January-March Ryan's Basketball

Winter brought MABC basketball and Ryan was a VERY tall 8th grader! I was able to go to a couple of his games and then in March was the Tournament. Couldn't leave the bleachers!!! 

He and his team are really doing well..... With them in their second year of play one wonders how 

good they will be when it's their last yr.! 

WHERE Has the Time Gone????????

How can life go on and someone that blogged almost every day for years, let a great year, with lots of special things happening,  go by and not blog......

Well that's what my year has been..... 

I have been contemplating posting for over a week but didn't know where to start 

SOOOOO here goes..... and I will be recapping the past year in the next little while. Will try to put dates on the post so you know when they happened.... Maybe by the first of the year I can get caught up !! 

HAPPY FALL YA'ALLLLL !!!

Once again the months have flown by and blogging has fell behind! We have subtracted and added and subtracted again in our "kitty math"! I don't even thin I could keep the story straight at this point.
   Sadly our wonderful momma cat got ran over a couple of weeks after my last post. Her older kitten( about three yrs old) has taken her place by having a couple of kittens....one of them was gone almost instantly, then the other one was around for a couple of months and has disappeared. That momma has replaced the old momma and is still nursing the orphans. A couple of weeks ago we brought two more orphans from Myron's sister's that she had been struggling to keep alive. Momma #2, started nursing them within a few days after they came.... So all is well on the kitty front at the moment..... Total cat count at the Hoffert cat house is NINE.
     The end of  June Myron's precious father went to be with The Lord. I was able to spend a large part of the last two weeks with him and 24/7 the last week with family giving me a break a little here and a little there. There was no where else I would have rather even those days!! I moved into the nursing home and I have to tell you WE got the best care imaginable !! They took as much care of me that last week as they did Dad!! What a blessing!
    Back at home we settled into our regular routine after the funeral and family time.  Back to a normal schedule at church working in nursery again.... Then I got really sick with bronchitis and that lasted about three weeks.    Honestly that pretty much catches you up on our summer.... Now, hopefully I will get back in the blogging mode, again......hope you all have had a great summer!

Kitty Math continues !!!

   Everything stayed the same until yesterday afternoon.... Then the guy that mows for us came and started right around the front porch...WHERE the kittens were.....they scattered!!! I couldn't get to them fast enough to get them all gathered into the tote and into the house..... I managed to get all but ONE ( one of mama's)......:O(  Myron and I both hunted and couldn't find it anywhere.....went to bed last night still missing one...... got up the morning and there were SEVEN !!!! YEP !!! Mama had found the one....AND brought another one up....NO pictures at this point. NOW .....then next question remains to be seen.....Is there still an 8th one....is it still alive....will Mama bring it up eventually?????? Stay tuned !!!!!!!!!!!!!

A LONG...CONFUSING "Kitty" Story!

I hardly even know where to start but I guess maybe about a month ago  would be about right.
Our 4 yr old Mama cat came up to the house and we could tell she had had her kittens. She is the absolute worst at hiding them for a couple of months then bringing them up to us TOTALLY WILD. She is not wild at all but every year she does the same thing SO we never really have any "pet" kittens.
( The pets we have Puff and Bobbi Hopper were given to us)
So fast forward a little....Myron tried to figure out where they were and had found them....then she moved them....

About 10 days ago we got a call from a co-worker of Myron's....
They had a mother cat that had had 7 kittens, and about five days before he called the mama had gone missing....three of the little ones didn't make it and did we want to TRY to care for these last four??
They showed up that afternoon and they were about a month old ( about the same age at OUR mama's kittens)


It became quite a challenge as they didn't know how to eat solids and they were being fed by syringe.
We "muddled" through!! They started eating solids pretty quickly but didn't know how to clean themselves and they were SO messy! They just crawled through the food as they ate and it literally from one end of them to the other when they were finished.We have them in a HUGE tote and keep them outside with the tote on it's side during the day and at night we bring them (in the tote) into the house.

Mama and Bobbi Hopper had put up with them but not really got to excited about them.
 About 5 days ago, I put one up by Mama's face and she started licking it!! Hummmmmm.....
Yep....within a couple of days she was cleaning them pretty good. ... AND she also started nursing them within 24 hrs.!!!! Then she carried one off by itself....
It had been gone a couple of days and we thought it was out in the garage but hadn't found it yet.....

 

NOW.....back to Mama's kittens.....  Saturday night I heard a "baby kitty" crying so I stepped out on the porch ( at 2 A.M.) and there was a little gray kitten. I started towards it and it hissed at me and I wasn't in the mood to get scratched so thought "it's up to Mama". Sunday morning I told Myron about it and he went out and the baby was still there. He was able to pick it up and brought it in to me.... It hissed but didn't act aggressive. .......
Myron went on to church and left the kitten with the other kittens....
Mid afternoon on Sunday I hear another kitty crying out by the garage....YEP !!! The one of the orphans Mama had carried off. It was SOOOO clean and fluffy. I carried it back out to the front and put it with the rest.....
Myron got home Sunday night and I asked him to count and see how many were out there ( I wanted him to be surprised that the other kitten was back)  Well....I GOT the surprise.... he said that there were SIX kittens out there...... YES....Mama had brought up another of HER kittens to join the family !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So Sunday night when it came time to bring the tote of kittens in we put all six in the tote...they are getting along GREAT!
Today is Monday...... everything is the same..... no changes in numbers or locations....for today anyway !!!!

 

 

Can you understand ANY of this crazy story??????????????????????????

A Special Visit !

Since my surgery, almost four weeks ago, I have been pretty much recovering at home. I have only gone to therapy and so I have REALLY missed my church family.
Saturday some friends were playing for a wedding down our way so the girls decided to leave early and come visit with me. What a special time. They were even willing to "practice" one more time in front of me so I could enjoy their pretty music!
Thanks for the visit, girls! I love you both!
 

Sweet Girls !

About 5 years ago I met one of the sweetest families from California when they came out to Iowa for a wedding. They came early and I was the photographer for the wedding so was around for a LOT of the festivities, and got aquainted with the couple and her LITTLE girls!
The girls and I have kinda kept in contact a little through the yrs.
Fast forward 5 yrs ... They had heard about our OUR TIME Youth Conference and decided they wanted to come.
They are the Hiatt's family and were staying with Jim and Patricia.
Patricia asked if I would like to go to pick them up at the airport and I jumped at the chance.
Then Patricia and the girls sat with me for the whole conference and I enjoyed that SO much.

They have grown into precious, godly young ladies and it was a joy to get better aquainted with them!
Cassidy participated in the music competition and got 2nd place....
They worked at the table for Golden State Baptist College too.

Thank you Cassidy and Courtney for including me in your time here! Love you both!

After the first night the girls came and gave me a treat from Californina
HOW thoughtful !!!!

Blue Diamond Jordan Almonds straight from
Sacramento, Ca!
Thank you girls!!!

 

Yes, It's been A LONG Time, AGAIN :O(

I have found that when you are recovering from surgery there really isn't much to take pictures of :o/
Tues, I celebrated my 3 mo. anniversary of the surgery.
I am doing very well but it has been a very slow recovery...
I have taken some pictures along of different things at church but just haven't felt like doing a lot of blogging
so I am getting back to it as I start getting out more and doing more.
I am REALLY getting Spring fever and these cute little guys didn't help!
Aren't they just adorable?!?!!?!!?
The nursery director made these as Thank you gifts for those of us that worked in Spanish nursery a couple of weeks ago at their conference.
They WERE VERY yummy too !!
Thank you, Miss Beth!
 

Before and After * BATHROOM*

Several posts ago, I posted the pictures below and a collage of the Progress.... I thought I would go ahead and repost the "before" pics so you didn't have to go back and forth between the two post to see the changes.
It is SO wonderful to have a nice shower and new bathroom....  The other one was rotting out right in front of our eyes..... Now it's fresh and new.... We are really enjoying it.
 

 

Knee Replacement Surgery

The New Year brought much anticipation with it! I have been needing a knee replacement for a long time and the time finally arrived January 2nd.
I was a little nervous, but I knew that the Lord was in control of the outcome and that I had a GREAT surgeon as well!
Since I knew that things would be a blur and that several family members would want to be involved in the process, Sarah and my mom kept a photo diary of the time in the hospital and therapy.

Getting all ready for MY day


On my way to surgery with a kiss from my sweetheart

Fast forward about 36 hours..... ( trust me, you didn't want to see the pictures during that time :O) )
This was my day nurse and she was the best nurse I have ever had !!!

....and then there was "SEARG" Marcia was my therapist and she was called Searg !!!
She was tough BUT... as tough and gruff as she was..... she was VERY good and made it as much fun as it could have been!

My surgeon, Dr. Lash !!! He is the BEST !!!

Many friends and family paid visits, sent cards, sent flowers and gifts
Made a girl feel loved !!!

Got home on the 5th.... Myron's Dad loaned me his extra lift chair and what a blessing....
All snuggled in for the day

Therapy with a "saddlebag" of sorts that I rest over my knee with a 5 lb bag of sugar on either side, to try to straighten my leg

THEN... Monday, Wed and Friday I go to Fairfield for therapy with Brian.
He is VERY good BUT... OH does it get intense !!!!!

He even calls in reinforments to "torture" me :O)
I am progressing and things are going VERY well!

I am continuing th gain strength each day and praise God for answered prayer concerning my sugery and healing. I am already walking SO much better than I have in years !!!
God is SO good !!!
Thank you to all those that have prayed, and sent messages, cards, meals calls, visited and showed me their love in so many ways !!!

Our Family Christmas

We had such a nice Christmas this year. Christmas Eve, Myron and I arrived at Nate and Ten's. Sarah had already arrived..... The girls were busy making homemade pizzas.
We spent the evening eating, visiting, remenissing, playing games, watching Andy Griffith, and the boys got to open one present.


Christmas Morning the kids bundled up for a run and Dad decided to go along!
He only went 7 blocks but I was proud of him !! What a trooper.... It was COLD out there !!!
The kids run so much I think they are pretty used to it... although Sarah got picture of ice on her eye lashes and on Nate's beard... BURRRRR !
After the kids got back and warmed up, we had breakfast, devotions,( read by Reed, Ryan and Nate)
opened gifts.... then more eating, watching Andy and Barney....AND several had naps through the day.....
Just a wonderful relaxed day!!!! The only thing that could have made it better would have been if Aaron had been able to be home from North Dakota !!! Maybe NEXT year !!!

 

Candlelight Christmas Service

Sunday night the 23rd was such a special service! Many of us attended our first
Candlelight service.
We had our opening hymn and the choir songs as ususal.
Then during prayer the lights were turned off and
after prayer Bro. John Hayes decended from the attic like he did in the Christmas play.
Then he sat down on the platform in a rocking chair and read the Christmas story out of a large
family Bible.
After the Christmas story we were given candles and we sang many Christmas Carols,
had special music and Preacher preached the message by candlelight.
It was an amazing service! It sounds like it might become a tradition at MABC
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caring Acres Christmas Party

Last week I went and spent my last week with Dad Hoffert before I have knee replacement
surgery Jan. 2nd.
I went to visit on Tues, and the Director of Nursing warned me that a bad snow was coming
and that maybe I should plan on staying at the nursing home for the rest of the week so I didn't have to drive back and forth to the folk's or not get to come visit Dad at all ...SO...
I became a nursing home resident from Wed- Sat morning!!!!!
I totally enjoyed my time there. It was so nice to be close to Dad AND to have my own room :O)
When he would rest, I would visit around with other residents or go to my room and relax myself!
Here are a couple of pictures that really doesn't do the storm justice !!!
We had 10" of snow and the next day 50 mile a hour winds !!!
I am REALLY glad I didn't have to get out in it!!!
 

One afternoon we had coffe and Verna read the Anita paper

On Friday there was a Christmas party for the residents and their
families. We sang a lot of Christmas carols, had a reading, and
SANTA came !!
Then we had snacks and a wonderful time visiting.
Caring Acres is such a great place.... I love being there enjoying the residents
and the staff!
It truly is a little family !!!