Skully!

Along with the dress shopping girls week-end... came the "guys" fish fry at our house... ...First, we all got to go out to a farm and see Chris Lillenthals "Exotic Animals" after the dress shopping. He had Emu's, llamas (llama llama red pajamas!), kangaroo's, wallaby's and different kinds of birds. I was very thank-ful to Chris for sharing his knowledge and love for these animals with us all!
...Second, Mr. Tim Berger brought Skully over for a little visit. Skully is Tim's parrot, his friend! All the girls were skirmish not quite wanting Skully to be to close, they wanted Tim to just hold him so they could look. And then came Conner D...
...He would be brave and let Skully set on his shoulder! It lasted for about 5 seconds so thank-goodness someone had the camera ready! There was lots of laughter as he let the bird on his shoulder and then suddenly needed his mother!
...Third, came the frying of the fish! Curt was the main fryer and WOW! was it ever good! Curt, myself, mom, Jeff,Ann, Emily, Chris, JaciAnna, Conner D, Lindsey, Lacey, Krzysztof, NolaJean, Robin, Al, Brittany, Dylan, Miranda (Carol and Du were at a wedding, Jeremy was hunting) and Tim came to help us eat up all of Curts great fall fishing! We had lettuce salad, potato salad, raspberry brownies, banana bars, fresh bakery buns, beans, and did I mention FISH?
...First, I give thanks to our God for all of His many Blessings! For being with friends and family and enjoying the Love between us all.
...Second, I give thanks for people like Tim B., and Chris L., for sharing their animals with those of us that love them, but not for very long periods of time!
...Third, I give thanks for little boys willing to try something new even when all of those around him are afraid...
......and for momma's ready to be there when the braveness turns to fear. And that momma holds you until everything is well with your soul!
Thank You Jesus for this wonderful week-end!

Angels Dancing

My whole family came home on October 23rd for a day of dress shopping. Lindsey is getting married in April. Emily, JaciAnna, Lacey and Anna are in the wedding. Everyone gathered in the car and went to NewUlm to the store "Sisters" (which I thought was quite fitting). We were treated like Royalty and everyone found a dress they liked! JaciAnna was a wonderfully behaved flower girl who chose not to try on anything. It was jokingly asked if they had a white jogging suite she could wear! What a fun time everyone had! All dresses ordered and down payments made by 11:00! - We loaded up the girls and drove to the Dairy Queen in Winthrop and had a bite to eat together... all of us were laughing and reminiscing. These moments come so far and few between that you must grab a hold of them and remember the details. I remember...
girls, laughing and talking
dresses, beautiful dresses for a wonderful day!
JaciAnna, my first born grandchild - perfectly content being with all of us girls.
polite workers at "Sisters" and the "Dairy Queen"...
and most of all... LOVE. There was so much love in the air that I could feel the Angels Dancing!

A circle of love.

My favorite Aunt on my mothers side is by far Shirley. My wonderful mom has one sister and her name is Shirley! I have many fond memories through the years of the "ranch" in Willow Lake South Dakota. It is where my mom and Shirley were born and raised. My mom ventured off to Sioux falls, SD to work and Shirley stayed on and married her high school sweetheart. They made their home on a peaceful little acreage right outside the Willow Lake (population 321 - before mom left) city limits. I remember them having horses and always some kind of animals outside and fore sure a dog in the house! The house being full of hospitality and love.
...My Aunt cared for my grandma allowing her 9 more years to live independently in an apartment - even though eye disease had taken almost all of grams site. Shirley was a big part of grams life... taking her meals, setting up house cleaning, taking her to buy groceries, to church, to Minnesota, and assisting her in daily living. It was as if Shirley and Grams came full circle, Shirley being able to help grams as grams had helped her. Grams just moved into a nursing home in Bryant in 2008. She is doing well there also but I am thank-ful she had all those years on her own.... ....As of lately anytime you venture to the Ranch you will usually find Shirley nursing some stray cat and her kittens. On September 26th, 2010 we went to Willow Lake to celebrate my gram-mas 97th birthday... Shirley was again busy with a new litter of kitties that they found under a shed... their momma had left them and they were cold and hungry. Every day she takes a dropper and some kitten milk (that she get from the veterinary clinic) and goes out and sits with the kitties feeding each one by hand. She also lovingly built them an incubator so they would be warm and feel at home when she wasn't there. Before she backs out the car the kittens are safe....
....I wonder if that momma kitty knew that Shirley would find her kitties and take care of them? Knew that she would get them food, find them a warm home, and help them to grow? Until they were able to come full circle and have a life of their own.
It seems my Aunt Shirley's life has a common thread....
....helping people (and animals) close the ends of their circle!

Preacher Man

In 1980 as a young mom I needed a full time job. In October I landed a wonderful full time job, evening hours, thus only needing day care a couple of hours. I started at 3:00 - 11:00 - making it early enough to get home do a couple loads of laundry and get enough sleep to get up in the morning rested. The hours changed through out the years as I gave up a day here and picked one up there... but I stayed at this wonderful place for 26 years! It helped that I absolutely loved my job. It was working in a group home with mentally challenged adults (many my age). I have many great memories of this group home - I hope to share a few through out the year. This one I write today is about a young man who became one of my best friends, how I loved him, he is gone to be with Jesus now... so I write this today in his memory.
...One of my first memories of Marvin was his love of music. In the younger years he and his friends had "instruments" and they would come down into the dining room and play and sing. If anyone came to play the piano - they would play right along. Marvin was given a red, white and blue guitar for Christmas from his parents that first year and you have never seen anyone happier. Always willing to share a "tune".
......do any of you remember the singer "Tiny Tim" (he named his one and only daughter Tulip, if that helps your memory!)? Marvin would sit at the piano on the bench - hands to the keys (not really playing just pretending) and belt out a good melody of "Tip Toe through the Tulips with me"... he got the vibrato exactly right, the high voice...and any time some new girl would start he would serenade them with this song (adding a few words of his own and the girls name). I believe whenever I hear that song in my heart I will fondly think of Marvin.
...He loved to dress up and act things out. Always doing it for his own pleasure but hoping that someone was enjoying his show. It was a beautiful November and one of our staff had a tee pee that they brought and set up out in the front lawn for Thanks-giving. Marvin had an Indian head dress that he had gotten also as a gift.
......have any of you ever seen an actual Indian sitting in a tee pee? Marvin was not to be found one day and I'll be if he wasn't sitting out in that tee pee with his head dress on singing an Indian chant just loud enough for us to enjoy!
...Marvin loved church and he loved Jesus. He was given a bible from the church he attended, probably around 1985 or so. Every Sunday that Bible went to church with him and many times he would get it out during the week. Down in the basement he set up his own church, where he had his Bible stored, crosses on the wall, chairs for the congregation, a pulpit for him, and an old tea set that he used for Communion.
......have any of you ever been to a church service given by someone with Down Syndrome, that can not read but his Bible is worn out from reading it, that has Communion with his Lord without real bread and wine, that prayed in a language only he and God understood?
...What a gift I was given!
...tears of joy fill me as I remember my friend the "Preacher Man". I remember many nights praying with him, his words that I could not understand but I knew were being sent straight to Heaven, his praises to the Lord that were not in tune here on earth, but I knew Heaven was hearing a masterpiece. I remember the peace I would feel inside when I would get a glimpse of him giving a church service, handing out communion to himself, lifting his hands in praise to his God. Most of all I remember the times he would be on his knees, crying and letting me comfort him in prayer.
......I know in my heart that this wonderful man is with Jesus now.
......I know in my heart that Jesus met him where he was at and said "WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT"
......I know in my heart that when I see Marvin again, he will take my hand and ask me to pray with him, then we will sing together as he plays a golden harp - given to him as a gift by Jesus.

(Names,places and dates have been changed, these stories are true only in my mind)

Two Friends and a baby

This picture reminds me of 30 years ago. I was a young mom and I had two of the best friends in all of the world... and they were there for me and my baby - and now...
... each one of my friends had a daughter the same time I did (1987)
... my two best friends are still the best in all the world...
... and they have given a part of themselves to my family.
And I am so Thank-ful that the Lord has given me time here on earth to see how Blessed I have been through my life to have two special friends, that had two babies, that grew to be two special friends to my baby who is now the mother to Nola Jean!

Prayer

Tonight I went to let Chloe out before I went to bed. It was late and I had just spent time talking with Emily who is pregnant with high blood pressure, talking to my mom on the phone who is taking a new medication that makes her feel dizzy and tired, talking with my friend Missy about her situation and the sadness involved on all sides, talking to my Dr. about my knee which suddenly turned red on the scar and I have a temp of 99.4, praying for a friend who has cancer,writing a prayer on facebook from the Message bible about bringing light into the darkness and letting others see JESUS in our eyes...
...I am tired and walking out the door with Chloe
...behind me to my right I hear "nighty night" - in this eerie sounding whisper
...it scared me so bad and I looked back thinking I would see Curt who probably couldn't sleep either - and he wouldn't know how bad I was shaking and how his voice scared me in this tired state...
...and Curt wasn't there... no one was there...
...trembling I realized it was the devil trying to steal my sleep - trying to scare me with all this stuff...
...and now it is 1:38am, I am so tired...
so, I will take this moment to pray
......Lord Jesus, You have heard my voice tonight, if fear has set in over any of these things that I have mentioned above I ask for forgiveness from You, I lay it all at you feet
...Jesus, please take Emily and heal her in every single place she needs healing, please hold my mother during this time of uncertainty of new medications and soreness from her fall, give Missy and her family peace of mind that all is well, you are in control and you see their pain, take my knee and wrap it in your healing power, rain down your love and healing on those with cancer and their families, and most of all Lord - anyone who doesn't know You as their Savior, that they will meet you before the grave, that they would know of Your word, Your peace, love and joy - I know you love them - we are all Your children, made in Your image. I take my worry and offer it to you in this prayer and I thank-You that You have already won the victory! Amen

Good night everyone! I am tired and going to spend some time in His rest!

Come little Donkey come...

and so...
...we write back and forth on a little block on the bottom right of the screen
.....my friend and I
........and we are laughing so hard - we're not even sure what we are laughing about
.............we are talking about green XL swimsuits that we wore in school
..................we are talking about white speedo swimsuits that should be outlawed
...we miss a few letters, forget to put in spaces between words
......and all of a sudden it gets even funnier
...............I type the words orwill he shave?
....she understands I am calling him - orwill... thus we have a new word
..................making us laugh uncontrollably
.........and we know no one else will understand our craziness
.............that we can have this much fun
...talking about Orwill, speedo's and green swimsuits...
..................and our hope is that everyone will think we are as funny as we think we are!
......as we sing a song of TINGALAYOH...
and try to figure out how to say Spanish words using the French language!