Sunny Days

We've had quite a bit of rain this past week and we're thankful to see the sun shining through. Mom can't get out at all these days. She's bedridden most days but we're thankful that she has no bed sores. Her eating has slowed down, and she's losing a bit of weight, but still maintaining her own. She seems to be drifting further and further away. Sometimes she just stares and then begins laughing. It doesn't always make sense, but that's ok. As we approach Mother's Day, we thank God for our Mom and the life He has given her. She has so much awaiting her in Heaven. She will see her Savior, Jesus. She will meet Old Testament saints like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, along with New Testament believers like the Apostle Paul. In the meantime, she waits and we wait along with her and take each day as it comes. Please continue to pray that we would have wisdom in taking care of her, for strength (as we balance other priorities), and for peace as Julie and her family prepare to leave for Bolivia in July and have to say goodbye.

Warmer Weather

We're thankful for the warm weather that is coming our way. Mom continues to stay stable. She recently had 3 teeth pulled...2 had already broken off and the other had become very sharp. Our hospice nurse gave us the name of a dentist who makes housecalls. Thankfully, mom did well with the procedure and had little bruising afterward. We thank God daily for her life and ask for continued wisdom as we seek to do what's best for her. Hospice has been a tremendous blessing and Peni is a wonderful caregiver. We're very thankful.

Holding her own

Mom is a bit better now that she's getting over a bladder infection and maybe a slight stomach bug. It's hard to say since she can't talk, but she's not as sluggish as she was. As most of you have read, she's been having a lot of problems with her teeth. We're hoping that a traveling dentist will be able to come to the house and take a look to see what he can do. She seems to have a sharp tooth that causes her to flinch every once in a while because she bites her tongue. We'll keep you posted to let you know what happens. Please feel free to send cards of encouragement. We always enjoy hearing from you all.

Slowing Down

It's been over a year now that mom has been bedridden. She continues to eat meals, however, her eating has slowed down quite a bit. She tends to sleep more during the day as well. We're thankful she has no bed sores and doesn't seem to be in any pain. Mom still knows us. When a familiar voice is heard on the phone, she lifts her eyebrows as if to say, "I know him/her."

Please feel free to send email notes of encouragement and we'll make sure to pass them along to her. We're not sure how much she understands, but it certainly can't do any harm. We hope this update finds you all well.

Happy New Year

From our home to yours, we hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. Mom is about the same. She has, however, lost some of her teath. The dentist told us that due to a lack of saliva in her mouth, it probably made her teeth brittle and as a result some of them broke off. She is still not only able to chew food, but enjoys her meals every day, although it takes her extremely long to eat. She chews eat bite about 100-150 times...believe me...I counted. We do try to mix liquid with her food so she doesn't have to work so hard. It passes the time for her. She has some good days where she speaks a couple of words and responds to simple questions like how are you? Other than that, her words are few which is so hard for someone who loved to communicate! We miss that part of her very much. She still talks with her eyes and with the tone of her voice. She's still very much the Jackie that most of you know and love.