Disappointed in Live Oak

Well, the auction has come and gone. It was a major disappointment to say the least. The auctioneer, John Hill, was very surprised that none of his major property investors didn't even show up. There were only about 3 bidders in the room and the rest were the ones like ourselves who were selling their property. Out of 32 lots only 5 received any bids on them. Most of them didn't get any bids at all - which is so very discouraging to everyone involved. The real estate market is just saturated with homes and no one is buying unless they have to. It is so very scary that our friends, Keith & Yolanda, went ahead and bought a home in Brandon - in fact, their closing is today - without the sale of their home in Live Oak. I am so glad we are not in that position with two mortgages and having to sell in a market that is just stagnant. So many of the realtors are saying that the worse is yet to come and that this hasn't hit bottom yet. I don't know how it could get any worse. Homes have been up for sale here for mostly a year or more and no one looking at them or even making offers. Really, really depressing.

But through all of this God still is in control and He is going to surprise us even yet - it all in His timing and not ours. We are here for a reason and it does my heart and soul good to know that all my worries and cares are known to Him and that He cares about all of it. This morning Bob caught us up on our devotional (we didn't read the ones for Saturday or Sunday) and when he read the title of the Saturday devotional, we knew that God was telling us that HE IS IN CONTROL OF THIS WHOLE THING, not us. The title for June 14 in Max Lucado's devotional "Grace for the Moment" was The Cure for Disappointment - how appropriate and we got a bit of a tickle out of how God sends messages to us. We are trusting in Him and will just have to wait for the right time and in the meantime, we will continue doing whatever He wants us to do.

Wednesday, I will be taking Marlyn into Lake City for some shopping, lunch and then her eye doctor appointment. It is always a joy to be with her and to just be able to help her with the little things that she needs. The trips to the stores and doctors are always fun and tiring but we so enjoy each other's company and catch up on all the news that is happening. Lots of good fellowship and friendship and a great way to be needed.

So, Bob & I are pulling up our bootstraps and trying to get through this set back and we both know that we are here for some purpose and time and only God knows how the story turns out.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SARAH

Today is my first born's birthday. Sarah Christine Bruckelmeyer entered into this world on June 7, 1974 at 4:51 p.m. I remember it like it was yesterday. She had already given us a practice run on Memorial weekend, but decided that she wasn't ready yet and wanted to hang around for a little bit longer.

On the following Wednesday at the doctor's visit, it was decided that we would go to University Hospital on Friday (June 7) early in the morning, be there at 6 a.m., and see about being induced for labor so that she could be born. Back in those days, ultrasound was a very new technology and wasn't used like it is today - so we had no idea what we were going to have. Dr. Lewis always said that the heartbeat was for a boy so we had thought that the baby was a boy and besides that, "Bruckelmeyer's always have boys first" quoting Chuck's father, Jay. We never ever came up with a boy's name though, and even had the girls name picked out months in advance. Needless to say, when little Sarah was delivered - everyone was surprised but also very excited and happy.

So off we go to Ohio State University Hospital (how appropriate - her alma matter in 1996) and the doctor's determined that I would need to have an amneosentisis before they would even consider inducing labor. They wanted to see if the lungs were developed enough for delivery so we had the test done when we first arrived. That was about 8 a.m. and they had to do it twice since the first try didn't draw any amniotic fluid out - something in that tells them that the lungs are fully developed and that the baby is ready to be born. And then the wait began..... and we waited..... and we waited.... and finally about 1 p.m. the test revealed that "TA-DA, we can go ahead with the delivery". I was STARVING to death by then since the usual instructions are "nothing to eat after midnight" the day before.

Everything was put into place and an IV drip was started about 1:30 p.m. with the Pitossin and the fun began. I was already dialated 2-3 cm and about 95% effaced before all of this was started and when that medicine hit my system, it was like a freight train being stretched out. They broke my water about 2 p.m. and that REALLY got things going. Now all of this was going on back in the "old days" when natural childbirth and lamaze was the going craze. We had taken the lamaze classes and I didn't want anything that would involve spinal injections so all I was going to get was a local anesthetic for the delivery stitches. The breathing worked great until they told me to PUSH - didn't like that one little bit. It was FOREVER (only about 30 minutes) but it seemed like FOREVER and then it was a big rush to the delivery room (oh, yes, you still went to a delivery room in those days) and being told to "Don't push, now, just pant..pant..pant". By then contractions were coming every minute and were very strong and when they said to PUSH again, I said "nope, not gonna do this any more, it is just gonna have to ....OHHHHH" and a few minutes later Sarah Christine was born. That was at 4:51 p.m. for a grand total of 3 hours and 11 minutes of labor from start to finish.

Sarah, you were so very tiny and beautiful. You weighed in at 4 lbs. 11 oz. and were 18 inches long. You looked like a little dollbaby all snuggled up in the blankets and so perfect. Ten toes, ten fingers, absolutely no hair and such a tiny little mouth. You were just so precious and a wonder to hold in my arms. You came into this world with a healthy hearty cry and immediately had all the nurses and a pediatric doctor arguing that you could not be a full term baby - you were just too little and could only be a 7 month baby. My OB Dr. Lewis had to tell them that you really were full term and just small. When the placenta was delivered, it was only about 1/3 the size that it should be and that was why you were so tiny. You always were a fighter and strong right from the start. My little independent first born, my little girl.

You make me so very proud. You are such a good person. You always are teaching and showing others how to do things. You are a wonderful mother and wife. You are my joy and my love, always.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, my little angel - 34 years have gone by so fast and may you have many, many more. I love you, Sarah.

Mom.