HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

We have had a wonderful Thanksgiving here in West Texas visiting with Son #3. I cooked Thanksgiving dinner at his house and he got off work in time to help a LOT!

Then he took us out to a friend's ranch and we had a tour, saw HUGE deer, and watched a beautiful West Texas sunset.

Back home, we ate leftover Thanksgiving turkey and are calling it a night (while we watch the Texas Longhorns beat Texas A&M). I have to explain that hubby and I graduated from the University of Texas (Longhorns) and I have a degree from Texas Tech, but we have children who have graduated from Texas Tech and Texas A&M, so I root for both teams EXCEPT when they play our Longhorns! Sorry, guys!

And thanks, Son #3, for a wonderful Thanksgiving!

THANKS FOR THE PRAYERS...

Many people have asked how Miss Ella Bella is doing after her hospital stay and I am happy to report that the infection seems to be under control although they have to be very careful for about 3 more months. Meanwhile, she is back into her busy life. Thank you for your prayers!

Over the weekend the family went fishing and Miss Ella Bella, like her dad, loves to fish. She actually caught the first fish and was very proud of it.

We are so glad that Miss Ella Bella is okay now. How quickly they get sick and how quickly they bounce back. I am so grateful that she is doing well again!

I LAUGHED OUT LOUD!

I follow the blog of a family whose youngest child was born a little over a year ago with HLHS which, in simple language, means that he was born with part of his heart missing. This family has been through many, many medical challenges this past year and the year has been very difficult for them and their other three children. However, this blog has three things that make it very entertaining and exciting to read: 1) Both parents are excellent writers, 2) The whole family is VERY creative, and 3) They all have a HUGE sense of humor.

Today's post tells about the family finally being called in to get their H1N1 flu shots and they took pictures as each family member rolled up a sleeve and got the shot. I laughed until I had tears running down my face at their antics.

I feel very privileged to have "met" this family through their blog. I know the grandmother who lives here and we often go to church together to pray for little Rudy, but I am very grateful to have gotten to know this family of hers!

A SURPRISE TODAY

This morning I went to the fitness center as usual and ran into my friend Melody Chatelle and she told me that she had mentioned my book on her excellent blog. She said she had also provided a link to the NPR interview that I did at the end of September (which seems like an eon ago!). What a wonderful surprise!

Melody is quite a talented (and beautiful) person herself. She has been a longtime hospice volunteer, and also owns and operates Chatelle and Associates, a nationally-known communication and advocacy consulting firm in Austin, TX. She, too, has written a lovely book, Journeys of Heartache and Grace: Conversations and Life Lessons From Young People With Serious Illnesses, which has been praised as insightful, honest and a “must read” for anyone who wants to support a loved one through a serious illness.

Melody was one of those angels who supported me when Mother was in the hospital. One day I was searching for some kind of snack in the candy machine at the hospital and looked up to find Melody standing there handing me a sack with a very comforting book and some HEALTHY snacks. Another day she brought me a HUGE piece of comfort-food cake at lunchtime and I wolfed down the WHOLE THING! She also sent me various encouraging notes and reading suggestions during those difficult three weeks that Mother was in the hospital. She obviously really knows how to help those who are going through challenging times!

Thank you, Melody, for the gifts, the support, and the mention of my book on your blog! You're the greatest!

MISS ELLA BELL GOES HOME

Miss Ella Bella's parents took her home from the hospital today with lots of medications and lots of instructions. The first hurdle was that Miss Ella Bella had to be able to swallow the medication and she passed that test. Now they have a strict set of rules to deal with the infection and the need to keep a sharp eye on her for a while. Her parents convinced the doctors that they could follow all the instructions and they arrived home about noon--much to everyone's relief. Progress!

Many thanks for all the prayers. Please continue to pray as they incorporate this little crisis into their already busy lives.

Miss Ella Bella using the Starfall Alphabet program on my computer when she was here last summer.

PRAYERS PLEASE!

My sweet three-year-old granddaughter, Miss Ella Bella, is in the hospital with an infection and a very bad allergic reaction to the antibiotic they gave her for the infection. Her mother says she is being a real trouper about the whole thing, but she is very sick and the whole family needs our prayers. My very brave daughter-in-law says that she just wants to hear some good news from the doctor soon.

Please pray for Son #4 and his family--especially Miss Ella Bella!

Son #4 with his family.

ACCEPTANCE

I read this this morning and it really struck a cord in me. I thought I would like to share it with you:

God comes to us exactly where we are—
Not where we should have been if we had made all the right choices in life,
Not where we could have been if we had taken every opportunity that God has offered us,
Not where we wish we were if we didn’t have to be in the place where we find ourselves,
Not where we think we are because our minds are out of sync with our hearts,
Not where other people think we are or think we ought to be when they are attending to their own agendas.
God comes to us exactly where we are, right now.

This reflection is from Inner Compass by Margaret Silf.

A GIFT

When I was all caught up in the activities surrounding Mother's illness and death my husband said, "When this is all over I will take you off to the beach." Well, true to his word, on Thursday he told me to pack my bag for a few days' trip. He was taking me to the beach. He had made all the arrangements and we were off! We had reservations at the Lighthouse Inn--a favorite place where they have lots of big white rocking chairs, beautiful flowers, rooms with balconies practically over the water, and several wonderful seafood restaurants within walking distance. We had three lovely days in this special place and the weather was beautiful each day.

We sat in the large white rockers on our third-floor balcony and watched boats come and go, listened to the water lapping on the boat dock nearby, saw the huge pelicans swoop in for a landing on the water below our room, and gazed up at the filmy white clouds in the unbelievably blue sky (wondering just how one might paint such a cloud).

I took pictures of the hibiscus, the waning full moon rising over the water, the glorious sunrise, and a few pictures in a lovely art gallery in town--just for inspiration.

We had a great evening with Son #1 and wife--although grandchildren #1 and #2 had other "pressing activities" that evening. The next day, on the way home we stopped by to see Son #4 and family briefly at a soccer celebration for their last game of the season. I remember those days with our own boys!! Miss Ella Bella and brother were enjoying the activities at the pizza place and we had a great time watching them play.

Many, many thanks to my sweet husband for the brief respite in such a beautiful place!

CATCHING UP

This week has been a week of catch-up activities. We returned from Mother's burial in Amarillo on Monday and then I spent the week doing laundry, buying groceries, cleaning up the house and all those things I had not done the weeks that Mother was sick and after her death. It is amazing how many things I had neglected during those five weeks.

I promised to post some of the wonderful pictures from our family gatherings during the past several weeks.

A Pictorial Tribute to Mother

My Husband and Me with our 4 Wonderful Boys!

Our Crowded House - FUN! -Daughters-in Laws visiting with Sister-in-Law plus Kids!

Cousins Enjoying Each Other - on our back porch

Toys, Toys Everywhere! But the Daughters-in Law were quick to clean up--thanks, girls!!

A Beautiful Fall Day in Amarillo for Mother' Burial