Thank you all for your continued prayers and support for my husband, Dan, as we walk through this season of recovery after his heart attack. Every prayer and every generous gift to our family is appreciated so much, more than we can possibly express! I'm thankful to report that Dan is feeling stronger every day. He has to remain off work for two months before the cardiologist will decide about his return to work. He will begin a cardiac rehab program next week to help him regain his strength. I also want to share that we are very close to meeting Baby Clara; it will most likely be sometime this week that we will get to meet her!
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| Fall in North Idaho along the Kootenai River |
The month of November is always a rather "gray" month in our neck of the woods. The leaves have mostly fallen, and the sun disappears behind the rain and fog that hangs around. We need the rain, of course, and the gray days just help us begin to look with anticipation for the day when the snow will fall and brighten the world. But even with all the gray, there are still bright spots of color when the sun does come out.
Time stopped for us - literally - on Saturday morning, October 18th. Dan and I were taking our usual Saturday morning walk together. It was a frosty morning, about 22 degrees. We passed a neighbor whom we often see when we walk, and greeted him with a "Good Morning". Just minutes later, Dan said the frosty air was hurting his lungs and that he couldn't walk any farther. He has mentioned this before when walking, and we didn't think this was odd. But, we turned around to go home when he said he was experiencing some gas pains, and wanted to wait for me to go home and get the pickup, and bring him home. After arriving home, he continued to complain of gas pains and wanted to go to bed. I noted he was clammy and very sweaty, and realized this could be a heart attack. I immediately called 911 and told them I was concerned he was having a heart attack. I gave him 3 aspirin with a tiny bit of water while we waited for EMS to arrive. Dan was still conscious and speaking, and the aspirin eased his pain. EMS arrived and determined he was in serious heart distress, and transported him emergently to the local heart hospital.
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| It was a very frosty, foggy Saturday morning when our lives changed forever |
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Is there any flower more heartwarming than a sunflower's bloom in late summer/early fall? This sunflower bloomer was an optimist in my garden this summer. In spite of harsh circumstantial reality, it chose to sprout up inside a small pot planted with potatoes. In true symbiotic rhythm, the potato and sunflowers grew happily together all summer, amazing me, and all who witnessed it! When the potatoes were ready to harvest, we found the potatoes nestled into the roots of the sunflower. After pulling out the potatoes, I repotted the sunflower, and it has grown happily since, after a time of readjustment.
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| A sunflower growing in the same pot as a potato |
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| My garden in late September |
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| Sunflowers smile amidst the abundant sunshine we are having! |
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| A peek at my garden from the entrance |
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| For my birthday this year, I asked for more raised beds, and hubby was glad to pick them up for me. I will have four more raised beds to grow food in next year. I can't wait! |
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| The blooms of summer are still amazing to see! Usually, by mid to late September, we've already had a frost/freeze. I am grateful beyond words for this extended summer weather! |
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| This massive tomato is a heirloom Beef Steak variety that I grow from seeds I save from last year's crop. They are so juicy and full of flavor! |
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| This is a man-made pond in the heart of Coeur d'Alene, and it has restaurants and condos along its edge. It is a beautiful area to enjoy! |
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| The food was spectacular, too. I ordered the steak tacos with rice and beans. So yummy! Highly recommend the Terrazo Waterfront Cafe! |
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| Alanna joined us on the birthday lunch, and isn't she looking adorable! She is 7 months along now! |
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| The Aurora or Northern Lights were out recently, but our cloud cover was too dense to really see them. However, I did capture this photo, which was still pretty special. |
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| Fall mornings are a little foggy now as the cool earth awakens to the beckoning sunshine. |
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| We've had a couple of fires in our woodstove now to take the chill off in the mornings. Smoky, our Big Boy, likes to snuggle with me as I drink my morning coffee. |
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| Danielle wore this dress a lot, too. They both loved the piano - I don't think the "apple falls far from the tree" in this case! |
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| I can't remember if I shared this picture before, but it's so funny to me - Danika will use both her hands AND her feet when she is playing the piano...{smiles} |
We recently held a baby shower for Alanna and Baby Clara. Oh, what fun we had together! Alanna chose the theme of the baby shower to be "A New Chapter is About to Begin". Each guest was asked to bring a book to help build Baby Clara's library. I loved the theme, and it was so fun to host!


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