Looking Back at the past and Forward to the Future

Every year I go through my FB memories and I'm reminded over and over again all the details and heartache of the accident.  But I'm also reminded of God's good and faithfulness.  Somehow he brought us through it all.  When I look back on pictures of my other kids still smiling I'm so grateful to God of how He held our hearts and emotions during those dark days.  Somehow we were able to handle our emotions and help our kids through the uncertain days.  We lived in one room at the Ronald McDonald House in Rochester NY from August 10- Dec 11!  Then we transferred to Jacksonville Fl where we lived in an extended stay hotel from Dec 13-Jan30.  BUT GOD!  He held us and walked with us.  

We'd go to the book store and other places with the kids.  We still had to give the 4 of them attention to 

and find a balance.  

One of my favorite with Sarah and Steve.  She looked so little!

 When I look back there is a peace despite all that was going on around us.  I really thank God for how He walked us through that time in our lives and kept us together.  

Recently I had a free day so I hit two parks on my own and walked about 7 miles.  I've paid for it ever since with my foot tendon being swollen (the joys of old age!)  But I had a great day and I really needed a day outside. 

We don't have much fall but it's looking as fally as Florida gets!

This rascal is Bruno.  He came up about 2 years ago.  A skinny feral tom cat.  We had to feed him by himself on the side of the house because he was so afraid.  It was week before we could pet him.  Somehow he learned to love us and to become a night inside cat.  He sleeps on the foot of the bed between Jon and me.  It's so sweet for this former street cat to have become this sweet old boy.   

Our little hobby farm now has 15 chickens! 

Sweet Roo!  This is the nicest rooster I have ever known.  He calls for the girls to come and eat when he finds things.  He never chases me!  Woohoo! Isn't he pretty

SW

I let them out in the late afternoon so they can free range some and I stay out and chicken sit them.

This silly girl has gone broody.....she is convinced she's sitting on eggs but I check her and take out any real eggs every day.  Amazon has everything including fake wooden eggs.  I've put them under her and lift her out several times a day.  I really do not know what to do with her  Most people say one day she'll snap out of it.  I hope so.  I lock her out of the compound during free range time and she just circles the enclosure over and over again.  

Last weekend we had a shower for Steve and Nichole at our church.  I hardly took any pictures and we had so many folks there including some of our old friends we hadn't seen in a long time.  I was just having too good of a time to take pictures!

But who will use it?  LOL

I love this picture of Steve- he laughs so hard and this picture caught that big laugh:)

they matched

Pretty girl!  

If you would like to order a gift for them here is their page. I've had a few people ask for this.   There are several things on here that have been given but need to be marked off.  You can message me if you have any issues.  SHOWER GIFTS

Well I've touched on just about everything.  I don't even know what to call this post....I guess the best title could be God brought us through and still is with us.....

God has been good to our family even through deep waters and dry deserts.....He continues to bring us through life- the good parts and the hard parts.  

Ten years ago I could have never imagined Selah being in a group home, Shad being an officer, Steve graduating from college with his BA and MA.....and now working as a tv producer and engaged!  

Sam and Sarah continuing to grow and learn at their own pace.  Nor could I have imagined Jon's heart attack and surgery and all the medical things our family has been through BUT GOD has been faithful...

Hurricane Ian & Haiti Update

 We survived with no damage other than some tree limbs down.  Our hearts go out to the folks affected by it.  It could have easily been us.  In fact at one point it was slated to hit Tampa Bay directly.  If that would have happened I am sure our home would have flooded.  There's been so much destruction that it is hard to take it in.  Just 75 miles south of us in Arcadia where my husband was the prison chaplain for a couple of years the flooding from the Peace River is absolutely awful.  That would have been us with the Hillsborough River.  Since 2004 hurricanes have scared me  before that I really didn't worry too much about them and had a cavalier attitude.  I can assure you I did not have that kind of attitude with Ian!  

We did lose power for about 43 hours but we have a generator so we didn't have any issues.  For the first time we did not lose water.  We are on county water and they generally have issues with their generator.

Steve, Nichole and one of their friends, James stayed with us.  Luckily it happened to fall on Shad's days off and he was home too.  And although we have a generator we did not waste it so we only had a lamp on.   We watched Father Stu- it was an amazing movie lots of strong language but it moved me.  I was glad to have my family around me!

Selah's' group home was relocated to St Joe's hospital on the pulmonary floor  It was a perfect situation for them. The nurses were so good to talk to us and gave us updates.  They were so complimentary of how Selah was doing and that spoke highly of her group home.  One nurse told me she could tell Selah had been well taken are  of and that they've the other patients from her group home always looked great too.  That made me happy and I let the group home know that it has a good reputation at the hospital for the care they give!  

We were all in our PJs in the pictures lol

Our church had a little bit of damage, a shed was totaled and there was more branches down there than at our house,  But all in all we are very grateful.

This palm had the bark stripped off it 

the sign across the street was turned around!

this old shed was turned upside down and around.  we were going to trash it anyhow as we will be redoing the parsonage yard this fall.

Lots of branches down but Scott Jon and Shad got it cleaned up

All of Florida hopes Ian is the only hurricane we have to deal with this year!  I'm not sure our nerves can take it!  Basically every area on the Gulf side was targeted at one point by Ian, so it was a nerve wracking time.  There was a meme going around saying "Waiting on a hurricane is like being stalked by a turtle" and that's true - there's that uncertainty for days-all we can do is prepare and hope it misses us, knowing if it misses us then it's going to hit somewhere else....

Thank you for your thoughts prayers and comments! 

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Thanks to your generosity we were able to buy 2 wheelchairs (I have my hand on the boxes), a stroller and a baby gate for Haiti!  

This is David Wine the director and our dear friend

My girl and me

its been cool enough to be on the porches and that makes Sarah happy

Hope you all are doing good also!

***** after our trip to the Keys Sarah got a bowel obstruction and was in Arnold Palmer for a week!  Poor girl! she is on MASSIVE tummy meds which means alot of laundry!  There's nothing like being woke up at 5 am and having to strip the bed and give her a bath but I'm so relieved that everything is moving along that I don't even mind!  It just happened suddenly with no real warning- things seemed to be moving along ok since her surgery in January where they rerouted her intestines.  But evidently things were not moving fast enough through her little system that has so many issues.  We are afraid to back of the meds much even though we have lots of messes.  But she is happy and thinks everything is funny so that's all that matters!

Children's Dream Trip & more

 I start about every other post apologizing for not having kept up to date on my blog!  Well here I am again doing it LOL It's not that I don't want to blog- I do!  Actually I 'write blogs' in my mind all the time, I just don't take the time to write them in real life.  Then when I go to catch up I have too much to share 

Last month Sarah had her Children's Dream Fund vacation in the Keys where she got to interact with dolphins.

We had to go and feed the Tarpon at Robbie's  We've been doing that for yeas but now everyone goes there

Ashley our kids caregiver and dear friend came with us.  

The first night we took a sunset cruise the kids loved it

our condo at Hawk Cay 

I love these pictures!!!

It was so beautiful

the lagoon

One day we went to Key West

At Zackey Taylor Park

years ago we snorkeled out there to the rocks with all the boys.  We took pictures on the rocks.  Sam and Shad were young.  

Some pictures of the dolphins

One day Jon and I went out on an excursion to a sandbar.  That was great we floated for hours I got a little sun through my sun resistant clothing but it was great

Is there any other place as beautiful as the Florida Keys?  I love it!  

Sarah had all her tummy issues and surgery for the malrotation of her small intestines in January.  She has not really been herself 100% since then.  We thought she had had so much medical drama that she was traumatized.  I'm sure that was some of it.  But for about 2 months she was really off even on her trip.  She had NO physical symptoms at all but....after her trip one day she started gagging (she never throws up) and wouldn't eat.  We rush her to the hospital and she had a large bowel obstruction.  She was still going to the bathroom in a normal way and we had no idea.  The doctor told us if it had been higher she would have had to have surgery.  As it wa she was in for 4 days being cleaned out.  She is now on two meds that make her go to the bathroom ALOT!  We don't know how to balance it.  

The doctors feel her guts do not move very good.  There are theories about it but whatever caused it we are dealing with it now and it looks like for the rest of her life  She is feeling great...I'm doing lots of laundry......I'll take it! My poor baby I hate she was having issues and we did not know we just thought she was sad.  I feel awful about it!  It's so hard having non verbal kids plus I think Sarah "hides" negative feelings and pushes things down until she just can't anymore.   My Sweet girl.....

Everyone else is doing great!  A few weeks ago Shad officially got his badge.  We are so proud of him.  He has learned so much and has become a professional.  He is pretty amazing and works very hard  even works 16 hour days often.  It's crazy to think he is only 18! He has a sweet girl friend who we enjoy spending time with.  

Selah turned 18!  Seems unreal!  She is doing great.  I try to see her every other day, eve4rytime I see her I'm happy with her care and grateful.  I also call often for updates.  I'm happy the group home allows us to be involved we have plans for Christmas and a sensory room.  In fact the room should be started soon we have the equipment.  When you think of Selah please pray that all her needs are met and she feels God's comfort daily.  Her caregivers are kind and I'm so thankful for that!

And Steve....

we are busy with wedding details!  WHEW!  Listen we eloped so I didn't have all this stuff to do LOL  We have offered for them to elope a few times as long as we get to come along!  Sarah and I got our dresses, she is the flower girl.  Sam got his suit he's the ring bearer and Shad is the best man and his suit is ordered.  It's fun just so many details.  Steve has been traveling a lot with his job and a quick trip to meet Nichole's dad who lives in NY.  We are thankful for such a wonderful daughter in love to be! 

 Sometimes I almost have to pinch myself to think of how grown up my older boys are!  How in the heck did that happen?  We love them and are so grateful for the relationships we have with them.  Family is everything!!

Ok i'm caught up.....mostly!  I hope I'll post more but i won't make too many promises lol

Thanks to your giving we have $255 towards the wheelchairs!  

You can still give at Grace Church paypal

Haiti

I want you to meet some of the kids that live at my friend David Wine's orphanage in Haiti.  He has 70 kids some with special needs.  Wal the little boy in this picture needs a folding wheelchair so it can be put in the van to take him to therapy.  He is actually in my daughter's old chair in this picture,  The little girl in the first picture with him is named Guens Love.  She is in a chair I think I got for them at a thrift store.  She also needs a chair that can be folded so she can be transported easily.  The little girl in the bottom picture is new to the orphanage.  No dad very young mom who has no idea how to take care of her little special needs baby girl.  The mom has done alot for her so far but as she is getting older she needs help with her.  Chamma is her name.  We need a good baby stroller for her.  We also need a baby gate for Guens Love, although she can't walk, she she can crawl fast and they must watch her as she doesn't have any fear or understanding of danger.  

I've found a simple folding wheelchair for $140 each now I'm looking for a stroller and baby gate.  The budget is $500 with any extra money going to shipping costs.  If you can help I'd appreciate it!  Thanks to Pam, Stephanie and my son Shad we have raised $160 so far!  Thank you!!!! I need to order them this week if possible!  THANK YOU!!!

You can give on paypal at 

Grace Church Paypal

or mail a check to 

Grace Church

7060 Berry Road

Zephyrhills Fl 33540

(if you do mail a check could you send me a message and let me know it's coming?)