Farewell James Creek. Hello Idaho.

Bryan and I have officially moved to Idaho.
I started a new blog to post our news.
Follow this link.

http://westnestnews.blogspot.com/

Cindy

Moving Day Approaches

Four weeks and 3 days to launch date for Idaho.

I visited Bryan last weekend and as my plane landed and I saw the Boise Airport sign, I thought:  "I'm home!"  And though it seemed odd to me that I actually felt a sense of being home, even though I have not yet officially moved to Idaho, I am thankful and grateful that Idaho already feels like home. I guess you could say, "Home is where your husband and house are". :-)

From spending Aug - Oct of 2012 living in our RV in Idaho close to the house building site, I was able to familiarize myself with my new home areas.  I now see that it was definitely time well invested.  I am soooo excited to be finally moving and getting settled in our new home.

Bryan and I had a GREAT weekend.  Despite some flight juggling and arriving in Idaho 12 hours later than my initial scheduled arrival on Friday, we still were able to accomplish all that we set out to accomplish in the long weekend's visit.  We had fun in Boise.  We attended the opening day of the Boise Farmer's Market with a huge art show taking place on the streets as well.  Saw a lot of cool stuff and had a very enjoyable time strolling downtown and sampling homemade goodies.  We bought a nice CD from one of the men playing his guitar at the market.  Beautiful acoustic guitar music! Saturday afternoon was spent looking at lighting, securing our granite for the kitchen counter tops and doing general house shopping. Late Saturday afternoon Bryan took me out to the house.  WOW!  It really helps me to visualize better now that I've been inside the rooms and loft and was able to physically walk through all of the house.  It is fun to see it all coming together.  I Praise God for the amazing house that He is giving us.  The weather was gorgeous all weekend which made it extra nice being there.  It seems like it is always sunny in Idaho.  (I know that that is not exactly true, but the entire three months that I lived there last summer/fall, it only rained three nights, and the rest of the time the sun was shining and it was warm.  And this past weekend was sunny too.)  The terrain is very green right now with lots of yellow sunflowers.  Sunday we attended our new church and Pastor Rodger took us out for lunch.  I was able to see my new friend, Amy, and her husband Jeff.  It was fun reconnecting and laughing together with them after the church service.

As I return to the cabin here in PA, I am reinvigorated to "wrap things up" here.  The next four weeks contain a few more PA lasts.  My last Rehoboth Beach weekend trip with a friend;  My last Agility Dog Show in PA;  Last dinners with our friends;  Mom's Birthday lunch.  But, I rejoice that it's a happy time, not a sad time.

Only four weeks until our journey to Idaho and the final phase of our move.

Rejoice with us!  God is good!
I'm finally moving home.
Let the decorating begin!!!!!

New Home for Baby Bunny.

Today I went to Tractor Supply to see if I could sell the last little baby bunny from the litter that I wasn't keeping.  The bunny generated a great deal of interest from the minute I carried him into the store.  He was sold in less than one hour.  I am thankful to have found him a good new home, though I will miss him.  He was a really sweet little bunny, that I was going to try to keep.  But, the reality of transporting the herd 2500 miles a month from now made me realize that I should not build the herd until we are settled in Idaho.  So today I say farewell to the baby bunny that I referred to as "Coal".  Here's a picture of him with his new family.

Enjoy your new life in your new home little bunny.

Dad's Disguised Blessings

Dad served as a pastor for over 40 years. He also served as chaplain in a local nursing home. When dad was diagnosed with Temporal Frontal Dementia, he lived in that same nursing home for a short time before being transferred to a room in the "Garden View" wing at Cornwall Manor Nursing Home, where he still resides.

As I reflect on my Dad's current condition, it may seem to those of us who are still in our "right minds", that Dad's life now is a very sad life. His body is plagued with multiple health issues, causing need for another surgery. He can no longer read; follow a TV program; play a game; walk without help; follow current events news; have breakfast and work out with his old seminary buddy Joe; engage in deep conversations; or tell you what he had for lunch ten minutes after he's eaten his lunch.

But Dad has some current blessings which most "normal" people do not enjoy.

• Dad lives in the present minute at all times.  When I go to see him, he usually lights up with a great big smile on his face and greets me by name and a hearty "Good to see you!"  He will not remember that I was there within minutes of when I leave.  He will not remember what we talked about. And he does not remember where I live right now.  But for the time that I sit with him, he is usually happy.He always asks about the family (even though he won't remember the information).  Most of the time he tells me that he prays for me and the family every day.
• Dad appears to be at peace and content whenever I see him.
• Dad's biggest life concern is running out of his favorite snacks that we take in for him.
• Dad doesn't seem to be plagued by any negatives in his past or a single "regret".  He only remember the good memories from what he terms, "The good 'ole days."
• Dad does not appear to experience any emotional anguish or pain, simply because he cannot even remember offenses.  None.
• When asked if he ever gets bored, (Because that is what we in our "logical" minds may think of a  life of sitting in a chair every day and just eating and sleeping and waiting on nurses to help us do things that we used to do for ourselves and others)...Dad answers, "No.  They take good care of me here."

Oh to learn from Dad's current life's blessings!

1. Live in the present. 
2. Be content and at peace no matter what the circumstances.
3. Carry no burdens.
4. Remember ONLY the good things in the past, and none of the bad.
5. Forget all offenses.
6. Praise people who help and take care of you.

None of us ever wants to be in my Dad's position.  He didn't want to be there either!

Yet, it's helpful for me to remember that

 "All the days ordained for me were written in (God's) book before even one of them came to be."

 Psalm 139:16

This truth is the same for Dad.

As a daughter who is age 50, and still "of sound mind", my Dad who is diseased with dementia and multiple other physical issues as well, is still teaching me valuable life lessons.

Clarence Daugherty Ulrich (2011)

Bunnies Play (9 weeks old)

The bunnies wanted no parts of "posing" for pictures today. They just wanted to play.
Here's a few shots.  I switched to video so I'll try to upload a video so you can see them actively playing.

And video of bunnies at play...Enjoy!

Runnin' Rabbits

Bunny Pictures - 8 weeks old today

Enjoy!

Bunny Babies @ 7 weeks Old - Feb. 26th

The Baby Bunnies are now 7 weeks old.  Here's some pictures of the adorable little woollies.