Looking Back, Looking Forward

Its been a quite a year. We had lots of spring snow.

Emily had 2 surgeries (and is so much better for it).


After Hip Surgery


After Back Surgery

Grace got braces on her teeth and look how much straighter they are now!



I finally finished my book (follow the link to look at or purchase a copy) and finished a family history project for a couple of friends.


We've been through a hand-full of homecare nurses, which is an irritating subject for me right now. I tried wash-in, wash-out hair color, and I learned to knit fingerless gloves.


We cut down several large trees in our pasture, and enjoyed their warmth in the last couple of weeks during the cold and snow.

Now its time to think ahead and make goals for the new year. I've already started in on my new Archealogical Study Bible and the Willmington's Guide.

As I think about things I'd like to do or see happen the one thing I'm anxiously waiting for is the ceiling lift for Emily's room. Not sure how we'll incorporate it into the bathroom so it will be easier to give her a shower...... One step at a time.

Grace will get more equipment to go with her braces (I think head gear?). She is growing so tall, but not gaining an ounce of weight..... I'll try to help her eat better this year. She's decided she likes Instant Breakfast. Yippee!

I'm also looking forward to continuing work on the historical fiction I'm writing for my mother. Its loosely based on her family history. A sailor, Christian Holmes, immigrates to Canada from Denmark in 1800. He begins a logging business and enjoys meeting his new neighbors. One of his new acquaintances is the daughter of a trapper. He would like to know her better but her father decides she should marry another trapper. As she is packing up to leave with the trapper she is kidnapped by a group of Indians who transports her across the St. Lawrence river and into New York. Christian Holmes sees the kidnapping and makes the decision to follow the hunting party and try to recover the girl of his dreams.

I want to wish all my friends and family a Happy New Year. May God grant you a new year filled with hope in HIM.

Memories of Christmas

Christmas entered our house easily and left the same way. We had no plans except to stay warm and dry amidst the onslaught of winter snow.


Emily had a long seizure before she got into her wheel chair in the morning and we decided to open presents without her. A difficult choice to make not knowing how long till she would be awake enough to participate. Later Emily came into the livingroom with us.

Emily's gifts from Grandma.

Jeff sports his new winter hat.


Adam relaxing.


Jered working on a puzzle.

Grace looking at her gifts from Grandma.

My mother wasn't with us this year as the snow prevented her from traveling (and us from going to get her). She bought me a book for Christmas, the same book I bought her. So I opened her present and she opened mine, Willmington's Guide to the Bible. Wow, really neat book! Thanks mom!

The temperature has risen and things are thawing out. The snow is almost gone. I'm hoping all our water hoses to the pasture are working now as I had to haul water in buckets to the horses all week. I have to say I'm thankful for the host of modern conveniences that we have.


Most of all I'm thankful that God has blessed me with family, friends, and the knowledge of HIM.

Tears for Songs

I'm full of tears today. The other day Emily and I were singing Christmas songs and as she was looking at me and I knew she was wishing she could sing. I talked to her about signing. Today we were listening to Christmas music again and she started crying. And of course it made me cry. We looked at each other and when she saw I was crying she smiled. She has such a desire to sing. I talked to her about singing in heaven. I don't know if she really understands heaven, but I know that when she gets there she will be able to sing.

More Snow

So this is what it looked like yesterday, bright and sunny. As the day wore on it got darker and began to snow and blow. Our son works over nights and this morning my husband went to pick him up from work. The snow had blown into drifts. Just to the right of the fence is the street. The drifts were 1 1/2 to 2 feet deep in the street. The car got stuck in a drift just as they were getting home. Jeff came back to the garage and got the tractor and snow plow out. (I would have taken a picture of this but I was in my jammas as it was only 7:30am). He plowed the street from the driveway to the car. He tried to drive the car out but just couldn't do it. Our neighbor saw what was going on and he came outside to help. Finally after chaining the neighbor's truck to Jeff's car they got it pulled out of the drift.


Blowing snow in the back made small drifts.


The girls and I spent the morning wrapping gifts and Grace put silver icycles on the tree.


Emily was SO excited about wrapping gifts that she started crying. It made me cry to know that she was so happy. We're counting down the days to Christmas and adding stickers to each day on the calendar. Grace wants to make cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve..... We'll see.

Snow Day

It snowed and snowed yesterday and so we had a "snow day" here at home. Schools were closed and driving was only done by the most adventurous or experienced drivers.

Emily watched Grace play in the snow. She wasn't very impressed. Sometimes I put her coat on her and take her out, but she didn't seem interested this time.

This is my horse Nahala. She is interested in food which I was about to get out of the barn.

Nahala and Breeze eat breakfast in the neighbor's pasture.

Our horses are 8 years old. They have been in the snow a few times. They seem to be doing okay in it today.

Grace is waiting (with a hand full of snow) for me to get done feeding the horses.

Our back yard in the snow.

I love the snow, its so beautiful, especially if you don't have to drive in it!

"Mom, look how deep it is!"

After the snowball fight Grace and I made angels.

Heavy winds forcasted for tomorrow. We have lots of fire wood if we lose electricity. Its supposed to snow up to 12" by tomorrow night.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Blowing in the Wind

In the fall we brought down a few trees in the pasture. Jeff cut the wood and stacked it in piles. The horses kept knocking the piles over so Jeff put the round-pen around the piles of wood. He attached a tarp on the top to keep some of the rain off of it.

Had a winter storm here yesterday. Gusts of wind blew for hours and sent things flying. One of the things that went flying was the round-pen. The wind must have come up under the tarp and picked the thing up like a kite and and turned it upside down. The wood was untouched.


The picture was taken from inside the house, where it was warm.... Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Christmas Party 2008

So we went to the therapy center and Emily got to see Santa! She was pretty happy about that.

Christmas in the Clinic

Emily had an appointment at GI clinic today. Inside the clinic is a really neat boat. Most of it is inside the clinic, but part of it is on the other side of the glass. The Christmas tree in the clinic is decorated with sea creatures.

Running

I wrote this in response to a friend's blog entry about running.

When is running, running? I'm not a runner. I can't stand to run. As a matter of fact, anything that is over a walk is running to me. I don't even jog. My body detests anything over a fast walk. So I guess that's my definition of running. I've tried it, tried to work up to it, tried with different shoes, and I hate it. I just can't do it. But walk, hey I love that. I love to walk so much that I've made a desk on my treadmill. Yep, I work while I walk. I call it "wolking". Love it. So for those of you who aren't runners, there are alternatives! And those of you who run, enjoy it for the both of us.

New Nurse

We have a new nurse. Things are going well. Emily has been fighting a chest cold but able to go to school more. I brought her home after a few hours at school yesterday and she went to sleep as soon as we got home and she got into her bed. She's ready to go again today. She is so happy and seems to like her new nurse.

Leadership Class

So I'm taking a leadership class, learning how to advocate for my children and others who have developmental disabilities. Yesterday we went to Olympia, the capitol of the state of Washington. There we learned about how a bill becomes a law. We also learned how to present our ideas and needs to our legislators. After lunch we took a tour of the capitol building.

The building is so beautiful. The walls and stairs are made of marble.

At Christmas there is a tree set up in the center of the building.

The architecture is so amazing. I like this clock.

There are 4 of these statues in the center of the building.

Another perspective of the Christmas Tree.

Part of the balcony.

The entrance to the House Gallery.

This is where the public is allowed to sit and listen to the legislators discuss bills.


The public can look down on the legislators in session.



Around the top of the House Gallery are the names of all the counties in Washington state.

During the holidays the public can apply for a permit to display holiday symbols.

There is no discrimination in religions. Even an athiest group set up a poster.

This is where the public can meet their legislator or senator.

Look, its Piglet!

All sorts of decorations on the tree. I was impressed with all the books.

Inside the entry way there is a statue of Marcus Whitman, an early missionary to Washington State.

The ornate doors at the front of the Capitol.

I love these doors. I think they are made of metal.

The front of the Capitol.

From the front of the Capitol you can see the Supreme Court.
The flags are half mast in honor of the Pearl Harbor anniversary today.

It was a beautiful day to tour the Capitol.

The Governor's mansion is across the driveway from the Capitol building.

After the tour it was back to class. Here I am practicing testifying to a committee why the funds for the state's Birth to Three program should be continued.

The committee was made up of 1/2 of the class. This was great practice to learn to speak to the legislators on behalf of our interests.