ALASKA VACATION 2025--PART 1

The last of June and first of July, I was blessed to go on a two week vacation to Alaska with the four humans I love most on earth.  Planning began in fall 2024 for this wonderful bucket list trip.  The Son-In-Law is an excellent travel planner.  It was the trip of a lifetime.  Many have asked for photographs.  I honestly tell them I did not take my big camera, just my phone and "Brownie", but The Girl took her nice camera and got a lot of beautiful photos.  It was more of a time of recovery and rest for tired "me" and a much needed time of pure togetherness for our family.  

We began with a flight to Vancouver for a couple of days.  It was many "firsts" for me....a passport, the international  concourse at the airport, uber rides,....many firsts.  It was also the first of a time The Husband and I just went and did whatever we were told.  There were no wrong choices.

Vancouver and north of Vancouver sights...

trees growing on skyscrapers.....

Vancouver had a swanky Denney's.   This was the ladies "washroom" as they say in Canada....

Our one day in Vancouver in our rented SUV found us driving north to Whistler.  In route we rode a Sea to Sky Gondola (very cloudy), saw beautiful flowers, a suspension bridge.  One of us did not cross the bridge.  Guess which one.....

After driving through Whistler, we turned around and headed back to Vancouver.  On the way we stopped for lunch at a restaurant named Watershed that was reknown for being the site of a popular Netflix show.  Lunch was delicious.  We saw waterfalls, beautiful scenery, and had a wonderful time that day.

We ended our self tour in Vancouver on a downtown popular suspension bridge.  Yes, only four of us walked on it, too.  I don't do wide open spaces heights at all. 

Waiting on Vancouver street for Uber to take us to ship dock.....yes, we had much luggage.

The next post will be from the cruise ship and those excursions.   Stay tuned.....

FINDING NORMAL

 Over the course of this year, I have written little.  There would be a good reason for that and I think I am ready to share my thoughts on the early part of 2025.  

As I have mentioned often in this blog, my parents were aging and while I had tried to help them at home, they realized the need of moving to an assisted living facility.  They moved on February 15, 2024, living there quite happily for the most part.  In late 2024, my mother had become a bit disgruntled and wanted to move back home but their choice had been made to sell their house so there was no house for her to go back to, plus she was not able to live independently anymore.  My dad recognized her decline and spoke privately to me about it.

Fast forward to January 29, 2025, at 4:45 am when my phone rang with the news that my dad had moved to heaven.  What a great thing for him!  So sad for the ones of us who remained but so blessed for him--health issues, mobility issues, and life issues troubled him greatly.  His faith became sight with that move and I think that's all I might say about it.  I like to think of him like this....

A week later my mom was officially diagnosed with dementia by her pcp, then a week later she was diagnosed with the same from her nephrologist, then a week later, my sister had a 14 minute full cardiac arrest.  Yes, you read right....a full cardiac arrest for 14 minutes.  She was admitted to ICU and life looked pretty grim and bleak for a couple of days.  Then we realized we had front row seats to a miracle.  Yes, she recovered.  It took a while and she still works daily on her recovery but is living a somewhat normal life now.  She just sees doctors regularly.  I could say more about this but it, too, was a painful time with a wonderful result.

During the time of my sister's sickness, my mom's mental and physical health advanced negatively.  I was not her favorite person as I wouldn't do what she wanted.  I had to be firm in wisest decisions while seeking the Lord's help.  I'll level with you here, it ain't easy.  If you are going through the same, you have my prayers.  Without saying more, the Lord provided a way for hospice to care for my mom.  It was around the last of April this year when she got dementia medicine.  It was a long road getting there.  I am not very complimentary of some of the medical field's care of the aged but that's enough about that.  She was happy and calm for two days, then her kidneys that had been failing for years took a huge nosedive.  Things moved quickly for her with her going into a hospital bed, morphine need, swelling, and so much more.  I was blessed to be with her daily every day, going home at night, until the Lord called her home to heaven.   That was on May 14, 2025.

Three months and fourteen days my parents were apart after being married almost 72 years.  They never spent birthdays apart and this year was no exception as they had birthdays in June and July.  They will have their anniversary together in heaven.  

I don't wish them back at all as their quality of life was not what they wanted it to be physically and mentally.  I have no regrets for decisions I made with my sister and alone on behalf of both my sister and me when she was unable to make decisions.  Do I get somewhat melancholy still?  Absolutely.  Some days memories overtake my mind and heart and it's just still a bit different.  My phone is silent more now....my parents prided themselves on making multiple calls a day.  My fears for them are also silent as they are now in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  

So I am finding a new normal.  Their absence here makes me the new matriarch of the family and that's the circle of life also.

I want to end today with my favorite photo of my parents and me in the early days.  I guess now I'm one of the few who has known them the longest.  And somehow this photo just gives me warmth.

Life is but a vapor.....

Consider....

34 YEARS!

Happy Birthday to this blog!  No, it's not 34 years old, only 13 years old but the very first blog post was on this day about this subject dear to my heart.  After my long hiatus, I could not let this day pass without the acknowledgement of it.

It was 34 years ago, as most of you blog readers know already, that The Girl was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes.  It was a hard, life-changing day for our little family.

As I type this on this day, 34 years later, my heart overflows with gratitude for new technology, more technology to come, and still a hope for a cure.  I'm sure I feel in my heart as other mothers of juvenile diabetes children feel.  Feelings are really not rocket science, they are feelings in our hearts.

This year the post will not be filled with memories as years passed.  You are invited to visit the blog archives for those, you should find 12 more posts of memories on this day and yes, they are part of my own story.  

The story we praise today is the story of The Girl.  She wears her pump and her sensors, she tries to manage her sugars even though it's a proven fact some days there are no rhyme or reason to blood sugars.  Bottom line, it's as we learned that first week at the big city children's hospital,  it just takes a little more effort for her with this disease.  She is still just like other children.  And now that The Girl is middle aged, she's still a wife and mother and busy and probably happier than a pig in the mud.  So why shouldn't we praise!  

Guess I REALLY like this black sweater....

Yes, this is their current family of three....

So kudos to The Girl and much gratitude and praise to our Lord for days passed, this day, and days to come!

Consider.....

ALIVE FOREVERMORE!

Very early in the morning, Mary went to the tomb and guess what?  Jesus was not there!  He is alive!

On this blessed day at the ending of this season's Easter writings, I'd like to share the verse on a card I received yesterday.  It goes like this:

"I still believe in Amazing Grace, that there is Power in the Blood, that he walks with me and he talks with me.  That Because He Lives I can face tomorrow.  All because of The Old Rugged Cross."

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."  Colossians 3:16

And ALL God's people said, "AMEN!"

WILLING

I often wondered why today, the Friday before Easter, was called Good Friday.  Quite frankly, I read the story of the day of Jesus crucifixion and I find nothing good in it.   However, always at the ending of my read, I feel such amazement and gratitude that HE WOULD DIE FOR ME.

He was taken away after the betrayal to many courts and accused of many things but said little.  Pilate, the governor at that time, couldn't find anything to accuse him of.  Pilate was even warned by his wife to leave Jesus alone as it was revealed to her in a dream.  Still, pleasing the people was a necessity so the murderer, Barabbas, was released instead.  This society often still aims to "people please".

Jesus endured so many terrible things....beaten, mocked, whipped, scourged.  He was dressed in a purple robe and had placed on his head a crown of thorns.  Can you imagine the pain of that?  The physical pain?

Someone was found to carry his cross to Golgatha and there he was crucified.  He was given vinegar with gall to drink and was crucified between two thieves, one which believed on him and went with Jesus that day to paradise.  Such love and compassion hanging on that cross.

Jesus died there willingly.  When he died, several things happened that folks could see and many realized that "truly he was the Son of God".  I encourage you to read this in all the Gospels.  Read it good and pay attention.  There are so many prophecies that were fulfilled as well....way too many to mention.

After he died, he was taken by Joseph of Armithea to his tomb.  Jesus had not place to lay his head and had to borrow a tomb.  But remember, it was only for a short time....Sunday's coming!  A lot can happen in three days!

Consider..... 

AGONY

Agony's definition is "intense pain of mind or body, anguish, torture, extreme mental or physical suffering.

After supper was done, Jesus and some disciples walked to Gethsemene's Garden.  Jesus was going to pray.  Two or three disciples went in with him and waited while he went further in the garden.  There he prayed to his father about what was to come for him...."not my will, but thine".  He came to the disciples to find them asleep and then went again to pray to return only to find them asleep again.  Very human were these disciples.  

If you are familiar with the reading of the Gospels, you know what an agonizing prayer Jesus prayed.  I can't begin to imagine.  But, through it all, Jesus was WILLING to do HIS father's will.

I am uncertain as to how the Bible is written be it chronologically or not.  There is one Gospel book, the book of John (chapter 17) that documents a prayer of Jesus, implying it could have been in the garden but uncertain.  Either way, if you are not familiar with it or if you are, it deserves a read this week.  In this chapter, Jesus prays for himself, his disciples, and for you and me.  Reading this prayer makes me utterly humbled even more of what Jesus did for me.

After the prayers were done, Judas came with his "people" and betrayed the Lord with a kiss and Jesus was taken away to the courts.  

Oh, what Jesus did for you and me!  How I love HIM!

Consider....

PREPARATION

 In my scriptures today, I have read about the last supper that Jesus had with his disciples.  It was amazing to me that, just as Jesus told the disciples where to go to get the animal for his "walk" into Jerusalem, he did the same with his instructions to his disciples about the location of the last supper.  They were told to go see the man carrying a waterpot.  One of the gospels, Luke maybe, said they followed the man into his house and asked for the use of his upper room.  Isn't it amazing that in that whole large city of Jerusalem, these disciples found the exact man and the exact upper room that Jesus intended?  I was thinking that Jesus gave them specific instructions, they followed those instructions, and success was made.  Maybe that's a bit where I have a problem.  Do I receive the instructions and follow them just as Jesus intends?  Hmmm.....

The Bible says that Jesus gathered in that upper room with his twelve disciples.  The scriptures talk about their discussions a bit....you know the breaking of the bread representing Jesus' body and the drinking of the wine representing his blood.  He even in one gospel washed their feet.  Now I'm not going into the Baptist church's tradition of feet washing.  My church does that twice a year.  That's a blog post for another day, but I will tell you it's an humble time.  I guess I'm quite taken with the fact that Judas, the betrayer, was one of those 12 disciples gathered there in that room.  And I guess I'm even more taken that Jesus broke bread and drank with him at the same table.  More I'm even most taken that Jesus probably washed Judas' feet.  Have you even wondered how Judas felt?  I'm telling you, I have such a guilty conscience, I would have been eat up with guilt and spilled all.  But then I remember......all this is the fulfilling of the plan for Jesus to die for MY sins....and YOURS.

I think a lot, too, about Peter at this time.  Peter was the bold disciple.  I wonder how he felt when he was so bold in saying he would never deny Christ.  Never.  Ever.  And Jesus said that before the rooster crowed, Peter would deny him three times.   I think Peter really thought he would never deny Christ.  I think he fully intended to never deny Christ.  But you know what?  Peter was human just like you and me.  Think about that.

I always think, too, of what Jesus told Peter in one of the gospels and it really bears on my mind often.  I will paraphrase here....Jesus said to Peter, "Peter, Satan desires to have you and sift you as wheat but never fear, I have prayed for you."  That to me is a scary, big and comforting scripture all at the same time.

So at the end of the supper, they sang a hymn and went out.  Think about "The Plan."

Consider....

PARABLES AND BETRAYALS

As I was doing my reading about the events of Holy Week, I was reminded of all the parables and lessons Jesus taught during that time.  Parables I have heard all my life that somehow now take a bigger meaning and have a greater impact on my life as a senior adult.  It made me realize that while those parables are so meaningful and familiar, Jesus still continues to teach me every single day.  I hope I am an attentive learner.

I have read about Mary breaking the box of costly oil over him as he was with the group.  I have read where the disciples in that group criticized her for such a waste.  I have learned how that nothing done in the name of Jesus with a sincere heart is a waste.  I want a sincere heart. 

I read how he chased the moneychangers out of the Temple.  In today's society, we as a church must be careful of this in our own place of worship.  Enough said.

And I have read how Judas, one of his own disciples, sold him out.  Thirty pieces of silver which my reference said was 300 days' wages.  I wonder how much these folks worked for monetarily in those days.  These days we are full of inflation and the desire for more money.  I thought of Judas and in one of the gospels it said "Satan got into his heart".  Ah.  Mercy me.  I pray Satan doesn't get into my heart.  I hope I can keep the door locked tightly.  Yet at that, I know there are times I sold out the Lord by my silence, by my actions, and by my thoughts.  I hope to not do that again.  

Help us, Jesus, to trust you more.

Consider....