It's a Miracle!

Wow! Life has gone full circle for me. My son and his wife had twins a week ago. I finally was able to get there two days later and spend the whole day holding one baby or the other, or better yet, both!

I watched my son, my baby, take on this new role of Double-Duty Daddy and was in awe. The miracle that I once carried was now nurturing his two children that was totally awesome!

We all want to be better parents than our own parents. I think it's kind of normal. But to actually see that in my son - that he showed the epitome of unconditional love to each child was breathless. He had no father to emulate and his God-like loving of his new babies came from within. Came naturally.

This is the son that caused me much heartbreak in his teens. This is the son who always tells me how sorry he is that this heartbreak happened. This is the son who, when he got married, was probably the happiest groom on this planet! This is the son, with tattoos all over his arms, who gently held a baby and cooed at him or her and told them what a wonderful baby they were. He has changed 16 diapers so far. He is holding a baby all the time.

And the same for his wife, my daughter-in-law. She could BE my daughter. She came into our lives and I swear to God that she saved my son's life.

She also was cooing and praising her babies - each separately and individually. "My little man." "There's my little princess."

What a miracle!!! They are so beautiful - all four.

I'm greatly blessed.

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Proof that I'm a Grandma!

10 Reasons to be Grateful For Having My Kidneys Removed!

The reason I have been so absent lately is because I had major surgery, the 31st of July, to remove both of my kidneys, one of which needed to be biopsied for possible cancer in one of the cysts.

Just four weeks earlier, I had spent nine days in the hospital, not related to my kidneys at all. I felt that all the drama I went through in getting different diagnoses was just a practice run. But I wanted to approach my surgery in a different way.

So I went about finding ten good things about having both kidneys removed. I figure there has to be a positive spin here somewhere. But first, I went to several prayer circle friends and told them my prayer for me. I wanted peace and grace in this next stint in the hospital. I wanted calm and hope.

We all came up with themes in the Bible that encourage you to give up your worries and replace those little bundles of fear with peace – the kind only God can give. He asks you to release your burdens and worries and instead take His peace.

1. One thing I’m grateful for in losing my kidneys, is that I could practice what I was praying – and release the fear (of dying) to God and instead hold the peace He gives to me – His peace.

2. It is actually quite peaceful and quiet after surgery and you appreciate little things so much – like shaved ice and orange popsicles.

3. Who needs two kidneys??? We can survive on one. So – I was getting two birds for one stone! Plus, I was already on dialysis, so nothing new was happening.

4. All that space! (the kidneys weighed about 10 pounds a piece. Yes. I was hiding twins!)

5. I have a waist! I haven’t had a waist since my last baby was born – he just turned 38.

6. I can breathe!

7. To all of those who rolled their eyes at me when I said I had a back ache “because of my kidneys,” I don’t have a back ache any more. It really was my kidneys!!!

8. I can lay on my back and feel a flat stomach!!!

9. I get to buy new clothes! Why??? Because. . . .

10. I am my old college weight! 120 pounds.

Oh, and 11. It was indeed cancer but since it was contained in the one kidney, I am CURED.

I feel like I’ve spent the whole summer, recuperating. This all started June 1. I will be fully recouped by mid-September. The one regret I have is that I will miss the birth of my two grandbabies. Mommy will be induced Thursday and maybe Friday I can travel to Moscow and at least see the grandbabies.

Hopefully by September I can make longer visits and be of some help around the house – and take in dialysis at another facility – one in Lewiston and one in Moscow.