Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Christmas 2013

Christmas  - a season that I have always loved & looked forward too. Shopping, baking, preparing my family's favourite foods, decorating every room in my house, taking a drive around town to look at the Christmas lights, family gatherings, carols. Celebrating with family & friends the real reason for the season. Reading the story of the Babe born in a manger. This year, most of the things I love about Christmas just don't have the same appeal as they have had in the past. Our family circle is broken. There will be two empty spots around the dinner table. This year we will celebrate being together, celebrate a life spared, celebrate each other, celebrate the Babe born 2000 years ago who gave His life so we may live, celebrate that in the midst of our sorrow, He gives comfort through the prayers of so many people who are still upholding us in prayer.  Christmas will have a different flavour  this year.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Finally - A Quilt Post!

 I have not done a quilt post in a long while so here are some pictures of a quilt I've just finished. 

 It is for my granddaughter, Carly.

 The quilt size is 84 x62.

 Carly chose this backing about a year & a half ago when she was in a fabric shop with me & this fabric with the shoes on it caught her eye & she begged me to buy it for her. She has not forgotten about it as she has asked me about it.

 It has her name on it with the date & who the quilt is from.

 She really loves cats - she has 8 - so I searched for cat prints.

My prayer for Carly is that she will use her talents to bring joy to whoever she is in contact with, that she will grow up to serve her Lord wherever her path may go,  & that the Lord's protective Hand will be on her.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Doell Family Christmas

 I hosted my family Christmas on Saturday, December 14th. We had a wonderful time of visiting, eating & laughter. The above picture is my sister, Edna & her husband with her gift of potholders, pillow cases & a pillow.
 This is my sister, Carolyn & her husband displaying their gifts. Some how I missed taking a picture of my oldest sister. Sorry, Helen, I'll get a picture next time.

 This is my 97 year old mom, with her gift of a picture frame with photos of us 4 sisters with her.

                                                   My mom with 4 of my grandchildren.

My youngest son, Chris with my mom. He takes after his dad with not smiling for pictures!
 Two cousins joined us for the afternoon & supper. It was a very special day.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Four Months

Four months. Four months since August 8th. Four months. I don't remember where I got this reading. I found it yesterday when I was cleaning up some papers. It's a photocopy from a page in a book called " Eyes to See." I don't know the author.


" If you are a child of God then you, too, can rest assured that He is authoring every line in the story of your life. He knows the pain & suffering which fills that page in the chapter you are currently living. He understands your desire to flip back the pages of a happier time or to move ahead quickly and even skip this painful chapter altogether. (Did not Jesus also cry out for His Father to remove the bitter cup He was about to drink?) To run from your sufferings, however, will cause you to miss the great comfort & peace God wants to give you and the contentment & character He longs to produce in you right now! Right where you are. Through your suffering, God will reveal life-transforming glimpses of Himself which you will never enjoy except through pain. He's washing your eyes with tears so that you may see more clearly! You may be weeping now but joy awaits you in the morning! And know this: Out of the same pen that is writing your story flows not only wisdom for the writing but rivers of grace for the living. Will you dare to believe?

Would you dare, would you dare to believe
That you still have a reason to sing?
Cause the pain that you've been feeling 
It can't compare to the joy that's coming!

So hold on, you've got to wait for the light.
Press on & just fight the good fight.
Cause the pain that you've been feeling,
It's just the dark before morning. 


Monday, December 2, 2013

Forever Connected


There is a very special meaning to the above picture. The young man on the right is Nolan. Nolan & his girlfriend were the first people at the accident scene on August 8th. Nolan made the 911 call. We first met Nolan & his girlfriend at Barry & Zach's memorial service. After the service, our son, Chris & Charlotte said to us that there was someone who wanted to meet Albert. Here stood this young couple with tears running down their faces & then they said to Albert -" We just had to meet you & to see that you are alive. "  They stood & just looked at Albert with such raw emotion in their faces.
Last evening we met Nolan again under happier circumstances. He was an actor in a comedy dinner theater  that we attended & we just needed to have our picture taken with him. He indeed is a very special young man to us.  In a terrible situation, he stayed & made a call. We are forever connected to him.     

Sunday, November 24, 2013

November Happenings

 November has been filled with a number of happenings. Got back into my sewing room with serious intentions & have completed a number of projects & have several started but can't reveal them yet are they are Christmas gifts. Am also working on baby quilts for my church as every newborn receives a quilt as a gift from the Caring Committee & there have been several new babies born in the last few weeks.

 Enjoyed a shopping trip to Fargo & Grand Forks, ND with my traveling buddy/cousin where I tried on these sexy shoes but, alas, they stayed in the store as I could hardly stand up in them, let alone walk!!

Helped these grandkids make snowmen out of socks & filled with rice. Was a fun afternoon project.
Haven't picked up my camera much lately. Need to change that this week.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

A Quilt & Some Thoughts

 This week I made it back into my sewing & completed a project I started in October. This quilt is for my friend Linda, who has cancer & is in the midst of her treatment plan.
 It felt good to be back in my sewing room to work on a project that I hope will be of comfort for Linda. I gave it to her Thursday & she was quite pleased.
It was a beautiful sunny day Thursday so I took a short drive to capture some of Fall's last beauty.
 
 Yesterday, November 8th - three months since the accident. Three months of such heartache, pain & many questions & few answers. For the first month or so, my time & mind was so busy with things that needed to be done immediately, caring & comforting my hurting family, the services, then Albert's surgery, many medical appointments & just trying to get through each day.
Our trip to Florida gave me time to think & sort out some thoughts. Don't really know if my thoughts have become any clearer. 
This I know - We miss Barry & Zach so very much. 

And here are some words that I know are true & dependable & comforting. 
Taken from Isaiah 43
"I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Because you are precious in my eyes and honoured and I love you. Fear not, for I am with you."

Thursday, October 31, 2013

And the last of Florida


 One of the swimming pools at the resort.
 Loved the garbage can with the pot of flowers on it.

 Enjoyed the well trimmed gardens & shrubs.

 Entrance to the resort.

 This picture was taken at in a residential area that we saw one afternoon when we were out for a drive. Love the Spanish moss draping down from the trees.

Spanish moss flourishes in Florida due to the high humidity.
And then Monday morning, it was time to leave sunny Florida & return to sunny Manitoba.

Friday, October 25, 2013

More of Florida

 Our only "theme park" that we have visited in Florida is " The Holy Land Experience." We both really enjoyed the day & the beauty of the park. The above picture is a replica of the temple plaza. 

 The Sea of Galilee. 

Pool of Bethesda.

There were a number of Nativity scenes set up ready for the Christmas season.
We watched 4 live dramas in a beautiful facility - Church of all Nations. The last drama was the passion play called - We Shall Behold Him.

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Florida

 Due to a close family member who so very kindly gifted us with some of her timeshare points, we are are in Florida now at a very beautiful resort south west of Orlando.

 I've found several bright blooming hibiscus to photograph.

 I can't get enough pictures of this bright foliage.

 A variety of greens.
 And of course, many kinds & sizes of palm trees.
 

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Another Step

Thanksgiving weekend took on a different form for our family this year. Saturday evening we laid to rest the ashes of our most dearly loved son & grandson. We had ordered a gravestone to honour Barry & Zach & it was ready & was put up during the week. We had a short service with our family & pastor present. Then we all  released a balloon to represent Barry & Zach's spirits floating up to Heaven.
It was very important to us that our names be on the marker too so that everyone would know that Barry & Zach belonged to our family. Barry's wife, Sigrid, is planning to scatter some of the ashes in places that Barry & Zach loved to spend time. It was another difficult event for our family &  we pray that it brought us closer together. Barry & Zach were very much missed at our family gathering. In the midst of the sadness, we found many things to be thankful for - for a life spared - Albert, for each one of our family members, for the good times spent with Barry & Zach. Thank-you to each one of you who have prayed for our family. Your prayers are felt & much appreciated.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Two Months


Two months. Today. Two months since August 8. Two months ago our second born son, Barry & second born grandson, Zach hand in hand were welcomed into Heaven, with whole & perfect bodies. They left their badly broken bodies here on earth. They were both amazing men, both children of mothers who loved them deeply.  Our hearts are so broken. We are hurting. Our whole family is sad.

 Sometimes we say that it just doesn't seem  real. We talk about them everyday. We look at pictures of Barry, as baby, as young boy growing up, a teenager, then off to university, pictures of Barry & Sigrid's wedding,   Pictures of Zach joining the family, then Abby, some pictures of us camping as a family, Christmases,  pictures of Zach growing up, family events, a fun picture of Zach wearing a gas mask. Thankful for the many pictures I took, wishing I had taken more. 
So thankful that we had Barry & Zach  in our lives for the time we did, too short for us, they were both gifts given to us for a time from our Heavenly Father, on August 8th they returned to Heaven. Our lives are so much richer for having them in our lives, they will forever be in our hearts. We will talk about them everyday. And someday, we will be reunited with them again in Heaven.
Two months. Today. 

Thursday, October 3, 2013

And Some More Colour

 Yesterday, October 2, we took at trip to Portage la Prairie, first to have morning coffee with my mom & then lunch with friends. Then we took a drive around Island Park, a place we both enjoy & often take a drive through it when we are in Portage.
 The park has many large trees & the fall leaves just shone in the bright sunshine.
 

 Found this large mushroom growing out of a tree.

 
 There were lots of geese on the lake.

 We paid a visit to my dad's grave site.
He would have been 100 in July.

We enjoyed a tour around my sister's farm & caught her flock of "quackers" on the pond.
We had a delicious supper with my sister & brother in law & arrived home late in the evening & decided with had had a wonderful & comforting day with family & friends.