The end of January, we kept the McCrary grandkids for 6 days while their Momma had surgery and a few days of recovery:
We had snow while they were here (and very cold temps!)
And our Swart grandkids also had snow in Texas!
Aunt Kaye invited us over during that time for Smores - yum!
The kids went to S.S. and Church with us💓
A few days later Jeff and I went to NWA for a fun 24 hour Valentine's get-away and then got home in time to attend the enjoyable Valentine's Banquet at Antioch that our LadyLife Ministry hosted:
Valentine's Picture of Saylor💘
Jeff once again spoke at the MidWinter Bible Conference at Antioch Feb. 28-March1. His subject was on "Angels" this year. Great attendance!
March 6, several from our Church/Small Group went to south Arkansas for Glo's mom's sweet funeral:
The next week, the McCrary kids stayed with us again for a couple of days to give their parents a little break. Easter Peeps and slinky's from GiGi💗
We had one "kinda" nice day to play at the Park
But then it snowed again while they were here!
Enough to make snow ice cream (their first time to eat it)😊
This wasn't at my house, but of someone's home in Conway - so pretty!
March 12 was Michelle's birthday - we are so thankful for this pretty daughter-in-law!! She has had to "run" the home front for 3 months while Josh has been on tour with Journey. Bless her heart!
Journey was in Little Rock the middle of March, so Michelle and girls came to Conway and spent a night and then was able to spend a couple of nights in LR to see Josh that weekend. We always enjoy having our Tennessee Swarts!
Josh gave his Dad 4 tickets to go to the Journey concert. He shared them with friends: Rob, Roger, and his daughter, Sofie. They had a great time (Sofie told me it was the best night ever💕)!
Andy and family spent some time in their closet due to a tornado threat. So thankful it didn't touch down at their home!
The week of March 21st was Spring Break in Conway. So Jeff and I went to Branson for 4 days....stayed at the Palace View Spinnaker Resort....and always have to get breakfast here (delicious!)
While in Branson, Jeff started having some lower back pain. Sadly that turned into major pain, after arriving home, located at the top of his leg and so he had to use a walker just to get around. Over the next month, we made a trip to ER, to Ortho Walk In Clinic, X-rays, MRI, and finally an appt. with a Neurosurgeon and was told his
spine has shifted. That he needs
major surgery to get it back in place plus the degenerative disk issues, which
will take rods, screws, new vertebrae, burning of nerves and a roto-rootering
of the canal that runs down the backbone, etc. Two days minimum in
hospital. He's been in tremendous pain. Surgery is scheduled for May 23rd. He's ready for it to happen and to finally feel better (prior to all this pain, he suffered with migraines for many months, but thankfully, his doctor finally prescribed the right medicine to help him with those). The poor guy has lived most of his adult life with pain😥 which makes Heaven all that more desirable! He looks so forward to the day he will be healthy and living with no pain!
Andy turned 42 on March 25th. He, too, has had a lot of health concerns (migraines and a blood clot in his leg). But even worse, one Sunday in March between services (he preaches twice on Sundays), he was showing signs that something wasn't right. A doctor and a nurse in the church examined him and said Carman needed to get him to ER in a hospital in Ft. Worth (known for it's stroke facilities) 😥, They weren't 100% positive, but they felt that a small part of the blood clot traveled up to the back of his brain and caused a TIA. He was told to rest for several weeks, which he has done. He has only preached one Sunday since then -- twice on Easter Sunday. But he's still struggling with foggy brain and confusion, so he's once again not preaching but hoping to be back for Mother's Day. Sure am praying for our Son!!💗
April 5th was Mom's 93rd Birthday! Kaye and I joined her for lunch in the Ridgemere Dining Room. Kaye also got her a cute cake to share with all the residents that day
We're so thankful for her friends Linda and Harry Thomas (also live in a cottage like Mom) that are her eating partners. Linda is so sweet to look after her!
A great Good Friday, "Torn Veil" service at Antioch. With Jeff on the walker, we didn't get a picture Friday night or Easter Sunday at church. So this was all I got after the Friday service:
Easter Sunday was WONDERFUL! The services at Antioch were some of the best ever!!
We then went to Rachel's for a delicious Easter lunch and got to join in the "indoors" Easter egg hunt for the kids (it was rainy and cold that day)
Pictures of the kids Easter weekend
The McCrary's went to their church's Saturday night Easter service:
Josh's family after church on Easter Sunday:
Cute picture of Saylor on Good Friday before they went to church:
Andy's family after church on Easter:
The week after Easter, Beverly came to Conway for the week. We had a wonderful time together, in spite of two days/nights of tornado threats, rain and hail!! Thankfully, we stayed safe in Conway. I only got this one picture of us together during the week.....we went to Mack's Fish House in Heber Springs on the last night of her visit💓:
The week of April 18th was our BMAA National Meeting in Springfield, AR. Even though Jeff was on a walker (thankfully a new one with wheels/seat that Rob gave him), we did go. Jeff had an important report he needed to give. The first night, President Clif Johnson preached a timely message on “Preach the Word!” At the end, he had the “Paul’s” in the meeting (preachers in the sunset years of ministry—65 years and older) to come forward/stand in the aisles….then he asked the "Timothy’s" (younger preachers) to go to one of them and pray over them and then the older man to pray over the younger. Very touching! Jeff had the honor to pray with Dan McGee, who we have known as a young boy and has faithfully served the Lord in a BMA church in the KC area all his adult life!💗
We always enjoy seeing old friends at the meeting. I only got a couple of pictures of those friends, though. This is the Seminary dinner....at our table was Ron and Norma Fields
And Aaron and Jenae Polok (also loved seeing Paul Mooney and Becky Polok)
Jeff giving his report as Chairman of the Coordinating Council and also telling the group that he was resigning that position due to his health issues. He has served the BMA faithfully over 47 years as Pastor, Missionary, Dept. employee/leader, President and on many committees. He will continue to love and support our work, but, for now, needs to take a break and concentrate on his health. It was emotional for him and for me! The people gave him a round of applause in thanks for his work.
APRIL IS THE MONTH OF LOTS OF BIRTHDAYS!
Mom on the 5th
Saylor turned 4 on April 22💗
Ellie turned 10 on April 23rd💗
My sister, Kaye had a birthday on April 25th
Laine turned 12 on April 26th💗
And Gideon turned 5 on April 27th!💙
Sadly, I have gained 15 pounds from the lowest weight I got down to last year (as a result of a lot of stomach issues--almost everything I ate went right through me). Ever since January, I knew I needed to do something but kept procrastinating. I saw a new Diabetes doctor a few weeks ago, who changed up my meds as a "last" ditch effort to get my numbers down so I don't have to go on insulin. Even with the weight loss last year and my continued walking 3-4 miles, 4 days a week, my blood sugar numbers were still way too high. I pondered several different avenues of weight loss. One of my Facebook friends posted of a plan she was doing. So I checked it out on-line and liked the fact that it was a gal who is a nutritionist and a strong Christian and was combining the spiritual with the physical to help people lose weight (and using healthy food to accomplish that). The program, "First Place" did that --combined the spiritual/physical and was where I was most successful many years ago in weight loss. So I spent the $50.00 and ordered her book (in February) and when it arrived, I put it in my dresser drawer -- and that is where it stayed for over 2 months😒.
But when I got on the scale this past weekend and was sick at what it showed, I knew I HAD to do something. So I pulled out the book Monday, liked what I read and thus bought all the groceries and started the plan on Tuesday. In 3 days, I've lost 4-1/2 lbs. and best of all, my blood sugar was 86 this morning -- it's not been that low in years!!👏 The plan includes the menu for each day, recipes and grocery lists. And the food has been very tasty! Praying for discipline and strength to keep on, keeping on!!
To document my weight "gain" - this was Easter Sunday. That "new" dress was almost too small. I used the sweater to cover up that fact.😟
Tomorrow, I have to have a breast needle biopsy. First a mammogram, then 3 weeks later a sonogram, yesterday, shows a "concern." The doctor told me not to worry as there is an 85% chance it is NOT cancer and I'm trusting the Lord for that. UPDATE AND PRAISE: It was a benign cyst and doctor drained the fluid and thus I didn't have to do the biopsy!! Thank you, Lord!
COME, LORD JESUS💓💓
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