Musings

New Digs

2010-08-22T07:56:00.002-04:00

Dad has made the move to Younker Rehab Center in Des Moines. From the pictures Mick sent me it looks like a very nice place. From the texts Mick sent me it sounds like the staff there is going to be much harder on him. They make him answer them and won't let him defer to Mom. Mom is not able to eat with him seemingly because they are retraining him in socialization. He will have intensive therapy 3 hours a day, 6 days a week. Mom is able to stay with him in his room and will do so some nights.

Thank you all for your prayers. Please continue to pray for them both. It sounds like they would like to have him out of there by the end of September. Praise God!

Moving On

2010-08-20T07:13:00.003-04:00

Dad is moving this morning to Younker Rehab Center in Des Moines. This is a great opportunity for him. The move is made with the idea that he is headed home. Praise God for this opportunity! Please continue to pray for strength as he begins this more rigorous rehab.

Moving On

2010-08-18T10:44:00.002-04:00

We got good news yesterday. Dad is moving on to the Younker Rehab Center. He will be getting more intensive therapy with the idea of moving home. Mom can stay with him and get training on how to best help him when he does move home. Please continue to pray for them as they go on to this new phase in their lives. http://www.iowahealth.org/younker-rehabilitation.aspx

Quick Note

2010-08-05T23:15:00.002-04:00

Audry Leelah made her arrival yesterday. She weighed 9 lbs and was 20.5" long. She is a lovely little girl and we are all delighted to have her with us.

Dad is being considered for a move to rehab. That would mean more intensive therapy, but the move is made with the idea that the patient is heading home. My niece who is a county health nurse thinks it is a very exciting move. He has evidently worked hard - one therapist called him the poster child for stroke victims. You Go, Dad!!!

Doing Great!

2010-08-03T07:38:00.002-04:00

Sorry it has been so long since I updated this post. I have had a lot of time recently with my grandchildren being with two or more of them every day from July 7 - 30. Sometimes their parent(s) were with them, sometimes not. It was a great time with lots of family stuff including a niece's wedding, trip to Iowa and our first overnight with the girls without their parents. Since the girls are coming again tonight (Danielle is scheduled to be induced tomorrow), I thought I would update Dad's status now while I have time.

From what I saw in mid-July and what Mom continues to report, Dad is doing GREAT. He is walking his wheelchair to the dining room, beginning to use a walker and being able to help enough with transferring from wheelchair to elsewhere that Mom can sometimes help him. The therapy team changed this week and I ask your prayers as he makes the adjustment to new therapists. Mom's report yesterday on PTand OT was positive. The speech therapist didn't seem to do much, but Mom being Mom is reserving judgment. Also, please continue to pray for his cognition. He is still having trouble retrieving what he wants to say and getting it out. The therapists have said it is all up there, it is just kind of jumbled and he needs to practice retrieving the correct words. It is a frustration for him, so your prayers in this area are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

The next time I post, I will let you all know about our fifth grandchild who is scheduled for delivery tomorrow. Five grandchildren 3 years old and under - our family get-togethers will be exciting!

Moving...

2010-07-06T20:47:00.002-04:00

Great birthday present!!! Mom told me on our nightly call that Dad was taking steps with a walker (and some help) today. Praise God!!! and thank you all for your prayers.

Outing!

2010-07-01T22:14:00.003-04:00

It was a good day today. Dad was able to go to Aunt Dolores's house for tea this afternoon. Hooray for progress!

Sunday

2010-06-27T21:25:00.002-04:00

Talked to Mom tonight (we actually talk every night - kind of nice) and it sounds like Dad had lots of visitors today. Stephanie and Aunt Dolores, Chris and Aimee, Richard and Tammy and Aunt Florence and Pastor Carl. Since Dad doesn't have much time (if any) with therapists on weekends, I think it is a good that he has so many visitors - at least they help him think about his speech.

Stephanie told Dad today that she sees much improvement since she saw him two weeks ago. I think that encouraged him. Aimee told him and Mom that a PT at her gym told her that the body heals from the bottom up. That would explain why his leg seems to be working better than his arm/hand. God continues to answer prayers! Thank you for praying.

Doing well!

2010-06-25T07:40:00.002-04:00

Sorry it had been so long since my last post. I have a few updates for you:

Byron's sister and her family are back in their home. Things smell a little smoky but are otherwise fine.

Lynne is home from the hospital but using a walker to keep weight off her leg. Three rattlers have been killed on their property, two on a neighbor's property and one has been seen by another neighbor. Please pray for safety of these families.

Dad is doing well. Mom was able to take Dad to a shop in the facility where he was able to get a haircut. He is going out of his room to the therapy room for some of his therapy. He is working hard with the OT to learn how to handle the tasks of everyday living. Mom is doing well, also. Some evenings Aimee comes to spend the night with her.

Guess that is all for now. Please continue to pray for both Dad and Mom as they go through this recovery process together.

Weird Day

2010-06-21T22:37:00.002-04:00

It has been a weird day.

Last night Byron's sister and her family had to evacuate their home due to wild fires in the Flagstaff area. Last I heard their house is still standing, but they are not yet allowed to go home. Please pray for them and all the evacuees in the Flagstaff area.

Today, I found out that my former sister-in-law was bitten by a rattlesnake in her driveway. Please pray for her as she recovers in the hospital.

Dad is doing well. He is making it to the bathroom when the aides are able to answer his call light in time. He is communicating better by phone. Mom found out today that she is able to sign him out to take him to visit Florence and/or Harold and Virginia who live in the same building. The therapists answered Dad today when he asked how long his recover would take - two months or more. This gives Dad a time frame and he seemed encouraged.

Thank you again for all your prayers. I don't know what we would do without your prayers and God's help. He is good - all the time.

Home

2010-06-20T21:13:00.002-04:00

Well, I am back with updates. Let me just say, I don't have a clue why anyone flies through Chicago in the summer. Due to thunderstorms, I didn't get home until 3:45 Saturday morning...and that was without my baggage.

Dad is continuing to make progress. Yesterday, Aunt Dolores got to see Dad standing in the hallway with the help of the hallway rail and his therapist. Today Dad was frustrated that he was able to spend so little time with his therapist - I will take that as a good sign.

Thank you all for your prayers. Please pray that Dad's frustration will not lead to depression. Also, I have an extra prayer request...Byron's sister and her family were evacuated tonight from their home near Flagstaff because of a wild fire. Please pray for their safety and the safety of their home. Thank you!

Last Blog from Iowa (til July)

2010-06-17T21:23:00.004-04:00

This is my last night in Iowa for a while. There have been blessings piled on blessings since I got here 10 days ago. Dad is making wonderful progress. He is sitting longer unassisted, he is using his legs to help the aides stand him to transfer him from bed to wheelchair and back, he is doing his speech and pt homework and he is much more alert for long periods of the day.

Also, Mom has wonderful friends watching out for her to see how they can help. Last night when we got home, the lawn was mowed. Tonight when we got home, their garbage had been taken to the end of their 1/2 mile lane and the grass on the edges of their lane had been mowed. She has friends who will call her every night if they don't hear from her both to know she is safe and to hear how Dad is doing.

I keep repeating it, but knowing you are all praying for us is the biggest blessing. Here are our requests in a nutshell. For Dad: continued strengthening and determination; for Mom: the ability to understand and help when he needs and not help when he should be doing for himself; for me: safe flights tomorrow. THANK YOU!

Connections Are Still There

2010-06-16T21:50:00.003-04:00

That is what the pt, Jill, said this morning. Dad is very lucky (read that as God truly provides) that the connection was never lost between the brain and the muscles in his leg and arm. Evidently that sometimes happens with strokes. Dad's muscles still "fire" when touched and he is making more progress daily in moving them on his own. Also encouraging to me was that Jill told Dad, "When you walk again you will need to remember this." I loved hearing the when.

On a totally different note, I was able to have lunch with my hs bf, Sandy. We spent three hours catching up on each others' families. It was a nice break and wonderful time.

Please continue to pray - the results are so evident! One thing I need to add to the prayer requests is that his blood pressure is high on occasion. Please pray that this does not get out of control. Thank you all so much for the love and good wishes you are sending our way.

Another Good Day

2010-06-15T22:26:00.002-04:00

I hope you all don't get bored with all this good news, but Dad had another good day. He worked in the morning for about an hour with his pt. She was strict but encouraging. He sat on the side of the bed for about ten minutes. When he would lean she would encourage him to straighten up and he did. He also stood for a couple of minutes with the pt and Mom helping.

Later in the day the OT came in. She realized how tired he was from his morning session, but worked with him a while. When she had him sitting on the bed, she would ask him if he was leaning. He would say yes and straighten himself up...until the last time when he said, "NO". She let him lay back down then knowing he was legitimately tired. Dana also came up with a good solution to the weight being put on his shoulder because he is not able to use his right arm. They have ordered a special tape that they will use to support his shoulder. Things continue to look bright.

Lori was surprised tonight when Mom and I asked Dad to pull his leg up so we could help him scoot up on the bed. She had not yet seen the movement he has in his leg. It was fun watching her watch him!

Thank you again for the prayers. God is continuing to bless!!!

Praise God!!!

2010-06-14T20:48:00.002-04:00

Today was another busy day with the therapists.

We got to Legacy Pointe between 7:00 and 7:30 and the OT already had dad up and dressed.

The speech therapist came in around 10:30. She was one he had never seen before so asked him basic questions - where he was, how many children he has, what are their names, etc. Some he got right, some he didn't. She explained to him (and us) that he has two problems with speech - one is finding the right word, the other is producing it once he has it. Some comes from Parkinson's, some from the strokes. She (and the therapist she job shares with) plans to give him the tools he needs to deal with both problems. We were encouraged by her visit.

The physical therapist came in around 11:00. She worked with Dad on his legs. He is gaining more control of his right leg every day. Then she had him sit up and lean over on his left arm and push himself up. That went OK. Next she had him lean over on his right arm and hold it. Then she asked him to push himself up into a sitting position. HE DID!!! When he started I thought he was being helped by the therapist - I looked at Mom and she indicated he was doing it himself. We were so happy we both had tears running our faces. And then he did it again! Progress indeed as we had seen very little motion in his right hand/arm before today.

He had lunch with the speech therapist and then more time with OT. When we left he was sitting in his wheelchair watching TV.

God is in this recovery! Thank you for your prayers and please continue to pray that his desire to recover does not fail. Also pray for those around him that we would know when to encourage him and when to stand back. Thank you again for your prayers.

Sunday

2010-06-13T21:22:00.002-04:00

Today was a good day. Only one therapist today - occupational. She said it went well except she is concerned that he is beginning to lose some strength in his shoulder because sometimes his arm is not well enough supported. She encouraged us to make sure he always has a pillow under his arm that keeps his shoulder from sagging. She also showed him how to use his left hand to exercise his right arm and he worked at it a couple of times today. There was another encouraging sign - he moved his pinkie finger on his right hand. It was the first time I had seen motion in his right hand although others had seen some movement earlier.

Mom and I didn't go in quite so early today. When we got there, he was sleeping after his morning workout. A good thing he was because he had many visitors after lunch. He tried to interact with all his visitors and succeeded quite often. He did doze off occasionally but then he did that last Thanksgiving, too. After supper he sat up and watched all of Celtic Woman with us before he got ready for bed. Progress for sure.

Thank you all for your prayers. Please continue to pray for peace and a good attitude for Dad. The answers to prayer are obvious when your see him.

Ups and Downs

2010-06-12T21:22:00.002-04:00

Today was a day of ups and downs. Dad saw the OT at breakfast and possibly at lunch. I think things went well. He saw the PT after breakfast and tapped his toes on his right foot and lifted his heel on his right foot. His foot was moving really well.

The down came when the therapist was trying to get him to work with his right hand/arm. It just didn't work. Mom and I both think this was the first time he really got it that his right hand/arm was not working. He slept a lot after that - even through visitors. We think he may have been depressed. He is also having trouble communicating and gets frustrated when we don't understand him. Please pray that he will continue to improve and that he won't give up. Also pray that we will be able to understand quickly and know what to say to encourage him.

There was another up for Mom and I - she got her first Sonic meal. It was a good break at the end of the day (and she likes tater tots, too).

A Good Day

2010-06-11T21:27:00.002-04:00

Today was a good day. The speech therapist was in before we got there at 8:30 this morning. When we talked to her later, she seemed to think Dad was making progress. We see progress with his speech - especially when he is agitated. He seems to speak the most precisely when he really needs/wants something. Other times he can get a little lazy. His mouth is drooping less as the days go by.

Physical therapy went well today. Ashley had him sit on the side of the bed for around eight minutes. Some of the time he was sitting without help, some of the time she helped. Part of the time he was practicing leaning on the right elbow and pulling himself up straight with his left hand. Part of the time he was practicing leaning on the left elbow and pushing himself up. He stood briefly (with help). The aides say he always helps them with his left leg when they transfer from bed to wheelchair and back.

Now for the BIG news. He lifted up his right knee. I was out for a couple of hours. When I got back Mom said, "Watch this!" Then she asked Dad to show me how he could lift up his knee and he did! She said he also wiggled the fingers on his right hand for Pastor Wayne.

Praise the Lord for His bountiful gifts.

He is Trying

2010-06-10T21:57:00.003-04:00

Today was a little less stressful than yesterday. Only 1 physical therapist came in today as opposed to physical, occupation and speech yesterday. She was very impressed by how little movement Dad has lost from his left leg while lying in bed these past few days. His right leg is beginning to show signs of life - the muscles are flexing when he tries to move his leg. He sat up longer for the therapist today and leaned on his right arm then pulled himself up to sitting with his left hand using the bed support rail.

He is very adamant about getting up. He asked me today to move the foot supports on his wheelchair out from under his feet. Once he got both feet firmly planted on the floor, he held out his left hand and said, "Help me up". I told him I couldn't and said I would get in trouble when he asked why not. His response - "So...." Then I said I couldn't because he would get hurt and he gave up. Later he tried to get up by putting his left leg out of the bed and asking Mom to help him up. She said he needed to move his right leg over to get up and of course he couldn't. At least he is still trying!!!

God is good. We see many signs that seem to us to be positive. Please keep praying that Dad doesn't get discouraged and lose his drive to get home. For us, pray that we can refuse to do the things for him that shouldn't be done without quenching his desire to keep trying.

Kids and Grandkids

2010-03-08T21:08:00.003-05:00

I have had a lot of time recently to observe Patrick. May I just say how much he is like his mother was at his age. He totally tests the limits. I used to say if you drew a line in the sand and told the girls not to step over it, Danielle would stay a foot away and Brianne would stand on it. Tonight, Brianne told Patrick he needed to be on the middle seat at the restaurant. He stretched out his foot onto the middle seat and smiled at his mom. I guess the apple does not fall far from the tree.

Another Blessing!

2010-01-21T15:17:00.004-05:00

We welcomed our fourth grandchild this week.

Jacob Byron joined the Tonker family. We are wonderfully blessed!

Tales from a 2 year old

2009-10-21T19:49:00.003-04:00

We had a wonderful trip to Great Wolf Lodge and Busch Gardens with our granddaughters and their parents. While we were there, Alethia got a stuffed wolf toy that she dubbed "Wolfie". Yesterday, after her nap, her mom heard her talking to her stuffed toys. When she went in to get her Alethia was laying between her stuffed Elmo and Wolfie. She said she had to separate them because "Wolfie was playing too rough." Then, this morning, Alethia said she didn't sleep well last night because Wolfie and Pinch (her stuffed mascot from the Blue Crabs) were fighting. I love her imagination but feel kind of bad for Wolfie.

I'm back

2009-10-13T18:00:00.004-04:00

Brianne has inspired me. There are so many times that people tell me to be sure to write down things the grandchildren say so I won't forget them. I guess I will try to do it here. Some things are already lost (I have a bad memory). This may be a way to keep things up to date.

Patrick's First Birthday

2009-02-07T22:05:00.003-05:00

First Birthday Dinner

Say Cheese!

My Birthday Truck

I like birthday cupcakes!

I like them a lot!!!

We celebrated Patrick's first birthday today!

Iowa Thanksgiving

2008-12-06T07:31:00.004-05:00

We spent Thanksgiving at my parents house in Iowa. This is sunrise one morning.

Patrick sat with Grampy (his great-grandfather) and read his truck book.

Alethia LOVED to spend time outside.

Vacation

2008-10-28T22:11:00.005-04:00

We were in N Myrtle Beach, SC last weekend. Some of our children and both of our grandchildren joined us for at least part of the time. We are SO blessed!

Visit Duke Gardens!

2008-08-22T22:49:00.005-04:00

During our most recent visit to NC we went with the kids to Duke Gardens. A photographer friend of theirs took some pictures of the family. My camera also got a few shots. It is a beautiful place. If you are ever near Durham, check it out!
PS - Doesn't Patrick look big!!!

Iowa Visit

2008-08-01T11:58:00.003-04:00

Last week, Danielle and Alethia, Brianne and baby Patrick, and I went to Iowa for a visit. Danielle, Alethia and I flew together and Brianne and Patrick flew by themselves.

One day we visited a dairy. There were calves outside so the little ones could get up close and personal. There was also VERY good ice cream inside. The girls got each other their favorite kind for their birthdays. (Danielle celebrated her ?0th birthday while we were there.)

Patrick was a very happy guy all week.

Alethia was a very busy girl all week. Her favorite place to be is outside, so she was happy to spend time around the pond. With cousin Aimee's help, she figured out that rocks sink in the pond while branches float.

Alethia is 1

2008-06-28T21:13:00.005-04:00

Alethia turned 1 on June 19. Some of the family went to the boardwalk in Solomon's Island to get ice cream cones. Alethia had her own cone.

The next day we went to the National Zoo in Washington, DC. This is one of the pandas at the zoo.

Alethia and her dad got to feel the fur of a small monkey.

The meerkats posed.

Patrick got acquainted with a gorilla. It was a great day!

NC Visit

2008-06-03T18:50:00.008-04:00

Patrick Daniel is growing quickly! He has now found his thumb, so getting to sleep is becoming easier.

He is a very happy 16 week old!

First Day of Summer

2008-05-26T21:38:00.003-04:00

Memorial Day is considered by many to be the first day of summer - so we went to the beach. Dave, Danielle, Alethia, Janell, Ben and Alaina joined us. What a GREAT time!

Babies

2008-05-20T20:58:00.002-04:00

The grandbabies are growing up fast! Patrick is now 3+ months old.

Alethia is 11 months old.

Things change SO quickly.

10 Months (and a few days)

2008-05-03T09:26:00.005-04:00

Alethia is always curious when I get out the camera. Now that she is VERY mobile, it makes it hard to get a picture of her from the distance. As soon as she hears the camera beep, she heads directly for it.

Danielle was feeding Alethia her lunch in this picture. (It is much easier to take pictures of her when she is corralled.) Notice those two front teeth? They are just two of twelve that she now has in her little mouth.

Grandpa took the baby girl for a walk. She is not so much a baby anymore, but rapidly gaining toddler status. She crawls quickly, pulls herself up and cruises around furniture and even switches from one piece of furniture to another. Her balance is good, but she is not quite confident enough to let go and walk.

Nine Weeks Old

2008-04-23T09:35:00.004-04:00

I don't have much time today, but didn't want to let these pictures of 9 week old Patrick Daniel go any longer. At 9 weeks, he is showing interest in the world around him. It is great fun to watch him carry on conversations with people and things.

Busy Times!

2008-04-04T07:16:00.015-04:00

Since my last post we have been very busy!

March 16 - 19 Danielle and Alethia came to stay with us while Dave was at a conference in Florida. Monday Danielle went to work, Tuesday I went to work and Wednesday we went to the Bury's to make Easter cookies. We had a great time fellowshipping with friends and making beautiful cookies.

Patrick, Brianne and Patrick arrived on the evening of March 20th. They visited with family in Maryland through the Easter weekend. It was the first time many of their extended families had met baby Patrick.

On March 26, I flew to Cary to spend some more time with the kids. Baby Patrick turned 7 weeks old on his dad's 28th birthday. They grow up soooooo fast.

These are good times. God has richly blessed us is many and various ways.

Why I Haven't Been Able to See My Grandchildren!

2008-03-14T17:36:00.018-04:00

I have had shingles. It is not something I would recommend.

Some things I have learned about shingles in the past two weeks:

They are not exactly contagious - you can't give shingles to anyone else.
They are kind of contagious - you can give chickenpox to someone who has not either had chickenpox or been vaccinated for chickenpox.
You should not be around pregnant women when you have shingles.

Since most places I go include pregnant women and/or small children who have not yet been vaccinated for chickenpox, I have stayed home a lot the past two weeks. I guess that is just as well since recovery from shingles requires rest and relaxation. It has, however, caused me to miss out on a trip to NC and some babysitting for Alethia. Fortunately, Brianne was able to send me the pictures of Patrick Daniel to share with you.

Next week I will be spending time with both of my grandchildren. I can't wait!!!

Monday

2008-03-05T09:13:00.008-05:00

Monday is the day I get to babysit Alethia. She is now at the stage where she is pulling herself up on things. She actually used her car seat to help her move across the floor. She would tilt it and swing it around again and again to get across the floor.

This past Monday was a beautiful day in Maryland. Byron was able to leave work early and came down to go for a walk with Alethia and me. I never cease to wonder at the beauty of God's creation.

A short walk from Dave and Danielle's home is the point where the Patuxent River enters the Chesapeake Bay. It was amazing to spend some time on this walk in the miracle of God's creation with another living, breathing miracle of His creation, our granddaughter.

Getting Together

2008-02-27T20:46:00.003-05:00

It had been a long time since we had gotten together with our friends, the Mazzellas. On Sunday, we went over for dinner. The Browns were invited, too, but only Danielle and Alethia could make it. Alethia got to play with Caleb for the first time one on one. At around 8 months (Caleb is 16 days younger than Alethia) their play consisted mostly of sitting side by side and occasionally reaching for the same toy.

One Week Old

2008-02-15T21:21:00.002-05:00

Patrick Daniel is one week old today!

Things are going well. He and Mommy are finally getting in tune with how and when to feed. Daddy has taken him on long walks with the other two boys in the family (Gus and Jackson). And I personally think he is adorable.

At Home

2008-02-12T17:14:00.000-05:00

Patrick Daniel is home (he came home yesterday). He is (for the most part) a happy baby. He has already started regaining the weight he lost after birth. Patrick and Brianne are both getting a little sleep off and on. They already seem to be pros at this baby thing.

More Pictures of Patrick Daniel

2008-02-08T19:54:00.000-05:00

We are all very taken with this newest addition to our family!

Grandma Sandy with Patrick Daniel.

Our handsome new addition.

Introducing Patrick Daniel

2008-02-08T15:24:00.000-05:00

Born 2/8/2008 at 1:28 p.m.

8 lb 3 oz

21 " long

Growing Up Part II

2008-02-04T23:03:00.000-05:00

Alethia is growing up so quickly.

She voices her opinions.

She goes after the things she wants.

She is beginning to try to copy sounds.

She loves to eat her solid food -

although she sometimes tries to talk through her meal which means somebody gets a little orange.

and she loves to stand and practice taking steps (although she still needs lots of help)

It is amazing to see how she has grown and developed. It also amazes me to think that both Patrick and Brianne and Stephen and Nicole will have babies older than Alethia by next Christmas. Sometimes I wish life would slow down, but it is so much fun to watch the little ones grow!

It's A New Year

2008-01-14T09:23:00.000-05:00

Well, after our relatively quiet Christmas, things got much livelier.

New Year's weekend, we were able to spend time with many of Byron's family during two trips to Pennsylvania on Saturday and Monday. Brianne flew up from

Cary to join in the parties. Randy and Amy and girls flew in from Dallas where they had spent Christmas with his family. (Their flight was changed and they ended up coming in at Dulles at 2:30 a.m. instead of BWI at 11:00 p.m.)

On the Sunday between our church had a farewell for Steve Howell, our Youth Pastor of 16 years. Check out Dave's blog for a tribute to Steve. (growinggodlygenerations.blogspot.com)

Brianne's shower was the following weekend. Many people came to wish her and BT well. Even her first grade teacher came to see her!

Alethia will be 7 months old on Saturday. I can't believe it! She has grown so quickly. At her most recent check-up she weighed 20 lbs and was 28.5 inches tall. She has four teeth through on the bottom and her top two teeth are breaking through.

You may notice finger food on her tray. She occasionally gets one into her mouth but isn't sure she likes it. They grow up sooooooo fast.

Christmas

2007-12-26T20:57:00.000-05:00

Christmas this year was (so far) fairly quiet. Christmas Eve we all went to the Christmas Eve service at church then came back to the house to open presents. What a wonderful thing to have all the family together!

Alethia started opening her presents first. She clearly wasn't as interested in the presents as the paper. She seems to have a thing for wrapping paper (or any paper for that matter) - she wants to eat it.

The boys seemed to like their presents. They modelled them for us.

Patrick and Brianne got some presents for BT (Baby Tonker). It is rather difficult to buy unisex clothes for babies, but the zebra outfit is very cute!

We are very blessed to have such a wonderful family. God has indeed been good to us.

We will be celebrating Christmas again this weekend with Byron's family in Pennsylvania. People will be coming from Arizona, North Carolina, New York and the Middle East. It will not be quiet, but it will be fun.

Growing Up

2007-12-19T21:08:00.000-05:00

Alethia Grace is 6 months old today.

Watching her grow and change is a wonderful thing, but it is happening so quickly! And check out those Converse All Stars. They are not exactly like Grandpa's, but pink suits Alethia better than black.

Christmas Blessings

2007-12-17T22:36:00.000-05:00

I was surprised tonight by my quiz team. They came to our home singing Christmas carols and brought this beautiful gingerbread house. What a Christmas treat!

Food, Glorious Food

2007-12-13T22:56:00.000-05:00

It has been a great frustration to me that Alethia will not take a bottle from me. She doesn't like a bottle much at all, but has taken them from both her father and grandfather. For me, she just gets madder and madder (yes, she has a baby temper) and ends up crying which in turn has me crying. Not a pretty picture.

All that has changed!! Alethia was introduced to applesauce this week. These pictures were taken when Dave and Danielle were acquainting her with the new taste treat on Monday night. On Tuesday (my regular babysitting day) Danielle left applesauce and a bottle for me. WE DID GREAT!! She likes to take her applesauce from Grandma. Today I babysat again while Danielle went to a seminar on writing grants. Alethia ate a whole container of applesauce, then settled in for a nap. Tomorrow night Dave and Danielle will be going to a Christmas party and Grandpa and Grandma may be introducing Alethia to pears. I love it - it makes babysitting so much easier for me!

Alethia's First Snow

2007-11-25T19:36:00.000-05:00

While we were in Iowa, Alethia experienced her first snow. It was a beautiful time in a beautiful place.

Giving Thanks

2007-11-25T19:17:00.000-05:00

This past week has been one of many thanks. We spent time in Iowa with my family.

On Tuesday, Lori and Mom gave a shower for Brianne.

By Thanksgiving day, we were all together for the first time in two years with the new addition of Alethia.

Byron's niece, Lindsey, was also able to join us since it was a bit far to get home from Maranatha Baptist Bible College.

We are all home now with the exception of Lindsey who is on her way back to college. She will be going home in mid-December before coming back east to spend time with the Leas family.

Plans

2007-11-11T22:17:00.000-05:00

Sometimes when we make plans, something changes those plans for us. For us this week, it was Grandfather's health. He is in the hospital with congestive heart failure. His heart is functioning at about a third of normal capacity. The good news is he was aware of changes in his activity level and got to the doctor before any permanent damage was done to his lungs where fluid was beginning to accumulate. The doctor seems to think it can be handled with medication, not surgery. God is so good!

We took some time today to make a quick trip to see Alethia (and Danielle and Dave).

She is really growing fast. I took a couple of pictures to share. Hope you enjoy.

Halloween

2007-11-01T19:34:00.000-04:00

Last year, shortly after we found out we would have a grandchild this year, we were outlet shopping. We found a Halloween costume just the right size for baby-to-be and brought it home with us. Dave and Danielle took Alethia to Awanas on Wednesday evening in the costume. While I don't think she looks much like a cow, I hear she was a hit.

(She thought her "hooves" were very funny.)

At the Beach

2007-10-28T19:55:00.000-04:00

After a week at home, I have finally pulled all the pictures of our vacation from my camera. These are of the Brown family at the beach. Hard to believe from these pictures that Alethia is still three days short of 4 months old.

Back from the Beach

2007-10-22T21:28:00.000-04:00

We had a great time at the beach! God blessed us with beautiful weather and time with all the kids.

On our way home we went by White Lake, NC. We were there in May to watch Brianne participate in her first Sprint Triathlon. It consisted of a 750 yard swim, a 14 mile bike ride and a 5K run (about 3.5 miles). She finished first in her group in the swim, but didn't do as well in the bike or run. It was very interesting and I think she may do it again sometime.

At the Beach Part II

2007-10-16T09:36:00.000-04:00

Danielle and Dave got Alethia ready for her first day at the pool. I think she makes a quite a bathing beauty.

She seems to like the pool, but then, for the most part, she is a very agreeable baby.

At the Beach Part I

2007-10-16T09:13:00.000-04:00

Our first night at the beach, the boys decided they would like a picture of their women set against the background of a beautiful sunset.

Babysitting

2007-10-10T01:38:00.000-04:00

Today I babysat my granddaughter. Alethia has come to understand what it means when Grandma gets out the camera. She doesn't like it and I think this picture says it all. As soon as I put the camera away, she started smiling.

My first blog!

2007-10-09T07:25:00.000-04:00

This is my first blog. I hope to continue regularly. We will see.