We've had a lovely cool week and all of the rain has missed us...so far! I think we're supposed to get some rain today, but all of the heavy rain yesterday was south of us. It looked like we were going to get some at times, but we were lucky.

Bill has been more forgetful the last couple of days than he has been in a long time. I've hoping that it's just a matter of being dry. He did have a little episode Sunday morning when he stood up to go to church. His right leg didn't want to hold any weight. Between me and the arm of the couch he managed to stay upright, and then the leg was fine and he hasn't had any further episodes. So, I've been trying to push more fluids again.

We've had a full week with grandkids and news of grandkids. McKenna came down with something this week that has/had everyone baffled, severe headache, fever, chills, all of a sudden. Saw the dr. and made a trip to ER. Nothing showed up on any bloodwork, and then it was gone. She spent Wednesday afternoon with us. The fever had been gone for several hours and she only had a mild headache. She has been checked for ticks, especially since she just got back from camp, but the hospital only ran the basic tests (they were sure it was a urinary tract infection) so we don't know what else might have shown up. This is a kid that never has headaches and she was in tears it was hurting so bad. So, I think the diagnosis has been migraine.

Brianna help preach Wednesday in her youth service and Emily said that she did a fantastic job. She had never seen her prepare for something like she did this, and she even surprised the pastor because she went off script a little with some scriptures. He wanted to know why there wasn't a slide for the scripture, but Emily, who was running the computer, told him she didn't have one for that scripture. But Brianna said that God told her to go there. The pastor was good though, he apparently went in the direction Brianna had started to go and they ended with a great service.

We met our next to youngest great-grandchild this week, Miss K'zalee Haven. She is Bill's son Joe's granddaughter. Joe and Tina are moving back to this area and they have guardianship of her while her daddy is in the Marines for training. He and her mother aren't married and she doesn't want her anymore. But, she walked in here like she owned the place! She's a typical 2 year old, into everything, but she wasn't shy or scared of us, especially after a long day of house hunting. They were able to find something which is good, especially since Tina's transfer starts Monday. She and the baby and her "nanny/employee for Tina" will be here while Joe closes there house and works out the notice for his job. They will be about 45 minutes from us so we'll get to see them more. Bri is going to babysit for her this week because Christy, the nanny, who is also daddy's girlfriend/former girlfriend (I'm still not sure about that relationship) will be working for a few days at a sister store.

We took Kayden and Kiyann to Ryan's last night. They neither one really wanted to go, Kiyann especially. They don't really get along with Amanda, who doesn't let them do anything, while she also, apparently doesn't do anything for them either. She's also been talking badly about Mistie in front of them. Mistie called her while we were there and talked to her about it so hopefully it got straightened out. We took them all to McDonald's and Kiyann was fine until we started to leave. They were going to go with Dad when he delivered his papers last night.

Kayden also told us that he had a great time at church camp and that he got saved! I don't know anything about if he's going to be baptized or not, but he was excited. He also was very surprised to find out that his daddy had been baptized. He said he still cusses so that's a sin! What could I do but agree with him! Maybe he'll ask his daddy about it!

A school classmate lost her husband from cancer a couple of days ago and I've been very sad. This friend was very helpful to me when Bill was so bad after the transplant and I wish there was something I could do for her. But other than prayers, and letting her know I was only a phone call away, there's not much more I can do, especially as she lives in Pennsylvania. It has made me think again about how close that came to being me and knowing how I was feeling in those days.

That's all I can think of for this week. As you can see it was a full week! But, family is what makes all the bad times worthwhile. Hope you all have a good week ahead!

It's a beautiful, but warm, sunny morning! Our weather has been very nice this week, although it has been hot and humid. But that's normal. There have been some storms around us, but we got nothing.

We've had a decent week. It doesn't seem like much was happening, but it went very fast. We spent Monday and Tuesday helping get the children ready for church camp. I thought the little one would have her nose out of joint because they were all going except for her, but all she wanted was to make "marshmallow sandwiches" (s'mores) and to be an only child so she could have mama all to herself!

I had to renew my military ID so we made the 2 hour drive to the naval station in Tennessee yesterday. It was a good day for driving and we took the long way through the country. By the time we waited for my turn and had lunch on the way home, we were gone right at 6 hours. In that time we could have been at Mom's in Illinois!

Bill has been having problems with his tummy so I've started him back on his omeprazole. He only has to take it as needed, but he can't just take 1 pill and be done, he has to take it for 7-14 days. So, we've started that again and he's done better. When he doesn't want to eat, something's wrong!

We got a letter from Mayo yesterday with a prescription for some labwork. We're to take it to our regular clinic and have them draw the blood. It has to be done on a certain day so I'll have to get it on the calendar to make sure we don't forget about it.

I've had some very strange dreams this past week. I usually don't remember dreams, but every night this week they have been pretty crazy. I don't think our routine has changed as far as food and times eaten which usually contributes to it, so I don't know what has caused it.

While Brianna was a camp, as a camper, a couple of weeks ago, she was called into full-time ministry as a missionary. She had been talking about it for a little while. She's know that she wants to be a Christian counselor for a couple of years now, but recently she's also said she wants to help people all over the world. She had talked to her youth pastor about it before, and it was confirmed to her at camp. I'm very proud of the young woman she has become!

That's all for this week. I need to get busy since the laundry is calling my name! Also need to buy a few groceries. We're on stand-by for picking the kids up when they get home from camp. Emily and Bryan have a funeral to attend. This was a young father, only 48, who had cancer. He and his wife were clients of mine. I've talked to his wife and while she knows he's better off, she admitted that she's selfish and wants him with her. I know that I would feel the same way. So, extra prayers today for Karla and the girls to make it through the day.

Happy week-end!

Happy Independence Week-end! I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing day yesterday. We didn't do much, didn't go watch the fireworks, and stayed in for the most part to avoid getting burned by the fireworks down the street. The neighborhood starting with firecrackers in the morning and didn't stop until about midnight! I dread going out this morning and looking around the yard. I'm sure it's littered with trash that the revelers neglected to pick up. Their attitude is "why should I pick it up, it's not my yard"!

This seemed like a strange week, at least to me. The headache I woke up with Saturday morning lasted until Sunday night. I saw a lot of posts online from others with this same type of headache, so I'm wondering if there wasn't something going around. Or maybe the weather. It started raining in the night Saturday and rained all night and until about 2 Sunday afternoon. And it wasn't just rain, it was hard rain.

There was a carry-in dinner at church Sunday and I had managed to make some marinated tomatoes to take, but I definitely wasn't going to make it. Bill also decided that he wasn't going out in the rain. So, Monday I took the tomatoes to Brianna. She loves these tomatoes and I knew she would enjoy them.

We didn't do a lot this week-end. The weather cooled after the rain and has been really pleasant. Bill has walked around the block instead of using his treadmill, wanting to get the fresh air instead. Of course he only walks it once, which takes about 9 minutes, instead of the steady walking on the treadmill for an hour. But, at least he was walking!

We did a little shopping in Jonesboro Friday afternoon and had lunch out. Kayden is going to church camp for the first time this week and he didn't have a Bible, so we bought one for him and Kiyann. We know Brianna has a good Bible and McKenna says she has one, so now they all do.

The one problem we've had this week is that there's a problem with my oven. The handle on the door came loose and we had to take the door apart to tighten those screws. That wasn't a difficult chore, but when the 2 parts came apart, the piece of glass in the door window fell out. It didn't break but it took forever to get it back in so that it would stay. And, the gasket around the window split and won't stay seated. We checked with Sears and they said that the oven can be used but it will lose some heat so I need to adjust for that. They will have to order the gasket. This stove is only 4 years old. My old one lasted 50 years! It was in the house when we bought it and there was a cookbook with it from the 1950's! The stove does have a smaller side oven that I can use, but most of my baking pans won't fit. It is really narrow so I'm limited as to what I can use it for. Anyway, at least it's operational!

That's all for this week, just a normal one for a couple of old folks! I hope you all have a good week ahead!

I'm going to try to get this done. I woke up with a killer headache that isn't going away. I've also apparently slept wrong the past couple of nights and have a very sore neck and shoulder. I'm just falling apart!

We had a nice visit in Illinois last week, which is why there was no post. Saw some classmates from the class of 1972, some I hadn't seen since graduation. Others for more than 15 years! We had a good time catching up. We also saw my nephew and met his girlfriend. They seem very happy together. Didn't get to see Mom and Gene much, they weren't feeling well and Gene was diagnosed with shingles, so we said we would spend more time with them on the next trip, whenever that will be.

Bill did quite well on the trip. He didn't seem to get too tired out. He really wasn't looking forward to the reunion, but he knew it was important to me, so he toughed it out. We haven't done too much since we've been home, but that's OK too.

We got some good news while we were in Illinois, Ryan finally was able to get a job. He's working at an auto repair business and really seems to like it. They're teaching him things he didn't know and he said the pay goes up as you are able to do more.
But, we got some sad news yesterday, but it was news I already suspected. Our daughter-in-law finally admitted she was not pregnant. We knew she wasn't because her due date was next week and, unfortunately, I look more pregnant than she does! I think she lost the baby in March because that's the last she talked about the baby, but I don't know why they didn't just tell us then. There's no shame in losing a pregnancy, I lost one myself.

We can tell it is summer. It's been miserably hot and supposed to be hotter this week. It's also been very humid with showers popping up. We were put under a flash flood warning the other night. Radar showed that we had received between 2 and 4 inches of rain with another 1 to 3 inches expected. Trouble was, we hadn't received a drop of rain! But, a few miles up the road in Missouri, there was a deluge!

That's about all I can think of with my head pounding like it is. I hope everyone has a safe and happy Independence Day. The celebration has already started in our neighborhood!

This will be a very short post, and mostly for my mother's benefit. We made it home from Georgia a couple of hours ago. We're both pretty tired but we've managed to unload the car. The only problem we had was a detour in Birmingham. I love it when you are directed off the interstate but not told where to go or how to get back on! The navigator in my car wanted us to, of course, turn around which was not an option. So, I finally got off and parked and looked at the atlas. Finally figured a way to go...along with about 1 million other people...in a construction zone...with lane limitations! All of the uncertainty upset Bill. If the plan changes mid-stream, he gets very nervous. Luckily I'm more laid back and patient, but it still was nerve wracking for me too.

So, now we have a few days to rest up, re-pack a suitcase, and get a haircut before heading to Illinois on Wednesday. I have a feeling it will be an early night for us tonight!

This is an early post for this week, but there are several people watching for this one, so early it is.

A couple of weeks ago I said that I would not subject Bill to any more funerals unless they couldn't be avoided. And this one couldn't be avoided. Our daughter-in-law passed away suddenly Monday morning. So, here we are in Georgia. So far it's gone well, and I found the magic bullet for him. I started giving him Xanax morning and night on Monday and it has helped. The memorial service was this afternoon and while there were tears, they were short lived and he was pretty much dry eyed during the service. It was hard for him to see his son hurting though. He's just going through the motions right now. Her sister is doing what she can for him and he has some great neighbors.

The service was a little unsettling for me because we have the same name. So to see Beth Haven on a screen with birth and death dates was a little odd. The preacher used her name a lot so it seemed like I was listening to my own funeral being preached!

We did get to see another son and his family and meet our great-granddaughter. She's, of course, a cutie. We weren't able to visit long with them as they had to head back to north Georgia today. But the last time we had seen them was when Bill was in the nursing home. He doesn't remember them being there, but they all remembered that he wasn't able to get out of bed when they were there, or use his left hand, so they were pleased to see his progress.

We are staying here until Saturday and then heading home. We are to be in Illinois next week-end and we debated on going straight there from here, but we've decided to go home for a few days first to rest up. We'll probably head to Illinois on Tuesday or Wednesday.

All for now. Next week will probably be early also as there's a reunion on Saturday. If I do this early it won't matter how tired I am by Saturday night. So, Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there who may be reading this. For everyone else, have a great week-end.

Good Morning!

This has been a crazy week, ending with a surprise late night trip to Memphis.

The week seemed to go very fast for some reason. It seemed like I woke up Monday and turned around and it was Friday.

Our area schools finished for the year this week. They had to go longer because of all the bad weather this winter. Brianna only had to go for 2 class exams, 1 on Wednesday afternoon and one on Thursday morning. She came and hung out with us Wednesday and we dropped her off on our way to McKenna's awards ceremony. She got a couple of awards so we're proud of her. We checked her out early, picked Brianna back up and took them home.

Thursday Bri took her test and I took her home. We had bad weather forecast and after looking at radar and listening to the weathermen, Emily said to check McKenna out of school and bring both of the girls into town. It was Kenna's "fun day" and just as it was her time slot to play in the bounce house and do all the other fun things, it started raining. It was raining pretty hard when we got to Brianna and on the way home the storm hit. I had to pull to the side of the road because of the wind and sideways rain. Emily called and said they were moving everyone in to the x-ray room and told us to go back to her house but it was too late for that. A sign blew down right in front of us but my car didn't even shake! As we moved into town we started seeing power poles and tree limbs everywhere and the closer we got to the house I could tell the power was out. When we got in Bill was no where to be found, but he was outside trying to get the generator running. I had him come in until the rain slacked up and then we went out and got it going. He had forgotten that he had to switch the power from the main to the generator. This was only the 2nd time we've had to use since we had it installed, but it was nice. It didn't run the air conditioner, but it powered everything else in the house so I could cook. The power came back on about 7 so we switched over again and things were back to normal.

We had storms again yesterday afternoon, but they were not anything like the ones Thursday. Ryan and Amanda were here to pick up the kids and he cleaned a couple of gutters for us before the rain. I noticed that we had water on the floor again in the same place as last year. They had to wait for the storm to pass before they could head home. I think their area got the brunt of it yesterday while they didn't have as much as we did the day before.

Ryan did get a call that his ex-wife was at the hospital and wanted to see him before he picked up the kids so they headed up there. When he called later he said that Mistie had been a victim of domestic violence and that everything happened in front of the kids. The kids were safe at their Great-grandpa's and her husband was in jail. She is pretty banged up. She was transported to the trauma center in Memphis as a pre-caution because she has a broken eye socket, among other cuts. Her mother wanted me to ride with her and her sister-in-law so that Melissa (the sister-in-law) wouldn't have to drive home by herself late at night. So, off we go. It was decided about midnight that Mistie would be discharged and her step-brother was going home with her, but that presented a small problem. There wasn't enough car space! So, I called Emily and she and Bryan and Brianna came to pick me up. We got home about 2:15 this morning...and I'm still exhausted! I tried to go back to sleep after Bill got up, but couldn't. Ron and Buddy came over and then they left, probably to go to Ron's so I could sleep! I saw that Bill did take his meds, a little early, but he took them!

So, that's our crazy week. When you say your prayers this time, pray for Mistie and Joe and Kayden and Kiyann. We've been praying for them for a long time and it had started to pay off. Mistie told her mom that she and Joe were planning on going to church this week. She thinks that church is just a club and it's not for her. She also has to go back to the trauma center Tuesday to see the surgeon. They will have to do some surgery on her socket and prop her eye but they can't do it until the swelling is completely gone.

I think since I've written this, and I know that Bill did take his medicine, I could sleep again, so I'm off to bed.