Blowing in the wind...

"Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior." ..."Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks." *from ALZ.org, the Alzheimer's Association Wow, that sounds so bland for what this hateful disease really does to a person. Kevin's Mom - my dearest mom-in-law, Doris; has had this hateful disease for more than 17 years now. Kevin said, the other day, that Mom is a mere wisp of who she was. That got me thinking... Watching Mom live with Alzheimer's over the years has been like watching a dandelion that has gone to seed. Bit by bit, memory by memory, pieces of our beloved Mom disappear like dandelion seeds in the wind. At first, it's just losing the car keys, or forgetting where she left her glasses. Nothing too earth-shattering... Can't do math or handle a checkbook...not too bad...that's why we're family - we take care of each other... It's not safe to drive, really can't live on her own - we've got this!!! We'll do it and she'll be safe with us. Can't tend her own personal needs...we can't provide enough care. Who do we trust with our beloved Mom??? How can we let her go to strangers??? Our hearts are breaking. She knows we belong to her, when we visit the lovely home to which we entrusted her. She hasn't spoken our names for years. Much of what we say is beyond her ability to understand. She can't sift through the Alzheimer's-mud that's clogging her mind to find the words to communicate with us.  She's lost...one piece of her at a time has blown away until she is lost to us...lost in the confusion and fog of this most hateful disease. For all that - for all the sorrow we feel at seeing her this way, to us she will always be our beloved Mom and Grandma...

October....

Welcome Fall...welcome October!!! 

This is my favorite time of the year! The leaves are changing and painting our mountains in glorious, warm, vibrant colors.

There's a crispness to the air that seems to enliven everything. It's harvest-time and time for pumpkin fests and pumpkin-flavored everything...

...and my personal favorite...all things apple!!  YUM!!!

The air is rich with the warmth and spice of the last hurrah before winter!

Then there's Halloween. 

It hasn't been my favorite holiday, but in the last 6 years that has changed. That's when we met the Warren and Marnee Price family. (Thanks to our daughter, Amanda and their son, Matthew.) The first few years of our friendship, on Halloween, we headed up to Marnee's brother's house to help with his annual Haunted House. Each year his haunted house had a different theme. One year was a "Haunted Circus" with everyone's favorite terror CLOWNS!!!!!

Then there was the year when all the characters of  "Alice in Wonderland" went a little crazy and had to be committed to the asylum...

Those days were crazy and fun. Since then, the kids have grown up and moved on. The Haunted House has been scaled down to accommodate the lack of helpers and the Prices have moved to their farm in Idaho.

Which has led to a new tradition...it wouldn't be Halloween if we couldn't spend it with our Price-Family. So every Halloween since they moved, Kevin and I have packed our bags, loaded up on fun new recipes to try, stocked up on Halloween candy, and headed up north for Halloween on the farm. We talk, we laugh, we eat, we enjoy the local Ward's activities, we play games and watch movies.

It's a typical Price/Webster fun-fest, and one our favorite places to be!!!

With all the fun, food, foliage, and frolic, is it any wonder that I love this time of year??? In fact - for me, it's the beginning of "The MOST Wonderful Time of the Year"!!!

So, here's to Autumn...stoke the fire, rake up the leaves for jump-in-them fun, bob for those apples, carve the pumpkins, gather up the ghouls and boys and let the festivities begin!!!

PS: What's your favorite Autumn adventure???

Happy New Year!

It's been a wonderful year here at Happy Acres... It has not been without challenges, but those just add flavor to an already full banquet of life.

We started this year with me recovering from shoulder surgery. I am happy to say my shoulder feels better than ever. The water heater, which rolled over and died at the beginning of this year got replaced, we lived without a dishwasher for most of this year, but that was recently replaced as well. Hallelujah - just in time for the huge load of dishes from Thanksgiving! lol

Kev recovered fully from pneumonia. Jackie graduated from High School a full year early! Smart, talented, and driven, that's our girl! We had a MARVELOUS vacation to Oregon as Jackie's graduation gift. What a blast we had spending time with Kevin's brother Steve, and his wife Debbie. LOVE those two SO much!

We had the BEST veggie-garden we've ever had, and a bumper crop of tomatoes. 

I learned to preserve things that I never had tried before. Learning new skills was fun! I had a little health scare during the summer and fall, but am getting better every day. I'm learning to live with it as I improve each day. 

Kevin and I have enjoyed our time together as our kids have grown up and become more independent. We've "run away" together to visit our dear Price-family after they moved to Idaho. Then we "ran away" for a weekend at the Anniversary Inn in Logan, UT. More and more, we're rediscovering how much we love spending time together!

Kevin is discovering a love of carpentry and building shelves all over "Happy Acres". He's having such a good time!  I am discovering new talents and interests as I watch and learn from friends and family who know SO much more than I do! Guess we're never too old to learn new things!

Both our girls are moving on with life. Amanda and Chris are in college and working hard to get through. 

Jackie has been working at a local department store and loves it.She's almost saved enough money to buy her first car. Next year she hopes to start college, too.

In the end, we learned a lot, struggled some, and been blessed beyond measure. We are incredibly grateful for family and friends who enrich our lives and bless our days. We give thanks for a loving Heavenly Father who watches over us and helps us through it all. 

God bless each of us with love, joy, and happiness in the coming New Year! Here's looking forward to good and happy things for all of us!  Happy New Year y'all!