walter turns 3

Yesterday, Walter turned three years old.

We went back to La Parillo.

The kids get such a charge out of their flamboyant birthday celebration...

the sombrero, the loud greeting, the delicious dessert.

Walter was thrilled at his first time to wear "the hat."

What a sweet little boy he is.

He is learning and growing in the American way of life.

Because of the garage sale, a wedding, and other "busy life" things,

his grammy/grandadday birthday party will be in two weeks. 

Happy Birthday Walter!!

We've almost had you a year!

it was a beautiful day for a garage sale

For as long as I can remember,
we have had a storage house.
At one time we had as many as five.
As of the month of May, 2018, we will be officially out of the storage house business.
Bubba spent the whole past week shuttling the stuff in the storage house to our garage.
It is amazing what he can still do! (Thank you God for the strength in this man.)
This is a cause for a real celebration!!

At five am this morning, while I was still snug in the bed, Bubba was setting it up.
He put tables on the driveway.
He lined antiques up along the way.
By seven am when I got out there, the buyers were already coming up to the sale.
Business was steady until one pm at which time we closed the shop.

We couldn't have had a more beautiful day.
We had coats on when we started and by the end of the sale we were warm as toast.
David and Lucy and Harry came out early to help.
Lucy made some apple bars for her bake sale and promptly sold out.
She went home with a pocket full of money.
At one time all the kids were here riding their scooters in and out of the shoppers.
We found a box full of David's old magic tricks.
He was glad to show his kids what a good magician he is.

I know that I am getting better because I lasted the whole sale.
I am so thankful for a whole lot of things today.....
First of all we made $905.00.
This will all go into the 50th Anniversary cruise fund.
The money that was going to pay for the storage house will now go into the cruise fund too.
I am feeling well enough to do a garage sale....this is huge.
Bubba did the majority of the work, but hey...I am getting better!!!
Our Spring has been beautiful.
God is so good in ALL of his ways.
I am just full of thankfulness.

Goal....less than two years....13 people on a cruise....to celebrate 50 years of marriage.

the party that was well-worth waiting for

Yesterday I entertained again.

Oh, but I must say, without Bubba the party would never have happened.

It was a combination birthday party for Archie and Easter egg hunt.

What a wonderful time of family and fun.

I labeled it my "coming back to life again" party.

The menu was simple.

We made a broccoli-chicken casserole

(every ones favorite)

served with Bubba's amazing rice and yeast rolls.

I made my chocolate surprise dessert.

The boys whooped when they found out what sweet thing I made.

David and Lucy spent two weeks in Israel.

We waited for them to get home to have the hunt.

We were also waiting for me to feel better.

So,

after dinner, everyone grabbed a basket and headed outside to hunt eggs.

There were 30 eggs, some stuffed with dollars bills.

Two golden eggs also stuffed with money rounded out the booty.

One was mine, the other granddaddy's.

My only advice other than not to kill each other was this....

Leave the extremely obvious eggs for little Walt.

Well Lo & Behold, Walt had a basket full early on,

and they were not the ones that were easily spotted.

He is a champion egg hunter!

Harry found my golden egg.

It was there in the walled fortress.

Yes, that is my fire pit still waiting to be built.

This was a major milestone for Harry.....

His first time to find this coveted treasure.

The kids look forward to this egg hunt all year long.

One of Grandaddy's clues lead everyone here,

but they were stone cold.

David played it cool and finally found the big prize 

hidden up in the tree 

covered with new spring leaves.

The big prize winners!!!

Harry said, "This year the males won."

Thank you Lord for Archie who is now officially ten years old.

Thank you for my life with these people.

Thank you for Your healing touch,

Your strength,

Your grace and mercy.

Thank you for my family that has walked with me every step of this long cancer journey.

Thank you because everything comes from You!!

four weeks after

I am finally getting better.

Tomorrow will be four weeks post radiation.

No one told me how bad it would get after it was over.

Today I ate something different....

Broccoli cheese soup.

Believe me, that soup was huge.

Something besides chicken broth.

I am getting my taste back...

a little bit.

On first spoonful I can taste 

but after that, not much.

I am so thankful though for that one little burst.

I am feeling better too.

Getting my desire to do things again.

Bubba laughs at the amount of reading I have done.

Right now I am tackling

Jerusalem by 

Simon Sebag Montefiore

Saturday we are planning Archie's birthday party

complete with our annual Easter egg hunt.

We waited for David and Lucy to get back from the Holy Land.

This is my first big entertaining endeavor since Christmas.

I am excited!!

I saw this quote today....

This is so true.

"Severe trouble in a believer

has the effect of loosening the roots of his soul earthward 

and tightening the anchor-hold of his heart heavenward."

Charles Spurgeon

Jesus is my hope.

He is the anchor that holds in every storm.

I am thankful.

Psalm 23

One of my favorite authors is Randy Alcorn.

He wrote the book Heaven which is one of my all time favorites.

His wife Nanci was diagnosed  with colon cancer at the beginning of this year.

She is just now starting her journey with radiation and chemotherapy.

A couple of days ago she wrote a prayer based on the 23rd Psalm.

It touched my heart immensely as I have just been on this same journey.

I'm sharing her prayer here to always remember.

Her prayer mirrors my prayer.

Help me O lord to learn and grow from my cancer.

"Cause me to want nothing more ~ not even good heath ~ than to have You as my Shepherd.

Reveal to me that the pastures and waters to which you lead me are green and still ~

because You are there.

Engage my heart to receive the restoration of my soul by Your Holy Spirit.

Renew my conviction that ~ for Your name's sake ~ righteousness is the direction 

of each path You have for me.

May Your Holy Spirit ~ the Comforter ~ banish all my fears of evil

(being out of control, letting pride inflate me, weakness, pain, loss of plans)

as I walk through this valley.

Open my eyes and my ears to the protection and comfort of Your rod and staff.

Don't let me miss those things and people which You have provided me for this purpose.

Help me experience the table You have prepared for me in the presence of this cancer.

Don't let me overlook ~ or fail to ask for ~ Your every healing drop of oil on my head.

Keep my perspective on my daily overflowing cup of Your

goodness and mercy.

Direct my longing toward my place in Your house forever."

Nanci Alcorn

April 13, 1918

Thank you David for sharing this with me.

It was just what I needed today.

48 years ago

48 years ago we got married.

48 years of memories and the gift of God's love for each other holds us together.

And this I know with absolute certainty...

"Bubba has my back."

And these fine folks pictured below are our heritage of love.

Thank you God for every good gift.

They all come from You!!

What a life and times we have had!

happy birthday to our archie

Archie turns ten years old today.

What a joy he is!

Cannot imagine life without this sweet boy.

Last night he got to wear the sombrero at his favorite Mexican restaurant.

He was so excited as you can see.

Happy Birthday little guy!

Grammy & Granddaddy love you so much!!

slowly

I am slowly, very slowly getting better.

Two weeks after radiation.

My skin is healing...

my mouth a different story.

Bubba makes me chicken broth by the pots full.

He exemplifies our wedding vows,

"in sickness."

I am thankful.

He puts a turnip root in for extra flavor and nutrients.

He is "patient and kind" as this recovery drags on.

The verse above is my mantra.

Simple truth yes,

but not always easy.

Thank you all for the prayers.

I need them so much.

God is so good all the time!

cathy

resurrection sunday

Today is the most important day of the year!

It is a cause for highest celebration.

Jesus Christ rose from the dead!

He conquered sin, death, and hell!

He paved the way to eternal life for ALL who believe.

What joy and gladness flood my soul!

My recovery continues!

Easter was spent at home today.

No wonderful gathering took place.

No great feast or Easter egg hunt.

Just quiet and rejoicing of what our Lord has done.

Thank God for the memories and the hope of what lies ahead.

Harry....I love him so much!

He carried on the tradition yesterday in his own back yard.

He organized a neighborhood egg hunt

complete with a golden egg filled with money for all of his friends.

It was a huge success!

Erika said he even stood around with his arms folded over his chest

like his granddaddy overseeing the whole thing.

He is Risen!!

He is Risen Indeed!

all done

I deleted this post by accident.

It was written on March 24th, 2018.

It was all about being done with six weeks of radiation.

I am sad that it is gone but I cannot restore it.

I at least had saved the pictures.

All of the Cleland's had come out to celebrate my victory.

They brought my the beautiful hydrangea pictured above,

Lucy made me this adorable doll complete with bed and quilt.

I remember feeling very loved and cared for.

❤️