This has been a year that has given our family moments of greatest joy as well as deep sadness. It has been a busy year—at times exhausting.
We started 2009 with the early arrival of a new granddaugher, Zoe, on January 25. We drove to St. Louis that Sunday evening through light falling snow, singing our praises to God for the wonderful gift He had just added to our family. (Singing also helped us stay awake.) We arrived around 3 AM and were able to get into the hospital for a brief visit with our daughter and her husband and their new little “bundle of joy”.
We stayed in St. Louis to help out with our grandson and the new baby for three weeks; however, while we were there my phone calls home to my mom left us very concerned. She was having trouble sleeping at nights and was having some problems breathing properly. Mom had received a pacemaker a couple of years before, and at that time it was discovered that a couple of the valves to her heart were leaking badly, and at her age could not be surgically repaired. As the year went on she had good times and some pretty bad times due to fluid retainage which also affected her ability to breath properly, especially when lying down. Often she would wake up in a panic because she couldn’t get her breath and then, I think, was afraid to sleep.
She had a goal though, and that was to be able to go to our son's wedding in May. She made her goal even though by then she needed a walker or wheel chair to get around. Their wedding was a wonderful day for us all, and we not only added a lovely daughter-in-law to our family but also two wonderful step-granddaughters, ages 13 and 10.
Mom did pretty well off and on during the summer but by early fall she was in the hospital a couple of times. The doctor indicated she probably would not be getting better, but she had two goals—one to make it to her 94th birthday on October 12 and the other to Mom and Dad’s 75th Wedding Anniversary on November 29. When her birthday was near, Dad asked her what she wanted for her birthday. She said 94 red roses. Much to her surprise, she ended up with 96 roses collectively from her family. She was able to go home from the hospital on her birthday and she was surrounded in her room by all those beautiful flowers.
Sadly, she was just a little short of her second goal, because she went home to her Heavenly Father on the morning of November 6. We will all miss her this Christmas, but this year she will be spending her First Christmas in Heaven with Jesus. It can’t get any better than that!
My Dad is living with us right now; however, after the first of the year he will be moving to an Assisted Living apartment. At 97 ½ he does amazingly well for his age. He is a little tentative about this new experience so your prayers for him and his adjustment would be most appreciated. We still have lots to do in going through 75 years worth of accumulated possessions at their house….We could use your prayers too!
Blessings and Best Wishes to you all for a Wonderful Christmas and a Good New Year!
Silent Night, Holy Night
