A Full and Busy Time

We had a few very busy days and nights, mostly with family, with a few friends thrown in to the mix!

On Thursday, I took off at noon from work, using some vacation hours.  Andy and I drove up to Christy's because Claire was having a birthday.  Her birthday is actually the 14th, but that date didn't work, so we celebrated a day early.  She is a very precocious 3 year old, if I do say so myself.  Of course, all my grandchildren are cute and smart!  It was her day and she was happy to perform for us.

 Grace made the cake - an orange marmalade cake, even decorating it with a fancy cake decorator.  It not only looked good, it also tasted yummy.

Christy will probably not be happy with me including this picture of her, but I thought it was funny that she was "helping" Claire blow out the candles.
 

Believe it or not, this early in the year, when we left after dinner, we opened the door to snow!  It was a harrowing drive home.  We don't ever enjoy driving the PA turnpike, but at night in the dark and with snow/rain - ugh!  But we made it home safe and sound - thank God.

The next day, Friday, Amy and her kids came down to spend the day since Ricky was away hunting all week.  I was working till 3:00, so she spent the day with Dawn and her kids.  They went to Discovery Museum in Cherry Hill until it closed at 5:30.  Andy and I went over to Dawn's house around 5:00 to put her scalloped potatoes dish in the oven so it would be ready when they arrived home.  We all had dinner together.  Joanna and Katy stayed for a sleepover with Kira, while Amy and Chase came back to our house to sleep.  "Sleepover" is a misnomer because not much of it took place.  Katy woke up at 4:30 am, bringing Kira with her.  Yup, she never went back to sleep the rest of the morning.

Kira had swimming lessons mid-morning, so Amy and her kids came to our house.  We decided to go to the park for a hike.  The sun was shining, but there was a stiff chilly breeze - it was downright cold.  It didn't seem to bother Chase...I think he was dressed the warmest, plus he was the most active.  He had his bike and drove it in typical boy madness!  Up the hill and back down again, several times.
 
 

Katy was very cold and had a hard time dealing with it - not having had much sleep!  She covered herself up as much as she could and it helped a little that she didn't have to walk with Poppop around.

 

Here's the proof of how cold it was - ice on the puddles.

 Back at the house, the girls played dress-up and Chase busied himself with his favorite game while here.  I love it how he can occupy himself for a very long time with his imagination.

On two separate occasions recently, friends remarked to me how obvious it was that the Lord had provided for us in our situation.  I couldn't have agreed more.  We enjoy so many friendships and people who love us and care about us.  

On Friday morning, one of those friends, came and got Andy, taking him for a ride in his convertible and spending the morning with him.  It was a frigid morning and Andy said people were looking at them like they were crazy.  When asked how they could stand it, he said they had the heater on!  Well, and too, the sun was shining - which might have helped a little!

People keep asking how we're doing.  Andy always says, he's doing well.  And he is.  He feels good and feeling good is a blessing.  He is spending time raking up our leaves into huge piles at the street.  Last year this time, someone else did it for us because he was unable to.  

So yes, he feels good, and perhaps he is stabilizing on the memory and confusion.  I don't think he's getting any better, and maybe he's not getting worse.  That is hard to say.  Sometimes it seems like I explain and re-explain things multitudes of times.   I appreciate when people ask how I'm doing.  It's hard to see dear Andy struggle to grasp what I tell him.  He's always so patient with me, though.  He doesn't get frustrated, maybe he doesn't even realize he's just asked the same question for the umpteenth time.  And it's difficult to let him give his side of the story without correcting him.  I need to let him, though.  Why does it matter if he gets every detail right?  As stressed out as I've been this last year, it's time to relax and trust God even in this.  I need to have a quiet heart, resting in God's plan for us.  There's always room for growth on this journey.

On Saturday, Tommy came over and helped Andy clean out the gutters on our house.  They are such a job - always needing to be cleaned because of all the trees around our house.  I love the trees and am not willing to get rid of them.  BUT...oh the work.  But Tommy is young and full of energy.  Besides I promised him a batch of cookies - hey, whatever works.

I also did a little mending job for his surfing changing outfit.  It was well worth it not to be worried about Andy on a ladder or up on the roof.  With the two of them working, they had it done in no time.

So in 2 days, we saw all our kids, 2 of our sons-in-law and all our grandkids, everybody but Ricky :(.  I love our family!