Family Ties

One of my brothers just had a birthday. I teased him that he was getting as old as me! Like that will ever happen! Last month my Mom had a birthday. I have really been missing her a lot lately. I wish I could have her here just one more day. There is so much I want to share with her. It's hard as you get older to see your family separated (by miles and by decisions they make along the way). It is scary to be the oldest one left in my family and scary to think that I am supposed to have all this wisdom because I have lived so much longer than the rest of the family. It is totally not true! I try to stay on top of things and be aware of current events, etc, but when the day is over, I just want to go to bed! I hope my children and grandchildren appreciate life and all it has to offer. We have so many blessings but sometimes we take them for granted and we really have to look hard to realize what they are. Counting our blessings helps us to focus on the positive. There are so many negative things in the world today, we need to stay focused on the good things. When my late husband and I lived in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, we witnessed some of the most gorgeous sunrises you could ever imagine. We moved to Arizona in Febuary of 1967 and we have witnessed so many gorgeous sunsets together and I continue to think of him whenever I see one. With technology being what it is today, it is a great time to be alive. We went from Beepers (yes beepers), then car phones, and now cells phones, tablets, laptops, etc. There was a time when a computer took up the whole room. Who knew we would one day have them in most homes and on laptops that you can take with you. You can access your information from your computer by your cell phone and you can carry it in your pocket. We can literally communicate with anyone any where in the world! That is totally awesome! We really do have so much to be thankful for. My grandchildren are computer and technology smart. There is not a time that they have not been with out it. They can sure teach their old Nana a trick or two. It's a wonderful world and a wonderful time to live in it! I, for one, am very grateful for all the blessings that I have personally received. I am grateful that my family is protected and looked after. I am grateful that we enjoy good health and are able to take care of ourselves financially. I love my grandchildren. They are extension of their parents. It's like having your babies all over again except this time, someone else gets to raise them! They are part of my life and together we enjoy the family ties that bind us together for eternity. I am thankful for my "Forever" family. Yes. . . . .I am a thankful Nana.

The Initial Crash Scene!

CRASH PICTURES

Here are some pictures from the crash. It is a miracle that they escaped with their lives!

My Son

My son, James, his wife, Heidi, and their son, Atticus, were on their way to go hiking in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, June 20, 2012, when a guy came down the canyon on the wrong side of the road and hit them head on! My son received several bruises and some cracked ribs, his son was in his car seat and escaped with no injuries. His wife had to have surgery on her leg and ankle and will spend weeks if not months to recover. But the bottom line is that they survived what could have very easily been a fatal accident. I am thankful to my Heavenly Father that he watched over them and protected them.When my son began telling me what had happened over the phone, I started crying. He said, "I didn't want to upset you Mom." I told him that they were tears of joy that they were going to be OK. I don't think people understand how fragile life really is. It can be wiped out in an instance. I could have lost my son and his family, but thank goodness I didn't. They are special people and have so much love to give. I am so thankful that we will continue to have them in our lives. There would have been such a hole in our hearts and lives if we had lost them. Love you guys so very much!

A Sad Year

A year ago today, my son-in-law took his own life. I can hardly believe it has been a year! Unbelieveable to me but such a reality to my sweet daughter and her family, left behind with questions unanswered and unimaginable sorrow and emptiness that only time can help heal. I look back and wonder what could we, the family,have done to avoid this. We were all so clueless to the depths of his depression. Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of. Lots of people suffer with it, but quite a few of them suffer in silence. In their minds it is a sort of weakness and they want to hide it from the very people who love them and want to help them. I truly feel this was the case with Sean. He didn't want anyone to know how he suffered so he suffered in silence. There is medication to help with this but he thought he could control it without the medication. Obviously he was mistaken. Without the medication, it completely consumed him until he could see no way to escape the pain he felt except to end his earthly life. Such a waste. I hope we can all learn a valuable lesson from this experience. If we or someone we know suffers from depression, no matter how light we may think it is, we need to encourage them to get the help and medication they need so as to avoid losing them. We love Sean and miss him. He was a great guy and loved his family. But the bottom line was this: He had a mental sickness that completely took over his life. It consumed him and squeezed out the light in him until there was nothing left. He felt alone and abandoned and didn't know how to fight it and didn't have the strength to fight it any more. We must always do everything we can in this life to make sure that we and our loved ones know of our love for them and reach out to them to help ease the burdens they carry. We love you Sean!

OK then. . . .

It is now March and I am getting ready to go on Medicare!!! Can you believe it? Me neither! I see how I look on the outside, but I swear I don't feel that old on the inside! I can't believe how fast time slips by. It seems like yesterday when my 5 children were all home and going to school and now they are all grown with children of their own! I tell you that when you blink your eyes the world has changed and sometimes it feels like it is all falling down around you. It is times like this that I am thankful to a loving Heavenly Father who keeps a watchful eye on us and helps us as we stumble here in this mortal life. With the things going on around us both in our country and worldwide, it is down right scary. It is my faith and religion that keeps me going and helps me cope with the struggles and challenges I have. I hope that everyone can feel the love of their Heavenly Father and as he wraps his arms around us and shields us from the pitfalls that beckon us. I love my children. They are my world. I want the very best for them and my grandchildren. I love and miss my eternal companion and long for the day I can join him. Until then, I am blessed with a wonderful man to be my earthly companion. He is there for me and I do love and appreciate him.

A New Year! 2012

It's January 2012 and a new year has started. Have you ever wondered what happens to all the time that has past? I mean it seems like yesterday I was holding my sweet little grandbabies and now they are teenagers! I ask you, where was I when all the changes were taking place? You know we take so much for granted. . . .our time. . . .our health. . . .our families. . . .our homes. . . . and even our jobs. Everything is a blessing from Heavenly Father. Each day we are granted the privilege of being on this earth is a blessing. I think at the beginning of this new year we need to think what is most important in our life. It is important to love our families and be there for one another. It is important that we make time for one another. Life is short and none of us know when our time here is going to be up. So it behooves each of us to do the best we can with what we have. That is what my mother taught me and I believe it. Choose to be happy and show it in everything you do. I want my grand children to remember me as their Nana who loved them more than anything. And I want them to remember that I was a happy person. Nothing else really matters.