Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Changes

Life is moving forward here in Estes Park.  Notice I said Estes Park.  On the first of September, I  moved into a rented condo here, sold preschool and for the time being I am pretending to be retired.  In the last week or two, I have actually had time to catch my breath.  Sounds good, but it also means I have time to think and that can often lead to boo hoos as the girls and I call it.  After which I blow my nose, wipe my eyes and continue on.  I keep reminding myself that I have too many things to be thankful for and feeling sorry for myself is not a good response to grace.

After thirty years of living in the woods a.k.a. Highlands Camp, I am learning how to live with people in a close neighborhood. That includes developing a thick skin when the rule keeper in the neighborhood complains weekly that my visitors are parking in the wrong area.  The grocery store, bank and library are only a few miles away and I can even ride my bike if I feel like it.  I actually have the time to explore EP, when before I just wanted to get back up the mountain as quick as I could.

All in all, I am doing okay.  I  look forward to going to Honduras the first of the year and I'm thinking about a trip to California to see my Dad in the near future.  The girls and I (with the support of the boys) keep each other grounded and Skyping with the Honduras family keeps a smile on my face (how can you be sad when you hear a little boy yelling, "Nana!" at you through the computer?  They have been terrific through all this and I couldn't do it without them.
Thunder Lake 9/29/12

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Once a year is not enough


It has been several weeks since they got on the plane and flew back to Honduras.  It was time. Dave was home from the hospital and on the road to recovery, they needed to get on with their lives and so did we.  But did they have to take that little guy with them?  Long distance grand parenting is hard.  It is not like I have an extra $1000 to hop on a plane every time I need a grand baby fix. That could get expensive.  I don't know what I would do without Skype, but even that isn't perfect and toddlers don't always want to cooperate.  Imagine that.

It was a blessing that Dave was able to be home for a week with them (immune system intact) and not have to worry about germs, etc. before they had to leave.  Nothing like the motivation of a little one running around to make you forget about yourself for awhile.

For now, I guess we have to be satisfied with scanning through our pictures, recalling memories and making plans for the next visit.

The things we did to get that boy to take a nap!

Guillermo David & Nana
Tia Becca & GD
First Snow!
Home from the hospital.
 


Daredevil boy and relaxing


Wednesday, February 22, 2012

God is good. Always.


As some of you know, we have had some very dark days in the last couple of months.  Dave's cancer came back (they said it would) and he started chemo again in December.  His second treatment at the beginning of the year, knocked him to the ground, literally.  He has been fighting to regain his ability to fight infection (12 days in the hospital in January) and feel like a halfway normal person again.  Many, many days he fought fevers and nausea, with only enough energy to change positions from the bed to the couch to the chair.  He hasn't been this skinny since high school.

The good news is that things are improving.  He goes to Longmont every day to get a shot to boost his immune system and slowly, very slowly, his white counts are coming up and they are taking him off of some of the many drugs he has been on.  He is feeling more like his old self, although with a lot less strength and stamina.  He has a long way to go and we don't know how long that will take, but we are encouraged for movement in a positive direction.

Through all this, we have carried each other over the rough spots with encouragement, humor and a deeper understanding of what it means to be committed for a life time.  Being the caregiver can be hard, not the physical effort as much as the emotional toll it takes when you can't do enough for the one you love.  God in his infinite wisdom, put a book in my path that has made all the difference.  It is called, "One Thousand Gifts", by Ann Voskamp.  I highly recommend it.  I am on my second reading and I come away with a new truth every time I open it.  "One Thousand Gifts" is a celebration of grace and a recognition of the power of gratitude.

This experience has also shown me that I can go through anything as long as I count it all as grace.  There is joy right where I am at, even in the dark times.  God is good. Always.