Ugh!

Well things at our house as of late have gone from bad to worse.

Yep, there, I said it bad to worse….so be prepared this is going to be a discouraging, depressing kind of post.  It had to happen, there had to be a kink in our armor of life, and I think I finally found it.

It’s called Alzheimer’s anger and it ain’t pretty!  I have seen glimpses of it for a few months now, but I could always reason my way out of Curt’s insulting demise.  But this time it was to no avail.  It is amazing the assault this disease has on the brain!  It  slowly steals away your logic and higher order reasoning skills.   The worst part is it leaves you thinking you are still the same logical, wise adult you once were!

This past Friday was the start of this unexpected anger assault.  By Sat. morning it was rising with a furry.  I made the mistake of trying to reason with Curt, which only led to greater frustration on my part and more anger on his part.  But somewhere in the midst of my trying to reason this through, he said he was going to call the police on me for assaulting him.  It was a sad, yet revealing statement, because it was at that point I realized he had really lost the ability to reason and I needed to change my approach from here on out.

I also realized that Curt will ALWAYS be the WISE, insightful man I married, and the man that was spewing anger, and irrational words at me was the disease speaking to me NOT the man I married!

Things got worse as the weekend went on, and even continued into the school week. I ended up being late for school the one morning because he woke up and was so upset with me about not telling him that there were seven stages to Alzheimer’s and was worried the kids would play their music too loud at the computer despite the fact that we now have headphones for them.  He was confused and mad.

But  this disease is so unpredictable, we had some great moments in between and things seemed so normal……well as normal as normal can be.

We have tried to make things a bit calmer at our house, which isn’t always easy if you know our goofy, loud, humorous family….but we are trying.  I am praying that will bring a calmer spirit to Curt.  But I see this as another step on this dismal journey….I can assure you we are not enjoying it, but I can also assure you that as God does  allow such difficult moments, He is there with us through out it. I read somewhere that if God sends us over rocky paths, He will provide us with sturdy shoes.

Well I can assure you I now have some pretty sturdy shoes!

(Actually they are Tyler’s stinkin, huge, size 14 boots!!)

Thanks for the prayers, emails, and texts this past week friends!

 

Busy start to the new year…….

Basketball games, lacrosse games and practices, Eagles football game……..yes it’s been a busy start to the new year for us!  And in some ways the busy stuff is a mixed blessing, the kids and I are so caught up in the day to day chaos, that we don’t have time to focus on the perils of living with Alzheimer’s!

We had the best start to the new year, we got FREE, yes FREE tickets to the Eagles vs the Redskins game.  A dear friend worked it out for us, and the seats were the best!  No nosebleed section for us….phew!

Now some of you may be shocked to see me in an Eagles jersey, I know this may be hard for some of you, knowing that one of the first songs I learned as a child was “Hail to the Redskins!”  I grew up in the DC area, I grew up with a disdain for the Eagles, Giants and the Cowboys.  But this day was one of those moments in life where you look beyond the entrenched football rivalries and you support your husband!  He has been a long time Eagles fanatic and this day was for him! It was a fun day, the weather was ideal for Jan 1st and hubs team the Eagles won!

Madi has also been busy becoming buff girl…..she is doing a strength and conditioning program for Lacrosse and playing indoor lax.  Unlike Tyler, Madi has floundered a bit in finding a sport she loved.  She just started girls lax last spring, but has really come to LOVE it!  And it’s neat for all of us to see those skills continue to grow and improve!

Tyler is having a blast playing hoops this year, and I must say Curt is enjoying every game.  He sits near the court and takes pics while chatting with his new lady friend.  Now don’t take that the wrong way, his lady friend is one of the player’s grandmas.  But the two of them have forged a fun friendship this season.  Curt took this pic of Ty (#30) stuffing the leading scorer in the league! Ha not in our house! (ok,sorry competitive mom moment, I’m moving on now!)

So life for us is good, not always easy, but good.

Our local basketball parents club had a slogan a few years back…it simply said

“It Ain’t Easy”

This year the slogan is, “Every Day, Every Play”

Yep, we work hard every day, it ain’t always easy, but we press on!

 

So long 2011

Well I can’t really say 2011  has been good to us…..but I can thank God for many of the blessings we have seen along the journey of living with Alzheimer’s.  There are many good things that have happened this year, and I am choosing to reflect upon them on this New Years Eve!  It is a choice to see the good in the storm of life, and I daily battle with that, but let me tell ya……choosing the positive over the negative sure makes things go a little easier!  Just sayin!

Family has been a huge blessing to us this year, and I am thankful for Curt’s family and my fam.  Their love and support is priceless!  This is a Christmas pic of my mom and I, she has always been a great support for me!

Our family ski trip last Jan. to Mt. Snow, Vt was an extra special blessing and was basically paid for by someone who has chosen to remain anonymous!  It was a great memory maker.  The kids and I were just reflecting fondly about the trip the other day!

FRIENDS are the greatest!!  It has been so sweet to see how many friends have called and wanted to get together with Curt and our family.  It has been so nice for Curt to reconnect with old friends and stay connected with current friends.  It has meant so much to Curt to get together for pizza, a ballgame or just anything with friends.  Let me tell ya, our friends have been good to us in 2011. THANK YOU!

My big 17 year old boy getting a baseball scholarship to Liberty Univ was another highlight of the year.  The recruiting process takes a great deal of time and effort, and it is nice to have that behind us.  With everything else to figure out, it’s great to have Tyler’s college plans taken care of.  And let me just tell you, I LOVE Liberty, the campus, the coaches,  the educational program and christian atmosphere, it just warms this mom’s heart! And I am thankful that Curt is still be able to fully understand the magnitude of Tyler’s accomplishment.  For the dad who spent ENDLESS hours pitching to his son and throwing with him, I am blessed to see the pride in his dad’s eyes as he knows his boy will be playing Division 1 College Baseball!

We spent much of the summer traveling in our van! From Columbus Ohio to Atlanta Ga, we conquered a big portion of the highways of the US.  And despite the busy schedule, we did have a lot of fun!!  Lots of great memories were made this summer!

Madi grew 3 inches this year and has transformed into quite a lovely young lady.  Her kindness and helpful spirit continue to bless me!  The first picture is of her with her science fair project in March, the 2nd is fall homecoming. Can you see the difference?!

Those are just a FEW of the blessings of the year 2011.  The years go by fast and I am learning to cherish the moments.  The days may be long, the frustrations constant, but the special moments that come along remind me to slow down, and cherish.  They can bring a smile to my face and joy to my heart in the middle of a long journey.

  I am going to end with how we ended our year with  a few pics from our Christmas Fun!

Happy New Year…….may we all find those special moments and blessings on the journey of 2012!

 

Silent Night

When I was a kid my all time favorite Christmas carol was, “Silent Night.”  I loved the magic of singing it on Christmas Eve as I carefully lifted my just lit candle during the Christmas Eve candlelight service. 

But as I grew up, I realized I cherished the “moment”, but had really never “listened” to the lyrics and captured their true meaning.  Recently I have been focusing on those words penned back in the 1800′s by Joseph Mohr.  The man was born in 1792, yet his words still speak to my heart today!

My thoughts have been all over the place as of late, I may break down crying randomly while shopping at Target when I hear a dad talking to his son about buying a baseball bat.  Or when watching Curt play drums at church for the last time. Also when I hear Curt all excited about wanting to see Tyler play college baseball…..I just wonder if he will be able to.   Those tears seem to well up pretty easily as of late.

Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright.

Then, thankfully, there are some things that warm my heart lately, like I said my mind is all over the place.  Tyler got a baseball scholarship to Liberty University in Va…..that soothes my overworked brain and blesses this momma’s heart!  Tyler also just celebrated his 17th birthday with being “Player of the Week” in basketball and scoring 14 pts and grabbing 8 rebounds in a winning effort last week.  Those kind of things are such a welcome distraction!

  My girl Madi continues to get straight A’s as a ninth grader, she is so independent and organized, it brings me such relief to not have to worry about her grades and work ethic!  We also had a blast at Madi’s 9th annual cookie party a few weeks ago.

Ummmm, yes the girls have frosting on their faces.  Who knew it was a new trend!!

The kids lives do provide a welcome distraction from the stress of living daily with a monster named Alzheimer’s.  For that distraction I am so thankful!

Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Some days I get so overwhelmed with all the cares of life I just curl up on the couch and want to do nothing.  I have so many things to tend to, I don’t know what to do first…. so sometimes I just do nothing.  Where do I even begin I ponder all the time.

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born.

I seem to fear the future the most……I just don’t know how it’s all going work out for us.  Curt will require long term care, my kids may be in college at the time, they might not be….who knows how long this disease will take on it’s unruly course of demise.  I am a planner, the future is so unknown.  Curt now struggles daily with his reasoning ability…oh how I miss his wisdom!

Silent night, holy night!
Son of God love’s pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth.
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth

Oh but then there is that song again………it continues to replay in my thoughts frequently.

All is calm all is bright……………..

Christ the Savior is born!……………………

………….With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus Lord at Thy birth!

In the chaos of the day, Jesus was born in a simple stable, on a peaceful night with so little fan fare.   Somehow, the thought of the Almighty coming to earth in such a simple manner, calms my weary heart and mind. There in the storm of life at that time, Jesus steps onto the scene…..in a barn of all places.

All was calm, and suddenly the future got real bright for all of mankind! Our future is bright, not thanks to Alzheimer’s and my worries, but thanks to the redeeming grace of that precious baby born oh so long ago.  Yes our future my be tough at times, but it is bright.  The message is so simple that sometimes I can overlook it!  Jesus Lord, at Thy birth! 

And that Hope brings a calming smile to my face.

Yes ALL is calm, and ALL is bright at our household this Christmas!

Merry Christmas dear friends!

Silent night, holy night!
Son of God love’s pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth.

 

Homerun and A Heavenly Home

Tyler trotted around the bases during his Varsity baseball season this year with excitement, eventually tagging home plate as the team erupted into an impromptu celebration. It was his his first high school home run.

Reaching home as a sophomore was a reason to celebrate!

We traveled a ton this summer, new cities, new hotels, baseball games, lots of excitement.  But  I can tell you there was always such anticipation, joy and relief when I walked through the door of our home after days in a hotel coupled with lots of driving.  Dorothy’s words from The Wizard of Oz really took on new meaning.  “There is NO place like HOME, there is no place like home……”  I still recall the great relief I felt as I slowly sank into my favorite chair at home after a long road trip.  I LOVE MY HOME , I love my home……I would think to myself!

I must say I did not indulge in Black Friday shopping this year, I was too immersed in the Thanksgiving fun at my brother’s house to bother with it. Somehow shopping for hours on Friday after Thanksgiving really had no appeal to me.  I really enjoyed having FUN at my brothers house so much more than frantic shopping!  Uncle Scott’s go kart is always more fun than shopping for more stuff.

So the question is, what do Black Friday shopping, my desire to be at home and Tyler’s home run all have in common?  Yes we answer the big questions of life here at Jesus and Dark Chocolate!

I had such a strong  desire to go home after being on the road so much this summer.  Home to my refuge, my place rest, and peace and comfort.  And as we all did with Tyler’s home run, going home is also a reason to celebrate!! 

  ………..I am learning a lot these days about going Home…..about the importance of Home!  And I am not talking about my physical home here on earth,  I am talking about a heavenly Home.

With Curt’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease I see a whole focus shift for him.  His eyes are heavenly.  When I routinely asked him what he wants for Christmas……he replied “besides a few Eagles (football team) shirts, really nothing.”  He knows those things are not going with him to heaven.  And that is what they are….things, stuff, they have NO real eternal value.  He is buying and preparing for Heaven not for earth.

And as even I hate to admit this, my new, lovely Keurig coffee machine that I truly worship each morning, really has no lasting value.  Sure it brings me joy each morning as I put that little k cup in, and behold, with in moments my morning addiction awaits me. But it really has no eternal value.

HOME, yes our heavenly HOME is so much greater than Ty’s home run.  My heavenly HOME is so much greater than my cozy, refuge I currently call home.  And all those great deals you got on Black Friday and my sweet Keurig coffee machine truly have little to no lasting value. 

Yes I am thankful for Curt’s perspective.  It’s a wonderful reminder to me this Holiday season of the things that truly matter. 

Jesus sent to earth as a tiny baby, He grew to be the Savior of the world. 

HOME, our heavenly HOME, that perspective from Curt, is a wonderful Gift this Christmas season!

Thanks friends for all your encouragement, prayers and hugs!

~Sandy

 

How’s Curt?

I get asked that question by someone almost every day.  And I am thankful for their care and  concern for my hubs.   Friends and even those in our community have been more then kind to us in so many different ways. 

But the question remains, how is he doing?

I often respond with, “he is ok.”

It’s been over a year since he was diagnosed so people will often ask, do you notice a decline?

When I think back that over a year ago at this time he was teaching, I know there is a decline, because there is NO way he could be teaching now!

He’s not doing great by any means, but he is not sinking quickly into the quicksand of Alzheimer’s disease.  His symptoms are worsening, but thankfully at a slow pace.  He really struggles with not being able to spell or write.   He knows what letters, or word he wants to write but somewhere in transfer from the brain to the hand the muck and mire of Alzheimer’s destroys that process.  And he can not write even simple words at times.  It is very frustrating to watch. Add to the pot the fact that my husband has always had a determination to get things done….. so he often continues to try and try to get it right.

So he can’t fill out simple forms, checks or even sign a receipt to leave a tip. He has trouble even writing his name correctly.  He recently forgot his Social Security number and the year he was born.  He has trouble with word retrieval at times, he mispronounces words and stumbles over  words when speaking.  His depth perception is off, as well as his understanding of personal space.  He will often just stand in the way of the commotion of the house not realizing he is in the way.  He has some trouble completing simple tasks (shoveling snow off the deck) he just goes about it in an awkward, very time consuming manner.  Yet he can still mow the lawn ok, I think it’s newer jobs that are not as much a part of his routine that seem to give him more grief.  He also rarely reads much anymore.  And as of late he is VERY tired and not real motivated.

  All of this is Alzheimer’s…..who knew, I sure didn’t.  I really thought it dealt mostly with short term memory issues.  That is an issue, but so are the half a dozen other things!

But here is the good news, the guy is still funny and retains a fun, witty sense of humor!  He is still passionate about his Phillies (even when they choked this year!) and the Eagles and follows them quite well.  As a former social studies teacher he enjoys following the world and current events. He is quite into the current Republican presidential nomination process and the debates.  His dream team would be Newt Gingrich for President and Herman Cain as the VP.  He still pitches baseball to Tyler and plays the drums on Sunday mornings at church.  Oh yes and he still loves his beloved Roma pizza.  As well as the meatball subs from his favorite local pizza joint!  When I was in North Carolina for the weekend I found 4 receipts for Roma pizza!

And for those who truly know Curt,  you would want to know that he still knows how to purchase and eat a Snickers Bar!!!

November is National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month…..I know, you probably didn’t know that.  I wouldn’t have a year ago either. 

So I thought I would do my part to bring some awareness to what people deal with daily when living with this monster of a disease. 

It’s a difficult, frustrating journey we are walking every day. 

But these words Harriet Beecher Stowe penned oh so long ago seem to describe our  attitude towards it all.

So to the heart that knows your love, O Father

There is a temple sacred evermore

And all life’s angry voices causing bother

     Die in hushed silence at its peaceful door.

Far, far away the roars of strife and grief fall silent,

     And loving thoughts rise ever peacefully,

And no storm, however fierce or violent,

Disturbs the soul that dwells, O Lord in Thee.

 

It’s been a year

Oct 1st a year ago was when I first heard those dreadful words, “Curt has dementia, most likely Early Onset Alzheimer’s.”I had known in my heart for some time that something was wrong with my dear husband, I had basically come to the conclusion on my own that he had Alzheimer’s.  But when the doctor took my intuition and made it a reality….the words hit hard.   I cried most of the way home from the doctor’s office, overwhelmed for our now unknown, unplanned and  unpredictable future.

We hadn’t really formulated a plan on how to tell Tyler and Madi.  They knew we had gone to a doctor to get results for the 5 hour memory testing Curt had endured.  They saw my tear stained face and immediately wanted to know what was going on.   We sat down with them and the words pretty much just spilled out.  So unplanned……so unlike me.  We cried a bit, we prayed a lot and I ended up sleeping with Madi in her room for about a week as she worked through the emotions of now having a dad with Alzheimer’s.

But with in the week we were doing normal things again….we had to.  Curt was being a “cheerleader” for a student on Daddy/Daughter night since her dad couldn’t be there.  Tyler was finishing baseball season and gearing up for basketball season and Madi had a big cross country meet. We are a busy family with two busy teens.  We are just now a busy family with Alzheimer’s thrown into the mix.

Life goes on.

And just as it is with this post.  I actually started writing it 2 weeks ago.  But life got really hectic and busy.  Included in that was a long 8-10 hour drive to North Carolina for a weekend baseball tournament where I looked at too much of this;

Life goes on

I reflect and remember.

For weeks after Curt was diagnosed I constantly pondered and thought back over the last several years.

Yes, there were lots of signs, foreshadowing of what was to come.  In hindsight there were so many indications of a storm brewing in Curt’s brain.  The time he couldn’t put a simple swing together 3 years ago, or the trouble he had putting our tent up when we went camping in 2009, the sudden loss of interest in his hiking passion,  the late payment charges on bills, his apathy.  It all  made sense now.

But…Life goes on

But Life goes on with such a different perspective now.

The little acts of kindness to our family mean so much and are never overlooked.  Some random sweetheart of a person sticks a delicious box Wilbur Buds in my school mailbox every once in awhile.  Such a little thing, but a big thing to me!

Family and their supports means the world to us!

Friends and even strangers who care for us, pray for us and help out.  While I was away in North Carolina last weekend a group of men from a local church came to cut down a huge, dead tree near our house.  I came home amazed to find a huge, empty gap where the tree once stood.  We were surprised and blessed to see the SHAPE of the stump that was left behind.  This stump will long serve as a reminder of the LOVE of Christ shown by this group of men.

Yes life goes on for all of us.  But we now carry a different perspective on this journey.  We are blessed in many ways by so many of you.  But most of all we have a greater understanding of the depth and power of the LOVE of Christ.  His care for us, His provision.

We are changed, Yes Life goes on…..but we walk it differently so much more aware of the presence of Christ which reveals many of His presents.

‘So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10

Yes we are changed!  Thank you dear friends for your prayers and love for our family!

Life goes on and we are not dismayed, shaken some, but not dismayed.  God’s strength is what sustains us!

 

Flood Fun

So we got a little rain around these parts.  Ok, a lot of rain, 8-12 in. worth.  Don’t believe me…..well here is one of my favorite places to ride bike.

Yep….see what I mean.  A.L.O.T of water!   So what do you do when your Governor declares a state of emergency, school is closed for 2 days, and endless friends have basements full of water.

You help out your friends and strive to make the best of it!  I came home from my first day of school tired and weary.  It was a long day.  My kids of course came home excited and full of energy.

Our creek had flooded and they wanted to tube down it!!

WHAT?????  I pondered?  You have got to be kidding.

Before I knew it, they were pumping up our inner tubes and gathering the neighborhood kids, I knew they meant business.

And as any decent mom does, I worried about the dangers of entering the wild current of the overflowing creek.  So I hiked back with the kids into the jungle of our rainforest looking for the Nile River to tube down…..a.k.a our creek.

We found the Nile,  and I soon found myself up to my knees in the angry waters taking pictures.  I trekked for what seemed like miles in the rain with the kids, watching them tube down the creek.

And before I knew it, I realized I was having FUN!  It had been years since I had been stream stomping!   Despite being so reluctant at first to go anywhere except to a couch with a blanket and a soft pillow, I was now prancing through an overflowing, wild stream like I did in my youth!

I guess that is how my attitude always is, I try to make the best of any situation.  If I don’t like something, or it seems to hard, I see it as a challenge and go after it.

That was me….until Oct. 1st, 2010, when Early Onset Alzheimer’s entered our world.

This situation with Curt has been a tough one to make the best of.  My usual positive, optimist attitude doesn’t always comply with my volatile emotions.  It seems almost daily I rise to the challenges of living with this disease….and living with 2 teens.   But some days I don’t rise to well, there are days I am beaten down, frustrated and overwhelmed!  My feisty fighter attitude seems to have been washed down the stream in the flood.

I miss my husband.

I miss the competent, leader that he was for our family.

Actually, There is so much that I miss about him.

I am sad for our future.

HOWEVER…..my story doesn’t end here.

There is HOPE in this storm of life. And that is what carries me on this journey.

It’s words like this:

“I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.  Psalm 91:15

Do you see the word in?  Troubles will come and God will be with us in troubles!

It’s also songs like this one that inspire and strengthen me on this journey, in these troubles.

Sure it’s hard, but as Curt often says for those who know Christ and seek after Him, the journey ends well!   Yes……there is Hope, Goodness, and Love on this journey. For Almighty God is with us IN our frustrations and difficulties.  There is a Godly peace in the storm of life.

We may be beaten down and frustrated, but we do not despair.  For there is Hope!

  And that is something that  brings out the optimist side of me.

Thanks for your ongoing care and prayers for our family,

~Sandy

 

Because the moment will be gone in a flash……….

The Moment….the present, the here and NOW. I notice more and more how important the present time is to all of us.

This is our time, our time to cherish, relish, and make the best of our life and situation.

But…………..I can assure you that does not always happen.

Emotions can get in the way and seem to consume us.  Frustrations seem bigger.  Suddenly out of nowhere, tears begin to surface.  Anger rears it’s ugly head.  Teenage emotions/hormones suddenly erupt into the chaos of the moment.

Alzheimer’s is not a pretty disease.  It robs you of so much more than just memories.  It steals your motivation, your confidence, your ability to reason.

There are good days, difficult moments, frustrating times…….BUT through it all we are a family!  And we need to support, pray for and help each other along this difficult journey.

And that is where Ashley came to our rescue!

This wonderful young lady took some amazing family photos for us.  They capture US…..our goofiness, silliness, humor and LOVE.

These pictures are so much more than just a nice family picture.  They represent

our unity

the struggles we face TOGETHER

our LOVE for each other

a moment in time

So please allow me to indulge you in some of these memory makers.  They mean so much to me!

This was taken at the church we got married at over 22 years ago.

Standing ON TOP of the high school baseball dug out.

My big baseball boy…I really love these shots, they capture Tyler!

My sweet  girl…looking so much older than 14!

Me and my girl Madi…..do you see the Amish buggy that was going by in the background!?  I just love this pic.

The woods behind our house…..always one of my favorite places.  It’s so peaceful and calm back there.  A refuge from

the storm of life!

Yes we ARE A FAMILY!

Thank you Ashley…..isn’t she the greatest.  And such a beautiful young lady!

For more pics PLEASE check out Ashley’s photography blog, she did such a nice write up on our family and you can also see more family pics.

I borrowed the name of her blog for the title of this post.

Check out her site by clicking the link below.

Because the moment will be gone in a flash.

Thank You Ashley for giving us the gift of a memory

a photo

 

Friday Fave Five

It has been FOREVER since I have done a Friday Fave Five………and as I sip a little coffee on my deck this morning, I was thinking today would be a great day to do it!

Although I must say I really can not confine the Fave Five to just one week.  So please allow me to indulge you in Five Faves of the summer!

It really has been a memory making summer, with all the traveling we have been doing, this summer will surely be implanted in the archives of our memories for a long time.  It’s seems so surreal in a way that we can have such a fun, family time together, but on the other hand we are still dealing with the horrors of Alzheimer’s disease on a daily basis.  Sometimes life just seems so normal.  But those little things like helping Curt order from a menu ( he has trouble finding what he wants, all the info on a menu can be confusing for him), or showing him which way his debit card goes into the card reader at the gas pump, these things remind me of what we are daily dealing with.  And I share them with you to give you a glimpse of how this disease can rob your mind of such simple daily tasks!

But alas some faves from the SUMMER!

My favorite destination by far was Atlanta, Ga.  Such a modern city filled with much of that good ole southern hospitality.  Now I must admit even though I had a strong affinity for the city I did not relish driving the 8 lane beltway around the city!

We enjoyed the Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta.  You can see my boy running around the cool fountain with out a shirt on!

We also loved all the Southern cooking, and a visit to the Passion City Church, led my Louie Giglio and worship leader Chris Tomlin.  Let me tell ya, they know how to rock a church service!!  We all loved it! 

Here is a pic of Curt and I outside another fine southern restaurant called Mary Mac’s Tea Room….here you could enjoy such southern dishes as Pot Licker soup, Sweet Potato Souffle, Fried Chicken, Tomato Pie, and plenty of Sweet Tea.

Spending time with family was another bonus to all this traveling!!  Check out all the family members we got to see!!

Here is most of Curt’s side of the family together in Dayton, Oh.  Visiting with family has been such a special blessing and cherished time in the chaos of a busy summer.

And Tyler with both of his lovely Grandma’s!!  Got to love these grandmas so willing and eager to have their 6’4 giant of a grandson swing his sweaty arm around their shoulders or stand next to this smelly, sweaty boy!

And dear Madi out shopping with her Aunt at the Easton Mall in Columbus, Oh

I watched endless hours of baseball in some serious heat and 95+ degree weather.  But once you get over worrying about how you look, and just accept the fact that you are a sweaty mess, it’s all good.  I really do love watching the games!!  Love when Tyler does well, stress when he struggles, but wouldn’t miss a minute of it!

Love this picture Curt took of Tyler sliding home to score!!

Getting off the beaten path makes life so interesting also.  While in the Charlottesville, Va after a game one day we followed signs to a peach orchard that sprawled out on the top of a mountain.  We loved the views and the peach ice cream and cider!

And lastly…HOME.  I relish the downtime of time on our deck and relaxing in these chairs at home!!!!

For more Friday Fave Five please visit Susanne at Living to Tell the Story

 

HOME!!!!

My alarm on my phone went off loudly playing some catchy ringtone at 6:30 am yesterday.  I hit the snooze button…..weary and tired, not wanting to get up.  But then I remembered………..we are going HOME today!!!!  Suddenly, I was inspired, turned off the snooze, made a beeline for the coffee, then woke up the rest of the family.  Get up…..time to go HOME!!!

Yes it has been a crazy summer, so much traveling.  I have been in 9 states, some great American cities, like Atlanta, GA, Charlotte, NC and Columbus, OH.  Drove the 8 lane beltways around those great cities, endured construction, bad coffee, heat, and lots of McDonalds food (love their new Mango/Pineapple smoothie btw), and used lots of those tiny bottles of shampoo and conditioner!

But yesterday the motivation to get HOME is what got me going at 6:30am!

I have been gone for long, extended weekends since my last day of school on June 18th………But now we finally catch a break.  Don’t get me wrong, our travels have been fun in many ways, but also stressful…..surely not relaxing.  So today I am simply thankful to be home, enjoying the simple pleasure of watering my flowers on the deck, watching the birds at the bird feeder, sipping a cup of coffee on the deck, sleeping in my own comfy bed. 

HOME a refuge in the storm of life!

Yet, there is even a greater refuge than home………

This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.

Psalm 91:1-2

And that Refuge is what keeps me going!!

More updates to come…..now that I am home, I hope to update this blog more often.  Lots of pics of our adventures and an update on how Curt is doing. 

 

Lessons learned on the Road…..

So as you know we have been on the road a great deal this summer for Tyler’s baseball team.  And first of all I am VERY thankful for this picture!

Yep that is my boy with his driver’s license!  With all the driving we are doing this summer, it’s so nice to have another “official driver!”

So what I have been learning on the road of life this summer……….

iPods are great for traveling.  Everyone can crank up their own music to pass the time!

Sheetz is taking over the East Coast!  I have seen more BRAND NEW Sheetz stores along the highways than you can imagine.  But I must admit their coffee ain’t too bad, so I am cool with their take over.

Arby’s is just too expensive for a decent lunch.  On the other hand McD’s is very reasonable and Madi and I love their salads!

Curt is doing amazing well with all this traveling!  So much change for my sweet Early Onset Alzheimer’s guy, but he is packed and ready to go on time (which is at 6:15 am some days!).

There are way too many trucks on 81 South through Pa, Va.

All hotels should have continental breakfasts!

It’s neat to see the 3 crosses this man has installed all across the highways of America!!

That no matter where I may be, it’s always nice to have my own pillow with me!

It’s fun to get off the beaten path a bit and see the small towns of America!  Look what we found while traveling through VA.

And much to my surprise, all this traveling is not too bad.  We are enjoying precious time as a family together.   I’ve had more one on one conversations with my kids while driving or just hanging in our hotel rooms together then I have in the last 6 months!

We are a family, through the good and the bad, we are a family!  I am learning this summer not to feel sorry for myself and our situation…but live this life and savor the time we have with Curt.  I can assure you that is not always easy, some days it’s so emotionally draining.  I hate seeing Curt struggle with simple tasks, like putting in the ear buds of his iPod the right way (another example of those elusive spatial issues that are so difficult for him), or not being able to get the plastic lid on his soda cup right.  I hate seeing his ability to reason diminish,  and I hate seeing the kids get so frustrated with him.

But we press on. We live. We savor.  And we ask God to guide us daily!

My dear sister in law sent this to me the other day.  It seems to capture the attitude I am working on.

I’m reading Holding on To Hope  by Nancy Guthrie..a book on suffering.  A lot of these issues you may not even deal with but this section encouraged me about your situation and I hope it encourages you in some way too.

Here goes:

    He (Job) recognized that the process of understanding, of answering the question “Why?” would not be complete in this lifetime –

that only in the life to come, in the presence of God, would it all become clear.  And Job kept walking in the darkness.

    Would you be willing to stop asking, “Why?” and begin asking, “For what purpose?”

    Would you take comfort and find confidence in knowing that although the purpose in your suffering may be unseen,

God does have a purpose, and part of that purpose is to display His work in your life?

    Would you look beyond this life and embrace the Redeemer, who will take the pieces of your life

 and transform them into something beautiful if you invite him to do so?

I am learning to stop asking Why!

This was taken at the top of a beautiful peach orchard, near Charlottsville, Va.  We were a sweaty bunch and Tyler had just come from a game.  But who could resist fresh peaches and a great view!