October 19, 2004

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  Thank God September is Over     I know, it looks like I fell off the planet. I can't believe it has been a month and a half since I last posted !   Hint: Never EVER admit that "Wow...things are pretty calm right now!" Don't say it out loud. Don't write it down. Don't even THINK it. The last week of August I was walking in my backyard, enjoying the way the wind blew the leaves on the trees, the smell of fresh mown grass, the birdsong...and I thought "Wow...things are pretty calm right now. No drama, no tragedies, very little stressors." My immediate next thought was " Oh no, why did I even THINK that?  Its the calm before the storm. " I was right, unfortunately.... p   Let's see if I can make a long story succinct: one of my close friends, over the last 2 months, found out her husband has addictions, hasn't paid the mortgage or any other bills, has been lying, and doing who knows what else, and lost their home and vehicles to the finance companies. She and her two children stayed with us as a transition while things were getting straightened out. That was about .. oh a month? 5 weeks? they stayed with us. Between searching help for her with legal fees, housing, getting things moved and packed, etc. life just went waaaayyy crazy for a while.  Then, during this whole thing with my friend and her wacked out husband *ok, I know that is mean, I do have compassion but the stuff this man pulled you just wouldn't believe...I won't get started on it or I won't stop* my 14 year old dog became deathly ill with pancreatitis following getting into a large amount of candy. She did better for about a week, then in the space of 4 hours one Thursday night she started dying. We rushed her to the emergency vet, but she was in toxic shock, her system went septic, she vomited and aspirated some of it, it just goes on and on. I lost it in the vet's office, causing the vet tech, the vet and another assistant to all lose it. After they gave her some meds to treat her pain and it didn't help, her heart started to fail. She was lying there crying in pain, starting to go into arrest mode... I told the vet *not calmly or lucidly trust me* to give her the shot and stop her breathing...she was dying painfully and I couldn't stand by and let it happen slowly. My husband had gone home to bring our daughter when we realized Kylea wasn't going to make it. They didn't make it back until after she was gone, but Brenna was able to say goodbye to Kylea, and that was necessary. I had Kylea cremated and I have her ashes in a beautiful carved top wood box that I am going to get an engraved plaque for.    I miss my Kylea... my heart was broken that night and it is still so raw and empty without her around.   God needed an especially loving and special girl at his feet, so He called my baby home.     Rest in His arms til we are together again, my smiley girl..          Kylea Brennea Jones July 17, 1990 - September 17, 2004       OK...lesee...also during this time we switched from the main church to the church plant that was started from our church earlier this year. While we have been hugely involved with the church for quite a while, the church plant was started in our part of the county, and the Lord was pointing us in that direction to help with the church plant. We are helping with the Worship Team, and I have also been helping with PowerPoint Presentations, and am about to help with some layout work and a church directory. Always handy to have a techno-geek about! *G   While the move to the church plant wasn't stressful, I was finishing up the work on the church directory from where we had been and there was a LOT of work involved in that. It looks great though! There is also a period of grieving and loss, of mourning I suppose you could call it,  because a lot of people from Grace I won't see hardly even, just because of where we live in relation to where others do. I am not sad about moving, because I know God has good things in store, but I am sad about those who I won't see anymore.   We started homeschooling in September also. No big problems with that, although, of course, it takes a while to get into a routine again, and we have had a few days where I had to lay the law down about having the right attitude *ahh..the tween years...ARGH*.   We had the house appraised *lots of work getting all the schtuff down for that*, got the loan; bought Michael and new-used car, got rid of the old one; had appraisals done for getting the roof patched, had that done, $10,000 later the roof looks AWESOME, is water tight and we are good to go with the slate roof for the next 80 years *ok, a few fixes here or there but it is good to go for a long while*; had a friend measure the garage so it can be finished off and my studio put in; have been to several stores to find a new front door and back door for the house.   I think that was the bulk of the big things in September. Very stressful. There were a few other things in there, but I think this is long enough for today.   Through it all, I have felt the presence of the Lord. He has been beside me when I needed him, walked before me and made the way straight, held my hand, been my guide and my strength. Without Him I wouldn't have made it through a rough month. With Him, I could just hand it over to Him, knowing that He has GOOD planned for me! Otherwise, I would have been a basket case. Instead, I just shook my head and said "Ok Lord, this day is yours...be my guide!"   More coming soon...there is more than a month to catch up on...

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