Consider It All Joy

Just Thinkin'

2012-02-18T16:55:00.000-08:00

About

Happier

Days

Invited To Share

2012-02-15T06:44:00.000-08:00

I have been blessed to meet so many new friends

As I have journeyed this widow's walk

One such friend is Leah

She lost her sweet Chris to suicide

In May 2011

A new widow has so many life changing events to process

But while doing so

This young woman has chosen

To reach out to others who have and are walking

The same difficult road

During this Love week

Leah has invited a few widows to share

Stories about there loved ones

Who now reside in Heaven

I am honored to be one of those few

Please join me today

At Leahs' Place

"Out of Deep Waters"

Thank you Leah

For loving me through it all!

On This Day of Love

2012-02-14T06:39:00.000-08:00

How could I be sad

On this day of Love

When I was blessed

For more than 30 years

To have lived with

The Love of My Life

Yet today, as with all my days

There is sadness within my heart

A part that will always long for his touch

The way he looked into my eyes

That quirky smile that told me

He loved me even when I was silly

To hear his voice

To hold him just once more

But I also rejoice in the memories

I hold dear

The blessings of a long marriage

And the Legacy of Love

He left behind

Mark,

I will never stop loving you

Never stop missing you

Never stop anxiously waiting

To see you again

Rest well my love

For you are in the presence of our King

Happy Love Day To All

Cindy

400

2012-02-12T19:34:00.000-08:00

Heellllllloooooooooo

Is Anybody There

It has been a while since I have blogged

I really didn't mean to take a break

But Pneumonia just kicked my ... well, you know

I had hoped to do a fun 400th post

But I just haven't been in the bloggy mood

Tired as I've ever been

A little sad

I had all the kiddos and grands here today

For a bit of a Valentine get together

WOW...Did I miss My Mark

I've held back tears all day

I talked to his mom tonight

That is always hard

I think we both attempt to avoid his name

In fear that the tears won't stop

Anyway,

This is my 400th Post

I can't believe it!

I pray the next 400 bring with them

More Joy Filled Moments to Share

And Many More Bloggy Friends

To Get To Know

Here are two shots I took today

Totally unedited

This is my K~Bug

This is my K~Bel

Our next little K~

Will be joining us in about 8-10 weeks

Oh, I just can't wait to share her with you

Considering 400 posts with Joy!!

Cindy

Being Featured!

2012-02-07T07:43:00.000-08:00

Today I am honored to have one of my posts

Featured at

Widow's Christian Place

This is a site dedicated to helping

Widow's walk the Widow Road

With confidence while journeying through grief

Thank You Ferree

For featuring my post

To check it out and encourage Ferree

Just click

Here

Pneumonia

2012-02-06T15:58:00.000-08:00

After spending 60 hours in bed

I got up this morning, showered and readied myself for work

Once there I had the PNP and DO check my lungs

Yep...

I'm back home and in bed

It seems I have a case of pneumonia

I am faithfully taking my breathing treatments

And antibiotics

I've had a couple crackers

And a few sips of 7up

But mostly I've just slept and rested

These are the days I REALLY
Miss My Mark!!!

Sure hope I'm feeling better tomorrow

I had a full calendar at work today

Several meetings to reschedule

Looking forward to

Finding Joy In The Morning!!

Happy Monday All~~~

Lesson From Nana's Little Helper

2012-02-03T12:20:00.000-08:00

Last week was gorgeous

So I took my gorgeous little K~Bel outside to do a bit of yard work

She is such a little helper

She wanted to do Everything I did

But with a twist

If I pulled weeds out of the rock

She would throw them back in

If I swept the weeds into a pile

She swept them into a scatter

But she thought she was helping her Nana

It was actually a delight to watch her

I smiled and laughed so much

This week I was praying

Asking the Lord to 'help' in my circumstances

Reminded during prayer of these photos

The Lord spoke to my heart

I wonder how often God 'works' for my good

And my 'help' only causes a mess

Let me trust you Lord

Trust that You are working for my good

And though you want me near

You don't Always need my kind of help

Thank you Lord

For speaking to my Heart

E~Room Re~Do

2012-01-23T18:00:00.000-08:00

Though the quality of my photos may not be the best

The E~Room Re~Do is finally complete (Almost)

I took the above photo as we were beginning to clean

The carpet is awful and the walls were a mess

Matthew goes a bit crazy with nails, tacs and screws

I was able to take down this 27" TV

Which will eventually go in my bedroom

(Why is it that the Kids get the newer better stuff?)

Son #2 was a super help when it came to

Patching holes, sanding and painting the walls

He is also an {E}lectronic Fanatic

He has between 8 and 10 game systems

A lap top, a PC, 2 televisions,

And a host of other {E}lectronic gagets

The photo above is of his walk in closet

Mind you we have a 1180 sq ft home

Not large, but room enough for us

In the closet he now has a table/desk where he keeps

His PC and 1 small TV

On this wall in his room

He has most of his other game systems

A 32" TV and a stereo

Though most everything in his room is

Black, Silver and Red

I just could NOT paint the shelves that my husband

Made for Matthew before his passing

This is where Matthew keeps most of his

Horse figurines and his Championship Ribbons

I talked him into bringing a little grey into the room

Instead of all Red

One of his favorite books

Some of his 300 or so Horse and Gaming Magazines

It was a fun project and allowed us to spend a

Couple of good quality days together

Next up...

Laundry Room

Considering Projects A Joy,

Cindy

Linking up with these two favorite bloggers

Sometimes Beauty

2012-01-17T18:26:00.000-08:00

This past week I joined a group on facebook

Entitled [un]framed

It is a challenge to get outside to

Walk, run, bike or whatever

Just get outside

And then to photograph

The beauty you find during that outside journey

But today I share that

Sometimes Beauty

Is found as you walk INside

Tonight

After a very long day

I walked into my home and found this

Yes

The flowers are beautiful

But the Who and Why behind the flowers

Brought me to my knees in humble gratitude

For they came from a new and young widow

Whom I have never met

But whom I love dearly

Admire Wholly

And have great respect for

Tonight

This is my [un]framed Beauty!!

This Girlie Needs Advice

2012-01-14T14:58:00.000-08:00

This girlie has always considered herself

A rather neat, tidy and organized girl

Everything in my home has a place

And most often all things are in said proper place

That is with one major exception

I cannot for the life of me

Keep my home office clean

My craft table and the left side of my desk

Have become what I lovingly call them

"The Landing Zone"

Whenever something (mostly mail)

Comes into my home without a specific place

It ends up on "The Landing Zone"

And it makes me "NUTS"

It is true that my children already believe I am nuts

So they don't seem to mind much

But truly it does make me nuts

To see all this 'stuff' without homes

What do you do in your home office (or wherever)

That helps to keep the un-housed stuff (mail)

From becoming your nemesis?

Nemesis: a formidable and usually victorious rival or opponent

I sure would love to hear your input :)

Do You Know Why Women Need Fat?

2012-01-12T17:50:00.000-08:00

Well, at least the Title was intriguing!

From time to time I have the opportunity to review a new book through BlogHer book club. I usually receive a few sentences about the book and its author(s) but not much else. Until I receive it I never know for sure what I have gotten myself into. The title of this particular book intrigued me from the beginning so I was excited to give it a read.

I must admit it was a rough read for me. If you like facts and figures, statistics and numbers, this is a super book for you, but if you don't, this book just might give you a headache. Yet, if in the end you feel like eating real butter and frying pancakes in bacon grease, then by all means give it a try.

My mother has been telling all of her children that processed foods and 'health' foods are the ruination of our society and the cause of people becoming overweight. After reading this book, I will need to tell her she may have been right all along. I should have listened; I might not be fighting the battle of the bulge myself.

Doctors William D Lassek and Steven J C Gaulin have researched in depth the ins and outs of animal versus vegetable fats, Omega 3's and 6's, and the 'health' food industry in general. Controversial and surprising answers can be found in their work and words.

I take issue with the anthropological side of this book due to my Christian walk and have questions regarding the comparison of humans to primates but there are many valid and factual truths about weight and the eating habits of Americans found within the pages of this book. If you would like to be challenged and begin to see health from a different perspective, I suggest you purchase "Why Women Need Fat".

You can join the discussion here

Though I did receive a small compensation for my time and a free copy of this book, the views and opinions regarding this review are mine alone

Lesson In The Lawn

2012-01-10T19:05:00.000-08:00

It has been my desire to write a post for several days

However I have been experiencing a stressful situation

That has caused me to feel physically ill in recent days

So I have not had the energy to sit at my computer

Yet tonight (after my sister made me take a walk with her)

I decided to get up out of my 'easy' chair

And do a little catching up

After I lost Mark I went into a rather deep depression

I functioned only enough to 'survive'

But did not do anything of substance for many months

The remnants of that season

Began to show vividly around The Place this past summer

The above photo was taken during the late summer

Early fall and is of my backyard lawn

What lawn you say?

Yes, I ignored it for all those months

No water, no trimming, no nurturing, no anything

Death had not only overtaken my heart

But my lawn as well

As I began to breathe and begin to feel again

I decided to plant a winter lawn

We never had winter lawn before

Mark rather disliked the extra work it required

But I ~~wanted~~ needed something green
Something Alive Again

So I mowed, thatched, seeded and fertilized this barren area

Soon, sprouts and sprigs began to pop up all over

Signs of life

Signs of regeneration

Signs of newness

Certainly not much at first

Patchy and thin

Yet, springing up non the less

Eventually more and more patchy areas began coming up

The lawn was becoming thicker and filled in

Each day I would wonder outside just to see the progress

Slow at first but soon it was truly beginning to look like lawn

I look this photo a couple of weeks ago

There are still patchy barren spots

But mostly it has become a beautiful

Green lawn that I definitely enjoy looking at

And my granddaughters have even been enjoying playing outside

The weather has been wonderful

And it is a precious gift of life to watch them play and run on the lawn

What have I learned?

I am just like the lawn

In those months post my husband's passing

All aspects of life within me had died

I was lifeless, depressed, dry, and dead for all intents and purposes

Then one day

God began plowing, planting and tending

I began to feel again

To have hope, peace and even joy

I am still rough around the edges

I continue to have many dry and barren patches

God has much work ahead of Him

There is much tending to still be done in this area of land

But from a distance I'm lookin' fairly well

Thank you for journeying with me friends

I'm considering YOU with Joy,

Cindy

ANEW

2012-01-01T17:44:00.000-08:00

ANEW

"In a New or Different Form"

This is the first year in a long time

That the Lord has given me a Word focus

As well as a Picture to go along with it

I took the above photo in July 2011

It was early morning driving home from CA

After we took Mark's remains home to his mom

The Lord spoke to my heart

That is was a new day

A new dawn and a new beginning

Unfortunately

My heart didn't feel very new

In fact

Things got worse for me emotionally

Instead of better

However

With the passage of time

And the first year of grieving behind me

The Lord has refreshed my heart

And spoke again

ANEW

He has not chosen to give me a new heart

A new home, a new talent or a new husband

But He has placed within my heart

The desire to take a fresh look

At the life I already have

To look anew at the gifts and talents

He has blessed me with

To look anew at my relationship with Him

To look anew at all that is within my grasp

He has not told me He is doing a new thing

He has told me to look around

And see things in a New and Fresh way

I do not know what 2012 will hold for me

But I do know that I will walk it

With the Lord by my side

While I am seeing ANEW this life I have been blessed with

Considering ANEW with Joy,

Cindy

Happy Birthday

2011-12-31T15:58:00.000-08:00

Well, today would have been hubby's 62nd birthday

Yep ~ He spoiled his momma's New Year's Eve Party

But, what a blessing to receive!!

Anyway

He is spending his 2nd birthday in heaven this year

And in honor of him

Son #2 and I

Have spent the day

Washing walls, patching holes, cleaning closets

And prepping to paint tomorrow

Hubby would be proud of what a super team we are making

We have laughed, played, shopped and cleaned our hearts out

Soon I will be able to share some

Before and After photos

But for today

Here's a photo of my beloved and I

Taken at Tonto Bridge 2 years ago

Oh, and that is Sam :)

Happy New Year Everybody

And Happy Birthday in Heaven Honey!!

Away

2011-12-29T16:46:00.000-08:00

The mess, stuff and things of

Christmas

Have been taken down and packed away

Now behind closed cabinet doors

Not to see the light of day for another 11 months

I pushed myself this year

Far beyond what I 'felt' ready for

To decorate and enjoy this most precious of Holidays

Not for myself but for the memory of him

And though the stuff has been put away

The "Christ" of Christmas

Will be kept well within my grasp

Just as this memory of my beloved

Was close throughout the Christmas season

The year now behind me

I don't know where it went

But to honor what we had

I lift up my eyes and look to heaven

My steps may be slow and shaky at first

I may seem lost or confused

Yet I am taking the Lead

From a God I cannot see

And trusting He knows

What is best for me

I'm taking off the Black

Putting away the veil

Where I go from this point forward

God will soon Reveal

Considering Life,

Cindy

But I'm Thankful

2011-12-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

Where did the year go?

It seems like only yesterday

I was looking into your eyes

But is has been a year

I didn't know when we talked that day

That it would be our last conversation

I didn't know when I got your heater

That your body was already shutting down

I didn't know when I prepared your lunch

That it would be your last meal

I didn't know when I brought out your oxygen

That your breathing would become so much easier

I didn't know as I prepared your blankets and pillows on the couch

That it would soon become your death bed

I didn't know when I looked into your eyes,

kissed you good night and told you I Love You

That it would be that last time

I didn't know I would never hear your voice again

Or see your eyes, or watch you smile

I didn't know the plan God had for our Christmas Eve morning

I didn't know that I would wake to find your in the arms of Jesus

I didn't know the year that was ahead

I didn't know how much I would miss you

I didn't know how deeply the pain would affect my life

I didn't know anything then that I know now

But I'm thankful

Thankful that:

You were comfortable

You were at peace

Your tummy was full

Your bed was prepared

Jesus was waiting and calling your name

I looked into the deep of your eyes

I kissed you good night

I told you I loved you as you did me

For today I can sit and remember you with no regrets

Loving the Great of our 31 years together

And knowing that you are my future

You wait with Jesus until the day He calls my name

We will be reunited again

So many words fill my heart

I Will Always Love You

Are the ones that stick

I am thankful as well

For the friends I have met along this path

The ones who have walked with me for part of it

And those headed in the opposite direction

Each one has played a part in my story

Each one a portion of my healing

And now I turn the page

To a new chapter

I already know the ending

But am looking forward to the details

That lie within the rest of the journey

You are resting in His arms my love

And I will continue on

Until that great day when we All will Rejoice in Him

December Daily 22

2011-12-22T17:39:00.000-08:00

Today

I was blessed to photograph

My K~Bug

While she made

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

In my kitchen

Why YES

They were delicious!!!

AND...

If I were to share my heart tonight

Besides being grateful for a multitude of things

It would tell you how much it misses my Mark

Just 2 days before the 1st anniversary

Of his HomeGoing

December Daily 21

2011-12-21T19:14:00.000-08:00

It's been suggested that sharing my heart

Is not a good thing to do on my blog

So instead I will share my

Christmasy Jewelry for today

This little bracelet is fun

And a bit jingly

I'm not sure if you can see the bracelet above

It is an Italian Charm bracelet that a friend gave me

On the day my son donated a kidney to my husband

All of the charms are Hubby related

Mostly from events we attended together

Since I am a miniature nativity collector

He bought me the tiny nativity charm

you can just barely make out in the center

I where it every day

Having my son home again is a joy

But today was a Super Joy

He cooked up some

Homemade turkey vegetable soup

Which was piping hot and ready to eat

When I walked in the door after work at 7:20 PM

YummY!!!!

Love you all :)

Oh, and BTW

Since this IS my blog

My heart is not doing so great tonight!!

December Daily 20

2011-12-20T16:03:00.000-08:00

My Christmasy Jewelry

For today was this Angel

Not so much to remind me of Christmas

But to remind me of where my Peace comes from

After nearly losing my boy

You can see that even the doggies

Are Happy to have him home

No amount of 'Christmasy' stuff

Could ever fill this momma's heart

With the Joy and Gratefulness

She feels today :)

December Daily 18 & 19

2011-12-19T17:40:00.000-08:00

Continuning with my efforts

To get into and stay in the Christmas Spirit

I dawned this cute little pair

Of Rudoloph Earrings

But actually today my spirit was struggling a bit

When I was not able to bring my son home

From his now 5th day at the hospital

So I summond the Lord

And was reminded about what the Christmas Spirit is anyway

Not Rudolph, snowmen or Christmas trees

Not presents, wrappings or shopping

But about the Peace within my heart

Knowing that even in these difficult days

God is with us

Helping us to make choices that will bless

And protect my son's life

God is evident in the progress he has made

A Baby King

A Perfect Life

A Pure Gift

Battered

Bruised

Bloodied

Broken

Buried

A Risen Savior

A Life Eternal

A Peace Unmatched

Thank you Lord

Where would we be

In the Dark Times

Without the Truth of the Christmas Story

December Daily 17

2011-12-17T19:53:00.000-08:00

Eight years ago today

I was waiting at a hospital while my oldest son

Donated a kidney to my husband

He added 7 years and 7 days to his dad's life

Now he visits me

With his beautiful wife

2 preciously delightful daughters

While they wait for daughter #3 to be born

Andrew You are a Gift

You are the most giving young man I have ever met

I love you so much

Today I visited a hospital

To spend an hour with son #2

His grieving process got the best of him

He's needed some rest time

Matthew you are Loved

And have blessed my heart for 26 years

I am so Proud of You

When I arrived home after my hospital visit

There was a beautful gift awaiting my arrival

What a sweet and special surprise

From someone who has loved me through

My most Ugly moments this past year

Thank you for the Christmasy Goodies

They will be used and displayed with JOY

Thank YOU for your Prayers

I have Felt Them All

December Daily 15 & 16

2011-12-16T16:32:00.000-08:00

No photos to share today

December Daily 15 ended with an emergency department visit

A trip to another hospital which turned into

December Daily 16

I am exhausted

But heading out very soon

For a visit with Son # 2

The 10 most difficult days of this year are ahead of us

The circumstances which surround the past 24 hours

Are in fact rocking this momma to her core

I didn't really believe that things could get worse

All I am able to do is bow my body in prayer

Seek guidance from my Creator

And Believe that HE is Stronger than anything we face

Prayerfully

I will be back tomorrow with

December Daily 17

And some sort of Happy Photos

Blessings to you all

Cindy

December Daily 14

2011-12-14T16:51:00.000-08:00

Today was a beautiful day

Filled with moments of sunshine and of course more clouds

But no rain so I did get out in the garage

And begin to tackle THIS:

Over the past couple of years

So many items have just been thrown there on Mark's work bench

It drives me nuts so I have been wanting to get out there and clean

I was able to do some today

But have such a LONG way to go

Son #1 stopped by this afternoon and had a panic attack

Thinking that I was going to toss all of his dad's 'treasures'

Lots Will be tossed

But My Goodness...there is enough for Many Garages:)

Found this cute guy out there

Need to find a cute place for him to rest up

Before Christmas Eve

I have attempted to keep my posts free of emotions or feelings

The past week due to some 'comments'

Yet I must share that

Today I am reminded that there are only

10 days left until the 1 year anniversary of my hubby's passing

I am doing well, keeping busy and focused

But honestly friends

I cannot believe it has been a year since I last kissed him goodnight,

Held his hand or told him I Love You

My heart is sad tonight

But tomorow is a new day

And tonight I have a date

With:

YUP

Ms Clairol

Anyway,

Hope you are enjoying your Christmas Season

Be back tomorrow with Daily 15

Where does the time go???

December Daily 13

2011-12-13T16:46:00.000-08:00

Living in Sunny Arizona

Allows for plans to be made

And seldom changed due to weather

Yet, most all of the plans I had

For my very fist week long

StayCation have been washed out

Due to all of the rain we have received over the past few days

It is much needed in AZ

And I am enjoying the benefits of it

Just look at my beautiful green lawn

But I sure have not accomplished 1 thing on my 'list'

Instead of painting and garage updating

I have been doing a little house cleaning

And a small amount of Christmas decorating

Today I put up a small Santa Boot Christmas Tree

In my bathroom

Which adds a bit of joy

For those early mornings

And since the rain has kept me inside

I am actually doing a little cooking

Tonights menu includes this

Hopefully Yummy Roast

With Veggies and Fresh Garlic Bread

See you tomorrow

With 'hopefully' some Good news

Regarding Projects Completed

December Daily 12

2011-12-12T16:42:00.000-08:00

Today has been a

Cold, Wet, Dark and Dreary Day

It was much too cold and wet to

Begin the main project I am

Hoping to accomplish this week

So, I spent most of the day

Cleaning and recovering areas of my office

Which have been hidden by months

Of mail and what not

Matthew put up his

Fiber Optic Tree

Although it is only 5 o'clock

I have my nice and warm

Christmasy Jammies on

Getting ready to have a little soup for dinner

And then a quiet night of

Monday Night Football

And while watching the game

Since I love to Multi-task

I will be going through a years worth of photos

To decide which ones I want to send to Mark's Momma

Have a great night

See you tomorrow :)