2005 -
This is "The year of the Renovation". We put a large in-law addition on our home so my Dad (who was not able to live alone anymore) could move in with us. The construction lasted over 5 months. They began in late fall of 2005 and the worst part was right around the Christmas holidays. Besides the bedrooms, we had only 1 room to live in...and 1 half bathroom!! No kitchen, and no private shower (had to use one that you see in the background in this photo....it was awful. So, needless to say, Christmas wasn't all it should've been that year!!!
This was our kitchen....
The dust and debris all over caused me to get pneumonia that year too. Such a joy! NOT!
This was the extent of our Christmas decorations...a lit up wreath on the construction workers port-o-potty! I have to say though, it was a BIG HIT! So many people thought it was a riot and the workers loved that we thought of them. =)
2006 -
This year was better than the last, but there were issues with Dad that made it an adjustment. He was all moved in and we were adjusting, but he was already having some medical problems that took up a lot of our time and energy. We managed to enjoy the holidays a bit, but not like we used to.
2007 -
Dad's health got much worse. He was having seizures due to his Alzheimer's and his diabetes wasn't under control as a result. A major seizure just before Thanksgiving was the turning point....he ended up in a nursing home unable to walk or care for himself at all. He needed nursing care 24/7 and unfortunately we weren't able to give that to him.
Christmas with Dad at the nursing home was difficult! We missed him dearly and felt a huge loss when he wasn't around.
2008 -
Life took a major turn this year! The Lord called Dad home just before the holidays in 2008. This was the most difficult year for us as we not only said 'good bye' to my Dad, but we listed our home and put it on the market. Lots of changes...lots of stress...lots of sadness.
2009 -
We look forward to a new beginning this year in our new home. Dad is with the Lord...reunited with Christ and with my Mom. That's a good thing. I have peace. I am content knowing I will see them again. I do not miss our old home and some of the memories we had there. Of course there are great memories too, but leaving the bad ones behind was a good thing.
So...with all that said...this year will be different. We are moving on to a new chapter in our lives. We don't know what the future holds for our family, but we do know that God is good and that He has blessed us and has been with us all along our journey the past several years. He allows us to go through difficulties so we can grow and mature in Him...but He also blesses and that's where we feel we are now. We are enjoying our new home, our new found 'freedom' (for lack of a better word) and the holidays are just around the corner...so we're getting a head start on them!!
Yesterday the kids put up their own Christmas tree. They have the entire upstairs to themselves so they put a tree up on the landing just outside their bedrooms. It looks beautiful and you can see it lit up from downstairs, so we're all enjoying it. We hope to get our real tree for the living room soon...and we're secretly hoping to get snow before that happens. It's always more fun traipsing through snow to cut down a tree than mud!
Sweet-Pea 'wearing' the garland...
Lionel and Cody waiting to put up the tree. (He's sitting on the steps to the bonus room upstairs....a play room for the kids. It was empty space that the builder decided last minute to turn into a room. It's one of our favorite rooms too...very cozy!)
Decorating the tree...
Almost done...just needs a tree skirt and a star on top!
I think they did a great job decorating their tree, don't you?!?
I hope you all had a wonderful Thankgiving, and that you will find a way to enjoy Christmas this year despite what challenges you may be going through. Keep Christ in the center of all you do and remember why we celebrate!!
