Beginning This Year with a Loss

We traveled to a warmer climate for the Christmas holidays, and spent the days with family and friends.  The temps were warmer than usual while we were there, and I don't think we even once wore a coat or jacket while we were there!  A special time was had with all those who we visited with. In fact, we had no idea just how special those times would be to us, now just a few days later.

Returning home was a bit of a temperature shock as we arrived late in the evening at the airport, and found quite a bit of snow on our vehicle awaiting us and below zero temperatures.  We had received close to 2 feet of snow while we were gone!  After coming from 80 degree weather, yes, it was a bit of a temperature shock! But we were mentally prepared for it, and I really couldn't wait to see all the snow that we had received.

Thankfully our vehicle was easily cleaned off, and we made it home safely.

When we arrived home, we were not able to get in our driveway and had to park in a neighbor's yard for the night.  We were aware of the amount of snow we had received, and our friend who was to plow our driveway had his vehicle break down, so we knew that the problem existed before we got home. As you can see, the next morning, as we got up, the sun was shining, and it was the most beautiful sight to see.

My garden, now completely covered in a thick white blanket of snow.

Just a little idea of how much snow we had gotten, piled up on the lid of my winterized compost pile a.k.a. a trash can.

A dear neighbor came over and offered to plow our driveway for us.  We were working on getting the tractor started, and this lessened that load as this was one less thing that needed done.  The roofs needed shoveling due to the weight of the snow that had been received while we were gone.

 Shoveling off the roof of our storage trailer.

... and the roof of my new greenhouse...  We use a long snow rake to remove the snow.

My little greenhouse, now almost completely bundled in snow.

Cleaning off the roof of the chicken coop...

Swoosh!  Such fun!

Our wonderful and amazing neighbor showed up to plow our driveway for us.  What a blessing that was!

A tree stump decorated with a topping of snow.

Annie-girl, quite happy to be walking in the path we had carved out in the snow, lol!

So, we were just settling into being back home and getting things unpacked, while dealing with such things as replacing the mailbox that the snowplow had taken out, my van that had suddenly decided it didn't want to start, as well as the tractor not wanting to start (due to the extreme cold we have had this week down to 15 below zero for several nights) -  when I received a call from my precious mother-in-love telling us that "Daddy" (my husband's father) wasn't doing well at all.  His condition has been deteriorating for the last several months, but none of us expected that it would be this sudden.  An hour later, he had passed, quietly, peacefully, with my dear mother-in-law by his side, holding his hand.  We had spent a wonderful Christmas with them both, having no idea that his passing would happen so soon. Precious memories of our time with them comforted our hearts as we praised the Lord that we had the special time with them this year, not even knowing that it would be our last moments spent with him, and so we grieve for the loss of his passing, and the hole that his presence leaves in the family.

Due to the expense of the flight, and having just been there, it was decided that only my husband would be there for the funeral.  The funeral will be Saturday.  Our hearts are grieving his loss, and wishing we could be there to share this time of sorrow with the family and my dear mother-in-law who, for the last 56 years of her married life has loved and cared for him, and is deeply missing the loss of his presence in her life.

We are reminded as this New Year begins so eventfully, that life is so short, and that each memory and time spent with loved ones, is precious, and very special.  I remember taking some videos of our time with my husband's parents, not even realizing just how soon that time would be when those videos would be precious memories there for us to remember him by.

So today, hug your loved ones, love each one deeply and cherish the moments spent with them.  Life passes so quickly, just like the short dash between the date of our birth and death.  While this New Year for us has come bringing with it sorrow and grieving, yet I know that the Lord's hand is with us all, and we are comforted in His care.