Sweet Journey...

I have been on an emotional roller coaster this week.  My dad's brother, Truman, passed away on Sunday.  It's always hard to lose a family member, but this seems to be hitting me a little harder than usual.  It's not like I haven't been here before...several times as a matter of fact...

My dad is one of eight children.  He had 5 brothers and 2 sisters.  It was wonderful growing up with a large extended family because there was always kids to play with when we visited my grandparent's house.  I have so many first cousins on that side of the family I stopped counting when I reached 20!

I have learned these past few years that the downside to a large clan is that we have to deal with aging and dying aunts and uncles on a regular basis.   Now it is only my dad and one sister left and she is in a home with Alzheimer's.  Unfortunately, she doesn't even recognize my dad anymore, but he continues to go visit her regularly even though I know it pains him to do so.  It has been so hard watching my dad have to say good-bye to so many siblings.

The upside of this big ol' clan has been a blessing that I think I took for granted until recently.  This week of emotions has taken me on a trip down memory lane that has brought both laughter and tears...

There were the family camping trips every summer to Frenchman's Lake with so many Mosses (family name is Moss) in attendance that we literally took up half the campground. We just made the rounds from one campsite to another all day...eating, laughing, and getting into mischief!  There were always several sets of eyes watching us swim or fish, which of course meant we couldn't get away with too much, but also that we were protected by many.  Every night was a big campfire at one of the campsites and always ghost stories thanks to my Uncle Cleo who could scare the daylights out of anyone!  And of course, there was always the fishing...the men getting up at the crack of dawn (my grandma too when she was there) and heading down to the boats tied up at the lake shore.  Oh, and the fish stories... nobody could tell a better one than the Moss men!!  There were big fish fries in the afternoons so everyone could go back out and start all over again in the evening!  It was a special time every summer for 2 weeks...

There were all the Saturdays spent at Folsom Lake.  Several family members including my parents had ski boats and every Saturday we would all converge on Dyke 8 (now called Folsom Point) and spend the day swimming, the adults skiing, and everyone eating.  Nobody can pull together a pot luck like the Moss clan!!  I can't tell you how many times I heard my mom or an aunt say, "You can't get back into the water for 30 minutes after you eat!"  Those thirty minutes went so slow!  Those were days of summer fun at it's finest...no wonder I am still a Cali summer girl...

There were the holiday gatherings at Grandma and Grandpa's house that were magical...not because they had a big fancy house...it was actually a plain simple little place...not because there was fancy china or silver...we used paper plates because there were at least 40-50 people...and certainly not because we had gourmet meals...the cooking was southern, made from scratch and oh so good...but because of the  family atmosphere.  There wasn't a corner that wasn't occupied with conversation or a moment of quiet stillness.  It was loud, chaotic, and fun...so many people and so much laughter, we spilled out onto the front porch, the back porch, the back room (Grandma's quilting room), the car porch, and into both the front and back yards!  I can close my eyes and see the faces, hear the voices, smell the delicious aromas, get lost in the stories, and wrap myself in the layers of family history.  I will always remember and  miss those gatherings...

Yes, this is a roller coaster of a week.  I have discovered that it is through the sadness and tears that I am learning how to fully embrace the special moments of my life...the ones I don't want to take for granted.  I am thankful for the large family God blessed me with and a memory lane that takes me on such a sweet journey...

My New Kitchen...

Well, after 20 years of whining, moaning, groaning, and complaining, I finally got my kitchen remodeled!  It is a very small remodel job by most standards, but to me the benefits are HUGE!

My old kitchen had NO counter space next to the stove!  Yep, that is right, none, zippo, zilch!  I know, ridiculous huh?


My stove top was down to 1 working burner and the rest just limping along!  Not to mention it was the only brown appliance in the kitchen!

My old oven was small, had no working timer, and cooked 50 degrees hotter than indicated....and as for self-cleaning...HAH...

 

I hated, hated, hated the ugly gray tile!  I mean seriously hated it! It was so hard to keep clean and I was always scrubbing the dirty grout away...

The sink was stained and worn out and the faucet was in constant need of repairs...







My microwave was located in the dining room...very inconvenient, not to mention taking up precious space in a tiny dining room...






I can't believe I cooked for over 20 years in this inconvenient kitchen hoping that someday we would be able to make it better and more user friendly!  I am so glad someday finally came...

 I LOVE having the counter space next to my stove!  It makes such a huge difference in the efficiency of my kitchen!  I love the tiny counter on the left side with storage for baking trays.

 I love my new range!  The oven is so much bigger and self-cleaning!  I love the smooth top...it is soooo easy to clean!  I never want to go back to cleaning out burner pans!  It's also so nice to have all matching appliances!  Woo hoo!!

Having the microwave over the range is so amazing!  I don't have the words for how much easier it makes my job... 

I am so pleased with my new counter top!  I am not a fan of granite and had a hard time with some of the contractor's trying to convince me to get it!  I know it sounds crazy, but I prefer good old laminate...it just fits my retro kitchen!  The stainless sink has a very square, retro, farm vibe that suits me perfectly and I can't even begin to tell you how much I like the faucet!

Well, that is my new kitchen!  Steve and I repainted the walls yellow and the cabinets white and put on new chrome hardware.  I love my kitchen now and never really imagined myself being able to say that!  I spend so much time in the kitchen and it is cheery, bright, and oh so much more functional!  I am even glad it took 20 years to get it done because it makes me appreciate it so much more! 

Jacob Michael Lerman...

Long time, no post!  Not because I had nothing to share, but because I was waiting for the liberty to post photos with this most important story.  I am now free to share photos, so let the story begin...

Sam and Amy started adoption proceedings about 11 months ago.  They  thought it would  be a good idea to apply and get the process started knowing the wait could be long.  Since we have several friends that have adopted, we were all prepared for it to take some time. Well, God had other plans and He opened the doors and sped Sam and Amy through the process in record time.  Because of their references and qualifications, the social worker put them at the top of the list for a baby.  Sam and Amy applied, finished all their classes, inspections, interviews, training, etc. in about 3 months...very quickly and without as much as a fraction of a hiccup!   They actually finished the last step, which was CPR certification on Saturday, July 23.

The following day Steve and I went shopping with Sam and Amy and let them choose a car seat and stroller.  Amy's parents furnished the nursery with a crib and changing table.  It was a new experience to go shopping for baby things without a clue as to when the baby would be coming, but Sam and Amy had to have certain things in place like a bed and car seat to satisfy the social workers.

Now all we had to do was wait for THE phone call, which usually takes several months or longer.  The waiting was excrutiating.  After all, the call didn't come until two days later!!  Yep, I said two DAYS!!  Tuesday morning July 26, I was doing my early morning grocery shopping at Raleys, when my cell rang.  It was my kids ringtone, so I knew it was one of them and  I knew it was an unusual time to be hearing from them.  I fished my cell from my purse and the caller ID showed Amy's photo!  My heart started beating double time and I answered the phone. 

Amy said, "Phyllis (social worker) just called!"

 I replied, "Yes, and ...?" 

She said, "She wants Sam and I to meet her in her office to discuss a baby."

All Phyllis told Amy was that it was a baby boy and he was still in the hospital.  Amy was upset because she couldn't get a hold of Sam.  She called him at work and he didn't answer, which usually means he is in a meeting.  I told her to relax that he would call her back as soon as he could and to keep me posted.  We hung up and guess what I did?!?  You got it, I stood in the middle of Raley's and the tears started flowing.  I wandered around for a few minutes, gave up, paid for what was in my basket and needless to say, went home with about half of my groceries.

Shortly after I got home, Sam called.  He was on light rail on his way home.  Amy had called Phyllis back and got a little more info.  The baby was 9 days old, but because he was about 6 weeks early, he was still in the hospital.  He was doing well and would be ready to go home in a few days.  If all went well at Phyllis's office, they may be able to go see the baby that afternoon.  I said, " Ask her if we will be allowed to visit too please."  I hung up and again more tears.

Next phone call is a couple of hours later.  Sam and Amy are calling on their way to the hospital and yes, we can visit too.  I realize the minute Sam and Amy see that precious baby boy, I will become a grandmother.   I gather all the info I need concerning where we need to go and hang up.  Of course, more happy tears.

As soon as Steve gets home, we're in the truck and headed to the hospital.  When I walked into the room and saw Sam holding a beautiful 5 pound 8 ounce baby boy, I instantly knew all the hype about being a grandma was true.  I had no idea the connection would be so immediate or so intense.  That was my grandson and I was in love.  Sam and Amy looked like the proud new Mommy and Daddy they were.  It's a moment I'll always treasure!


At this point the hospital staff gave Sam and Amy all the privileges of the parents and we got grandparents rights which meant we could visit whenever we wanted.  Sam and Amy named him Jacob.  Jacob still had a feeding tube because he didn't eat as much as they wanted, so he had to stay for a few more days until he would finish bottles on his own. 

I was so proud of Sam and Amy during this time.  They practically lived at the hospital.  They didn't want to leave Jacob and they were already so entrenched in their roles as devoted, loving parents that no one would ever have known they hadn't conceived and given birth to Jacob.  Steve and I visited every day because we just couldn't stay away.  At feeding time, we would watch Jacob drink his bottle and chant, " chug, chug, chug," in an attempt to encourage him to finish his bottle so he could go home.

On Sunday morning, July 31, my cell phone rang in church.  Well, I had put it on vibrate and it started vibrating across the table.  I grabbed it and headed to the exit door so I wouldn't disturb the service.  It was Sam calling from the hospital and he said, " we are heading out of here with Jacob...he is coming home!"

We stayed for the rest of the church service and I told all my friends, Sam and Amy's friends, and basically anyone that would listen that my grandson was on his way home!  It was a joyous day!


Sam and Amy still had to go through the rest of the adoption process and it would take many more months before the adoption was final.  We were not allowed to post any pictures until Jacob had his final court date.  God blessed the rest of the process and Jacob officially became Jacob Michael Lerman on March 5th.  The judge even commented on the speed of his adoption process...she said it must be some kind of record! 

We saw God's hand all over Jacob's adoption.  It was as though He reached down and placed Jacob in Sam and Amy's arms.  I love my niece's explanation of why Jacob came early... she said he wanted to make sure he got Sam and Amy for his parents before someone else did! 

Many people say Jacob is blessed to be in our family, but we know the truth...the blessing is all ours!