Thanksgiving 2015

Walking into Wesley Woods Nursing

Home before the break of day was

what the morning of Thanksgiving Day

looked like for me.  I needed to go

and relieve our night nurse

and sit with my precious dad

to make sure he was okay and didn't

get up and didn't get combative.

I had no problem being there for him...

just as he has always been there for me.

I was just sad that this is where

we found ourselves.  

On my drive to Wesley Woods

early that morning, I heard a sermon

on K-Love (or one of the Christian 

stations I love).  Interesting 

the many different ways God

speaks to us when we need it most!

The sermon was about 

WHAT to be THANKFUL FOR:

Faith, Family, Friends, 

Finances and the Future ~

meaning our ultimate future which 

is all that matters.  

I literally took sermon notes 

when I pulled into the parking lot

and then texted them to my mom

and sisters:)  The sermon reminded

me that we must keep our eyes on 

the prize which is our ultimate

future if we believe in Jesus Christ

like we do.  This future is 

the one that includes Travis being

whole and able AND now one

where my Dad will be whole and healthy.  

About that same time my dear

friend from high school, Jeremy,

sent this verse to encourage me:

 

Obviously our Thanksgiving was FAR

 from normal, but I tried to make it

special for my sweet little family.  

My girl:)

She's my little light.  

The zoomed in photos Hadlee 

loves to take of Hudson 

provide me with much laughter:)

God bless this little guy.

He's such a comfort to my broken heart...

yet again.  

I've said this a hundred times...

but it's true ~

God knew we needed this little love.  

Then there's my Big Boy!!!

I couldn't make it without him!

I can't even remember what brought

on this impromptu photo session;)

Troy had gone to do something

for my mom.  A very rare moment

when I was ready and he was not, 

so I guess that brought on a photo shoot;)

It's amazing how my heart can be

so hurt and troubled and broken, 

yet FULL because of who surrounds me.  

Full of Laughter!

Full of Giggles!

Full of Gratitude!!!

Full of LOVE!

Thank you, Lord!

Everything with my dad was so 

fresh and difficult,

we just couldn't pull together a Thanksgiving.

Quite honestly, I didn't want to...

not with my dad in the current situation.

And with my sweet mother ~

completely and utterly devastated.

My sisters and I were heartbroken

and we just kinda decided to write 

off this year's Thanksgiving.  

You have to do that sometimes.  

It's okay.  

BUT...I do have three very special

little loves who deserve a Thanksgiving.

They are luckily very 

much like their Mama and could

care less about food ~ even on 

Thanksgiving Day!  ha!

Therefore, Whataburger worked for us!!!

The five of us were together...

THAT is what matters:)

Boys;) 

These three fun and precious souls...

they know all wasn't right in our little world,

but they plugged on not having

me around much the last two weeks

yet loving me all the same.  

I made some sopapillia cheesecakes

for the morning and evening staffs.  

We were so thankful for some of them

and the way they were accepting us and 

loving us and taking care of our dad.  

It's the VERY least I could do.

God bless their souls having to 

work on Thanksgiving Day.  

Mother spent the day by Dad's side. 

with Whataburger to Go;)

We all piled in Dad's room!

This wasn't our first Thanksgiving 

spent in a medical facility...

Joy?  Well, Joy, our new friend

brought us JOY!  :)

I still can't understand or believe

how quickly all of this happened.

He hardly knew us:(

BUT that wasn't/isn't going to 

stop us from loving him 

through whatever this ugly disease brings!

Of all of us, he had such a special

heart for Hadlee.....

Then we all moved out into the hall.

Beatrice visited us;)

Otto joined....

What a picture...my three loves

standing outside my dad's new room

with a picture hung outside so he could

see his picture to find his way 

back to his room.  

A new world I wish we'd never 

been introduced to.....

Proud of the awesome 

sign her class made for PaPa!!!

Sweet Grandmother...we LOVE you.  

Our new friends brought us

much laughter!  They are all 

so funny and precious ~

you have to laugh.  

Precious Adelle!!!!!!!!!

Very last minute, Troy decided

to grill out steaks for us that night!

Hadlee set the table...  

Sweet little Mama trying to make

our day special:)

Everything is special to me

with these four.......

Our Thanksgiving Day ended 

with us being so very grateful 

for each other!  

I hope my children will carry this

day and the message from it

all the days of their lives...

it was one I tried to teach them

all day long (and another key point

in that sermon I had heard on the

radio early that morning!!!):

Thanksgiving is NOT 

a choice of circumstance!

Very, very early the next morning

there I was walking into Wesley Woods

again to be with my Dad...

THANKFULLY, the nurses

already had him out of bed

and had put him in his chair.

His night had been okay and he

was sleeping again....

Thanksgiving 2015...

one I learned much from and will 

carry with me, but also one I'm

still going to write off!!!