Too Long!

It has been way too long since I have posted on my little blog, and boy have I missed it! Obviously much has happened since the Spring Concert. I hate that I haven't been able to keep up with it!  If I share even just a few of the things that have been going on, this post will be way too long.  So...what's a girl to do??  I guess, it's to do a post in pictures!  After the Spring Concert it has been a whirlwind!  Graduations and graduation parties, finishing school, taking care of mom and Bella, mom needing more care, hostessing mom's sister from VA, mom's hospital visit, Bella desperately needing to be groomed and getting groomed, voting in a new pastor, and oh so much more!

One of my former kids graduating from his school!  So proud of him.  Then going to his graduation party which was right after the graduation.

Another graduation party for a former student.  This was my graduation gift to him.  I do have to share the story behind this.  Just this year the Seniors came to my room to have a study hall because someone needed to be in the library.  I only had two of the six kids that graduated this year, but those two started reminiscing about third grade.  The guy surprised me as he talked about the Judy Clock.  He said when he was in my class, he always sat with anticipation waiting for me to call on him to show the time or tell the time on the clock and I never called on him! :(  Aww, poor guy, I never even knew that until a few months ago.  Well, I felt terrible about that, how sad!  He was just teasing me, but I felt bad for him missing calling on him.  So, my thought was to give him that clock that was such the bane of his existence in third grade, so he could keep it as a special memory, with a special poem message just for him.  He was very surprised and spent time playing with it. :)  That was fun to do!

ECA's graduating class of 2012!  Yes! I bawled through the whole thing, even though I only had two of them!

Another graduation party!!  Although it was a difficult day with mom, I managed to find this place and enjoy a special time celebrating a birthday and graduation all in one!

I got the flowers put in, but I haven't had a chance to get a hose for the front yard, and it's been hot and a little dry.  I have watered them some, but I just hope they make it!

My aunt came up from VA, she wanted to see how mom was doing since I had mentioned she was struggling a little bit more since I had gotten out of school.  I only had a couple of days notice to get the guest room ready...the room that had become a catchall as things got busy.  I was the hostess since mom really can't be anymore.  My aunt got really nervous one day when mom seemed quite lethargic and kept nodding off during and after breakfast, and she had me call 911 to have her vitals checked.  They couldn't say with vitals if she would be OK or not, so it ended up becoming a hospital stay.  She went in on Friday and finally came home on Monday afternoon.  That made for a long week, and the next week was almost as long, as my aunt left early Tuesday morning, the VNA came Tuesday afternoon to check on her and help with other needs, the Physical Therapist came to do an evaluation on Wednesday, the Social Worker came on Thursday to help me with figuring out what I would need to do and be aware of to keep mom at home for as long as possible (that's my goal), the VNA and Home Health Aide came on Friday.  The Home Health Aide comes three times a week to help bathe mom.  Then we will also be getting a different homemaker/companion from a different company called Angel Touch.  Busy, busy, busy!!  The refrigerator upstairs broke down and I had to keep everything perishable in the downstairs fridge, which meant running up and down the stairs for those things.  Last Friday the guy came from Sears to fix it, while the VNA was here and then a little later the Home Health Aide came, too.  After they left, I cleaned the refrigerator and I brought the bottom section to the sink to wipe off.  As I picked up the glass to clean it, it shattered EVERYWHERE!!!  Ugh!!  I spent the next maybe hour or so trying to clean it up, then my mom's brother came over to check on her, too!  And I'm pretty sure there was a phone call in there, too.  Then my cousin Pam came over to sit with mom so I could go out with my friend Rebecca.  We both were pretty tired and almost thought about cancelling, but we both knew we needed it, and it ended up being a really great night!  We went out to eat and spent a little time in the mall.  So thankful for that reprieve!  

Beautiful sunset I saw on the way home from the hospital one night.  There was lots of back and forth, trying to spend time with mom at the hospital, and then rushing home to take Bella out, and heading back out to the hospital...usually made at least two trips home, so lots of driving back and forth.

Mom when she finally came home.

Bella desperately needed to be groomed and it was just too busy to get there.  Thankfully before it got too hot, we were able to get it done!  My beautiful girl!

Bella now has a little boyfriend, too.  So that takes up time, too, as she has to spend time with him, haha!

Too cute together!

Our pastor announced about a couple of months ago that the Lord called him to be a chaplain in the Air Force.  That was a surprise, we will truly miss him, he did a wonderful job at our church.  So the process started for us to look for a new one, and I know this seems hard to believe, but we already found someone.  Pastor Cary Schmidt just got voted in this past Sunday as our new Senior Pastor!  That's what this picture is...when we told him, with his wife on the phone that he had been voted in!  He is from California, and the way that the Lord led him to us is amazing!!  And I must say, I prayed for specific things for this pastor, and all the things that I was praying for....were there!!  Kinda freaky, but totally awesome!  I am excited for our church!  And for Pastor Rob, Megan, and family to go on to the next endeavor the Lord has for them.  So, as I said, lots has been going on, it's been crazy, busy, and at times I don't know if I'm coming or going, and there have been some really rough moments.  But that's my life right now, though I don't often understand it, this is what the Lord has for me.

Lord, help me to just continue to trust you!  It's been tough lately, I'm not sure what you are doing or why, but my heart's desire is just to stay faithful and trusting.  Keep satan's lies from my mind, and help me to feel you, and hear from you, and stay close to you!