Babies, Brownies and Blessings

I mentioned yesterday that my grandma died when I was 12. Grandma Olga Melby would have been 88 this year but was taken much too soon in her late 60s. She got sick with what we now know was autoimmune hepatitis...a treatable disease in this day, but not as much 20 years ago. Yellowing of her skin and her eyes were the first signs. After much testing, poking and prodding they reached a diagnosis, but not a cure. In my 12 year old brain I didn't realize how sick she was. Instead I was focused, along with my siblings, on sneaking our dog in to show her and other things that tweens do. The phone call I received from my family while at Bible camp saying she was gone left me truly shocked. Not Grandma! For the first 7 years of my life we lived just a field away from her and Grandpa. I remember May Days running through the field with my sisters to their house, knocking on the door, leaving a basket on the handle, certain Grandma wouldn't know who it was from. N...

Week four of Bri on the night shift and we are still pumped about it! The sleep, of course, is the biggest issue. I spent all morning with the kids yelling at them to talk quieter...yep, really did and realize it makes no sense. It would seem that's the hardest thing, keeping the kiddos in a more hushed state to assure uninterrupted sleep for their slumbering dad. The weather has cooled again which brings us back inside more. Soon we'll be able to spend every morning out again. The shift itself has been a blessing...quieter in the factory, more productivity, less negativity. All in all a good shift for our family at this time. But the real kicker??? BigBoy #1 is doing GREAT with school these days! It was as close to a 180 as you can get. Bri started on nights and within a week Sam wasn't having any tearful mornings. No more drudging into school and constant obssession with staying near me or Dad. He's still not going all the way by himself but he does the ...

A few weeks ago we had our ductwork cleaned out. To our knowledge this had never been done since our home was built back in the 50s. Four families, numerous construction projects, pets and 60+ years left tons of dust and dander. I would wipe everything down and a day later every surface was covered again. The sun streaming in revealed particles floating through the air. In the weeks since the ducts were vacuumed my dusting has been cut down to once a week! We're feeling pretty good about the decision to start fresh and breathe clean air. In a strange turn of my thoughts I began to consider the similarities between the duct cleaning guys and Jesus (this analogy is much more like my husband to come up with...guess that's what a decade of life together does for ya!). This Holy Week has me considering the journey of Jesus to the cross. Two thousandish years ago today he was questioned, sentenced and sacrificed. The only reason He was killed was to cover my si...