New Year, New Lives

The year ended with some special time after Christmas with a visit to my oldest brother's home in Wetumpka, Alabama and visiting with two wonderful nieces and their families, as well as my brother and our oldest son.  A house full, to say the least, and a really special time visiting with our great nephew, the Marine (Theo), home from California for a couple of weeks!  Laughter til your sides hurt, too much food to ever be good for you, and memories shared, new ones created.

We followed Charlie back to Pensacola for a day visit with our sweet "daughter", Nichole, and her dear parents!  After a delicious brunch all together, it was back to the house.  We gave the "kids" their Christmas presents and thus, enjoyed the hilarious antics of our grand-cats playing IN the gift bags and chasing each other. 

At that point in the morning, we were asked if we wanted our Christmas present.  Having told them to not get us anything, we were thrilled beyond measure when we were then told that they were expecting our first grandchild!  What a wonderful surprise and a beautiful way to end the year!  Carl and I couldn't be happier and are anticipating learning the gender of our grandchild in about a week and a half - if Baby V cooperates! [That's the endearing reference to the little one until we know if they are having a "he" or a "she"....of course, we don't care at all - just a healthy momma and baby is what we are continually praying for!]

Then 2013 arrived on the scene and our lives haven't slowed down since.  We enjoyed time with Carl's mother in the first days of the new year and had begun thinking how we would celebrate her 95th birthday in August.  However, from January 7th until January 22nd, she went from being a pretty healthy 94 year old, to having bronchitis, being hospitalized four days, in rehab for seven days with no improvement, transferred back to her apartment for three days, then to Hospice House, where we felt we still would have at least a week with her.  The kind nurse there encouraged us to go home to rest, since we had not left her side for three solid days, and that they would take good care of her - it was after 9pm then.  We had decided to do that, and to be back early Tuesday morning...it was not to be.  The dreaded call came at 1:06 a.m. Tuesday morning, January 22nd.

Since that time, we cleared out her apartment and made final arrangements beyond what she had carefully pre-planned years before, had a small, but meaningful service in Montgomery, and have started our lives post-MawMaw.  Any extra time is now being spent preparing the Alabama house for sale and moving into the next chapter of our lives...as orphans indeed.  After losing my father in May 2012 and now Carl's mom in January 2013, we no longer have precious parents in our daily lives...we do have the hope of eternity to look forward to and seeing them all again!  We appreciate our dear friends and family who have showered us with cards, calls, emails, hugs, food, donations to deserving organizations, and support beyond measure. 

So now, we look ahead with anticipation to lives as grandparents and by the grace of God, possibly being able to retire in a few years. 

Yes, 2013 will hold grand new adventures if God sees fit to have us enjoy it:  May 2013 I am to be installed as the President of the Florida Jurisdiction of Woodmen of the World, in August 2013, we will become grandparents, and we'll just become obnoxious picture-sharers and tales of how wonderful our baby is. 

And, finally, borrowed from our nephew's post this morning..."Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9

Encouraging to me!