Happy Birthday Kayla Ann.... you will always be my baby...

It's the end of January and it is my youngest child's birthday. Kayla Ann was born on January 29th, 1985 at the "NEW" Georgetown Hospital. For those of you that have lived here awhile, you will remember the opening of the NEW hospital. We were moving up big time and Kayla was one of the first babies born in that hospital. Wow, the rooms were awesome, new, clean and so different from the John Graves Ford Memorial Hospital where my other children were born. Actually, on June 24, 1956, I was born in that old hospital!!! You can only imagine the excitement this birth brought to my life...

Kayla Ann was born right before a huge snowstorm, so I called her my snow baby. She was just as cute as she could be. We all loved her dearly. As a matter of fact, there was never anytime during the day, when she was by herself. Her siblings were constantly entertaining her and she would just smile and watch. Kayla was such a good baby. She was a fun toddler and she grew into a sweet little girl, that was never lacking love in her life. When she got older she spent most of her time playing school, drawing, coloring and trying to do what her brother and sisters were doing.

Kayla was 8 years behind Jamie and 5 years behind Niki and Kelly, so after they grew up and left home, she became an only child. Now, she always had family that visited, but she didn't have to share everything. Greg and I had so much fun helping her with projects, laughing at her interacting with her friends and watching her become very independent. We learned so much from Kayla. We even learned all of the scientific names of certain plants and what they looked like. We had to drill her on them so she could compete at the State level with FFA. We were always busy. We savored every single event because, Kayla was the baby and we had no more children to follow on those adventures. She was the end of our line of children. The next people that we would watch doing "school things" would be grandchildren. Oh, how the years seemed to fly by...

Anyway, to shorten my story, when Kayla moved out Greg and I were so sad. We didn't even know what channel to watch on tv. However, she kept returning home and that made us so happy. She went to college and graduate school, then took off on her own. We couldn't hold her back and as parents, that is what we knew would happen. She has her own house and is a High School Mathematics teacher (I didn't see that one coming!)... We still love her, we still support her and we will always be here if she needs us...

Happy Birthday to my little snow baby... I love you with all of my heart...

Counting my blessings, even when I am having trouble finding them....

This year has just been so complicated so far for me, but when I look back, I see God everywhere. He has not turned His back on me or left me to figure it all out by myself, even if it does feel like He has. When I look back at the passing of my Papa Gene, I see God everywhere. He was there when we found out that the cancer was not treatable. He was there when my mom tried to care for him all by herself and it was taking such a toll on her. He was there when Hospice stepped in and started helping us cope with the dying process. He was there when Papa Gene quietly crossed over to Heaven with so much peace. The Friday night when I left his hospice room, I told him goodbye and that it was okay to go, we would take care of mom. That day was full of family and visits from friends, but you could tell that Papa Gene was experiencing pain. We all realized that it was time to let him go home...

I had a preacher tell me one time that "Early in the morning, the joy will return." So even though I left the hospital Friday night very burdened, when my mom called at 5:10 on Saturday morning, I knew for Papa Gene, the joy had returned...

Our next crazy event where we had to totally depend on God was when Lawsen took Levi's blood pressure medicine that Levi dropped on the floor. Levi did not tell anyone mainly because he has ADHD and in the mornings before he gets his medicines in his system, he is so impulsive and I'm sure he didn't even know that he dropped the pill. He certainly didn't think about Lawsen taking it. All day Lawsen did nothing but sleep and if you have met Lawsen you know he is a little fireball!!! He never stops... Late in the day Chris had the idea to ask Levi if Lawsen could have gotten his medicine. That is when Levi barely remembered dropping it. Thank God that he did remember. He felt terrible!! But God was there, keeping Lawsen from going into a coma, reminding Chris to ask about the possibility that he could have taken a pill. God was there when Jamie talked to poison control and they gave strict instructions to get him to the hospital because, this medicine could cause his heart to stop...

God was there at the hospital while the doctor and nurses were caring for Lawsen... God pulled him through and he is just fine again... God never leaves us!!

We have been through a lot this year, but thank you God for being with us every step of the way...

Missing a part of life as I know it...

I haven't been on here for months and honestly, I could not find my blog!! How funny is that? I just totally forgot where it was... Tonight however, I'm back : )

One week ago, my Papa Gene died. He had lung cancer... I think that cancer is such a thief. It robs people! It robbed me of more years with my stepdad... It robbed my mom of her husband... It robbed Lawsen of his Poppy... It robbed Kayla Ann of her granddad... I just don't understand cancer...

I did get to see how wonderful Hospice of the Bluegrass is... They took care of Papa Gene for a little over a week and I just don't think I can explain how gentle, kind and caring everyone from Hospice that we met was... They helped get the equipment that my mom needed to care for Papa Gene at home... The hospital bed, wheelchair, shower stool, just everything they knew that would help my mom out!!! Then, when Papa Gene was transferred to the Hospice Center in St Joseph Hospital they did not leave us while we watched and waited for what we knew would soon happen... They made his life so comfortable, even to the very end... For that I will always be grateful...

I learned that dying is a process, just as being born... Your body goes through many things as you are separating from it to go to Heaven... It was amazing... I learned that the body uses up all of the moisture in it before it dies... A dying person will get a rapid heart beat, sweat even if they are just sleeping and that burns up all of the fluid they have left... The brain sends out a signal to the body that a dying person does NOT need to eat or drink... The brain tells them that they are satisfied and if you force food or drink on them, they will get sick... The body cannot process the food or water...

You know how sometimes a person has a "near death experience" and they tell how their life flashed before their eyes? Well, a person that is dying a terminal death reviews every screen of their life that has happened. Good, bad or just mundane, they see everything!!! When they are finished with the review, they can die... I have decided that I want to die a quick death... That way I won't have to take so long reviewing my life!!

One last thing that I learned: Hearing is the first sense to develop on a baby and hearing is the last thing to leave on a dying person... We are wonderfully and completely made..

March 8th, 1931 - January 15th, 2011... I sure do miss you, Papa Gene... I'm glad you didn't have to suffer any longer than you did... I will take care of mom and Barney and Angus... I will keep in touch with Robbin... I will keep you alive in the hearts of my family : )

Thank you God that Papa Gene passed through my life for over 19 years... I will see him again!!

Happy Birthday to my daughter, Kelly!!

I just wanted to share how special that I think my daughter, Kelly is. She has a full time job at SCHS Daycare, she is a wife and a mother of two girls. Kelly juggles all of that responsibility and goes to college, she is trying to finish up her degree and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that she will be successful! I am extremely proud of Kelly. She has the best sense of humor and she is usually wearing a smile on her face. Thank you so much Kelly, for weaving our family together in one unit. You are so special to me... I love you, Nana Mom

My Sweet Daughter, Niki Lyn... 3 21 1980

When I try to think back about the day Niki was born, the main thing that I remember was how scary the whole event seemed to me. I had Cesarean births so 30 years ago when Niki was born, they admitted you to the hospital the night before you delivered the baby the next morning. Well, the night I was admitted to the old John Graves Ford Memorial Hospital was a very cold and very windy night! In fact my window had a small hole in it and I about froze to death until one of the nurses came in and covered the hole with surgical tape!!! Thank goodness.. Back then the maternity ward was in a special wing of the hospital and it had two glass doors at the end of the hallway that stayed shut. No one was allowed past those doors unless it was visiting hours! There were no phones in the room and the tv was a tiny one, maybe 5 inches and it hung on a swinging arm by the bed. The only phone was a pay phone in the emergency room door way and you could only use it at certain times. The whole birthing experience was kind of like a prison for mothers. Needless to say, I did not sleep at all the night before Niki was born.

The next morning, made the isolated night I had experienced, all be forgotten. I had the smallest little baby girl and she was just beautiful. God blessed me with a little girl, the one I had always dreamed about. Jamie was three at the time so he was a great helper when we brought Niki home from the hospital. He loved her so much and so did my whole family, however, Niki only had eyes for her mommy, me! She would not let me out of her sight. She absolutely wore me out! I tease her now because she was my "high maintenance baby" and I never made a move without her attached to my side. Believe me, I loved every minute of her claiming her mommy as her only love, but I don't think I ever went to the bathroom, took a bath, ate a meal or slept all night without my little Niki hanging on to me.

I learned so much from Niki and the main thing was if you wanted something you had to get it! She was, and still is, a determined soul. All of her life, if she wanted something bad enough, she would sell cans, pick up walnuts, babysit, mow the yard, and beg to get the money she needed! It was an adventure watching her at work, but she never failed!!

I still spend everyday with Niki by my side. I have no clue what I would do without her and I don't want to find out. Her determination now goes to getting things her children need, helping others and helping her family. So, on this day, Niki Lyn Brandenburg, I want to say "Happy 30th Birthday" to my daughter, my friend and my business partner. God knew what He was doing when he gave you to me...

My one and only son, Jamie...

I am jumping ahead a whole lot of years to write this post. I want to honor my son, James Keith Gifford, on his 33rd birthday. Jamie entered this world on March 17th, 1977 and he is my St Patty's day gift! I was 20 years old, young, inexperienced and one sick little lady when Jamie was born. I had toxemia and pneumonia in both lungs and to be honest, both of us almost did not survive. However, God had plans and we both have seen Him at work in our lives.

Jamie was named after my daddy, James E. (Jimmy) Moore, he was so excited to have a boy in the family! Until Jamie was born, my daddy had two girls, so he was ready to be a granddaddy to his very first grandson. My momma, Dorothy and my daddy came to visit Jamie constantly, they took him everywhere and he loved them dearly! They were so instrumental in helping make Jamie the man he is today and for that, I will forever be thankful. Jamie called them Mom and Granddaddy. My daddy poured everything good that he knew into Jamie in the nine years that he had with him. When Jamie was nine, my daddy died of a massive heart attack and Jamie was crushed. This really made an impression on Jamie and even though he was just nine, he will forever have a special place in his heart for all of the things my daddy taught him.

Now, Jamie has a 23 month old son of his own, Aeden, and I love seeing them interact together. My little St Patty's day gift has grown into a wonderful, loving and caring man. Thank you God for babies...

Happy Birthday to Jamie...

Tomboy, as a matter of fact, I am!!

I was always a tomboy! My mom and dad had two girls, I was the youngest, so I was my daddy's tomboy. I hung outside with my daddy every chance I got. When it came time for dishes, I was helping my daddy mow... When it came time for cleaning the house, I was helping my daddy pick up limbs and rake leaves!!! You get the point. My toys included Barbie's, but I also had cowboys, indians and their horses, I had baseball gloves, balls and bats and any other toy that lead to the great outdoors! I loved being outside and I still do.

I remember learning to mow at a very young age, in fact, I could barely keep the riding mower running because I was such a skinny little girl. I mowed all of the Moore family land and I loved it! No one ever paid me because back then you just did stuff to help your family for free, novel idea!! My daddy was so proud of me and he would take the mower and "cut out" the path I was to mow. He showed me how to navigate the mower so close to everything that we hardly ever had to weedeat. I can still do that today. I call it the "Jimmy Moore Mowing School Way" and it really is the best.

My poor sister, Linda, was a "girly girl" and she did not like to play outside at all! In fact, she would rather stay in the house and read, can you believe that? It was terrible when I made her go outside and pitch the baseball to me so I could practice hitting it. If I hit the ball hard enough that it went over her head, I had to go get it! She was not much fun outside and I was mean to her because she would never play with me... Looking back, if I had been nicer to her, she might have enjoyed playing with me a little more!!

Since I had no one to play with most of the time, I played with my collie "Teddy" and that big boy never left my side! I don't know if I loved him the most, or he loved me the most, but we sure did have fun! I used to take him on safari's and I would pack a lunch for me and a snack for him. Then we would wonder all over the Moore family land and have tons of adventures! He was by my side when I got my first bbgun and learned how to shoot it. He wasn't even afraid and stayed by my side when my daddy took the mower off of an old riding mower and let me use it as my means of transportation. That mower was loud, but Teddy did not let it bother him! I don't really remember if any children ever were stolen when I was a little girl, but I know with Teddy by my side, that no one would touch me. I was very protected by my very best friend...