Life ~ Hard at Times YET God Blesses Us!!!

Yesterday was a rough day.   Just as we were going into our weekly Regional Call Ron got word that our sweet Aunt Erma breathed her last here on earth shortly after 1 am yesterday morning.  We will miss her tons, especially her "I love you girl!"  

Aunt Erma w/me 2011

I don't have enough words to say how special Aunt Erma was to me.  Over the past 40 years she has loved on me, encouraged me, read my stories & blog posts, loved on me, cried with me and laughed with me!  I will really miss her.  I am so thankful that last Fall as we prepared to move from Missouri out here to Oregon that Ron and I were able to make it work to spend a couple of days with Aunt Erma and Uncle Rex.  It was fun to see where they lived, see some of her treasures and her lovely yard and the beautiful flower garden and globes she had splattered throughout her back yard.  It is a time I will never forget.  

My last conversation with her was in early February,  we just wanted her to know we loved her more than words could say, that her love for me/us would never be forgotten and I thanked her for showing me/teaching me how to love those who have hurt us in the past.  I told her that day on the phone I didn't see her as my aunt but as my Mommy Erma - she loved me in ways I always wanted my mom to love me.  

I love you Aunt Erma!!!  And I will miss you tons!!!

I am excited to know I will see you once again!!!

As you have loved on me, I know you are loving on our sweet baby Royce!!!

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God's Blessings are always surrounding us ~ we just have to open our eyes and acknowledge them!

Yesterday was Day 5 of this new journey to get healthy!  When the alarm went off yesterday morning I just couldn't get up ~ I was so tired and so I switched off that first alarm and rolled over and went back to sleep.  Yes, I was feeling guilty when I crawled out of bed at 6:45 instead of 5:25 but that almost extra hour of sleep was just what I needed.  And I told myself it is what it is and swept the guilt away.  And went on with my day.

My "To Do List" was beginning to feel a bit overwhelming and being tired at the same time could have been the beginning of a disaster BUT I took the time to reprioritize the items on it, welcomed our Flex Managers, Viktor & Lydia just before lunch, had our regional conference call and then spent about 30 minutes with Viktor & Lydia - who were able to take a couple of items off my To Do List :) knew that my feelings of being overwhelmed were disappearing!

Thank you Lord for providing Flex Managers who are really willing to help out!

And for the afternoon/evening off last night and this morning to just relax and not have to be on right off the bat!!!  

After getting off work yesterday afternoon we headed out to Fred Meyer to pick up some Mucinex for Ron ~ he is still coughing quite a bit and Danalyn suggested the Mucinex...it must have helped because he slept in our bed instead of the recliner and is still sleeping at 8:30 a.m.!!!  Also picked up some yogurt and granola for breakfast (we try not to eat in the community on our off time) and came home to relax.  About 5:15 I said to Ron I was going to sneak upstairs and do the bike while the residents were at dinner ~ so that's just what I did

It felt good, YES good to do the bike, went farther than I have yet and that makes me 

by the way, the 4:55 is the 5 minute cool down time :)

Who knows, maybe one of these days I will enjoy exercising but right now it is still 

And one day I hope I am able to say

Yes today had its hard moments but through it all

God is Good!!!

God Loves Me!!!

And HE will never leave me!!!

Thank you Jesus for loving me

and for welcoming home 

my sweet Aunt/Mommy/Friend Erma!!!!

Love you ERM!!!