Thanks

Many thanks for the kind comments posted on Facebook and my blog regarding the Queen's passing. We had the service yesterday and shared a few tears and giggles over the life of a woman that had lived 98 years. Mother has lived during 7 wars, 17 presidents, the Great Depression, and gone from horse and buggy days to space exploration. I learned that in the year she was born the average life expectancy was 38 years. My kids heard that their grandmother was a Sunday School teacher, Master Gardner, accomplished artists and crafter, teacher of art at the Women's prison, and a professional business woman with her own business. Her pastor of many years spoke of Mother's love for the Lord and the contributions she had made to the church. It was summed up that Mother was met at Heaven's Gate with a Golden day lily and was already digging in Heaven's flower gardens. We will certainly miss her but rejoice in the fact that she is now healthy and strong again. She fought a hard battle the last few months but is reaping the rewards now. Love you Queen!

Tonight after a 20 month struggle against the effects of a stroke, Mother passed away at the age of 98. Several years ago I nicknamed her "Queen" and the name was soon taken up by the staff, where she has lived for the last 17 months, as they addressed Mother. I have been really touched the last few weeks as it became obvious that she would soon be leaving us by how kind the staff was to her. Several members of the staff have said on more then one occassion that she was a favorite. She never complained nor was she demanding to the staff, and somehow had managed to find contentment in where she was at that stage of life. That is not to say that she never asked to go home because she did on more then one occassion, but she always had a smile when anyone would speak to her.

A sweet memory of the Queen I have of a really sad time is last night I walked around the corner of the bed to check her and she actually said "Boo!" I was shocked and sat down beside her and asked "Did you just boo me?" and she smiled. Her CNA came in the room moments later to check on us and asked how she was, and when I told her she just booed me Mother gave me the biggest grin. A true priceless moment!

My Mom and Dad have both left us now, and while my heart is heavy tonight at Mother's passing I praise God that she is no longer suffering and is now walking in Heaven and smelling the flowers with those that have gone ahead. I can hear her now going "ohh eee look at the beautiful flowers!" Just hope she is not driving as she is admiring the flowers!!!

Below are a few favorite pictures of the Queen and Pop!




50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration



The end of a long night!



50 years together must have been ok!?!



All dressed up and ready to party!




Cooking together in Trinidad for the boys of St. Dominic's


Enroute to Maracas Beach in Trinidad



First tourist stop during their visit to Trinidad


This has always been one of my favorite pictures of my Mom and Dad. It was the first morning in Trinidad and they were up and drinking coffee by 5 AM. Would love to know what he was saying to her! Wonder what the Queen's first morning in Heaven is like?

Time Flys When You Are Having Fun Part Two

The day after our Moscow reunion we headed towards Texas to spend some time with Wyatt while his folks were away on business.

Like all good grandparents we dropped mom and dad off at the airport and headed straight to Chuck E Cheese.

Saturday morning we set off for the Children's Museum in San Antonino where Wyatt seemed to believe he was about four years old!

Sunday morning was a shopping trip to the outlet stores, and in the afternoon we headed towards Round Rock, Texas to meet Susan and Artem for dinner. Let's just say that I hope Wyatt grows up and has Artem's manners!

Such sweet boys!
Monday we set off for Sea World and had a blast! They had the neatest sprinkler area and of course I had to follow Wyatt in.

There was really no need as the little guy never turned around once to see if I was near by. Ron had duty on the playground and once again our little man was off and running. It was a great day!

Tuesday afternoon we went to the local pool where we quickly discovered Wyatt had no fear of the water. The pool is not a "do-over" for us!

Wednesday we stayed in the area and just enjoyed watching Wyatt explore. Lots of play time, trips to Burger King/McDonalds, shopping and enjoying seeing life through the eyes of an eighteen month old toddler that kept us on our toes. Sweet memories that we recalled on the 840 mile car trip home!

If you could not tell, Ron and I are totally Gobsmacked over our little guy and really enjoyed our time in Texas!

A quick stop at home to cut the grass and attend a wedding and we were off again to move Ashley from Nashville to Kingsport Tennessee. Wonder when Ron ever had time to work!!!

Time Flies When You Are Having Fun Part One!

In the cold, rainy days of winter Ron and I had an idea to host a mini Moscow Adoptive Family Reunion here at our home in Alabama. After all we were kinda centrally located between several families and there is nothing we enjoy more then hosting events here at our home. So, during the first weekend of June we hosted what I hope will become an annual event, and that it will grow to include more of the wonderful families we met while in Moscow. These are the true faces of Russian adoption and it was a pleasure to have these families in our home.



You would be hard pressed to find four little boys that could be any sweeter then these little guys.




They all got along so well and we were hopelessly in love with all of them before the weekend ended.


The first weekend in June worked well this year so pencil it in for 2011 for the second annual Moscow Adoptive Family Reunion "Do-Over!" Hopefully, the fish will be biting again!



Thanks Susan for the wonderful pictures!

LIVING THE RETIRED LIFE IN ALABAMA

Ron has nicknamed me the "Social Butterfly" as I really enjoy hosting events here at our home. In April, we had around 25 people in for a Easter Meal

and we got to show off the grandbaby.



Andy and Kasey were really good sports about the doting grandparents, and took pictures of this old gal doing the bunny hop with Wyatt on Easter morning


May was here before we could blink our eyes and we hosted 20+plus classmates from Ron's graduating class. We even convinced a few couples to bare their family secrets in a home style version of the Newlywed Game!



June has arrived, and today our niece chose Nasha Dacha for her Bridal shoot. Isn't she beautiful!



This weekend we are so excited to host a mini reunion. Our guests have all been here and none of them work for BP!


Can you tell we are enjoying retirement?!?

THE THINGS WE DO FOR A SMILE FROM A CHILD


Recently I was asked to update my blog with pictures of our grandbaby so I am more then happy to accomplish that at this point. Tonight Ashley called and asked that I put out a prayer request for little Tristen who was born several weeks early to young parents that lost a baby a couple of years ago to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Ashley said that she believed people that read my blog loved babies and were Christians so I am more then happy to lift this child up in prayer.

It got me to thinking how blessed we were to have two children born with no health issues and now a young grandson that just lights up our world with his smile.



Thank you Lord for all your blessings and for the health of our children and grandbaby. I lift up Tristen for healing and protection and I pray especially for his parents that they feel Your love and protection at this time. May Tristen grow strong and healthy in order to bring a smile to his grandparents heart as they see him grow. I pray that the family will have many wonderful holidays with this precious baby. In Jesus name....Amen



Thanks Susan for the idea of the bunny tracks. Wyatt loved them!



Four Generations on Easter Sunday

What a week it has been. First the heartbreaking story of the Tennessee resident that sent her child back to Russia. I just can not get my mind around such behavior. Personally, we know of at least 21 children that are now living in the states with loving families, and love reading their blogs and seeing pictures of how they have blossomed since being in the states. For any of you not in the adoption circle please read this blog for some great insight on adoption This whole story just breaks my heart...

Mother has been in a High/Low bed for several weeks now and I just hate it. Use of this bed has taken away her ability to turn herself as there are no rails on the bed. Apparently, they elevate her for meals and she fell out of the bed on Saturday. I don't understand how a bed with rails is considered restraints, but they can put a frail 97 years in a bed with no rails, elevate it for mealtime, and leave her unattended. This whole situation just breaks my heart...

Maybe next week will be better.

Have You Hugged a CNA/Nurse Today?

Mother has been in a nursing home for almost a year now and has been blessed with some amazing caregivers / CNA. These gals work non stop and really seem to care for their patients. Recently I was surprised to learn that in the state of Alabama there are no legal restrictions on the number of residents a Certified Nursing Assistant can be assigned per shift!?! A brief list of tasks these CNA's perform daily would look something like this:

1. Assist residents in/out of bed. This would include responsibity for being sure the bed linens are ok.
2. Assist with bathing needs of residents.
3. Assist many residents with putting on clean clothes for the day.
4. Deliver meal trays.
5. Assist with feeding residents meals.
6. Pick up meal trays.
7. Deliver fresh water and snacks.
8. Transport wheelchair-bound residents to/from group activities/dining hall.
9. Toilet/Offer to toilet each resident an average once every two hours (= 4 times per shift).
10. Charting patient info.

They have a huge and often thankless job, and I would just like to go on record in support of CNA's and a limit to the number of residents they can be assigned per shift. After all, they shoulder the main responsibility and care for some pretty precious people!

Three Things That Break My Heart

If I had to list three things that break my heart it would be 1) the orphan crisis, 2) poverty, and 3) the elderly. I have been reading MckMama blog this past week while they were in Kenya. Due to our international postings, Ron and I have seen first hand people living in poverty. One of my first memories of living in Cairo was a small child sleeping on a piece of cardboard while flies swarmed around the child. I remember a family of five living underneath the stairs of our first apartment building in Cairo, and the only toys the kids had were sticks and rocks. Ron tells me it is worse in places he has worked but I have not visited. I have seen the poverty MckMama wrote about in third world countries so I was not surprised at what they saw in the slums of Nairobi.

While in Trinidad, we were blessed with an opportunity to work with a local orphanage and sponsor a young boy named Ronald who was four years old when we first met. The houseparent was so supportive of efforts by the International Women's Club and we were even allowed to take the children out for visits. On our first visit with Ronald we went to McDonald's and we are sure it was his first trip to a restaurant. Ronald's first reaction when given the Happy Meal was to wait patiently for what we wanted him to do next instead of digging into the box for the toy. We remember that he consumed every drop of ketchup, but wrapped up half of his burger to take to his brother. (It was later that we realized what he was doing with half the burger.) It was very difficult saying goodbye to the boys when we left Trinidad, but I got a chance to surprise them and returned about 18 months later to check on them. Ronald is the one in the red and blue shirt and jean shorts.






Many of you have been to orphanages and are probably thinking this one does not look bad. I wish I had pictures of what it looked like when we first moved to Trinidad. Kudos to the drilling department in Trinidad and Tobago who worked with a young Eagle Scout candidate to paint the first floor of the orphanage. Also, the International Women's Club is responsible for the new floor on the first floor.

For me there are few things in life sadder then a nursing home. It's hard to believe that Mother is coming up on her one year anniversary as a resident of a nursing home. We try our best to get there daily around mealtimes to encourage her to eat something. Today when we arrived she was sitting at the table, had not touched her meal, and was sound asleep. Over the last few months we have watched her regress, and it's almost like she is forgetting the very basics of life. As I looked around the dining room I was saddened to see so many people struggling so hard with such a simple task as eating a meal. Today in that dining hall, I realized what MckMama was saying about taking things for granted. As Americans we live such a blessed life, and my struggles pale when compared to those living in third world countries, or the elderly in a nursing home.

I also liked the point MckMama raised upon returning home about her children and what we are teaching our children in regard to such things as orphan crises, poverty, and the elderly. Andy and Ashley both got to visit the children in the orphanage in Trinidad, and it's my prayer that it impacted them to the point that they have a heart for the needs of others. They witnessed the poverty as they traveled with us. Although our children are now grown and on their own, I believe they are quietly watching our reactions and support of things like orphans, poverty and the eldery. It does not matter if our children are toddlers or young adults, they watch and observe their parents. So for now, we will continue to care for Mother the best we can and although we do not feel called to adopt we can support the orphan crises in other ways. We will respond because it's the right thing to do, and because these faces are also watching us even though they are adults. How about you? What breaks your heart?


I

CHANGES IN LIFE

A really sweet gal that is still in Moscow recently left a comment on Facebook about how difficult it was waiting for news as to their next assignment. Wow! I really could relate to where she is coming from as limbo is just terrible. We are coming up on the two year anniversary of BP shutting down in Russia and I am just beginning to realize why we left. Ron and I loved living in Moscow and meeting couples coming to Russia to adopt was definitely a highlight. Without a doubt, Russia was our favorite overseas posting and we will always have a special place in our heart for the country.

These pictures below show why is was time for us to leave the place we loved and move on to the next chapter is our lives. While we hated to leave I would not trade the opportunities that have unfolded here since we have returned to the states.

We recently got to keep Wyatt while his folks attended a CE class. It was a blast!


Wyatt loves to play in the car.

This is one of my favorties as Wyatt has the biggest grin on his face.

Sorry Andy and Kasey I did not get any pictures of you guys this trip



Touring in Nashville and lunch at the Wild Horse Salon with Ashley



Elvis recorded in this studio and played this very piano. This piano is one of the few items Elvis was never able to buy according to the tour guide.



Ron just returned from taking his Mom to see family in Oklahoma. The smile on her face is priceless as she hugs her two grandsons.

Have I mentioned that we are loving retirement life?!?!?!?



Eric has given me permission to ask for prayers for him as he battles cancer. Eric and his Dad will be traveling to MD Anderson this week for testing, and I covet your prayers for this very special young man. Eric reads this blog and I know he would appreciate your prayers.

So to one of the most positive people I know - enjoy the time you have left in Moscow and I look forward to hearing about the new adventures in your family! Eric - you are in our thoughts and prayers as you travel this week.

We Are Not Promised A Rose Garden In Life

Ron and I recently saw a bumper sticker that stated "I AM TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED"
We loved it, and made a deal that when we found one it would soon go on one of our vehicles.

Today, along with my brother and sister, I signed a paper that basically stated that we did not want a feeding tube for Mother who is now down to 97 lbs. Deep in my heart I know it is the right thing to do, but it still hurts to write it down in black and white. Mother had signed a paper years ago stating that she did not want artificial feeding so that eased the pain a little knowing that we are following her wishes. I know I would not want a feeding tube if I was in her current condition, but it still hurts to see her like this.

Without a doubt, we have led a blessed life in that we have two wonderful adult chlidren that are happy and engaged in life, we have traveled to places I could only read about as a child, met some amazing people that we treasure deeply, and most of all we have our trust and faith that God will not abandon us. Our grandson, Wyatt, has our heart in the palm of his little hand and we just love him to pieces.




This has not been an easy week for our family due to several different medical issues, but we believe that God is in control and no matter the outcome of any medical issues we will praise His name!


Ron's Mom is the redhead and the Queen has the dark hair

Do me a favor - if your Mom/Dad is alive give them a call soon and tell them that you love them. So, we are not promised that life will always be a bed of roses or stress free but with God by our sides life is always a garden of blessings!

Roll Tide

We did not get much snow today in Alabama, but the Crimson Tide is bringing home the National Championship. The last championship won by Alabama was in 1992 so it has been a long time coming. I think The Bear would be proud tonight!

Roll Tide!