It has been a while since I posted a blog.  A lot of things happened during 2023!!!  While I am filling you in on a few things, I thought I would share some photos of my holiday decorations.

This was a very challenging growing year for the flowers and pumpkins.  The extreme heat and drought were extremely damaging to the plants.  The pumpkins did not recover and the flowers were not as good as I would have liked. 

My Christmas tree. I bought it new last year and really love it.

In early July I developed a severe ear injection in my left ear, which resulted in lots of serious complications.  I was not able to travel with my sisters on our summer trip to Mackinac Island. 

My eardrum ruptured.  Healed, then ruptured again.  I had a CT scan to determine how far the infection had spread.

The infection had spread to the mastoid bone.  Luckily, the bone was not compromised.

A barn door that I salvaged from the barn in the picture before it was demolished.

Unfortunately, the hearing in my left ear was severely damaged.  I most likely will be getting a hearing aid in the near future.

After several months of treatment and another CT scan, I will be having sinus surgery in the very near future. 

I love these trees!!!

Then on November 1, I developed pneumonia, had my first chest xray, and started on antibiotics and steroids.

By the end of November, I had finished my second round of antibiotics and had a second chest xray, which showed that the pneumonia had not cleared up.

I started on a very, very strong antibiotic and prayed that it would do the trick.

On Monday, January 4, I had a second CT scan with contrast on my lungs.  Hallelujah the pneumonia was gone!!!

And I have more trees!!

I decided to write this blog using pictures from Christmas, my favorite holiday.  Because although this has been a rough year in so many ways, I have so much to be thankful for.  My family.  My grandchildren are the best – Lainey, El, Nora, and Henry.  Especially Lainey and El who came out almost every Saturday to help with the flowers.  And to my assistant, Lainey, who did the flowers on her own a couple of times.  There would not have been any flowers this past summer if it were not for them.  And to Nora and Henry who are younger, but are learning fast!!  The Good Lord has truly blessed me and I am so, so thankful.

And finally, this year will be a big, big birthday year for me – 70 years young!!!  I told my sisters that it would not be just a day celebrating this big milestone, but a year of celebrations.  So to start off the year, my wonderful sisters – Angie, Carla, and Kathi surprised me with tickets to the Packers/Bears game at Lambeau Field on January 7!!!!  Here we are on the bus from Oshkosh headed to Green Bay.  What a fantastic weekend.  And many thanks to Kelly who didn’t go the game with us (she will next time), is also a member of this crazy group, and did a lot to make to make this happen.  Love these girls!!!!

It is going to be a fantastic year.  More beautiful flowers and pumpkins.  More fun working on the farm with my grandkids.  More fun times with my sisters.  More time spent enjoying life!!!

Can’t wait to see you all at the flower cart!!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Pat