Update on Monroe

What a bumpy, unpredictable time we have had lately! After Monroe was released from the hospital for his back surgery he was having extreme pain in his right knee and thigh. The doctors did many tests before releasing him and came to the conclusion that the pain was due to inflammation from the surgery that was pressing on a nerve. The only cure was time and pain medication. My husband can tolerate a great deal of pain but this pain was unbearable!

After being home 4 days he ended up back in the hospital with blood clots in both lungs! This was such a scary time for us!! But the Lord was with us and many prayers were being sent on his behalf. Three days later he as back home. He is slowly recovering and getting stronger every day.

He sits on the front porch a lot enjoying the gorgeous weather we have been having here in Florida. It has become a regular habit for the two of us to sit out front and have our morning coffee. I am really enjoying that because Monroe was never one to sit still very long. I believe the slow days and solitude has been good for him. He has time to reflect on life and the Lord.

We bought a couple of bird feeders to hang out in the front yard. He likes to sit and watch all of the different varieties of birds come and eat.
And this past weekend our church provided a huge barbeque for the children of Upward Soccer, which our church sponsors, and their families. This is a great opportunity for outreach in the community and it has been a great success. So, of course we were glad to help out and cook the chicken for the event. Now Monroe did NOT cook. The lids to this smoker/grill are so very heavy. He was given the position of supervisor and Brent and Brandon were the chefs this time! I did get his picture wearing his "Old Guys Rule" Grill Master shirt-a Christmas gift from Brooke & Ricky. It is perfect for him. I love the saying on it...."well done and rare"!

We had both smokers going and they were packed with chicken. We cooked 7 cases of chicken!!

Here they are loading the cooler to take the meat to the church for the meal.

Mmmm...it was so tender it just fell off the bone.

I know my hubby can't wait to get on his feet again. It is so hard for him to sit back and let others do the work. He is such a go-getter. This has been a very difficult season for him but I think he is learning a few things so in that way it has been good for him.

Please keep him in your prayers for no more complications and a full recovery.

God is Good!!

A Sunday To Remember

This Sunday was a great day for our family. Brandon got saved and was baptized!! We are so excited for him and I know the Lord has many great things in store. Brandon has a tender heart for the things of the Lord and I pray he will continue to honor and put Him first in his life. There are many paths Brandon will face in the near future and being a parent in this day and time can be very challenging, as I am sure you will agree. When my children get older and more independent this is where, as a mother, I want to continue to control their choices and decisions but I have learned to let go slowly (in certain areas) and watch. There are many days I want to yank my little birdies back in my nest and say, "No, no, no, now that's not the way I want you to fly. Come back in the nest and stay a little longer!" However, I cannot do that. God gives us a free will to obey Him and our choices reflect the condition of our heart. So, I pray for all of my children's heart to be soft towards their Savior. Then I pray, pray, and pray some more ;-) Down he goes....Ahhh, a new man in Christ! That water was COLD! The heater for the baptismal pool was broken and Florida has been unusually cold this winter so that made for some freezing cold water. Pastor Tony said Brandon would be sure to remember his Baptism!God is so good! Yes, I am a very blessed mother and wife....and a very blessed Nonna too!

Christmas Happenings

I don't know about you but my Christmas Holidays just flew by. I feel like my head is still spinning from all the activities! We enjoyed each and every one of them and I wanted to share a few pictures to remember our good times.

Our local Christmas Parade was at the beginning of December. We always look forward to it! My guys are enjoying the parade. Can you see Parker sitting in his Dad's lap? I think he waved at everyone! It was so cute.

Here is one of the many antique cars my father-in-law owns. He is riding in the back seat with his best friend "Daisy".

Another one of his cars filled with friends.

One day we got together with friends and made gingerbread houses. We laughed and cried (some of the houses fell!). All in all it was a great time to share with loved ones.

We were fortunate to be able to go to Universal Studios for a day of fun!
Luke being silly!

Time for lunch break.

Parker's favorite game in the arcade. We couldn't pull him away.

Two tired little guys. They were such good boys the whole day.

One night we got together with long-time friends just for fun. We moms are best friends and our girls, thankfully, also became best friends which makes it really convenient for girls night out!

Yes, Kay is wearing a basket on her head! She is so goofy!! Fun Times!

Brooke (middle) is pregnant, by the way. That is why Nicki has #3 up and Jess is holding Brooke's belly.

My boys made new friends with Kay's grandsons, Chance and Trevor. We had a blast one evening at Downtown Disney. We visited the Lego store.

Which kids are real and which are lego people?

The boys built lego race cars and spent much of the evening racing on this track. They loved it!

Our meal at Rainforest Cafe was adventurous as well as delicious. During our dinner we had unexpected rains and the elephants came to life roaring and lifting their head. I don't know if you can tell but that is an elephant right behind us. He was very noisy!

We have a tradition at our house. On Christmas Eve we make our annual Fruit Salad. This fruit salad comes with memories of past holidays spent with our Granny Mathews who is no longer with us. The oranges MUST be sliced the way Granny did it to get the best flavor. Yummy! This ritual brings the family together with much conversation and laughter. It tastes better when we all contribute! After being refrigerated overnight, it is always the dessert we look forward to the most.

Looks delicious! Can't wait till tomorrow!

We always have a church hayride with Christmas caroling. We ride through the surrounding neighborhoods singing and sharing Christ. Then we come back to church for a chili cook-off and Foreign Missions Auction.

What a wonderful Holiday Season our family was privileged to enjoy. We are so thankful to God to be blessed with such great family and friends. How about you? How was your holiday?