Not What We Were Expecting

Last week, the grandbabyBoy was in the best of moods.  He was just personality plus, chatting up a storm, wanting to play with his exuberant puppy, on the phone whenever he could grab one, full of smiles and hugs.  His favorite book right now is The Shopkeeper's Bear.  It is a delightful story that rhymes and has rich illustrations.

 The shopkeeper has broken his glasses and makes lots of terrible mistakes.  There is a picture of a woman screaming when she is handed a rubber snake instead of a hose.  Charlie fake screams with a big smile on his face when we get to that page, and when we get to the page where the shopkeeper gets a new pair of glasses and realizes his new assistant is a BEAR.  Charlie and I had a ballet DVD playing while we were playing on the floor, background music mostly.  When the music changed to ominous, he rolled over and did his scream with a smile!  Somehow, in an instant it seems, everything has changed drastically.  On Friday he woke with a fever, by Saturday night he was admitted to Children's Hospital Boston and on Sunday night he was put on a ventilator!!!  Not at all what we were expecting.  Last week I was missing the grandbabygirl terribly and praying that God would give me a dream about her.  Days later, we are roaming the halls at Children's and being reminded of so much.  For now he remains in ICU on a ventilator and medically paralyzed.  CO2 levels are a concern.  Frequent chest X-rays to monitor his lungs.  His right lung was still collapsed last night and the left has fluid.  We are trying to rest and trust in our sovereign God.  I am encouraged knowing that another family with twin boys who have I-Cell endured a similar incident last spring and documented it in their blog.  One of their boys was in ICU for 47 days, on the ventilator and paralyzed for much of the time.  He did recover.  We are hopeful.

An Almost Wordless Wednesday...on Thursday

  
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening  Beautiful illustrations!  Not on my bookshelf yet, but I think it will be soon.

Some glimpses of our home.  

My elf made snowflakes and hung them from the doorways.  She also made gingerbread people with our names and hung them.  This is something she remembers from Christmas parties that my sister's mother-in-law always had.  We did not go every year, but apparently my daughter had very fond memories of getting a gingerbread person with her name on it.  It is so very neat sharing my home with my adult daughter and her young family, to see traditions passed along as well as combined and created.

Tonight Grampa and Grammy did the bedtime routine while babyMomma is in Boston awaiting the arrival of her baby boy.  It is hard to fathom that he will be here before Christmas.  It is strange to know his diagnosis ahead of time.  I can't wait to meet him face to face.  

Do I See a Theme?

An apron made by an Amish woman in Northern Maine (a gift from my sister), books from my hubby, tied with twine,  an amazing cake created by my daughter, and an unexpected delightful surprise .... a book for the Grammy bookshelf, on my windshield when I left church Sunday night!!...(from a very special blogger friend), Sunday dinner with my parents, daughter, granddaughter, and three out of four siblings, and a yummy Edible Arrangement from my son who is far, far away...with a card that made us HOWL!

Unexpected Blessings

Who would think that attending baby showers for two young women would result in special blessings for me??? August ended with a baby shower for a young woman who has an indomitable spirit of JOY! At her shower, a dear woman in our church family shared a devotional ~ with a teddy bear theme, the devotional was on momma bears,....I think this devotional was like three in one - so incredibly packed and as each segment ended my cup was full yet she brought another segment and then another. I wanted to stand up and cheer, feeling so renewed as a mom and so encouraged as a mom....wish someone had taped it. The second shower in mid-September was for my daughter. Yes, I am always touched when I see love poured out by just the attendance of some people, never mind the gifts. Well, imagine my amazement when I was the recipient of two gifts ~ a grammy brag book-photo album from my dear sister, and books for my grammy shelf from a dear friend! Thank you!! And yet another incredible blessing, from a midwife ~ who purchased a special car seat and gave it to my daughter and son-in-law, greatly encouraging them on a day that had started with tears...and for two special women who brought in meals even though the new parents are living with me!.....reminds me of this ...

Tough Read

I just finished reading this.


I would say this is a must read and I hope it is in a YA edition. It is a tough read emotionally and several times I just wanted to put it down and be done with it but my hubby said I had to finish it. Good companion to Three Cups of Tea.

Kept

I'm not sure how this found it's way into my library, a yard sale at a Bible Conference Grouds? It is an exposition on consecration by Frances Ridley Havergal, using her hymn "Take My Life and Let It Be" but substituting kept for take. My pastor often reminds us in his sermons of keeping as guarding, safe-guarding and it is this definition that she uses. I am not through the book yet, each chapter takes a couplet of the hymn, it is my just before bed reading if I have not fallen asleep reading my before bed reading :}

The Lord Jesus does take the life that is offered to Him, and He does keep the life for Himself that is intrusted to Him; but until the life is offered we cannot know the taking, and until the life is intrusted we cannot know or understand the keeping....not for my safety, but for His glory; not for my comfort, but for His joy...Kept for Him, that in me He may show forth some tiny sparkle of His light and beauty...