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First week of November, here in West Michigan, sure was a chilly one! One thing that is a natural result of having heart failure is poor circulation. Therefore, my hands, arms, legs, and feet get incredibly cold, quickly. Just ask my husband! Needless to say, a warmer coat was in store and thankfully it came just in time! If you ever wonder where I may be, I’m probably nuzzled under a blanket by our space heater, trying to stay warm, or moving in place to warm up!

This past week I had the opportunity to speak at a church in Grand Rapids, and what a joy it was to speak to that group! Dan and Mazy came with me as well, which was a first for Mazy! I loved her smile each time I mentioned her name. It’s always so humbling to share the story God has given me…I just want everyone to walk away from it all seeing how powerful and good our God is!

I’m going to let the pictures do the rest of the explaining…

I know this is kind of a nasty first picture, but like they say, “a picture says 1,000 words!” We were at Meijer, and Mazy was so fascinated by the lobsters in the tank. We mostly shop at Aldi, so this is not an option there, but she was just in awe of all of the lobsters. We stood there for a few minutes, talking about them and then by the end, she wanted to take a picture of them to show her daddy and to remember them. I love seeing life through a child’s eyes! And yes, she is aware that they will eventually be eaten…

During that same Meijer trip, a sweet, sweet lady came up to Mazy and I and gave Mazy a $5 bill with a little mini paintable tea set under it, as a gift to buy. She had recognized us through being at mutual sporting events, and as a grandma, she wanted bless Mazy with this. It was such a sweet gesture that made Mazy’s day, and what a heart-warming act that made me realize that God’s blessings come when you least expect them and are literally everywhere we turn.

And yet another pic from that same Meijer trip…Mazy pulled almost the same face as last year’s “Sandygram” pic! Love this little goofball!

Two nights this week, I was able to head to our town’s community center where they hosted a Christmas Yard Card Workshop! This was something I have ALWAYS wanted to do – especially since moving back. So much so, that I was even saving Christmas picture ideas for the day when maybe that dream would true! Well, that day finally came, thanks to some absolutely amazing friends who generously invited me! Can’t wait to do it again next year, hopefully! A work in progress…

And the final project! If you know where we live, you’ll see this standing tall in front of our house in the next few weeks!

And we got our first snow that covered the ground this week! The picture is dark because indeed, Mazy was out there before 8am! Couldn’t stop this girl from just loving life outdoors…

I’m looking forward to a slower week, in hopes of getting caught up on the little things in life! And I want to keep trying to find to write my next book…

Also, we will be heading back to the U of M hospital this week for a TEE test I’m scheduled to have on Tuesday. There is some concern that my mitral valve, the very valve that I had repaired, and then replaced in 2017, might be declining once again. Two ECHOs I had while hospitalized a month ago, showed it was declining, but I was having so many PVCs, that it was hard to get a good read. So, this test will hopefully be able to show the doctors exactly what is going on. This cow-tissue valve I now have is supposed to last 10-15 years, and we just started year 2, a few days ago. But as God constantly reminds me, my timing is not his, so we just have to trust that his good and perfect plan is, well, perfect. And maybe everything will turn out fine, but we are prepared.

I also have been retaining a decent amount of fluid again, which makes for tiring days. But, each day, God’s mercies are new and each day, he has given me the strength! His faithfulness never fails!