Why so glum?

One of my friends sent me a message today asking me if everything is okay, that I seemed distressed lately. Probably gathered that from my random yet urgent prayer requests via social media. Well, I just wasn't up to going into all the ins and outs of our life at the time.  It has definitely been a roller coaster retirement so far.  Lots of ups and downs and curves and bumps, thrills and screams, chills and that stomach is up in your throat feeling. Things have not gone as planned. Strike that. Things have not gone as we planned; they have gone according to God's plan. And thank GOD for that, and especially for our families, our friends, our church, our Facebook community, and to our prayer warriors out there. 

Life. It happens. To everyone. Every day. I get that. But every once in a while, we let our lives take on, pardon the expression, a life of their own. We get easily overwhelmed, well at least I do. I know you all have your own lives, your own issues, your own problems and joys to deal with. So I am so grateful and so blessed to have you all care so much about us.  Your prayers are being answered. God is working in our life.  And if you don't mind, I am going to list just how He is working in us, through us, through you and tell you recent events and His answer to it.

• Our daughter Becky and her husband Ben are expecting their first baby in less than a  month. And Becky is a cancer survivor.
• Our daughter Mandy and her husband Brian are safely in the US for six months visiting on hiatus from India. Of course with our three beautiful granddaughters, Lydia (6), Molly, (3), and Isabella (1). Disney here we come!
• My dad will be celebrating his 92nd birthday in two months, and he has overcome some serous health issues. His only complaint right now? Too cold for golf
• My stepmom, Sheila, is my rock, and is there for me always. She is also the reason why my dad is 92 and so cantankerous still.  
• My sisters, Mary Beth and Nancy, are healthy and have both gotten new jobs recently. Although their lives are in flux right now, they are doing great and we are all getting along okay. Quite an answered prayer, really!
• Alex and I have found a wonderful church home at Cornerstone Presbyterian here in Brevard...the folks are wonderful and the Gospel is the core. We also started singing in the choir.
• My mom is 88, and her husband of 26 years died a year ago. About that time her health and finances went sour, so we moved her in with us. There are lots of wrinkles and rough spots (the situation, not on my mom), but we are ironing them out with God's grace.  
• Also, my mom has an ileostomy (google it--I will spare you here) and for months I have said there is NO way I can help her with that. Nope, cannot do it. Well, God of course has other plans and He gave me and is STILL giving me the strength to do it, to deal with it.  
• Alex's mom, Connie (Conchi to her family in Spain), had a heart attack in December, and survived. She also got seriously ill last week, was hospitalized again, but is on the mend. We are blessed that Alex is well enough and that we have two vehicles so he could travel down there to help his family.
• Alex's dad has advanced Parkinson's disease, but the new medicine he has been taking seems to be helping him quite a bit. He still needs private duty nursing care for a couple of hours every morning, and with Connie as his primary (sole) caregiver, things get a little crazy when she is sick or hospitalized, but we are blessed to have the ability to help and to have Alex's brother, Dave, living in the Tampa area to be there for them when we cannot.
• We have three great dogs and my mom has her little poodle, and they all get along. They don't have too many accidents and we also had a wonderful pet sitter over the past year, Michele, who helped us a lot.
• Our neighbors, the Clarkes, are, well, they are angels. We love them. Couldn't make it without them.
• We got new neighbors this year, albeit parttime, Cindy and Mike MacConnie. We are looking forward to getting to know them better.
• Alex had an awesome time coaching high school soccer this past year, and I am truly loving volunteering at SAFE Attic Interiors in Brevard. I have made new friends and it helps getting out of the house.  
• Lydia, our oldest granddaughter, just turned 6. We celebrated in style with a mermaid party.
• Although I have had a serious stomach virus the past week, God's providence designed it that I was well enough by the time the virus hit my mom so I could take care of her.
• We are snowed in currently under about 16 inches of snow, and loving it. It is beautiful, and peaceful, and we are so blessed we have power and heat and each other
• God has answered so many prayers already. So many of you have asked me to pray for you or your family, and I am in awe of His power.  Thank you all of you for trusting us to talk to Him for you, with you. And for returning the favor when we asked.  

I could probably go on, but I think you get the picture. Thank you for caring enough to send prayers, to reach out, to think about us.  Love all of you.