It's A Wonderful Life!

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens Psalm 68:19

Today has been quiet – no crying at all! Mom slept all day and I was afraid she might not be able to sleep tonight, but I just got her into bed and she still seems pretty sleepy. She lies on the couch in the living room during the day because she wants to be in the same room that I am in during the daytime. Tonight when I asked her if she was ready to go to bed, she said she was and I got her medicine and went to help her up from the couch. When she lay down earlier, I had taken her house shoes off and set them on the floor beside the couch – where they would be easy to find later. I kept looking for the shoes, around the couch, under the couch and finally I said out loud, “well, I wonder where your shoes are?” She laughed a little and raised her pillow up and there they were! She had picked them up off the floor and put them underneath her pillow! I’m still not sure why – there probably is no logical reason, but I thought it was really funny! I’m glad when I laughed, she laughed too. Thankfully, she just fits herself into whatever situation is present at the moment and doesn't feel like she's being laughed at.
Yesterday, Candace (our youngest daughter) and her boys came over for a while and when they got ready to go home, I went outside to give hugs and kisses. I don’t stay out long, because Mother gets upset if I’m out of the room for long. When I came back in, she as crying. She said she was glad my family comes to see me, but she wishes she could see her family, too. Jimmy and Ethan (my youngest brother and his son) had just been down that morning, but she doesn’t remember for long when anyone comes to visit.
She asked me to call her Mom, but I told her I had Aunt Nelda’s (Mom’s sister) number and would she like for me to call her. She did and I called, but there was no answer. Aunt Nelda is always so gracious when I call her, even though Mom is usually upset and crying when she talks to her. Aunt Nelda called back in a little bit and I told her that Mom was having a hard time and just wanted to talk to her. Instead of talking to her on the phone, Aunt Nelda came out to the house and sat with her for a while.
It’s especially difficult for me, emotionally, when someone comes to see Mother. She is not able to carry on even a simple conversation anymore. She tries, but she can’t remember names of the people she’s talking about – or the name of the person she’s talking to, a lot of the time. She goes off on some wild story that makes no sense to anyone except to her, I guess. I walked Aunt Nelda out when she left, and the tears started to come then. She’s so sweet and I’m glad that she makes herself available to Mother and that she loves her so much. She hugged me and reminded me that even though it is difficult to see her this way, at least I still can hear her voice and I can still touch her and love her for a while longer.

I started this blog entry last night 10/27, but got knocked off-line and couldn’t finish it then. I am starting again this evening after a busy day!
Mom woke up about 1:45 am and I helped her to the bathroom and got her back in bed when she started crying. She was asking me the usual questions about her family – which family members are still alive and which ones are gone. I sat up with her for about an hour until she could calm down and go back to sleep. These are the times that are difficult – when she’s so sad.
Today was Addyson’s birthday party at their house in Norman. I baked her birthday cake yesterday and then got up this morning to decorate it. It turned out pretty good. When I was in high school, Mother and I took a cake decorating class together, but I had not tried to decorate a cake in a very long time. It was fun making her cake for today. Addy, like most little girls, loves Barbie dolls, so I made her a doll cake. When Elizabeth was little, she stayed with the same babysitter from the time she was four months old until she started school. Her babysitter was great and was like a second Mom to Elizabeth. Verna, the babysitter, decorated cakes and made all of the kids’ birthday cakes to send home with them for their birthday. She made Elizabeth a doll cake on her fourth birthday and I thought it would be fun for Addy to have one, also.




Candace had to work and asked me to take Levi and Joey with me to the party. Toni had to work also and had asked me to take Blake, too. I got an email from her this morning saying Blake had gone to the lake with Jeff, so I wouldn’t need to take him to the party. I am sorry he wasn’t able to go, but I think it’s nice that he spends time with Jeff. Jeannie came about 12:30 to sit with Mom so that we could go on down to Elizabeth’s because Jeannie had plans for the evening, so I had to be back in time for her to go to her function. Since we got there early, the kids were able to play together for a while before the party started.





The party was nice and Addy had a great time. She loved her cake, loved her gifts and loved all the attention lavished on her for her special day! I collect "I Love Lucy" dolls and Addy loves them and likes to look at all of them when she comes over. I don’t take them out of the box since they’re my collectibles, so I bought one of the dolls on ebay and gave it to her for her birthday.



She really liked it!

When I got home, Jeannie said Mom had a pretty good day – no crying or anxiety attacks. Well, I guess Mom saved it all up for me because shortly after Jeannie left, it started! She was confused and crying, wanting to go home. She thought I was her Aunt Flora and could not be convinced otherwise. She wanted a grocery sack to pack up some of her things so she could go home. This is happening more all the time – her believing that she lives with her Daddy and Mom and wanting to be either picked up by someone in her family or have one of us take her home.
I’m thankful she’s not able to walk very well anymore because I think she might try to walk “home”. She’s not able to walk or even stand without her walker, so I don’t have to worry about her wandering off.
She cried and carried on for about two hours – at times pretty vocal about her feelings regarding the fact that she could not go home and had to stay here! She finally calmed down and went to bed about 8:30. Since she didn’t sleep much today she should sleep well tonight.
My son-in-law, Michael, called last night to tell me I needed to update my blog. He said he needed one to read and catch up on Granny’s news. I told him I was working on the blog when he called! Michael is a great guy and I’m thankful he is in Elizabeth’s and Addy’s life. They make a great team.
The girls have all made good choices in the husbands they have – all good men! Their husbands’ work hard at their jobs, help out around the house (willingly), watch the kids by themselves when they’re needed and are just all around good men! I’m proud to call each one my son-in-law and my daughters’ husbands!
I am richly blessed and thank God for my wonderful life!

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:28,29

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 – 18