I think I last posted a year ago that 2011 was a stressful year.  Well,  2012 has been even more so.  With so much stress and needs in life it's hard to sit and type so there have been no posts.

 After a death in the family,  a crazed now ex-relative trying to cause problems,  an elderly sweet relative developing Alzheimer's,  and financial doom still looming over us daily.........we are alive and surviving.  
The fact that we are still surviving,,, that our marriage is still loving... that we still have a home to live in and food on our table...that we still have our children and beautiful grandchildren close by us......and our hyper curly haired loyal 11 year old dog is still looking at me with those sweet begging eyes, tells me that God still has his hands on our shoulders guiding us and leading us towards the goal he has planned for us.

So now even though all these things are still true in our lives and it is going to definitely be a financial struggle as well as a bitter sweet stress of knowing that our elderly loved ones will not get better,  it is obvious that there is a higher strength that carries us through these dark tunnels and that there is a light at the other end.  We just don't know how long that tunnel may be so we just have to trust the guide as he leads us through.

I can say this- it is with a clean slate that we approach the new year.  All has been laid on the table and the one thing that is stronger than all the stress on this earth we live in is our family.  We love each other and will hold onto each other to the end.

Maybe the number "13" is my lucky number and this next year I will be posting of daily joys and laughter.