Hope Update: 4 months

For those of you who aren't Facebook friends with Hope, I'm sharing some of her recent posts and pictures so you can hear in her own words how she is doing. Thank you so much to all of you who are still praying and asking about her. It means a lot

She was very thankful that she and Brian were able to visit her daughter Adrienne and her new little one in Ontario a few weeks ago. See how good she looks!

Here's her posts, and I'll put some pics at the end:

May 18:  "I've been doing a lot of thinking today.. actually it's about all I've done. Saturdays have always been such busy days.. cleaning, baking, catch up on laundry or whatever, but not today, not me. I've been on fb and emailing.... and thinking. I came across a quote by my cousin, Janna Pastin, (who I haven't seen for 40+ years).

"When you deliver a praise, your praise will deliver you."

I have found this to be SO true these last 4 months. Giving thanks and praising God gets me through every time, it's just that sometimes it takes me awhile to remember that.

The other thing I read today was the May 17th Holy Experience blog post by Ann Voskamp, writing to her son as he turns 18 and graduates..

"Look... you get what we all get - a life time. Just you or none of us ever get to know how long that will turn out to be."

"Don't waste a minute of your life on anything less than love. Don't waste a minute of your life on anything less than eternity."

"Think of eternity and live backwards from that."

Adrienne and I were talking about this idea last week. Those little quotes like "Everyday moments make the best memories." always used to seem so trite, but with one slip on the step, life changed completely. I'm trying to treasure the moments, the days, they go by so quickly and there is no promise that my "lifetime" will the "threescore years and ten."

"We have this moment to hold in our hand

And to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand.

Yesterday's gone, and tomorrow may never come.

But we have this moment... today."

"Praise ye the Lord, for it is good to sing praises unto our God..." "

May 23:  "Yes, I am doing better... but I'm not Better.

It's a long road, this recovery thing.

I am walking better, but still can't run.

I can do all my own personal care except comb my hair.

I'm having more muscle pain in my upper back since I'm not wearing the Aspen collar.

My hands are still numb/tingly and nasty feeling.

My fingers can work the keyboard now, after a fashion.

I don't drive a car yet, but can buckle my own seat belt most of time. I usually don't go very far from home because my back complains.

The triceps are coming back very slowly. I don't cook or bake -- I can't open packages or cans, chop onions or lettuce., shape bread or scoop cookies. I did actually slice bread yesterday! I can't really wash dishes, but I can load the dishwasher. It takes triceps to wash counters and clean toilets... I can sweep the floor, and I actually managed to vacuum the other day. I can do laundry, the children usually transfer from washer to dryer, but I can fold clothes... if my back isn't hurting too bad.

It's so true what the therapist told me before I left the rehab center, People will think you're doing better when they see you out and walking around, but you're not, you still have a long way to go.

It's been four months now since the accident. I don't know how long this recovery road is, but my Father does. It's hard, this giving thanks in everything. I am trying to rest in His plan, I know He holds tomorrow and I know He holds me hand.

.. His strength is made perfect in weakness, and His grace is sufficient for me."

May 27:  "We were discussing "Life" in Sunday School yesterday when I was prompted to share something, and as I emailed my family about it today, I knew I had to share it with all of you, too.

I was 11 years old when my mom died of cancer. I thought it was terribly unfair that I didn't have a mom like my friends did. It seems I've heard that her prayer was that she would live long enough to see her first grandchild, and God granted her request. I don't remember how old I was when I started praying that I would live long enough to see all of children grow up and to enjoy years of being a grandma.
I've been told by different medical staff what a miracle it is that I survived the fall of about 18 feet that broke my neck and caused spinal cord injury, and not only that I survived, but that I am walking and still making progress. While I was at the Rehab Center, maybe three weeks after the accident, I got a letter from our daughter, Jenna -- one of the many letters/notes that she sent.
"Mom, I thought of you as I read through the first part of Psalm 21 - Here is a paraphrase of thoughts.....'Your daughter is rejoicing in your strength... You have given her her hearts desire ... She asked life of you and you gave it to her - even length of days....' "
It just made me cry, and still does -- He gave me Life! .. and I'm holding onto the length of days promise!! :)
"For she trusts in You, Lord, through the unfailing love of You, Most High, she will not be shaken." "

So, Hope is definitely OK! It breaks my heart that she still experiences so much pain, and I pray for complete healing.  I love my Tuesday evenings with her and her family, and am having a great time watching those athletic sons of hers play baseball. But they're also pretty good in the kitchen! Here's Justin baking some cookies to share with his team.

And Brandon making some cherry cobbler for his family!

Hope's delightful children make every visit to her home a joy!

Memorial Day Weekend

Friday I was fortunate enough to be given an unpaid furlough day. I'm not special, all the employees of the district I work for received the day off. It was nice of them to add it to a holiday weekend so that we could have four days off. So we headed to a beautiful RV parks nearby, only a 90 minute drive south-east.  Casey's Riverside RV Park in Westfir is on the banks of the Willamette River. I enjoy walking the loop around the campground, looking at the beautiful river as well as all the flowering perennials, shrubs, and planters all over the place filled with flowers as well as veggies such as lettuce, squash, rhubarb, etc. We didn't plan ahead in time to get a river spot, but when I looked out my dining room window, I had a view of a blooming lilac next to two other flowering shrubs. I was happy.

Friday after we were all set up, the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day.  Will sank into his chair declaring it was time to take a nap in the sun…but he just kept sinking.

 How many chairs have McAnulty men broken in the past decade, I wonder? The chair has been repaired. It seems fairly sturdy, but reclining in it is not recommended.

We did some exploring around the area on Saturday, including a stop at Salt Creek Falls.

 I love it when I see flowers blooming on the edge of a cliff with no help from anyone but the Master Landscaper Himself!

We found some time to take a rest on our evening stroll and enjoy the view from this awesome swing. (This picture was taken on our last visit there in 2009.)

We saw an osprey grab a fish, then flounder trying to get out of the water with his large prize. After some thrashing around, he was finally able to get airborne!

It was a very relaxing weekend, though I was very troubled by the news of the arrest of a young man who is accused of plotting a Columbine-style event at the high school right next door to where I work. I'm acquainted with some of his family members and know that they are kind, caring, well-respected people. I am so thankful that this was reported and stopped. I pray for him, his family and friends, and that all of us will be kind to each other and care more about others than ourselves.

So tomorrow will be a different kind of day than we expected when we left school on Thursday. I'm planning to get there early.

The Great Snail Hunters

Last week as I planted my flower pots, I recalled my dismay last year when snails voraciously ate my beautiful plants with a few days of their planting. I kept an anxious eye on them, removing the snails I saw along the way.  Last summer's active combat with snails was described in this post, Snail War Saga.

So, imagine my delight yesterday when my nephew Cody asked if he could hunt snails again! (Obviously it was a treasured memory of time with Aunt LeAnn!) My great-nephew Brenden eagerly joined this quest. They started in the strawberries, where the hunting was excellent!

Then they moved to the shrubs in front of the house.

"Here's a nice big one!" They each had over a dozen by then, which I thought was amazing!

This was some very active snail seeking! I just love these boys!

Check it out - the cups are labeled "Cody's Snail Jail" and "Brenden's Snail Jail".  Brenden came into the house for something and set his half-full "Snail Jail" on my kitchen counter, nearly giving me a heart attack. He actually seemed to enjoy the knowledge that it brought me discomfort, and was in no great hurry to remove it. Hard to believe that sweet Jody's little boy might have an mischievous streak!

Serena was pleased when her request to hold the cup was granted!

After cake was served, I saw Cody with his plate of cake on the grass while he was looking under a shrub and I remarked that it was ok if he took a break to eat cake. He remarked, "Oh, I'm taking a break," picked up the plate, took a bite, set it back in the grass and continued lifting branches! Unfortunately that picture didn't turn out!

These pots in the back were really ravaged last year. Those snails cling to the grass spikes and inside the lip of the containers.

Jenna had to check it out too.

Brenden was a bit horrified when a large snail tried to escape by climbing up the wall of its jail. Time to dump it in Uncle Will's Snail Rehab!

Then back for more!

Ok, it looks like we're done here!

They dump their bounty.

Cody had more than Brenden, so he helped him find some more over by the dog kennel.

They ended up with more than 100 snails! Some were just the empty shells, but a huge battle was won yesterday in the snail wars, and  many flowers were saved to thrive and multiply and brighten my yard the whole summer long!

Cody and Brenden are now my very favorite nephews, I have to admit. I suspect that within a few days, they will receive a nice surprise in the mail that expresses Aunt LeAnn's appreciation for their help in this great battle she fights, as she strives to protect the lives and the beauty of the flowers she loves and cares for so diligently.

Thank you, Cody and Brenden! Your cheerful hard work hunting these critters brought great joy to me!

Congratulations, Venisa!

My beautiful niece Venisa graduated from George Fox University yesterday, with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education Cum Laude. Just look how totally cute she is! (If you can't read upside down, it says Mrs. Saviola.)

One of the great things about Venisa is that she is even more beautiful on the inside. Kind, compassionate, loving, thoughtful, smart--- the beauty of Jesus is so visible in her. She is going to be a fabulous elementary teacher! She is has already started teaching Pre-K at a private school in Beaverton, which she will continue through the summer, and will teach kindergarten in the fall. Those lucky kids! Children always love Venisa.

We were privileged to provide the location for her graduation party, with about 40 friends and family attending today. Her parents, Doug and Anisa, brought the food, so all we had to do was get the yard presentable and Traeger the chicken. The weather was fantastic, mid-80s with a nice breeze.

She got many gifts for her classroom, including this beautiful sign of 13 Dr. Seuss quotes, made by her mom and grandma.

 Her mother also made these nifty smocks for painting or the "sensory" table.

Anisa, the queen of amazing thrift store finds, has been shopping for a long time for classroom treasures, finding many new books and other items.  Venisa was unwrapping presents for quite awhile, and packing peanuts were dancing on the patio floor like crazy! Her husband Anthony thoughtfully planned ahead and used cash gifts from friends and family to buy her a much desired Nikon camera and iPad. She was thrilled!

Venisa brought me a beautiful pink rose bush to thank me, and explained it was pink to celebrate my health and fitness, and to remember my mother. Though Venisa never knew her grandmother Darlene because cancer took her from us at age 45, long before her birth, the desire to honor her is just another example of the character that makes her such a special person. 

 I love being an aunt to babies, toddlers, children, and teenagers; but it is especially rewarding and wonderful to have relationships with nieces and nephews as they become adults. Venisa is truly a blessing!