I obviously have been absent for a loooooooong time. 2011 and 2012 were not good for me and my family. Even though it sounds like a long time, we've had numerous changes and adversity that we have had to overcome in a short time. Things have been very tough, but we're sticking together and with God's help, we will survive. God has everything in control and even though we may not be able to see it, He has something even better than we can even imagine in store for us. He is always faithful and will see us through anything.
My hubby, Gary, and I had to close down our business due to the downturn in the economy. That has been extremely tough. But, even in these tough times, he was able to find a job, thank the Lord. It surely has been a challenge working for someone else after being self-employed for so many years. But there are a lot of good things about it, too.
My father passed away in October of 2012. He was 86 years old. He was a WWII Navy veteran. I am so thankful that his dementia never progressed to the point of him not knowing who I was or who my family was. He was always cheerful and happy to see us. I will miss him so much. Mom is adjusting as well as can be expected. She suddenly, after being his sole caregiver, has a lot of time that she doesn't know quite how to fill, yet.
In November of 2012, we had to put our beloved Golden Retriever, Cedar, down. It was one of the toughest things I'll ever do. She had been diagnosed with kidney issues about a year before which progressively got worse. Her kidneys just shut down. I miss her more than you can ever imagine. She was a very special dog. She was my "Sweet Cedar". We still have our other dog, Dutchess, a shepherd/border collie mix. She's a bit lonely, but is slowly adjusting. I'm sure she misses her buddy, too.
I continue to work at a church as the administrative assistant. My job has expanded to practically full time, which has been a true blessing for us. Plus, I really do like the job a lot, but there are times that I miss being domestic. Because I'm working so much more, I don't have the same amount of time to be creative. I miss that a lot, too...
Our daughter, Erin, is in her sophomore year in college. She changed her major to Art Education. I'm so very proud of her. She is doing so well in school. I know she will go far in the world with God's help. She will continue to work summers at the local ice cream shoppe that she's worked at for 6 summers now.
We look forward to 2013 with hope and faith that God will give us wisdom in the coming year and bless us in ways only He can. 2013 can only be better! It will be better! We will re-group and come out stronger than ever with God leading the way! I found this photo on Facebook from Liz Curtis Higgs. It gives me such a great visual to remember to have the patience to let God lead my way...
“If this be a happy new year, a year of usefulness, a year in which we shall live to make this earth better, it is because God will direct our pathway.” ~ Bishop Matthew Simpson
Over at Piece of Scrap everyone is talking about Ali Edwards' "One Little Word". It's all about choosing one word for yourself each January--a word that you can focus on, meditate on and reflect upon as you go about your daily life. I've put a lot of thought and prayer into choosing a word for myself for 2013. After much contemplation, my word for 2013 is FAITH. I look forward to filling you in throughout the year...
Until next time...
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