since we have all been together. There have been so many hurts and it has been really hard for many to move forward. Aunt Sue's passing reminds us that we can't afford to waste time feeling hurt towards one another or hurting one another, we must forgive and seek forgiveness when we have wronged someone. God commands us to love one another as ourselves. Our fleshly tendency is to wait until we receive an apology to give one ourselves. The sad thing is we do not know when our time or our loved one's will end and it is just not worth having regrets and heartache over things left unsaid. Please remember our family in your prayers. I pray God binds us together.

I pray that God continues to work in me. I am so thankful he is always revealing areas that I need to push through (He is still working on me, just like the song says). I was reminded again tonight of Ephesians 4:29-32 "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word that is good for edification, according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."

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I wanted to share a sweet picture taken tonight of my Aunt Sue's children, Brian and Alicia. Please continue to remember them in your prayers. Though the circumstances are tough, I am thankful to be able spend time with them. I know my Aunt Sue would have been pleased for the family to be together tonight. When we were younger she was the queen of family gatherings. :) To all my family and friends, I love and appreciate you more than you will ever know.

Heavens Gain

It is with great sadness and rejoicing that I let you all know my Aunt Sue passed away this afternoon. Sadness because she is going to be missed by so many and Rejoicing because heaven has gained a beautiful person. There is such wonderful peace knowing she is in the arms of of the Lord now. She has served him faithfully and is now rewarded for her faith in God with the gift of eternal life. Please remember her children, Alicia and Brian, as they have many decisions to make in the days ahead. I pray God gives them wisdom & comfort in the days to come.

I wanted to share some more pictures of my aunt with you all. I love these pictures, she looks so healthy and happy. Aunt Sue was always so supportive. She will be certainly be missed. Thank you for your prayers and concern.

Aunt Sue

Please remember my aunt and the rest of our family in prayer. My aunt, my Dad's 63 year old sister, had breast cancer many, many years ago and had been in remission until maybe 1 1/2-2 years ago when the Dr.'s found a different form of cancer in her esophagus. They removed most of her esophagus and she hasn't been in very good health since as she couldn't hold down much food. But she has been plugging along and doing for others (specifically my grandma) with the strength she has. Last week while doing a colonoscopy the Dr.'s found a bad portion in her bowels (which we found out today was cancerous, the same kind as the breast cancer type). She immediately had a foot of intestines removed. She had been in MICU since her surgery and then her kidneys began shutting down. Yesterday they put in her a regular room and told the family to be preparing themselves. She is only on morphine right now. The hospital is just trying to make her comfortable. Last night we were at the hospital for several hours spending time with her and the rest of our family. She made it through the night but is getting worse the nurse told us this afternoon. They expect she could pass at any time. Please remember her and her children in your prayers. She is a great lady who loves the Lord very much and for that I am thankful. We were able to read some to her from her bible (which was so marked up from her studies - :)) and sing several old hymns. She would open her eyes here and there and give a smile when she liked a certain tune. She seemed to really like "God is so good". She has been a member of her church choir for many years and seemed to enjoy the singing. Today she is mainly sleeping. She isn't married so her children who are in their 30's are by her side. They have a lot on their shoulders and are very tired. Please pray strength and comfort for them. Also, remember my grandma. She is in an assisted living home (due to dementia) and my uncle was going to tell her today of Sue's health. I don't know how much she will understand today (as you never know about her mind, some days it is sharp and others it is cloudy) but I know there will be lucid moments to come when she will think of Sue and miss her coming to share time with her. Sue has been a faithful daughter for so many years.

God is faithful in the good and the hard times of life. He is our ever present help in time of need. Thank you for your prayers.