March 11th, 1944

Are the Guinea pigs teasing the cat or is the cat teasing the guinea pigs?

Another round of wringing out our clothes before they go in the dryer.

Just call us the Ingalls of the 'twenty-tens'.

Use those muscles, Lily!

Cute little baby ties!!!

They are so little.

Just adorable.

Why did I not think of making ties when my kids were little!!

Think I could get my boys to wear matching homemade ties for Easter?

They are not little anymore but would be just as adorable!!!

On a different note, today would be my dad's 70th birthday. I wonder what life would have been like if my dad had not passed away back in 1993. He was only a few months into his 49th year when he died. I was 24. If Jeff passed away next year at this time he would be the same age my dad died. That is pretty mind blowing to think about. My dad's death was not a surprise but it still was a shock, if that makes sense. Although he was so sick, I still thought up until he died that he would be like the man whose friends lowered down through the ceiling in Mark 2. I thought God would heal my dad physicaly here on earth.

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man,“I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Mark 2:1-12


My dad was at the time of his death legless. He had been on kidney dialysis for close to seven years. He was blind. He was confused. He had Juvenal Diabetes since he was a teen and then years of drug and alcohol addiction ravaged his physical body. So,so,so extremely sad. So sad to watch your own father, make choices that destroyed him as well as our whole family. I would have given anything to make my dad better again. Although diabetes is not a kind disease and the long term effects of his diabetes would have eventually appeared, it was the addictions that robbed us of our dad. I also personally think it sped up his diabetes.

In the last year or so of my dad's life he accepted Jesus as his personal savior. I had prayed for years and years and years for my dad. I had a dream about a year before he died that my step mom called. In my dream she said, "your dad died but he wanted me to tell you something. I do not know what it means but he said he would see you behind the gate." I knew that that was when my dad accepted Christ into his heart.

Well, for my dad God did not do things exactly the way he did for the paralyzed man, but he did do what he did for the paralyzed man. He forgave my dad's sins and my dad was able to pick up his mat and walk carrying it right into God's kingdom for eternity.

I still sometimes wonder what things would have been like if my dad was still here. Then sometimes I am thankful he died when he did.

For those who know me well,know I am a night owl. Well, it was late at night when my dad was the most peaceful, calm, and clearheaded. My dad was not often stressed or hyper or angry or violent late at night. He was not weepy or sad. He was happy. He wanted to be with us. If we were lucky to get to spend time with my dad late at night and have a midnight snack with him, it was like being princesses in a golden city. Growing up it was the night that was filled with hope and not the morning. Mornings in our house growing up were usually unsettling, unnerving, and scary. I wonder if that is partly why I am still a night owl and wake up mornings fighting off dread and butterflies in my tummy. Isn't that interesting.

This is one of my favorite pictures. I know I showed you before but here is my mom (17)and my dad (19). This was I believe 1963/64.

For fun I dug out pictures of Grant and Alan close to my dad's age in the picture.

Grant a few months shy of 18 in this picture

Alan I believe is 16 in this picture.

My dad would have liked my kids.

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy