Cocoa Beach

David and the children went to the Cocoa Beach yesterday in 70-degree weather to fish. They made out really well. Seth and Andrew caught around 12 each and Megan a half dozen. Their bounty consisted mostly of blowfish, catfish, french grunts and a few mystery fish.

I told Seth and Andrew before they left I was going to write about their adventure and let you all know Seth caught a 100 lb. shark and Andrew a 100 lb. sailfish each with their bare hands.

They all received boogie and skim boards for Christmas but the water is to cold to use them yet. It is to get up into the 80’s this weekend so for you snowbound now is the time to come to sunny Florida before we get back down in the 40’s next week.

Kimmie wasn’t feeling well yesterday and I have been fighting a migraine for two days so I stayed home and slept. It was wonderful. I still have the headache and am not looking forward to work today due to the pain.

Please pray Kimmie feels better and her medical test she took last week come back okay. Please also pray my migraine gets under control and I no longer wish to be decapitated or drill a hole in my skull. 


Blessings!

Alz's Ugly Head

Yesterday was a hard day. David was forgetting a lot and in turn became belligerent. I used the “I understand” line but it did not seem to help.  He was personally attacking my character saying I was that conversations never happened and I’m not in touch with reality since he thinks we never had conversations in the first place. I know it is not him but Alz reeling it is ugly head.

It has happened before in the past six months but now I know the cause. Knowledge does not take away the sting of the words or the sadness of seeing what Alz is doing to my loving, kind hearted and gentle husband.

On the bright side we had friends over on and off all day. George and David came and we put up lights in our closet and laundry room, hung shelves, closet racks and unpacked boxes. The house is looking better every day. 

Rick came over last night and we had snacks and they cracked a bottle of Champagne he gave us to celebrate our one month of being in the house. It seems like years at this point.

Thirty-two days ago we were all living in apartments due to the fire in April (which we now know was due to David forgetting about the candle), David was working and we didn’t have a diagnosis of Alz. It is amazing what can change in a month.

One thing I haven’t mentioned is that David was put on Axona on Jan 4^th. It is a medication that is to help his memory. It made him sick and tearing up his system. I’m not sure it is helping.

Well I’m off to have some fun today with Kimmie. I need a relaxing day. David is going to take the kids out fishing.

Please pray we get rejuvenated for the week of appointments ahead. 


Blessings!

God Money and Shirt Size

My fun loving girlfriend Barbara sent me this prayer. I love her.

“Dear GOD:

My Wish for me in 2011 is a big,

Fat bank account and a slim body.

PLEASE don't mix these two up

like you did last year !!!! “

Holy irreverence at its best!

Yet Means Your Eligible Too

A dear friend wrote me an email last night and part of it read:

“Why did 2 people who had individually suffered so much in life already, find each other and happiness just to have that altered?  Notice I did not say that your happiness was taken away because I believe you and David have much happiness ahead...but the sadness makes me sad for you. “

When I was told I needed a double mastectomy at 29 I said to my mentor “Why me?”

Her response was “Why not you? We are all on this planet together and it will happen to somebody. We live in a fallen world so why not you, Andrealynn? It just hasn’t happened to me, yet." She went on to explain that yet means Your Eligible Too.

By being born we are all eligible for all life has to offer good and bad. God loves each of us no matter our choices or what happens to us. He rejoices in our successes and weeps when we suffer. So should we not praise Him in good and bad times? His glory is constant. Should we not be too?

So we have had hard lives. I’ve heard it said that nothing happens on this earth that God and I can’t handle together. Well God thinks more highly of me than I do with the things that have been thrown at me.

We could kick, scream and act like martyrs or go through this with dignity and grace being a light to others while shining Christ’s love. Either way we have to walk this path so we are choosing the latter. 


Blessings!

Acceptance Does Not Mean Approval

Well, Mom’s moved in without incident. As the stuff came in the door I cleaned it. Now all we have to do is go through the bins in the garage. I think 25 bins of Christmas stuff is a bit much.

She was right the furniture in the living room looks better her way than mine. I think I’m going to say that a lot now...“Your right Mom.”

When David gets mad or forgets my response is “I understand.”

This whole process is about acceptance. Acceptance does not mean approval it means accepting what or who ever exactly as it or they are. Example, I accept the pink table has four legs. I might hate pink tables, four legged tables or tables in general but when I accept something, as it is, I keep my sanity.

I hate that David has Alz however I accept it. That does not mean I do not cry and tell God I do not think it is fair. I do not approve. It does not mean when David forgets something we are to do or a conversation that I do not get sad.

It does mean that I take joy in the little things. He still remembers our names. He still knows how to empty the dishwasher. He still loves me or rather knows that he loves me.

Alz Is a horrible disease that strips everyone involved of hope for the long-term future. David and I won’t be on rocking chairs in Savanna when we are 80. He won’t be able to enjoy his grandchildren. One thing it does not strip us of is our faith in God and belief in His sovereignty.

Please pray that the children realize this hope and feel the love of Christ envelop them. Also that the whole family feels the peace we do and embraces the time David has left by building strong relationships while he is still here. 


Blessings!

The Move's Almost Over

Again we worked on cleaning out my Moms apartment on Saturday. It took seven of us three days to pack all of her stuff.   It’s saving hundreds of dollars just having the furniture taken by the movers Tuesday.

I’ll be glad when it’s over. Our friends David, Kimmie and George have helped pack. George has let us use his truck for the last three Saturdays load after load. My husband and children (Seth and Andrew) have worked their hinnies off. I’m sure if they see another pizza it will be to soon. I feel some days at Disney in their future since my Mom can get them in for free due to working there.

Saturday night my David was blue about the prospects of dying. I reminded him we are all going to die and it’s in the future not now. After all birth is fatal.

I was talking to my sister-in-love last week and she was right. When I was young I wanted to live forever however the older I get and the more my eyes are opened the more I look forward to being with my Father in heaven and to melt into Christ’s arm’s when He sees fit.

Sunday I sorted boxes and we hung the drapes and a wreath on the front door. We are finally no longer in a fish bowl. It’s the little things that I’m finding pride in. But it was watching the children and my husband watch the game on TV, my son building houses with dominoes and the smiles on there faces that makes this new house feel like a home. 


Blessings!

Peace and Hope

Romans 5 (NIV)

"1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." 

We had someone coming out to do work today who canceled due to the rain. David didn’t remember which caused a bit of a problem when I told him they would come next week. We made the appointment two days ago together.

I’m told I have a lot of character. Or is that I am a character? Seriously, what really keeps me going is my faith in God. David calls it child like. I believe God is good and that Jesus died for my sins. I don’t think God is punishing us by any means with Alzheimer’s. What father wants to inflict pain and suffering on his child. However I do think we live in a fallen world.

My heart hurts as I write this. David is good in the here and now but the past is hit or miss. He remembers sometimes, sometimes when reminded and sometimes not. There is no rhyme or reason. He fakes it a lot. The reason it seems so bad all of a sudden is because of his IQ, it’s MENSA high. The Doctor said he overcompensated for a long time. David thinks about 5 years. The disease has progressed to the point where he can’t do that anymore.

I do find solace in the simplest things. Reading my Bible, prayer, hearing David laugh, when he comes up and hugs me when doing the dishes or reading… it gives me hope for another day. Today is one of those days I wouldn’t mind Jesus coming back. I know it is an honor and privilege to be my husbands caregiver. I have no doubt God will cure my husband. I just pray that cure is found here on earth and not when he gets to heaven.

The kids are going to be here this weekend. Join our prayers that they have fun and we make many positive memories together. 


Blessings!

Water Levels

Between Christmas and new years we bought an amazing four-bedroom house with a pool.  David and I moved in the day of closing and my Mom moves in next Tuesday. We all love it.

The house was a flip and everything is brand new from the screen enclosure on the lanai to the pool resurfacing and in the inside of the house from the studs out. It is gorgeous!

The deal was I would take care of the pool.  So I was thinking as I looked at the pool that it needed water and filled it up two fingers from the top of the skimmer hole with the bucket thingy (I’m learning the lingo at least I don’t call the pump a bubbler anymore.)

I Love the Disney movie A Nightmare Before Christmas because I relate to the main character Jack. He tries really hard and things just don’t quite work out but in the end he’s proud to be himself and goes back to what he knows best and does well.  That’s me at times. I’m really smart and do some things amazingly well but I haven’t mastered the pool yet.

Case and point it’s rained a lot this week and I awoke to more rain and the pool a half-inch from flooding. I woke David and he didn’t seem to find urgency in the situation.

Being in solution mode I pulled out the blue hose from the pump on the side of the house but I couldn’t get the screw top to move and neither could David. Grabbing the WD-40 from the garage I squirted the twisty thing as David explained it wouldn’t work on plastic. I asked if I should get a bucket to start bailing. He just looked at me. I’m trying!

“What are Channel locks, Alex?” was the proper final answer. We drained the pool to where it was before I filled it. Painful to me being as green as I am. This is one of those moments we will remember forever or at least I will. Oh well lesson learned. David is just laughing at me stating I’m funny and now that it is over so am I. 


Blessings!

Basketball Friendship And Relationships

One of the kids Christmas presents was tickets to see the Magic vs. 76ers last night. I was going to take them being from Pennsylvania and New Jersey but I really want David to make as many memories with the minion (our pet name for our brood) as possible.

So I faked a headache. Though shalt not lie I know, I know. They had a great time and I was spared from being taunted the whole way home due to my team loosing. Gosh it was only by one point in overtime. That’s okay the Steelers won Saturday.

In the mean time I took a nice bath, cracked my Nook, and amazingly enough my brother-in-law called. It was the first time Kenny and I really talked. It meant the world to me.

One of God’s greatest gifts through my marriage is the relationship I have with Kenny’s wife, my sister-in-love, Donna. David introduced us over the phone while we were dating. We have been best buddies ever since.

She is the only one in David’s family I talk to on a regular basis and we have laughed and cried together (sometimes at the same time). I do have to give credit to David’s parents who call me now since the diagnosis. One of the best parts of last year’s summer vacation was meeting Donna, finally face to face (the spa day with my daughter, Megan, was the other).

The other night we were talking and I mentioned how I wish the family was closer. I’m all about relationships. Any to my husbands chagrin. When it comes time to share the peace in church I grab the hand or hug everyone I can find. I’ll strike up a conversation at the food store or shout out a chant if I see someone wearing the emblem of my favorite team. My take is that if God didn’t want me to talk to other people he wouldn’t have put them here with me to talk to. Needless to say, my husband and the children are exponentially shyer than I.

My theory is that I’m the second wife. His first kicked him out during kidney failure when at the last minute his sister came in to save the day and gave him one of hers. I did talk to her once and thanked her for saving the life of the best man in the world. I pray they don't think I'll do the same.

When I was young I prayed I would meet prince charming and he would sweep me off my feet. That happened for me at 39 years of age and his name is David.

Please pray that our family becomes closer and that deep relationships form.

P.S. David got lost coming home from the game. In the end he made it home. 


Blessings!

DriveAble Driving Test

At the neurologist request David took DriveAble on Tuesday. It’s a driving test at the Senior Resource Alliance. Unlike the driving test our teens are taking for their license this is extensive for people who are becoming impaired to see if they are still safe to drive. It took 1½ hour. Part was driving on city streets and the other an extensive computer test that shows reaction time and memory. He did really well.

David has been getting disoriented while driving. Several times when coming home from work he would get lost and confused two times driving to his old address from 5 years ago. He eventually figured out he was going the wrong way to the wrong house.

In December we were coming home from a birthday party on the freeway when he became confused and asked me what we were doing and where we were going. I told him he was driving and we are going home. That was horrifying but he wouldn’t pull over so I could drive. Needless to say I do most of the driving now.

We are over joyed that he passed however just because he passed the test doesn’t mean the Doctor won’t put restrictions on him due to his random confusion. We will see on February 3^rd at our next appointment. But he is good until he’s not. He’ll drive until he can’t or he ends up at someone else’s house thinking it’s his. We pray daily that doesn’t happen. Please join us in prayer that when he does drive he is safe. 


Blessings!

Telling The Children David Has Alzheimer's

Telling the Children last weekend was hard. We waited until we had received the information from The Alzheimer’s Association to tell Megan 17, Seth 15 and Andrew 14. We told Ash 18 earlier.

We explained that it wasn’t their fault. God wasn’t punishing them or us. As a matter of fact He is here with open arms crying with us. Nothing any of us had done caused this and at this time there is no cure. We expressed that many teens with this type of news want to act out sexually, with drugs or alcohol or by running away. We expressed we expect more from them than that and want them to embrace the time we have left. We would do our best to support them and get them help to work this out in their heads.

They cried for two hours. From time to time I walked around the room with a box of tissues and a trash bucket saying, “Please deposit and withdraw new snot rags.” It got smiles and slight laughs from time to time lightening the mood for a brief second.

Our hearts broke for them. Although David’s parents are both still living when I was nine my dad died suddenly from a heart attack. I know how hard it is to loose a parent at a young age. Our hope for them is that they focus on making memories while David is still here both mentally and physically able.

The youngest three are now seeing Debbie at Journey's Counseling Center in Maitland. She is connected with the counseling department at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando. 

Debbie is an amazing Christian therapist and spiritual giant with a heart of gold and the Wisdom of Solomon. Our family is grateful and blessed to have her help us during this time.

Please pray for the child that God’s love encompasses them and they look to Him for peace. Join us in our prayer that He keeps them close and that they don’t make any foolish choices they will regret later on.

In The Beginning

My girlfriend Kimmie assured me that there were still great guys out there. Being newly divorced I had my doubts. So to prove her wrong I went on a dating sight named Christian Mingle. I chatted with a few men that proved my theory. However a month into the experiment on Saturday, January 26, 2008, I awoke to my face being licked by Mac, my precious Jack Russell, a sign it was time to go potty. 

Cup of coffee in hand I checked my email and dating account. A guy named David had winked at me. We started up a chat and he suggested we meet at the local Starbucks in an hour. I’m always in the mood for a soy latte and laundry could wait.

When I arrived I saw this towering man with his head down sliding a pebble with his foot. After ordering my drink watching this handsome specimen of God’s handy work through the window I opened the front door “I’m Andrealynn are you David?” His eyes lit up. He responded that I’m prettier than my photo. Taking that as a compliment we sat and talked for over two hours.

David’s shy demeanor was charming and I laughed to myself as he sat with one hand on the arm of the chair and his butt a few inches off the seat as I told him I wanted to skydive on my 40^th birthday and some day wanted to take Bibles into Gaza through the tunnels in Egypt explaining that when I was 19 I was training to be a missionary with Youth With A Mission when my only sibling, my 17 year old brother, Ashley was killed by a drunk driver. I was confused by the loss and thought if I couldn’t trust God to keep my family and I safe in the States I wouldn’t be able to overseas.

To David, coming from a legalistic background, my outgoing, fearless and as he put it non-demure personality was somewhat scary and refreshing. David is much more conservative being raised Southern Baptist where his father and older brother are preachers and one of his other brothers and his wife were missionary’s. He has three brothers and one sister in all.

The one topic we didn’t have a problem meeting eye to eye on was God. Christ is our personal Savior and Lord and worthy to be praised. He is the beginning and end of everything. We both read our Bibles and go to Church and want our children to know His sovereignty, love, grace and mercy. We both just wanted to be loved by a partner and had terrible divorces. Neither were our choice but due to affairs and deception.

God blessed us with the love of our lives that day. Knowing now that Alzheimer’s would cruelly enter our world we wouldn’t change a thing praising God for our marriage. We will love each other with our all till death do us part. 


Blessings!