Behind the Scenes at Rolling Oaks

Some of you know that I have been writing a book about being a parent to a special needs child, called Chosen For This Gift. I have been working on it for over four years, and finally have had it edited! I am very, very excited to get it into print. It talks about the trials and triumphs in my life, and what a gift we have in Amy. It is very emotional for me to think it might bless someone else and help them with their life. When you think about our life here, it is very short, and then there is eternity. No one lives a perfect life with no regrets, but I am striving toward a life that God can smile on. When I stand before Him, I long for Him to say “Well done”. When I was young my dream was to be a wife and mother. I had no desire to work in the corporate world. We have lived in really little homes and very comfortable homes. It wasn’t the house that made me happy. It was the people in it! Now, most of our children are grown, and I am experiencing the unexplainable joy of grandchildren. My job is one that I sort of grew into. It was a way for us to work together as a family, and supplement Russ’s income. Now, when my grandchildren are here, they get to come to work with me! There are not very many people who can bring their grandchildren to work! They help me feed and water the dogs, run the dogs on the four wheeler, give them their vitamins, and scrub the floor. They are learning things about life that can’t be learned in school. I am overwhelmed with thankfulness for the life I live, the people I love, and the dogs God has blessed me with. As I hold each one of Jasmine’s precious little puppies, I think about the new home it will go to, and how it will be loved, and how much joy it will bring to that home. Life is what we make it. We can look at all we don’t have and be despaired, or look at all we do have and be thankful. I am choosing to be thankful!