Where God wants us....

Haven't posted in a week...lots to do and many things on my mind and heart. It's been a week of disappointments and discoveries, and learning to listen.
Did you ever want to do something so badly...know you probably can't have it..yet there's that glimmer of hope that there's still a chance? This is what happened to Ron and I over the weekend - I can't tell you what it is because it involves someone who reads this blog from time to time. Let me just say that I think God sometimes has to take things away from us because we need to give to someone else.
I have a staff member at work - one of my girls - who just found out that her dad has stage 4 cancer and has very little time to live. For this young woman, the sun rises and sets in her dad...she is married and loves her husband very much...but she is still very close to her dad. She came into the office yesterday to ask about the family medical leave act...she wants to take care of her dad which is a wonderful thing. It will be a blessing for them both but it will be hard and will take everything that is in her. And then some. But when it's over, she will know that her dad had the best care possible because it was the care of someone who loved him. I guess my role as her supervisor hasn't changed...being there to help with the business/personnel side of things...and being her friend as well. I think God needed me to be disappointed. After all, I've been where Katie is. And I remember how much I needed a support system. Ron's mom moved in with us the day after Laurie left for basic training. She had terminal cancer as well...couldn't live on her own, and we wanted her to stay here so that we could care for her. As natural as it seemed to be having mom here though, it wasn't exactly the same situation Katie has.
Ill as mom was, the 6 months she was here was a healing process because she had never understood that I wasn't her rival...that I loved her...how often I would agonize over the fact that she didn't see my love for her.
And then God stepped in and showed her. It took 29 years and yet His timing was perfect. During her illness she could see that I truly cared. The sitting beside the bed, holding her hand in the dark hours of the night when we both were afraid...God was speaking through all of this - to BOTH of us - and telling us how our hearts and feelings had healed. I lost mom but she and I gained a total understanding of the love and respect that we had for one another. God has His perfect plan - and that plan is a blessing if we are willing to accept it. No matter how long it takes to unfold.
Katie will see a lot in these days and weeks to come - the pain and suffering of her dad, but she will also hear his stories. They will share many memories...realize the blessings they have.
So now, I think I will listen a little more carefully. We can't always have what we want...it can be within arm's reach, but then we find out that our arms are needed for other things. Like giving hugs, or reaching up to our Father in prayer ~ or praise. Speaking of prayer, I would ask that you pray for my cousin Tina who is about to undergo her second bone marrow transplant. She has the most gentle, loving, faith filled heart, and she needs that miracle she is trusting God will provide. It's been a long road for her...but she would like to journey down that road for awhile longer.
Like I've said before...this military mom roller coaster goes up and down...but the world keeps turning. And we are needed ~ by family, friends, employees. And God needs us too...right where we are.
May He bless you.
Sue

That's Amore!

Some funny, lovely, wonderful things happened to me today. To explain the first, I need to give you a little history. Ron and I always have this competition going on holidays - who can be the first to give their holiday cards to the other. Last night I baked some cupcakes for Ron and also some to take to work for my co-workers for Valentine's Day. Before I went to bed, I signed Ron's card and put it on top of the plate of cupcakes so he would see it first thing in the morning. AH HA! Victory would be mine.

Fast forward to this morning when I went out to the kitchen to pour my coffee at 0530. I turned on the light and lo and behold, there was a bright pink envelope on the counter by my coffee pot. The flap side of the envelope was facing up and Ron had written in huge letters: I WON!!

Which of course he didn't because I put mine on top of the cupcakes at 11:30 last night before I went to bed. When I called Ron this morning after I had gotten to work, I asked him what time he had put the envelope on the counter...he said that it was sometime during the night when he woke up...12:30 or 1 am. It started my day with a laugh - and a good hearty one at that. Romantic fool that he is. :)

The roads were really bad this morning - all day really, yet again. But my friend was taking me to lunch at one of the restaurants on campus. Instead of driving over, I decided to get one of the campus shuttle buses ( never did that before except to ride to the other campus). So another friend of mine was also going to the same restaurant with a couple of other ladies...she told her friends that she would meet them there and accompanied me on the bus ride because it was my "first time" on the bus.

How kind that was and so appreciatedm and we had such a nice chat on the way over. I think I can do it on my own the next time. Thanks Shirley!

Lunch with my other friend was delicious - she treated me to lunch and I brought her flowers. It was a lovely 90 minutes. Thanks to Shirley, I was also able to find my way back to my office as she had told me where to wait for the return bus.

On my way home (doing the white knuckle thing again on a rural expressway I have to drive each day to and from work), I was listening to talk radio when all of a sudden the host played an old Dean Martin song:

That's Amore. I turned up the radio and sang every word with good old Dino. Loudly and with gusto.

Another lovely thought I had today was the mental picture of Kasey at his daycare - making valentines for mommy and daddy. And when I spoke to Laurie on the phone tonight, I asked if Kasey had made a valentine for them...yes, indeed he had. This grandma has ESP - don't you think so?

Dinner was ready when I got home and it was delicious...the best leftovers ever. Comfort food.

Happy Valentine's Day....hope you had some lovely moments too. It doesn't need to be receiving flowers or candy...just a good belly laugh, a random act of kindness, and a wonderful lunch shared by friends.
That's Amore.

Love to you all,

Sue

Long weekends are good.

It's been a long week - SNOW! SNOW! SNOW! and my car and I have spent entirely too much time together...and it seems to be protesting about the conditions of the roads we've traveled together this week. This morning, as I made the very first turn on my commute to work, it rebelled and ended up head on into a snow bank. Lovely way to start the day. Then, of course, other drivers think that l CHOSE this snow bank deliberately and am blocking part of the gas station driveway to be ornery. I figure it was either a snow bank or another car and why ruin someone else's day? Later, as I got out of the "sticks" and closer to civilization and the office, the roads improved so that I could go faster. Hmmm, I thought, why is my trusty all wheel vehicle starting to shake if I go over 50 mph?

Tomorrow we will find out. A wheel? Something out of alignment? Who knows, but I decided taking a vacation day tomorrow would be ok. Work will start to get crazy soon as we begin processing for two financial aid years at the same time. Current year, next year, and reconciling last year. Yup...it gets hectic but I love every minute of it. But a day off now is ok.

I am excited because we are planning a trip this summer with all the kids and grandkids when Laurie, Stephen and Kasey come home for a visit. A four or five day vacation home rental on a lake somewhere with all 9 of us. Six adults, a 9 year old, a 3 year old and a 2 year old. Mass bedlam - and I CAN'T WAIT!!

So, while the days are cold and the busy-ness at work gets busier, this grandma is gonna be planning. And the extra day this weekend will help.

Yup...long weekends are good...really good.

Blessings for your weekend.

God bless our troops wherever they are serving. And those of us who wait.

Hugs,

Sue

LOVE IS....

Hi everyone. This past weekend was quite a weekend here in Western NY. Snow - LOTS of it - blanketed our area...from the lake effect snow machine of course. We got about 3 feet of the stuff and we are in the minus double digit wind chills. It's not Valentine's Day yet, but I can tell you some things of what love is....

• A dad driving through blinding snow to try to pick up his son and get him to work only to have to turn around and come home because he couldn't make it. The love was also in seeing how badly this dad felt when he wasn't able to accomplish his mission.
• A son calling to make sure his dad got home safely and to let us know that his supervisor told him it was ok if he couldn't work yesterday.
• A soldier/wife/mom returning from military training and being able to wrap her arms around her husband and 22 month old son for the first time in a month. Not an eternity to most but for them it was a long, long time.
• A two year old grand daughter shouting "NANA - I FOUND YOU!!" as she walked into SEARS with her "papa." And her face lighting up to let her Nana know just how important it was to this little girl that she had found her.
• A grandma hearing her grand daughter shouting "NANA - I FOUND YOU!!" as she was shopping in SEARS. And a grandma's face lighting up just as brightly as her granddaughter's.
• A soldier/daughter calling her parents when she landed safely after arriving home from her training so that her mom and dad would know she was back where she belonged - with her husband and son. It didn't make them miss her any less, but it sure did make them happy that she was home safe.
• A 22 month old grandson saying, Hi mam ma" on the phone from far away...and his mommy saying in the background..."he's blowing you kisses grandma."
• A young woman who has already served her country for 7 years, loving the job of soldier enough to re-join the military reserves after she was out. And being excited about the beginning of her mobilization today.
• Our military. What more needs to be added to this one?
• A husband who would get up at 5:45 in the morning to clear the snow in the driveway so his wife could get to work - this in -23 degree wind chill and in the pitch dark. (thanks honey).

Not a whole lot different than any other family perhaps, but on a weekend when the temperatures were frigid and the snow was falling all around, it sure did warm the heart.

Thanks for stopping by - many blessings. Stay warm, ok?

Sue

Phil – you messed up!

Ok, I realize that poor chubby little guy has to wait a whole year between each moment in the spotlight...but this year, I think he must have overlooked his shadow or else his prediction was misunderstood. My reasoning? We are going to experience the coldest temps of the season this weekend, plenty of good old lake effect snow for everyone, and even though our winter WAS a mild one until mid January, we are certainly paying dearly for it now. It's 7:30 here and the flannel pjs are waiting. Looking out the sliding glass doors of the family room to the backyard, well, the word tundra comes to mind. Phil needs to re-evaluate things I think.
I had a very unsettling day - Kasey was sick last night when I called Stephen - fever and upset stomach...he was sick a couple of weeks ago as well because it's going around his day care. So I was worried about our little buddy and this has a tendency to distract a grandma. Tomorrow Laurie will be home from her training and Kasey will have his mommy back. Stephen is such a good daddy and Kasey is blessed. But it was just a tough day wondering about Kasey. He's such a sweetie pie. Let's face it: I don't do long distance grand mothering very well. Not well at all. Some of you know exactly what I mean.

Ron is watching the History channel - World War II stuff. It’s about Panzers and bridges and the like. Wars haven't changed much - there are the good guys (always the US and our allies) and the bad guys. The bad guys show no mercy and continually make us shake our heads at their brutality. The snow and cold our guys battled makes today's weather woes seem like a cake walk. As we watch Fox news these days, we continue to shake our heads because nothing has changed.More than half a century has passed since WW II ended. I guess moms and dads and all the loved ones of soldiers serving then felt pretty much the same as we do today about Iraq and Afghanistan; going through the days because we have to, and with prayers without ceasing. It seems endless, yet we know that God - in His wisdom and grace - will bring it to an end in His appointed time. I am praying that will be soon and that those who are fighting will know that He is with them. May all of our military know that He goes with them wherever they go. Especially into battle.
Laurie will be activated on Monday - "mobilized" as the Army calls it. She will once again be a full time soldier and the plan is that she will be working stateside right where they've been for several years. That's the plan - let's hope it stays that way. The military mom roller coaster is going up that hill again – and I hope it’s not a steep one ‘cause that means it’s a long drop on the other side.
Well, I should publish this before our power goes off. Stay warm, and dry.
And pray for our troops please.
Blessings and love,
Sue