"Hey Mom, can we get one?"

Alpaca: The Alpaca (Vicugna pacos) is a domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in superficial appearance. (As defined by Wikipedia)

We saw the cutest Alpacas ever on our homeschool group's field trip to a local Alpaca farm.

We got there thinking they'd be pretty big, but we were quite mistaken! These little guys are so adorable!! They are extremely soft and although shy, they will walk right up to you and let you pet them. Fortunately none of them spit on us, but we did see them sneeze a LOT!

The babies are almost the same size as the full grown adults. This farm keeps the females separated from the males until breeding time.

Here are a few more photos from our trip:

All the Alpacas were shaved only a week before we came, so they didn't have much on them except for this little lady. She was too young to shave. Isn't she sweet!?!


Part of our homeschool group...sitting on the hill waiting for the Alpacas to approach us. Lionel is in the red shirt. Sweet-Pea was next to me - she was VERY scared!


Eventually they came up to the kids. Any sudden movements or noise scared them away though, so the kids had to be quiet. Is that possible?!?




Notice the silly teeth! God truly showed His sense of humor when He created these animals!


Lionel and Sweet-Pea next to one of the males. See how small they are?


A mama Alpaca nursing her baby - yup HER baby. They don't necessarily give birth to Alpacas of the same color. Interesting bit of information huh?


Sweet-Pea standing next to a bunch of the Alpaca fleece that will be cleaned and sold for big bucks!


A few more interesting facts about Alpacas:

• They use a communal area to do their business & can be housebroken!
  
• You can purchase your own Alpaca for approx. $500.
• Alpacas come from the Andes Mountains are are very hardy animals
• 1984 brought the first Alpacas to the USA from Chile & Bolivia
• They have no top teeth in the front
• 90% are white, but they come in 22 different natural colors
• They have 3 stomachs
• Their life span is 15 to 20 years
• Their gestation period is 11 to 12 months. They have only baby at a time
• They are closely related to the camel
• They have 2 toes on each foot. They have no hooves, but padded feet.
• Alpacas are herbivores
  
• They call their young by humming
• They are intelligent and easy to train.
• They are shorn once a year and can bring in up to $450 each for their fleece!
  

So, are you interested enough to run out to the nearest Alpaca farm to buy your own?? Me neither, but they sure are cute aren't they!?!?

Awesome Autumn!!

We took a drive up north for a few days just to 'get away'. Look at the beauty that surrounded us! I absolutely love autumn...it's my favorite season because it's such a beautiful time of year. God's handiwork is amazing isn't it?!?



















The kids thought this pumpkin was just too cool!


More fun photos coming...I just have to upload them. We did so much the past few days and made many great memories. It was nice to escape from the depressing days that we've just been through. I will also upload some of the great photos from our field trip to the Alpaca farm.

Birthday wishes

Today would have been Dad's 79th birthday. So in remembrance, I'm posting some of his birthday photos from recent years. Happy Birthday Dad!!!! We love you and miss you very much!!

I'm still numb, but I'm feeling better!

I thought I was doing pretty good after my Dad's death until I wrote his eulogy late last night for the memorial service this Saturday. I sat here at my desk and thought about Dad and how much of an impact he truly had on my life. You never really know how much someone means to you until you lose them! That's really sad. We so often take for granted when our loved ones are with us, not realizing that God could call them home without a moment's notice! We knew Dad was dying, and yet it's still so painful.

I really haven't known how to feel about his death. In a way our lives are now easier since we don't have to go to the nursing home several times a week. We don't have to worry about him and how he is doing when we're not around him. We don't have to deal with phone calls in the middle of the night...in a way we're 'free'. All that came with a price though - losing Dad. That's the hard part. We have relief, yet the other end of it includes deep sorrow. Is there guilt in feeling the relief and 'freedom'? Absolutely! I think that's why I haven't been able to grieve normally. The healing process has begun though, and I'm hoping that after the memorial service, I can truly live again. Writing that eulogy last night really put my feelings into perspective. There really is something to be said about putting pen to paper!! (Or fingers to the keyboard - for us computer fanatics!)

The memorial service should be awesome. The video I made for last Friday's calling hours will be shown, one of our church members will be singing "Wish You Were Here" by Mark Harris, and an incredible trumpet player who also attends our church, will be playing my Dad's trumpet at the end of the service. There will be other things as well, but those are the highlights!

What else have we been up to??

We have kept up our daily schedule this week but still haven't done much school. Sweet-Pea has been skating and Lionel still has had his violin lessons, but that's pretty much it. We did go on one pretty awesome field trip to an Alpaca farm...I'll post more photos and tell you about it another time. Cody has been a good boy for us. He has kept us smiling and laughing at all the silly antics he's been up to. He has a new favorite toy...a bouncy orange ball. He goes NUTS over the thing. If it gets stuck under something, he'll stand there forever until someone helps him get it out. Gotta love him!

Maybe next week I can get back to blogging about the rest of my life and what's been going on in more detail. I just haven't blogged about other things because everything else seems so trivial at the moment. I'm sure I'll get back into it soon though...I miss it!

Photo Hunt #130 - Sad

A most appropriate Photo Hunt topic....

We buried my Dad today - it was a very sad day!!! Today also would have been my parents 50th wedding anniversary...an appropriate day to lay Dad to rest in the cemetery next to Mom...his beloved "Lovey" as he called her.

Saying Good-Bye

This afternoon will be the wake (calling hours) for my Dad at the funeral home. It's finally time to say 'Good-bye' to Dad. I can't even begin to tell you how nauseous I feel. My stomach is in knots and I've been sick all morning. Honestly, I haven't had a minute all week to even think about my Dad and grieve. There was so much to do to get ready for this weekend, the phone has been ringing off the hook, and on top of that there are family issues (not my immediate family, but extended family) that need some serious prayer. Please pray for us as we try to get through this very difficult day. You all have been so faithful in praying and sending notes of encouragement and I thank you for that!!! I will update again once the weekend is over.

Blessings,

Dad is 'Finally Free'...

"Thank you Lord for the time I had with my Dad. I will never forget what an amazing man he was, or what he taught me about being a child of God. The moments we had together here on earth came to an end, but the memories will last forever! Til we meet again...I love you Dad!"

At long last....peace

Hi everyone, this is Edward. Seven years ago Elinor promised her dying mother that she would take care of her Dad until the day he joined her in heaven. Last night that promise was completed. Saturday morning Elinor got a call from the nursing home from the Hospice nurse telling her to come right away because her dad would be dying soon. She grabbed the kids and was there by his side within fifteen minutes. I was able to leave work early and join them and we sat by his side, watching and waiting. He appeared comfortable but was unable to respond to anything, except for an occasional lifting of one eyebrow or the squeezing of Elinor's hand in his. After many exhausting hours, I went home with Sweet Pea.

Around 9pm Elinor called and said that the nurse supervisor told her that her dad's breathing didn't indicate that he'd be going soon, so she came home with Lionel to get a little rest, all the while feeling uneasy about it. She planned to go back at 2am with Lionel to sit with him again. At 11:30pm the nursing home called to say he had died. Elinor was in a terrible state, both overcome with grief and anger because she wasn't there at the moment he passed. She woke Sweet Pea and I and we all got to the nursing home quickly. I have never seen her cry so much, not even when her Mom died. She had taken care of her Dad single-handedly, with Sweet Pea, Lionel and I by her side for the past seven years.

She talked to the Hospice nurse and nursing home supervisor about things and she was able to express her anger about the situation. They explained to us that quite often one of the residents who is dying will hold on to life as long as the family is there, in order to spare them the pain of watching them pass. That made perfect sense because Elinor's Dad was like that...unwilling that anyone should suffer or be put out by anything he did. He expressed his strong Christian faith to the very end. There's no doubt that he died peacefully and comfortably and he is rejoicing in Heaven with Jesus and is finally reunited with his loving wife, his dad and his sister.



Although we have experienced a great loss that we will never get over, neither Elinor, nor Lionel,nor Sweet Pea, nor I will have any regrets...we did everything we could do to make him happy and loved.

Sincerely,
Edward

Update on Dad

I just got home from the nursing home after being there almost 12 hours! I'm SO tired! I came home to shower, change and rest a bit, but I need to get back there. They called me this morning and said that my Dad wouldn't make it through the day. He's an amazing man and he has been fighting it all day. He is resting as comfortably as can be expected, but it's so hard to see him laying there so helpless. We've read almost all of the Psalms to him and he has been listening to nice quiet hymns all day long. I know he hears us as I see his face almost light up when he hears verses and music that are his favorites! God is good and I know He is holding Dad every step of the way!!!!

Please continue to pray. Pray that Lionel and I will feel rested. He has been with me most of the day. He wants to be there with me the whole time, so neither of us will be getting much rest tonight - if any. Pray that the Lord will keep Dad alive until we get back there to be with him...we hated to leave, but the nurses said that we had time to go home for a while. Yeah...I got home and came online...but I wanted to update family and friends. We needed this 'reality' break.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and thoughtfulness...thank you to those of you who sent emails and posted comments here...they have been great and I appreciate them!!!

Blessings,

Photo Hunt #129 - View

These different 'views' are much nicer when put together with scripture...

Next time you see a sunset..."Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." James 4:8



"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" Isaiah 52:7


"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." Isaiah 55:12


Ever walk down a path and feel all alone? "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5


"You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." Psalm 32:7

"The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

God is our strength!

It's hard to believe, but 7 years ago today, my Mom died. She lived with cancer for 7 years before passing away!! As we sit and wait for the Lord to call my Dad home, the memories of Mom come flooding back. I miss her so much, and even though we talk about her often, I sometimes feel some of my memories of her slipping away. Photos and videos help, but sometimes I try to remember things we didn't 'capture' on film, but it's hard. With Dad, I have taken a gazillion photos, even now we pose with him in his last days. Most of them are very personal and I wouldn't post them here, but I love this one of Dad and I...



We didn't think Dad would even make it to today, but he has and it seems as if it could be a few more days before he passes away...only God knows the exact time though. I know he's ready. We've all said our good-byes to him, and every time we see him we tell him we love him. We know he hears us and we feel at peace about that.

Psalm 73:23-26 "Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." ~Amen!

My heart aches

Dad is not doing well at all, in fact, he most likely won't live more than a day or two. My heart is breaking. We spent time by his bedside today, and seeing him suffering in pain (even with morphine) is just something I'd rather not deal with. I want to be with him through this 'valley of the shadow of death' though...I want to hold his hand, tell him it's OK to let go and enter into the presence of the Lord. We know where he will spend eternity, but it's still hard to watch him die.

I have been battling the tears all evening, thinking of him laying there in that bed moaning and suffering. I am constantly asking God to take him and relieve his pain. As much as we don't want to lose him, we also don't want to be selfish and ask for him to linger. He has lived a good life. He is ready to meet his Maker!

Today while we were standing beside him, Sweet-Pea (who hasn't cried yet) burst into tears and asked PaPa if he would say 'hi' to Gramma for her and give her a hug when he dies and goes to heaven. You have NO IDEA how much my heart ached when I heard those words. She is a 7 year old who has experienced things well beyond her years because of my Dad's illness. My mom passed away 7 years ago, only 2 months after Sweet-Pea was born. My Mom held her in her arms and told her she'd see her again one day in heaven. To hear Sweet-Pea ask PaPa to give her a hug and say 'hi' was something I'll never forget!!!

Lionel is dealing with it in his own way. He's sad and he's angry. He remembers watching Gramma die when he was just 6 years old. He was close to her and now he's very close to my Dad. It really stinks that my children won't have their grandparents around to love them, hug them and play with them any longer. I didn't lose my grandparents until I was in my 20's! I cherish the years I had with them and I'm sad my children will be missing out. Fortunately my parents are leaving behind a wonderful legacy which will be passed on for generations to come!!! They both loved the Lord and weren't afraid to show it. My children have spent quality time with them, have learned from them and will one day tell their own children all about their amazing Godly grandparents!

Here we are with my Dad just over 1 year ago...amazing.


The song sung by Steve Green says it all....

FIND US FAITHFUL
Words and Music by Jon Mohr

We're pilgrims on the journey of the narrow road
And those who've gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who've gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness
Passed on through godly lives

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we've left behind
May the clues that they discover
And the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them
To the road we each must find

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

Photo Hunt #128 - Road

This was an easy Photo Hunt...there are so many different 'roads'.

The road at Santa's Village on the antique car ride...


The NASCAR road (a.k.a. track) at the Pocono International Speedway...


The railroad of the North Conway Scenic Railway...


Close-up of the Conway railroad...


A windy road in the beautiful mountains of Franconia Notch NH...