Living with Bob and "Al"

Sometimes Sheri pretends, in her head the "Al" is Bob. It is probably not even a conscious thing, Sheri was trying to put screws in Bob's birdhouses to the hang the last few, and when she couldn't get the screw to back out that went in crooked with drill, Bob was standing close by. He said "oh here let me do that for you". Bob was the all around handy man and he managed a hardware store in his last career so this task was second nature to him. So with what she thought was glimpse of the Bob she married, Sheri handed him the drill. "Al" looked at the drill in Bob's hand and turning it side to side said "How does this work?"
The handy is definitely gone out of the man. :(

Living with Bob and "Al"

Sheri looks around her and sees so many people in pain. Everybody has their own journey. All journeys involve joy, sadness, comfort and fear. It may be cancer, a disability, Alzheimer's or other Dementia's and so many other diseases. People are plucked from this earth daily. So if it true that we all have a journey, then what is the purpose of all this? Sheri has learned that for her, the purpose is to learn "faith". Faith is "believing that God is who He says He is, and that He will do what He says He is going to do, even when you can not see the result of that faith".
So Sheri is trying to look at her journey with Bob and "Al" and have faith that this is Gods plan for her. One day at time, one moment at a time. It is a struggle, there are no easy answers. She is lonely and her life is not what she expected. But her life is what God expected. :)

Hebrews
1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
. 

Living with Bob and "Al"

Below is a writing of Sheri's long before she knew just how much she would need God's strength. God knew Sheri would need to lean on Him through her cancer, through Bob's Alzheimer"s, through her Mom's paralyzing car accident ...from birth and in 1997 when this was written.

I had wept through life in silent sorrow,

With Christ unknown and an uncertain tomorrow

So I searched my heart for many years

And wrestled with my many fears.

It was a journey that took me far within

A place in my soul I had never been

Among the books I walked many a mile

Searching for answers in Gods gracious smile

Then as if the Lord had blessed my eyes

The words were real I was no longer blind

You died on the cross and took with you my sin

Only now I can see how selfish I’ve been

Yet with open arms I found you there

With a forgiving heart and a tender prayer

I have humbly asked you

Into my heart

Thank you dear Jesus

We never shall part.

Sheri Zschocher

1997

Living with Bob and Al

Sheri is in isolation for a few days while she is radio active, getting ready for a whole body scan on Friday to see if there is any thyroid cancer in her body. In the mean time daughter number 1 is staying at the house so Bob and "Al" are not alone over night. Daughter number 1 sends a text to Sheri about Bob and "Al's" activities at the Day Care yesterday. "Al" told daughter number 1 that they had him interview a lady to see she if was "teachable". Sheri can't quite imagine what that was really about...well at least he was not bored :)
Sheri in the mean time is thanking God for the prayers and help of family and friends.

Philippians 4:6 ESV
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Living with Bob and Al

Well the frozen the tundra has another blanket of snow. This is the winter that will never end.  Sheri is celebrating by cutting down the few daffodils that bloomed to save them from the cold and enjoy the firsts blooms of her beloved garden.

But more important than that, Sheri will take Bob and "Al" out of the nursing home today, one more battle won. He will start at an Adult Day Care tomorrow. Sheri prays that all will go well and "they" will adjust quickly. The center assured Sheri that they will keep him busy with projects, Sheri is happy about that.

In the mean time today, Sheri will try to take care of her own needs she will go to the doctor to get the results of her 5 year cancer scan she is praying for a clean scan...she does not have time to deal with cancer again, as a caregiver for Bob and "Al" Alzheimer's controls her life, but Sheri knows God is good, and He has a plan for her life...

.

Living with Bob and Al :)

Sheri said she wanted to make memory's
for her girls this holiday season, and she thinks she
may have accomplished it this year.
Things have been tough the last couple of months
with the uncertainty of the job situation.
So Sheri decided that she would not be buying any
 gifts. She told the girls and they understood.
Sheri has a somewhat unusual thing going on with her faith..
She was raised in the Jewish faith and accepted Christ about 13 years ago.
Wanting to still make sure the girls did not lose their Jewish heritage
Sheri came up with a Hanukkah craft thingy that they have used each
Hanukkah since the girls were small, well anyway
the point is that Sheri ( thinking forward to the future)
thought it would be nice for the each of the girls to have one of their
own, that Bob and "Al'  would have helped make
kind of a hope chest type thing.
So back in October she went to the craft store
and day by day and week by week
Bob and "Al" have been cutting and gluing felt with Sheri
to make each of the girls one of these

The flames are removable (Velcro so you can put one up each night)
In each of the pockets is a different thing that the family
does together each night of Hanukkah
so there is game night, potato latka night, movie night, making
matzo ball soup night that kind of thing
This was the only gift the girls received this year
And Sheri is sure they understood the significances
of Bob and "Als" participation...
Sheri thinks she accomplished making memories this year. :)

Living with Bob and Al

"Al" lost his glasses again yesterday morning
They were still no where in sight by noon when
Sheri came home for lunch
Bob was very frustrated and said 
"I always put them in the case at night
I just don't understand"
By the end of the day, Bob was very agitated about it
Daughter number one finds his glasses
On the window sill in the bathroom
Bob says with his jaw clenched tight
" that is ridiculous, who put them there?"
Bob was a firm creature of habit
"Al", not so much......

Proverbs 15:1

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

Living with Bob and Al

Sheri is thankful for good friends
that listen to her tales of woe
they laugh with her and cry with her
and they let her feel sorry for herself
They reminder her that God is in this
mess right next to her
Those friends."are" the footprints in the sand.

Proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Living wiht Bob and Al

Sheri came home today to the smell of burnt
Bob and Al made cookies today "They" burnt them
Bob says he is not sure how come that happened
He said he had to throw them all away...
But Sheri found 4 containers of "burnt" marked Chocolate cookies
"Al" says "I did not put them there."
Bob always hated being wasteful.

 

Living with Bob and Al

Sheri learned alot this week
She learned that no matter how hard she trys
she can not create the "family" that only exists in her mind....

Living with Bob and Al

Lord,
There is so much pain
 everywhere in this world
So many who are sick
so many cries to be heard

Tears for Ken and Jeri
And for Susan and Steve
Tears for  Kris and Greg
And for Bob, Al and me.

Tears for Eddie's Dad
not feeling well these days
Tears for Elsie's Mom
As her memory fades

Tears for the friend
with cancer stage four
Tears for Mary Beth
(she serves food to the poor)

Tears for Josh with his cancer
tears for Donna and John
Tears for Kristin and Ashley
the list just goes on...

Tears for the widows
and Ginnie and John
Tears for the lonely
help them hang on

Tears for the children
far, far away
And tears for the children
here with us today

Tears for the fallen
The broken and lost
Tears for the hurting
that nobody knows.

Tears of surrender
 Please flood us today
Lord we need Your grace......
In Your name we pray.
Amen