Ah, The Joys of Growing Older

I turned 59 today. . .yikes, how can that be???  It seems like it was only yesterday I was sitting in Mr. Dimaro's high school humanities class figuring out how old I'd be in the year 2000.  Back when there were no prescription bottles in the cupboard with my name one them.

Growing older is not fun sometimes.  But I guess its better than the alternative.  I can wait a while longer to meet Jesus face to face.

Too much weight, bad eating habits, did smoke until about 22 years ago when a certain 5 year old, Dan my nephew, asked me how he could grow up if I wasn't around?  Stopped cold turkey, never had another cigarette.

Now I take blood pressure medicine and Acid Reflux medicine.  Tomorrow I get to experience a stress test.  Oh joy.  Been a little short of breath and the doctor wants to make sure all that is needed is an adjustment on my meds. 

This is a wake up call for me.  Get the test out of the way and this old girl is going to get healthy.  I have two very good reasons.  My great niece Riley and my great nephew Oliver, the two loves of my life.  I want them to have to put up with me as an old woman.  :)

Riley Ann Hunt

This beautiful little girl is my great niece (yikes makes me sound old) Riley. Dan and Aubree's little girl. And yes, she has her aunt Barb securely wrapped around her little finger. She was born on July 2nd 2011, my mom's birthday, is recognizing faces, can make you laugh in a heartbeat, learning how to do raspberry sound, though most of the time she just spits:)rolling over, trying to get her toe in her mouth, is fascinated with her fingers, and Molly's ears.
What a joy!





She is a Greenbay Packer fan in training and before dinner Riley sat with her aunt Barb and helped cheer on the Packers Thanksgiving day.

Moving - What Stress Indeed

I like my home neat and orderly. I'm not a neat freak, but messy makes me tired. My only outlet is my desk. Captain Chaos reigns there.
We are moving, this Saturday to be exact. A little bigger house, designed as a house should be. This is the first time in 8 years that I won't have a common wall with the kitchen and refrigerator with an ice maker. . .cycle on, cycle off, dump ice, dump ice all night long. A smaller yard with no evergreen trees! The woman who built the house we live in yearned for Colorado and tried to make the back yard look like Rocky Mt National Park!
I had forgotten how much I hate packing and sorting.

Has it really been a year?

I am blessed to be part a large family. My mom, a get up and go 82 year old, is the oldest of 13. Most of my favorite memories revolve around the family holidays, and family camping trips. The last Christmas we were all together there were 56 of us. That was before Grandma and Grandpa died and the great grandkids started to come on the scene. I really miss the family functions that seem to evaporate once the grandparents are gone. We had a yearly family reunion, but it was never the same.

This year the family reunion was was to be on the third weekend in July, but we cancelled. None us had the heart to have one. In June my Uncle Jim Flanery died. He had been in failing health for several years, but it didn't make it any easier.

Then the last of July my aunt Shirley died. Like my Uncle Jim she had been in failing health for years, didn't make that any eaiser either.


My aunt marge had a surprise (not) 80th birthday party for my Uncle Bill on July 8th. What a grand time for all who attended. When we left Bill told me he loved me. I can't think of a time he ever told me that. My uncle Bill died unexpectedly three days later. He was my rock, He was a good man, He was always there. My world is a little less secure without him. I know he is with Jesus, and I take great comfort in that. But my human heart aches with the loss.

Barb

The Return of the Case of Missing Brains

Yep, happened again, missing brains all around!
Here is Dan with bucket number 5
Fireworks and buckets, go figure

God Bless the U.S.A

God, mountains and the 3 Stooges

The new photo is of the front range in Rocky Mountain National Park at sunset as seen from the moraine. No, I did not take this one. Talk about drop to you knees beauty. This is the place I am closest to God. The mountains refresh and recharge me. When I am there and witness to one of these breath taking displays I know God has his paint brush in hand. How do I know?
Beats me.
I just know that I know that I know.

I know God loves me more than anything else he created. He's not always crazy about some of the things I do, but He loves me none the less
I know He will always be with me.
I know He has a great sense of humor. Why else would he have put the idea for that paddle ball thing in someones brain???
I know He loves to laugh
I know He thinks the 3 stooges are funny.
I know He loves music. Have you ever wondered what would be in God's ipod?
I know He's a great writer - Best seller.
I know He loves my dog as much as I do.
I know. . .I could go on and on.
It boggles my mind that the God of all that is or ever will be shares my life, cares for me, helps me pick myself up with I fall and then He has no memory of why I fell in the first place. That He loves me so much, He wants to be a part of my life.
How do I know that? Beats me. . .I just know that I know that I know.

What are the special things about God that He shares with you?