Project Life: More January Memories

I've been trying out a slightly different approach to digital scrapbooking as I start out in this new year 2015. Preserving memories is important to me, but I am always looking for new ideas, and faster and easier ways to scrapbook. So far, I am enjoying using the Project Life 52 Weeks format. 

Here are the two pages I created for Week 4 of 2015 ...

So thankful for family and friends ... and for memories made.

Project Life: A New Year of Digital Scrapbooking

Starting out another year of preserving memories with digital scrapbooking ... a fun hobby for me. And a way to preserve the stories that God writes into our lives.

Dad Siebert's Act of Kindness

Dad Siebert has had a very difficult time accepting that he needs to be at Skyline's Health Center for some health issues during these past three months (and now, even longer). It was a pleasant surprise to us that he brought up the idea to give each of the residents a little gift of a tangerine at Christmastime. We purchased three boxes of tangerines for him, and it was a joy for us to help him with his little project. 

We made the rounds with him in the Health Center dining room over his Sunday lunchtime on Dec. 28th. Each gift of a tangerine brought a smile to the person who received it. Such a simple, but wonderful way for my father to reach out beyond his own limitations and frustrations, and show love to those around him.

Would you please join us as a family and pray for Cherry's 93 year-old father? Some of his physical concerns and limitations are requiring him to continue staying there at the Health Center longer than he wished for. We recently tried to arrange things so that he could return to his independent living apartment (at the same facility as the Health Center) with Home Healthcare coming into his apartment. He was very disappointed to find out that he did not qualify for their care, as his needs are too great and the risks would be too big for him to move back to his apartment. 

He is still hopeful (and insistent at times) that he will be able to return at a later time. The future is unknown at this time. Please pray mostly for his perspective, that he will be able to surrender his wishes, and that he would be able to see that the Health Center may be the place where God would have him live out the rest of his days. And that he would see his days as opportunities to live with purpose, loving and serving those around him, even in the midst of his own frustrations with his aging process. Please pray for peace, and surrender to whatever God has for him.

Christmas Memories

Time goes by, and two weeks have passed since 24 family members filled our home for our Family Christmas on Friday, Dec. 26th. And it wasn't just any ordinary Christmas - it was a very memorable Christmas as our whole family was home! Traveling from San Francisco, New York City, and Dallas to join those who live nearby. We were so very blessed to have our six children, our four sons-in-law, and our ten grandkids home!! Plus, we were also very blessed to have Cherry's 93 year-old father with us, as well as Gary's brother. 

A very special gift from God to have our whole family home - an unexpected gift. We prepared for our time together for weeks, and then it happened. And it was wonderful. So grateful for photos which capture the memories and help us hold them for the weeks to come ...

Note: all digital scrapbook supplies are from Digital Scrapper.

An Update on Cherry's Father

Thank you so very much for your prayers for Cherry's 93 year-old father, Johnny Siebert! Click here to read our previous post, describing the difficult situation our father found himself in during the middle part of October.

He has had two doctor's appointments since our last update here. At this point, it does not look like Dad will have a colostomy done to help with his problems, but more time is needed to know this for sure. There are many factors that are leading to this decision. His age and ability to care for a colostomy are one factor, and also, the doctor wants to give more time to see if the problem will remedy itself. At this point, his incontinence continues. Thank you for praying for wisdom for the doctors, and also for us as family. We have been so blessed by the patient, compassionate care of his doctors, and his caregivers at the Health Center.

We also requested prayer for Dad, as this has been such a humbling and frustrating situation for him to be in. He has been struggling with peace and trust, and we are so grateful that there has been a bit of a turn-a-round in the past week and a half. He has been more calm and accepting of his situation, and has even started to participate in the physical and occupational therapy that is offered him there at Skyline's Health Center. 

Thank you to those who have been sending cards and letters for him - these things brighten up his days as he continues on in Skyline's Health Center. We have also been printing out emails that are sent to us for him. He especially is so encouraged by those from former missionary friends that he served with for much of his life with SEND International. (You may use his current address at Skyline as we pick up his mail for him, or you may use our address to send mail for him. You may also send emails for him to our email address, and we will print them out for him. )

We continue to make the 20-minute drive 3-4 times each week to help and encourage him, and are grateful to live close by. We are also on the phone with Cherry's three brothers often, and greatly appreciate their care and advice from a distance (two in the Portland area, and one just north of New York City). 

Please pray for continued peace for our father, for wisdom for the doctors, nurses, and caregivers, and also for us as family as decisions will be made in the next 30 days for the next step. His 90 contracted days at the Health Center will be up in mid-January, and a decision will need to be made as to where he will be staying after that (continuing on at the Health Center or returning to his independent living apartment). 

Family Thanksgiving

One of our smallest Family Thanksgiving gatherings in many years, but a very fun evening together with some of our family who live nearby! We loved it - so thankful for family! And we all are looking forward to our whole family (22 of us!) being home for Christmas!!

A Difficult Journey

Mid-October brought some big changes for Cherry's 93 year-old father. Within just a few days, he went from his independent living apartment at Skyline, to an overnight stay in the hospital, to Skyline's Health Center for treatment. 

We are thankful for the timing of things - just a few days after we returned from our trip to Colorado Springs, we found our father in great need of our help. His bowel troubles had led to complete incontinence; a very humbling situation to be in. We were so thankful that we were close by to help with each step. 

A biopsy during the first few days showed that there is no cancer. The doctor went ahead and prescribed five weeks of treatment under the care of nurses at the Health Center, to try to see if his functions will return. Dad's next doctor appointment will be on Dec. 2nd. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors, and also for my father, and us as family - that we will all know what the next step should be. Also, please pray for peace for Cherry's father - Johnny Siebert - as he struggles to accept this difficult situation that he is in.

We are grateful that we can be nearby to help, and we thank God for the strength and grace that He gives as we have been driving in every day, or every other day to help with details, and to be an encouragement to Dad. We do appreciate your prayers.