Happy New Year!

Here we are in 2018 already! We faced many changes in 2017:  some wonderful; others, more difficult. I’m sure this year will bring plenty more challenges and rewards. Hopefully I will see it all as opportunity for growth and blessings for which to give God thanks.

We started this year with really cold weather! Dennis ended up coming home Saturday, because it was already beginning to ice up in Brownwood. Sunday morning not only brought cold temperatures, but also icy roads. The Pettits had already decided to change their NYE party to a potluck between services, since treacherous roads had been predicted. Sheila had planned to come over Sunday afternoon and spend the night, but we told her she had better stay home. She tried to make it to HC for the morning assembly but soon hit ice and turned back. Our new car has a special setting for snow/ice, so we made it ok. Highway 180, between MW and Weatherford was solid ice; and there were numerous vehicles in the ditch…including an 18-wheeler, which had taken out a fence. I tried to talk Daddy and Bobbie into staying home, but they insisted on going with us. So we made the trip (slowly) to Weatherford and then back to Millsap. Dennis and Ricky practically had to carry them into the church building and then into the Pettits’ house afterwards, but we made it without anyone falling. Rob and Heather M. had come over for the day, and Rob was our guest speaker. He gave an EXCELLENT lesson on the ark of the covenant and how God used it in the OT and how that correlates to how He interacts with us today. We very much enjoyed having them at Highway and then getting to visit with them at the potluck!

Our numbers were pretty slim at the assembly and even fewer at the potluck. We cancelled our afternoon assembly, so everyone could get home and off the icy roads. We safely got Daddy and Bobbie back to Brookdale and came on home and hunkered down for “a long winter’s night”.  I had planned to see in the new year, but around 11:20, I decided I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer and headed to bed.

The roads were clear Monday, so Sheila and Nam came on over after lunch. I cooked a big plate of deer steaks for supper. That kid loves deer meat! He also tried mashed potatoes for the first time, and they were a hit. He even liked the broccoli and corn (I like to cook them together…everyone in our family eats broccoli better when it is mixed with corn). We snacked on deer jerky and the party mix that Sheila brought (that she had made for the cancelled party) and played until bedtime. We wore Nam out enough that he slept until his momma had to get up at 6:30 this morning. That is late for him! He was sad when Sheila left for work (her first day back), but he settled down quickly. We kept him occupied all morning by taking him for a haircut, going to visit Aunt Coez, and then having lunch at McDonalds. By the time we took him home at 12:30, it was time for Sheila to come home. He did SO good for his first day of not having Momma around! We plan to drive over there in the morning and keep him until 2:00. Hopefully, he’ll be up to her starting full days after that. I was so proud of him today, and how brave he was!

Last night we were looking at pictures that we took in Vietnam and talking about our trip home from there. Sheila said something about Vietnam (and pronounced it the way Americans do:  Viet-nom). Nam quickly corrected her that it was pronounced Viet-NAM (rhymes with ham)! I guess we’ll be saying it the correct way around here from now on! His language skills continue to improve on a daily basis. When we were leaving Coez’ house this morning, he told her, “I love you, Aunt Coez!” She was amazed that he said it so clearly! He knows the English word for most animals…especially the African ones…except for rhinos – they are dinosaurs! His repertoire of songs is incredible. He hears a song once and can sing it (although his lyrics are mostly jibberish…he doesn’t understand what the songs mean and just mimics what they sound like to him). He also loves to reenact things. He can tell and show you how Grandad hunts deer and then butchers them…and then eats them! Sheila said he was reenacting Frosty the Snowman the other day. He would melt onto the floor, say “One minute!” (which is what we all say when he has to wait for something), put on his imaginary magic hat, then get up and dance around! What a character! We gave him a toy tool set (mostly hand tools). When he isn’t fixing things around the house, he is pretending that his wrenches are lions and cheetahs and leopards!

I have my goals written out for this new year. They are basically the same as last year, with a few modifications. My goals are pretty open-ended…mostly just making improvements in every area of my life. I track how much progress I make and then see how well I’ve done at the end of the year and plan to continue to make improvements, as needed. In my relationship goals, last year, I had planned to spend more time helping Daddy and Bobbie, since they were struggling so much at the end of 2016. Well, that turned out to be pretty much a fulltime job for a while! Things have settled down considerably now. Doctor appointments are much less frequent and I’ve gotten Daddy’s “business stuff” pretty much in order and under my care. My main function, now, is to provide transportation when needed and “maintain” everything else. We have them over every Sunday for dinner or take them out, if the situation warrants it. We usually run errands then or when we do doctor appointments. They have been pretty content with that. I had been concerned that when he lost his license that he would be calling all of the time wanting to be taken places, but that hasn’t happened. They really have settled down lately. They are enjoying playing Bingo every week at Brookdale…especially because they are frequent winners!

I go see an orthopedic doctor tomorrow, after leaving Sheila’s. My left shoulder has been giving me trouble for quite a while now and has been getting progressively worse lately. I had hoped to get it “fixed” before we started keeping Nam, but I was never able to fit it into my schedule. I’m hoping the doctor has some “easy fix” that he can prescribe that has minimal recovery time involved. It is getting harder and harder to perform some very basic tasks with that arm. Thankfully it hasn’t interfered with picking up and carrying Nam! Now, trying to put on a jacket is an entirely different matter!

Well, I hope that 2018 turns out to be a good year for all of you. I’m looking forward to great things (like having a granddaughter)!