2017...What a start...

Strength...that is the word I chose for 2017. There are many reasons I chose this word to be my focus this year...mostly because I thought I would need to have strength and so far I have not been wrong. When I was thinking about which word I would choose I thought about all I knew my family was going to be going through throughout the year and I knew without a doubt I would need strength.

I would need strength to deal with my sister and her fight and journey through having terminal brain cancer. Her life has already changed in so many ways since she was diagnosed 9 months ago and I am sure there will be many more changes...some good and a lot not so good. She has times when she is understandably angry and a bit depressed...her personality has changed where she can be very mean to the people she is closest to. My mom and I are usually the targets. I need strength to not take the things she says to heart and be angry with her...I have to remember that it is her illness talking not her....it hurts but I need strength to let it go.

My parents are both 80 years old..my sister is living with them and I know it is taking a toll on them as well. I will need strength to help them not only physically but also emotionally through this journey. It is only the 4 of us in this town...both my brothers live in different places. They would certainly be here if needed but it is the day to day times that are the hardest.

I know that even though it seems like I can't handle all of this and that I am alone I am not. I know God is with me...He is with all of us. I have the focus word STRENGTH but I know that all the strength I need and have comes from Him.

I have needed quite a bit already. A month ago my mom and I were in a car accident. Mom broke her 3 ankle bones and had to have surgery. She was in the hospital a little over a week. I didn't have any ..broken bones but I was very bruised and hurt my back and chest a lot. I could hardly walk so I stayed at mom and dad's with dad and my sister to have them help me and then stayed another week when mom first came home to help with her. I didn't have to babysit for a month because Isaiah and my SIL went to Kenya (her home) so it worked out that I could heal and help out. My is in a wheelchair for probably 3 months...2 to go.

Well there you have it...all caught up. If you made it this far you are truly a friend and I thank you.

Oh and it is Valentine's Day so I wish for all of you LOVE ❤️. This is what Isaiah brought home from school today...one for me and one for his mom...now that is love!!❤️

A look back and a look ahead...

Hello friends...I figured since it was New Years Eve the name of this post was perfect. This Christmas season has found me mostly feeling horrible. The week before I had the flu on Monday and Tuesday...I babysat Wednesday and Thursday made cookies with my sister on Friday but didn't feel the best and then later Friday I really felt worse. I spent  Christmas  Eve alone but did go to my parents house to celebrate with my family on Christmas Day. I then went to the doctor the next day and I had bronchitis and severely swelling of my bronchial tubes. I got antibiotics, an inhaler, prednisone, and a nebulizer. I have been home ever since trying to get rid of this...I am feeling a little better but still coughing and wheezing. I am going pretty stir crazy. Hopefully I will feel much better soon...I took my last pills today so I should be finished with the illness too,right?
Looking back I thought I would share some of my Christmas decorations. I have always had a full size tree and my sister always helped me put it up and do the top decor...I am only 5 ft tall. So anyway with her not being able to help anymore I got a smaller tree. I looked at quite a few and I really love the one I ended up with.

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Looking ahead, I have done a lot of thinking about my word for 2017.. I have chosen my word and I will share it with you all soon. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that your New Year is filled with much peace, contentment, love, health and faith for you and your families.

Had to share...

Hello friends...Friends, I say that from the bottom of my heart. When I started blogging I never dreamed that I would meet so many special people and make so many new friends. I have enjoyed the swaps, the visits to your blogs and also when you visit and comment on my blog.

As I have shared with you my family is going through a very rough time right now. My only sister is battling terminal brain cancer. It is really tough trying to help out with her and yet keep making special memories. We are very close because we are only 13 months apart in age, are both single and both live in the same town. We are more than sisters, we are best friends.

Anyway this week I went to my mailbox and got a card the really touched my heart. It was a card from Danice (Homespun Hannah's) It said how she was keeping my sister and family in her prayers  and it also included a very uplifting bookmark.

It just really touched my heart that someone I just know from blogging took the time to do something so special! Thank you so very much Danice! May God Bless you!

A little autumn decor....

Well my thoughts are slowly turning towards Christmas decorating so I thought before I do that I would share with you some of my fall decor. I don't have a lot and I surely don't take good pictures but I love my little place and slowly but surely I am making it better each year. 

We have been having great weather and so far I haven't had to turn on my electric heat...just use my little heater in the living room...helps the electric bill a lot. Enjoy the rest of your Autumn!

Harvest Swap .

Hello everyone. Thank you to those of you that commented about my sister. It has been a road of lots of ups and downs. We don't know how long she has so on her good days we try to celebrate and enjoy each moment and on her not so good days we just try to be there to make her feel better and not alone. It can get to be very emotional.

I participated in Amy's Harvest Swap. It was perfect timing to take my mind off of things for a bit. Although this is one of my favorite things to do I think this will be the last one for a bit because I just never know when I can get to the stores, do crafts and get things mailed on time...that saddens me because you all know the ornament and Christmas ones were my favorite. For my last swap I had a great partner...Allison form Sew Many Girls. Here is all the fun things she gave me

 Everything was so cute and it was fun getting spoiled. Thanks so much Allison!

Hopefully I will be back soon to share some of my decorating...who knows. Happy fall everyone!

Where I have been....

Hello blogging friends...it has been so long since I have been here. It seems pretty appropriate that I last had a post in April because on April 19th life in my family truly changed. My sister was in the hospital for some tests that we thought were related to her MS. On the 19th my mom, dad and I went to see her in the hospital and the neurology team came in with the news that she had a brain tumor. Not only a tumor but a stage 4 glioblastoma tumor which is fatal. She was given the options and she chose to have surgery, radiation and chemo. With this option she was given 12-18 months. Wow what a blow. It hurt so bad. She got out of the hospital and went home to my mom and dad's house. That weekend the whole family came to offer support, to cry together and to laugh together and it was great. On the 29th she had surgery, recovered, had 6 weeks of radiation and chemo, had some time off and now has started on another round of chemo.

It has really changed a lot in my life. I was always the one with health problems. 5 years ago I was in the hospital for 7 months, in a coma and had to learn to walk again and get to where I could be independent. Through a lot of hard work I made it back to where I could live alone but I am still disabled. My sister was always there for me. She was the strong one, she was the one I could turn to for help, she was there to help me through so many obstacles.

Now the tables have turned. She is very unstable and the site in her left eye is very bad because of where the tumor was. She cannot drive and she still has not moved home. My mom and dad are both 80 years old and although they are in good health this has taken a toll on them too. I try to be there for all of them. For for 4 and a half months I was there almost every day. I have cut it down a bit now but I still go out for a few hours every other day.

I think the hardest thing is knowing that it isn't IF the tumor will come back but when....it isn't trying to cure her cancer but giving her the best quality of life we can.

All prayers and good thoughts are appreciated. I just needed to et you all know what was going on.

Be blessed and hug those you love everyday and tell them you love them.

Spring Swap

Hello everyone...is it springlike where are? Here in Minnesota we are still holding onto winterlike weather but "they" said by the end of this week it should feel like spring...I can't wait. I just need some nice warm sunny days that I can open the windows and get outside.

OK now on to the important things. I took part in Amy's (Bumblebee Lane) Spring Tidings swap. I was paired with the VERY talented Sandi (The Primitive Skate). My camera isn't working the best so the picture isn't that great but here is what I received:

A darling no face primitive doll dressed in a darling dress. I got a neat primitive towel, seeds, a hanging spring sign, a bee skemp welcome sign painted on an old album and oh so cute primitive eggs.

Thank you so much Sandi and thanks Amy for another great swap!

Think spring everyone...it may get here someday!