Who doesn’t envision a Norman Rockwell December? We began to think Hurricane Matthew was going to severely alter our Thanksgiving to New Years time with our precious grandsons and their parents. (They are pretty precious, too!) Not that we had visions of the perfect Holy-day season, but we sure hoped it would be a great one for the boys.

While we are official residents of Sebring, Florida, we have made Fredericksburg, Virginia our “home base” as we plan to be here four times a year for a total of about five months. So far, we have been here about six months a year, but that was because we extended our time for the birth of both of our grandsons. But our home has wheels and we were made to travel during our “golden” years! And for as long as our health holds out….

We first must temper anything that went on with us during December was worth any sorrow or tears. We are praying alongside two families that know this is their last Christmas season with their loved ones, both are dads. Our hearts ache and break for them. But we can’t discount the joy that they know this and they are celebrating Christmas as only Christmas can be celebrated when they all KNOW their loved one is being called home to Jesus and to their eternal resting place:

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4

And we know so many other families are facing the same thing. Another dear friend passed away days after before Christmas and weren’t we all saddened at the death of Carrie Fisher on December 27  and then the next day her mother, Debbie Reynolds passed away? I asked my mom why she named me Debbie and I think she said because of how popular she had become during mom’s pregnancy with me….And then, once I had my hair in a certain way and I was told I reminded that person of Debbie Reynolds. I’ll take it….

Bill and I try to read a chapter in the Bible together each morning. I guess our hearts were really tenderized this month as Bill had a hard time getting through these verses when we started 2 Corinthians. This chapter and in particular, these verses happen to be my all time favorites after my dear brother-in-laws sudden death, while my dad was on his death-bed:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.”2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Ok, so now my tears are flowing and this post isn’t going where I had envisioned it….So back to our grandsons! They sure make life sweet!  Upon our arrival back here Friday, December 2, 2016, we were greeted with one sick baby grandson.  And for some reason, the boys seem to time their illnesses with our arrival. Poor little guy, he had that nasty stomach virus that has been sweeping the nation. So it went around our family, too.  Only our son-in-law escaped it. So that was our first two weeks here, someone was sick every day. At least we all took turns so there was always someone well to buy the ginger ale and soup!

Then we had to squeeze in a few medical visits. One that I really dreaded was to address the basal cancer cell on my right cheek. It was discovered in August, but we put off the Moh’s Surgery until December 5. Which meant I couldn’t pick up the grandsons for a week! Do you know how hard that was-especially when the youngest was sick? Both love to jump into my arms….

Bill has had a cardiologist since 2008. He struggled with his cholesterol (it’s a family issue and his mom is now 95 with even more horrible numbers while cancer took his dad at age 80 – his numbers were also not good) and after an episode with a new way to treat it, not using a statin. Niacin apparently works for some. But he ended up with too much and his heart went out of rhythm. So  he just had to take one pill and it worked great, as you’ve noticed all of our hiking and five-mile long beach walks! He’s always been a very active guy and the picture of good health. But transferring his care to a new one up here meant he had to go through a series of tests.

So the GREAT news is that he no longer needs the heart pill! YAY! But of course, you know something is coming …. During his echo cardiogram, the technician suggested he get a heart cat scan with a calcium score. To make a long story short, on December 22 he was given some life changing news about his lifestyle. His heart is basically OK, but he MUST make a major change to his diet to continue to live an active lifestyle. So I am on board….and we are seeing some amazing results. If there is an interest in what we are going through to take back his health (those are his words, although he SEEMS to be the picture of health), please leave us a brief comment. We are taking a crash course in natural nutrition.

The day before Thanksgiving, my back molar crown (#18 for your dental experts on left side) shattered! So long story short there, I’ve seen four dentists and all say the remaining beautiful roots have to be pulled because there is nothing left to put on another crown. So I had that tooth pulled on December 20, the day after I got my stitches out on my right cheek. Thankfully, the oral surgeon was working on the opposite cheek. But guess what, after that I was to take it easy and not lift more than 5 pounds while it healed! Geez, what is wrong with this picture? So I guess I wasn’t the best patient as I’ve developed a dry socket….We plan to head south for the winter this coming Tuesday, January 3. But I have to see the oral surgeon first.

Believe it or not, between taking the boys to the doctor and our other minor issues, we’ve had 15 visits to doctors this month, which included me getting new glasses.

We did not take any Christmas family pictures. We just had so many things going on, we just didn’t get it done. But we do have a few images as we close out 2016:

Stay tuned as we hit the road this week!

Happy New Year and may  this year be full of adventures and blessings for you as you travel through the adventure of life!