Catch up.....

I'm not sure I ever will.......so much is happening and so quickly......but in the interest of keeping things in order, it's time for a grandchildren post!  Our grandchildren vary so in age and I've found there is a big difference between little ones and grown up ones!  Both loved equally and both fun, just different.  It's strange how they grow up and have minds of their own!

Imagine my surprise when this gorgeous creature walked off the plane.......alone!  My grandson missed the flight!  Yes, yes......I was a little tense that day.  Thankfully, he got the next flight out and was here by 10:30 that night......AND I managed not to kill him!

Finally, both together!  He's too cute for me to stay mad long!

All rested up the next day, we ate at a new place in town called Just the Cook......the cook was on one of the contest shows on the Food Channel and is all the rave.  The restaurant is a houseboat.......they cook in the houseboat and you sit at a table outside.......in Florida.......in the heat.  I didn't care for the food, but the company was wonderful.  Grandson Jordan joined us for the day.

Spent some time at the farm.  The kids love to shoot guns and we cooked out and had a good time.  

You may be able to tell from the background that the Superhero has moved our RV up to the farm.  I don't know for sure, but this may be a sign that we will be moving there one day.  Oh, dear!

Cousin Joshua was able to join the kids for Friday Fest which is something our downtown has on the first Friday of the month.  Lots of vendors and tons of old cars.......with a band at either end of the street.

Nana took them and stayed a little while and left them in the capable hands of Uncle David

As seems to be the case these days, we had yet another funeral in the family.  My younger sister's MIL died and after the funeral, the family got together at my brother's home.

Aunt Cathy, Ashley and Nana

The three sisters, Debbie, me and Cathy.  I promise I did not wear that outfit to the funeral....I changed!

Uncle Dick and Aunt Cathy.....Cathy has hair!!!!  Doesn't she look adorable?

More farm pics.....the kids swam in one of our man made ponds......much to my dismay!  I wasn't sure what creatures might lurk in that pond, but everyone lived!  Whew!

Loved driving and riding in Pappy's Kubota......although the mischievous boys got stuck and had to be pulled out with a tractor!

We honestly didn't match on purpose.  Notice that we wear our protective ear gear when target shooting and we take every safety precaution.  The kids did a little skeet shooting and I was so amazed at how they could hit that little orange thing

Ashley and I took a drive to the beach where it promptly began to storm......like a hurricane!  We drove and drove down Hwy 30-A and happened to be by a favorite eating place when the storm let up for a few minutes, so of course, we stopped to eat a little seafood before venturing back onto the road and eventually home!

We took the kids kayaking at Blue Pond where the Superhero spent many a happy day as a child.  

Jordan caught a pretty big bass!

Kayaking was one of the boys favorite activities!

Ashley and Nana got in on the kayaking action.......really not as easy as it looks!

Ashley swam out into the pond even though her Nana was screaming alligator and had to hitch a ride back to shore on Jordan's kayak

Pappy and Uncle Matt just took it easy and kept a watchful eye out for everyone.

They may be getting a little too old for this, but we played putt putt golf one day and let me just say.....HOT!  

A good friend of mine was staying at the beach for her daughter's birthday, so Ashley and I joined them for the day.

We celebrated my birthday.  

While the kids were here, my MIL got very sick and was in the hospital for a few days.  The kids spent that time with their granddad and his family and had a good time......

Before we knew it, it was time to fly back home to California.  

As they were walking through security, Ashley turned, waved and said "same time next year!"  
Maybe you really are never to old to want to visit your Nana!

Keeping track.....

You have kept count of my sorrows,

put my tears in your bottle.  Psalm 56:8

These past nine months have seen lots of tears fall, prayers offered and answered and a family closing several chapters and beginning new ones.

Bear with me.......I print my blog by year and so it serves as a diary of sorts......this may get long.

Thanksgiving of 2013, one of my sisters was a bit nervous because she had been called back after a mammogram.  If you are a woman and reading this, no explanation of that nervous feeling is necessary.  We all thought it would turn out to be nothing.  It didn't.

December 2, Cathy had a biopsy and on December 4 got the news that she indeed had breast cancer that was in a lymph node.  December 12th, she had a PET scan and as a family we held our collective breath and prayed many prayers as we were joined by many asking our Lord that it not be anywhere else in her body.

On December 13, about nine people crowded into the oncologist's little examining room to hear.......GOOD bad NEWS!  Never thought about getting good bad news.  Cathy's cancer had not spread......we laughed and cried.  Although she still had a long, rough battle for her life, her doctors were confident she would come out victorious.  

December 17th, surgery to place a port and the 18th chemo started.  

First treatment.....

Cathy had weekly treatments for eight weeks and knew she would lose her beautiful hair.  I expected the infusion center to be filled with doom and gloom, but instead we found it filled with HOPE!  People encouraging one another as all were on a road no one ever wants to travel.  

After six treatments, she still had hair!  She had it cut and it was coming out, but it was still there!

Then mama had the event that saw us spend eight long and agonizing days by her side.  Cathy had to return to the town where she lives to have chemo, came right back the next day and on February 2, mama died.   Cathy prayed she would keep her hair through the funeral.  She had hair!  She had to return to her home the day after the funeral for another chemo treatment.  

Two grueling rounds of chemo later....step one is over......

June 3rd Cathy had surgery.  The doctors were very pleased at how things looked and were sure that all cancer was gone!  But she still had radiation to complete.  

And it's a wrap!  

Hair coming back and as beautiful as always!

You may remember I said we closed chapterS.....my sister Debbie's mother in law got very sick and died........and six months to the day of mama's funeral, there was another family funeral to attend.  More tears in our big bottle!  

During that time, my California grandchildren came.......that's a whole other post still to come.......my MIL was very ill and in the hospital for a few days and the Superhero's BIL was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  Please pray for Johnny!

Since this post is dedicated to my courageous and beautiful sister, here are a few pictures of her along the road.....as she says, she never expected to find joy in a cancer treatment facility, but that's what she found!  

A friend had this blanket made with pictures of Cathy's family and friends......

We give thanks to God for his incredible goodness and mercy!

It's a beautiful morning....

Every morning.....very early every morning, the Superhero springs into our bedroom with a cup of coffee to wake me for the day.  The Superhero is a morning person.  Me?  Not so much.

Well, this isn't exactly what we look like......

I drink my coffee fussing and moaning all the while, he does his stretching exercises, then we go for a walk.   Yes, he stretches while I just jump out of bed, put my clothes on and walk!

Once upon a time, in an apartment complex near us, someone thought is would be a good idea to place a beautiful pair of ducks in the holding pond near the street.  The ducks just happened to fall in love, marry and begin having little ducklings.  Lots and lots of little ducklings!  Soon those little ducklings grew up, fell in love and the cycle started again......soon there were ducks EVERYWHERE!

While we are walking, mama ducks can be seen herding ducklings from newly hatched babies to teens from the pond to the ditch beside the road and onto the walking path.  

Sadly, they venture into the road at times and.....well you know what happens.  SO....when we are walking and I see them waddling in the direction of sure death, I start shooing them back to the ditch.  

Which leads me to the question.......WHY DO THE DUCKS CROSS THE ROAD???  Really, there is nothing on the other side that is any better than the side they started from so just stay there and be happy!

But then again, many times we want to cross the wrong roads don't we?

Just a little something to think about during your weekend.  
Have a wonderful weekend!