2011 IN REVIEW

2011 Was the hardest year of my life, to date. As always, I am going to do a review of it, based on my blog posts for the year.

JANUARY - As the year began we were dealing with 2 sad things in our lives. Suzette was into her 4th month of fighting the battle of stage IV lung cancer and our granddaughter Oksana was left on December 31, 2010 to live with her mother. Oksana is still living with her mother in another state.

I began a Tuesday evening Bible Study in my home on January 18th called WOW Woman.  WOW standing for Woman of the Word.  It is still going strong and was a real blessing and support for me throughout 2011, and still is.

-----

FEBRUARY - The blizzard of February, 2011 was record breaking for our area. Schools were closed for days, and the area literally shut down. Mickey and I rather enjoyed being shut-in and not having to be on the go.

MARCH - I only posted one time during March, 2011 as we fought Suzette's health battle, my own small health battle, and family issues with the failure of our sons Marc's marriage.

Attending Benny's birthday celebration would be Suzette's last family outing.   You can tell Jacque has been crying.  Suzette, as always, was so brave.

-----

APRIL - April 1st would be the last really nice, pleasant, perfect day that Suzette and I would ever share. We attended a Cancer Workshop which was so good. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed eating our lunch out on a bench. I cannot tell you how many times I have relived this day in my mind and been so thankful that God allowed us to enjoy that day the way we did.

I can't believe I didn't take one picture that day!!!!!

On April 29th Suzette left the hospital after an 8 day stay. We had high hopes.

-----

MAY - May 19th at 11:30 p.m. our beloved Suzette breathed her last breath and was embraced in heaven in the loving arms of God and her Savior, Jesus Christ. Life for us will never be the same without her.

This picture was taken on October 4, 2010 as Suzette & Dave joined us to celebrate our 53rd anniversary.  I was taken just 12 days after she was first hospitalized and 6 days after she was diagnosed.

-----

JUNE - I was blessed to have a time of refreshing with 4 of my 3rd Day Sisters Bible Study group at the 3rd Annual Holy Ghost Conference in Branson. I struggled as I was Trying to answer "why?" and dealing with pain.

-----

JULY - We were BLESSED with hosting blog friends, Kathy & Danny Wright and their two wonderful children, Bethany & Daniel, for 4 glorious days. The Lord knew just what I needed in putting this wonderful family in my life several years ago. We truly have a spiritual connection with Kathy & Danny. Their visit at this time was JUST what we needed.

-----

AUGUST - Was a busy month filled with activity and keeping ourselves busy. It was a wonderful month because we sold our 1998 30' Jayco and on August 8th we paid off our HHR Chevy and became DEBT FREE. Oh, what a feeling of freedom so long for worked toward.

My dear blog friend, Leigh Ann sent me this precious pillow she had made for me with my word for 2011 PERSEVERE.  I wept when I opened it and it was the perfect timing to remind me that yes we had persevered and we would continue to do so!!

-----

 SEPTEMBER - Just a busy month with lots of various family and community goings on. The memorable point was daughter, Jacque, & granddaughter, Jessica,( and three other friends) running in the Race for the Cure cancer run in honor of  sister & aunt Suzette.



OCTOBER - A truly busy month - My forever friend, Joan, and her husband, Jim, visited us from New Mexico for 4 days, the 12th-16th. I treasure my LONG friendship with Joan which began in the second grade in 1943!!!  She is truly "family" to me and we have shared all the joys and sorrows, everything, in our lives over these many years. 



Then on October 19th-23rd Marc, Aric, Mickey and I made a trip to visit Mickey's side of the family in Tennessee. A fun, blessed time.


NOVEMBER - The LONG awaited day, November 23rd, when Marc's Tulsa house (which had been on the market for 18 long months) closed and he purchased his brand new beautiful home in Owasso!!!
Then the next day, the 24th, we celebrated Thanksgiving and Mickey's (79 how can that be?!) & Dave's birthdays. Certainly a day of celebration. Jacque had arranged for us to all have dinner at Forrest Ridge Golf Course which was a nice change of pace for us and so thoughtful of her. We needed a change for this "first" without Suzette.



 DECEMBER - Our special month of birthday's and Christmas. It was so wonderful getting to have Christmas in Marc's new house. Another one of our "firsts". I turned 74 (how can that be?!) and received the heart with a tear necklace in memory of Suzette that I will wear forever.





 
Yes, in many ways 2011 was very difficult, but also we have many precious memories of happy times and events, too.  Most importantly we were surrounded by family & friends.  We are eager to see what 2012 has for us, our family. our church and ministries, and most important ---- what God has to show and teach us. 
 
HE truly holds us in the palm of His hand and it is a safe place.
 

2010 IN REVIEW

Boy - what a year this has been!!! I like to recap the previous year with the most important occurrence of each month. Here goes for 2010.

JANUARY - We had first a huge ice storm and then a 6 1/2" snow fall on January 30th. On a national level: Brown was elected as Senator in Mass. to replace Edward Kennedy. This was a big up-set and set the stage for the November election.

FEBRUARY - Two BIG events in our lives: Marc & Deann married on February 12th in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and The King's Kitchen served it's first meal on February 9th.

MARCH - Not a good month from the problem side. I cracked and split my ceramic cook-top and my computer crashed!! On the good side, my friend Sandra started a prayer shawl ministry at our church and I began my first shawl for my family members.

APRIL - I participated in an Easter Drama at CAG called Choices the 8th-9th-10th. Mickey made 2 trips to emergency for de-hydration.

MAY - The first honey harvest of the year - completed my first prayer shawl for Jacque and Mickey had my grandfather clock repaired for Mother's Day.

JUNE - The death of our brother-in-law, Ronnie Seeley, and a trip to Tennessee for the funeral.

JULY - Served for the first time as Clerk at the primary election. Finished my 2nd prayer shawl for Suzette.

AUGUST - Our Pastor, Gary Rogers, resigned and our Associate Pastor, Steven Lee, was voted in unanimously to be the Senior Pastor of Coweta Assembly of God.

SEPTEMBER - The biggest fight of our life began on the 23rd and 24th when Suzette was hospitalized and then diagnosed on the 28th with stage IV lung cancer.

OCTOBER - The entire month was consumed with Suzette getting a 2nd diagnoses, which included a trip to The National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Her first chemo was finally done on October 30th. David and Karin flew in from California for a weeks visit.

NOVEMBER - Paid off our Home Mortgage on 11-10-10. The first time in our 52 years of marriage to OWN our home free and clear. Suzette too ill for her and Dave to be with us at our Thanksgiving and celebration of Dave & Mickey's birthdays :o(

DECEMBER - CT scan results on the 9th - the tumor had not only stopped growing but had shrunk!!!!!! One of the best Christmas celebrations ever.

Only God knows what 2011 holds for us, but we are expecting good things and we certainly know who holds our hand - OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.

2009 was a GREAT year in our lives.

I want to close out this year, as I did last year, with the 10 things I am most thankful for and that have made 2009 so wonderful.

#1. I am thankful for my church and our wonderful Pastor, Gary, and his wife, Paula,

and to be fed and blessed by his teaching and preaching on Sunday and Wednesday. We have been attending this church since December 23, 2006 and there is hardly ever a service that I do not walk out the doors saying, "I love our Church".

. They are so very sincere and cute and cool and just plain wonderful in every way !! We are blessed.

#2. I am thankful that God placed me in 2 woman's Bible Study groups this year.

The Monday morning group. Out of this group came The Klothes Kloset ministry at the Church. Reaching out with helping hands and hearts to help with clothing for those in need in our town and area.

This is the Tuesday night Bible Study and The 3rd Day Sisters. This is such a very special and diverse group of woman that only God could, and did, put together. We are from different churches.

3. I am thankful that God saw fit to graft us into His Olive Tree, and to be studying our Jewish roots with The 3rd Day Sisters.
Having Sandra is so wonderful because she is such an anointed teacher & leader. She spends hours preparing and studying to share with us each week. I appreciate you SOOO much, Sandra, and am learning so much. God is using you greatly and it is only beginning!!!



4. I am thankful we got to make several short, but very wonderful, trips this year.



1) In June we made a trip to Tennessee to visit Mickey's family in Nashville & Memphis. We got to see his brother, Jerry - brother-in-law, Ronnie - Nephews Wayne, Joe & Billy & his wife, Dianne and all the grand nieces and nephews - sister-in-law, Helen. So thankful to have this family and be a part of it.
Jerry, Ronnie & Mickey. Can you tell getting these three together is trouble?

2) In July the 3rd Day Sisters went to Eureka Springs & Branson for a couple of days. We visited the Passion Play and Christ of the Ozarks Statue in Eureka and saw the musical/drama Noah in Branson. What a fun time.

3) Two weeks later Mickey & I returned to Eureka Springs to visit our friends and neighbors, Wayne & Jimmie, at their delightful cabin between Eureka & Branson. If you remember the post I not only forgot the camera but our luggage!!! We had fun anyway, but had to cut the trip short.

4) In September we were blessed to go with a group from our church to a revival in Oak Grove, AR to hear Perry Stone and other great ministers. Getting to hear Perry Stone in person was truly a desire of my heart!!!Oak Grove is just outside Eureka Springs.

5) In October it was back to Branson for the wedding of Mickey's nephew, Wayne. Eureka Springs, Branson, Oak Grove I don't know why God kept sending us to this area but I'm sure there is some reason. 4 of these 5 trips were within a few miles of each other in that area!!!!

Wayne & Laura and Laura's 2 daughters. What a fun, beautiful wedding.

5) I am thankful for my family! I am so very thankful that 3 of our 4 children and all 3 of our grandchildren live in the Tulsa area and we can be such an integral part of their lives.

6) I am thankful that David, the child who does not live near us but in California, was able to come home in August for his brothers birthday and this Christmas eve for Christmas & my birthday.

7) I am thankful for the very good health that both Mickey & I enjoy and are blessed with.

8) I am thankful to get to meet 3 more blog friends in real life during 2009. Tammy, and her husband & daughter, in West Memphis on our way to Tennessee - Lisa and her husband and daughters who came through our area from TX & Dawn, who came to OK from CO. This makes 10 blog friends I have been privileged to meet and look forward to who those I will get to meet in 2010.

9. I am thankful that all my needs are met by my Lord and Savior. That I have joy & contentment and optimism about the future and what God has in store for His Body - The Church.

10. Last but not least I am thankful that we were introduced to Deann last New Years Eve.

Marc proposed to her 3 weeks ago and they are to be married in early 2010. You'll be hearing a lot more about this from me in weeks to come. We could not be more delighted!!!!

I AM THANKFUL!!!

THE YEAR 2008

To say 2008 was an eventful year in our lives would be an understatement!!!!

I want to close out this year with the 10 things I am most thankful for and that have made 2008 so eventful.

***************

#1 - My husband's SUCCESSFUL bi-pass heart surgery October 9th

Getting his follow-up exam and clean bill of health October 31st

***************
#2 - Celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary and celebrating it in Flagstaff/Grand Canyon where it all began October 4, 1958

In front of the church we were married in 1958-2008.

***************

#3 - The Lord putting it on my heart to begin a pray blog - HEARTS IN "1" ACCORD in May.

#4 - The 20 fellow Prayer Warriors who have joined with Mickey & I in this prayer group: Michelle - Jennifer - Diana - Dawn - Annie - Rhonda - Pam - Leigh Ann - Shirley - Sue - Ginger - Retha - Amy - Nancy - Lori - Jenileigh - Kim - Kitty - Sharon - Brenda. That these 20 cover the 4 U.S. time zones, plus 2 international Warriors!!

***************

#5 - The ADDITIONAL Prayer Warriors who will be joining with us in 2009!!!! Are YOU one of these? Please contact me for information about this private blog

***********

#6 - The 4 bloggers we were blessed to meet in REAL LIFE.

Annie at the Cheesecake Factory in Oklahoma City

Kitty (Kristie), her youngest son, Jamey, and oldest daughter, Katie at a cafe in Albuquerque

Kristie with all her children at their apartment: Katie, Jamey, Marc, Frances & John.

Brenda, her younger daughter, Grace, & husband, Sunny in Flagstaff, Arizona

Ginger, her husband Dave, daughter, Alisha, & son-in-love, Alfred, from Michigan

at Midnight

along their travel route to Texas in Muskogee, Oklahoma McD's!!!

***************

#7 - My wonderful family of 2 daughters, 2 sons, 2 granddaughters & 1 grandson and all the wonderful birthday celebrations and other family times we've shared, and topped off with one of the BEST silly, fun CHRISTMAS' ever.


The toe socks

The "JINGLE" girls --------------------------The "GRINCH" guys

***************
#8 - That David made it home to join the fun and visit from December 25-January 2 and that he is doing GREAT. .

***************

#9 - ALL our wonderful friends and church family.......but especially my forever friend, Joan, and our long-time forever friends, Don & Barbara.

October, 2008 friends for 64 years - 1943 - 2008

Barbara & Don --- friends for 33 years -- 1975-2008

***************

#10 - Last, but certainly the most important of all.......MY LORD & SAVIOR, JESUS the CHRIST, our wonderful PASTOR and CHURCH.

Gary & Paula Rogers

Pastor, Coweta Assembly of God