More Blessed Than I Deserve

Five more days until Christmas.  Time is starting to fly now for me, but I just can't help but feel so sad still for the families who already had presents under the tree, I'm sure, and were excited for holidays with their little ones in Connecticut, and elsewhere too. How many children died this week in a hospital or from disease all over the world? I know there is an end for everything, and I'm grateful for the eternal perspective I have, but it still hurts my heart to know that a mother is missing her baby, no matter how old. 

Then there is the mental illness issues that have been brought to light again. The hopelessness that mental illness can bring to individuals and the pain it inflicts on their families and others is something, sadly, I am familiar with. Its not an easy road and I judge no one who has it or who lives with it. I just grieve for what it leaves in its wake and again feel so very grateful to know that there is a God in Heaven who understands things I cannot and strengthens us to get through hard things. I am so grateful for His blessings!

On to the last week. . . Cookies have been baked and consumed. These gingerbread snowflakes were fun for MyGirl and I to decorate with edible glitter and sparkling sugars on top of our buttercream frosting. 

 Fortunately, some made their ways into tins to be given away. Whenever we went to our Grandma Jacobs' house at the holidays, her cookies were always in tins. I've thought about both of my grandmas several times this week in all our cookie baking and how much I loved going to their house at the holidays. How blessed I am to have known and loved them both.

 Sadly, we had good friends moving away this week; far, far away to Germany. Their welcoming spirits helped to make this an easy transition when we moved.

Happily, we had friends come to visit too. We stayed up until 1:30 a.m. talking. Good thing her new college graduate daughter was here to help her drive. So grateful for faraway friends that remain close and especially those that come out of their way to visit me.

We were very sad to see them leave, but they had to get out of town before:

 The Blizzard came. 55 mile an hour winds, with about four/five inches of snow eventually landing in our neighborhood. However, the drifts from the wind, made it over a foot in some places.  I know because I waded in it getting down to my Mom and Dad's house. I spent a couple of hours there and as I was ready to leave to come back home, my dad took the shovel and made a path right in front of me so I could get back home easily. My parents spoil me still, at this age! I am more blessed than I deserve!

 This was only a couple of hours into the blizzard. It lasted all day, and today its sunny and bright again, and because it was such a dry snow, was easy to shovel off and plow away. I've been driving all over town this morning, starting at 7:40 a.m. and its been fine. I keep thinking about the movie 17 Miracles. No protection from those bitter winds and cold snows. My house keeps us comfortable and warm. . . .so very Blessed!

 Of course its still cold today. Between 11 and 14 degrees while I was driving around, with my seat warmers on, in my scarf, gloves and coat. Here MyGirl models the cute print on her long johns. Warm gear required.

 The blizzard also gave LittleBuddy a Snow Day! Yeah! He spent a couple of hours at the neighbors, then they spent the rest of the day here. Neighbor has four younger siblings, who are totally darling, and I love them all, but sometimes the big boys need to get away to more peace and quiet. That's our house. And, fortunately, Neighbor likes to eat my food and that makes me happy. He also likes to play games with my boy. They like having a sofa each for all their controllers, and to stretch out. Don't you love teenagers? Chilled out and just enjoying hanging out with each other.

 Sadly, Bigbuddy has had a hard week again, but happily, he got A's in both his online classes. I talked to someone who highly recommended another doctor who has helped people with some similar symptoms so he's got an appointment next week. Hopefully some progress can be made before he goes back to school. Today, he's doing better than he has the past three days. . . no rhyme or reason to all this.

Next week you can see the more challenging project I've been working on, but here is a very easy craft, using paper blocks, the Cricut and some polka dot paper. With the backgrounds the same, its easy to change what they say all through the year. You could easily make them more ornate by changing background papers or adding embellishments, but this is the basic version before additions are made.

 Looking forward to more joy when Cowgirl gets home on Saturday and we can all be together again. Love these times, and love all the smiles and laughter that comes from it. I look at my children and know how blessed I am to have them all alive. Tonight BigBuddy and I go to the Ronald McDonald House and serve dinner for the Starlight Foundation Christmas party there. Its an organization that offers support to the families of children with genetic defects. Realizing that some families will spend Christmas Day in the hospital is humbling and causes me one more time to realize I am more blessed than I deserve.