Summer Time

Darby took this pic of the three littlest ones. I love these kids very much. I love the photographer. And I love the one who isn't in this pic! Fun summer picture.

To Remember....

Daddy has Alzheimer's.

He is slipping away, mentally, right before my eyes.

The other day, I was sitting with him while my mom was taken out by a friend for her birthday. When I sit with Daddy, I always ask questions about his past and love to hear the fun stories he tells. This time it was different. He didn't know who I was.

Now, I know that that is the way with Alzheimer's! I get it! But up to this point, he might not have known others, but has always known me.

It was quite a shock that rocked me to my core. I don't know why it was so horrific for me....he goes in and out of knowing my mom (his wife for 51 years) and my brother...but I guess since he had always known me, I allowed myself to live under the delusion that he would always know me.

Not to be the case.

I realize that I have allowed myself this little delusionary fantasy before. For instance, since I have worn glasses since 2nd grade, for some reason I thought that I would never have bi-focals! I know....why would one preclude the other? But you see where my mind lives! :)

Yesterday, at church, he knew me by name again. What a blessing for me! I will treasure those moments from now on in a different way than before.

I love Daddy so very much!

Tale of Two Cities

After having spent a week in Little Rock, the kids and I are back home. Lovely to be home. Lovely to be in Little Rock. I always feel so very loved when I am in Little Rock. I always feel so very loved when I am back home.

How is that?

God has provided two very different places that are both my homes! Each place has special people...near and dear to my heart folks.

I am truly blessed!

Emotions! Ugh!

I am an emotional gal. I have always been an emotional gal. And I can only assume that I will always be an emtional gal.

I hate it!

I was able to meet with two sweet gals yesterday. They are gals who were in our Sunday School class in Little Rock....I love them dearly. We were talking about homeschooling and our lives and our children....and our husbands. It was just regular conversation. Nothing spectacular. Nothing earth-shattering.

So after a terrific time of chatting, catching up, and seeing babies I hadn't met yet, what do I do?

I cry! All the way home, I cried! Ridiculous...yet, there was something in that mundane, everyday conversation that made me miss them so much. Made me miss the relationship we had when we saw each other at least weekly.

I am emotional and I hate it!