And the Winner is....

Big brother told his mom
If you don't give me a sister
Put it back!

Aubrie Jeanne born February 13, 2016, 8 pounds, 14 ounces is a little miracle addition to our family. Aubrie's grandma (yours truly) was a miracle baby, Aubrie's mommy was a miracle baby and now little Aubrie is a miracle as well. Every life born is a miracle in the truest sense of the word, but when doctors say it cannot happen and everything goes wrong......what a miracle indeed.  

 Less than an hour old -- yet with ATTITUDE

And the winner is..........

Thank you to each blogger who entered the contest.  We have a winner!   Many of you guessed the baby would be a girl so congrats to you.  The dates guessed ranged from February 7 to the 17th.  I was surprised at how accurate these were considering they were guesses made months ago.  But the one who is the closest in all categories is Karen Blessing of Baking in a Tornado.  

Please check out Karen's blog.  You will NOT be disappointed.  She is funny, warm, and honest; and as the title implies, a great cook/baker.  You will love her recipes and photos.  Ask any blogger who knows her, Karen is a loyal and trusted friend.  She will respond at a moment's notice to help you in any capacity she can and always be ready to listen when you need a shoulder to cry on or someone to listen to your dilemma.

Thank you, Karen, for your friendship and assistance whenever I ask for it.

Perfect in EVERY way - 2 hours old

Time to say goodbye to Lily, the Intimidator

Many of you remember the sometimes funny, sometimes heart-warming and sometimes terrifying stories of Rochelle's rescue Chihuahua, Lily.  She was top dog in the household and each dog knew it. How she loved wearing women's underwear and flirting with any and all men. Although she was only 11 years old, her tiny heart gave out last month.  

Her little husband, mini Dachshund Louis Vuitton, certainly felt the loss and was depressed, not understanding where she had gone.  

Saving a dog's life is one of the greatest rewards in life and they spend the rest of their lives thanking you -- with unconditional love and appreciation.

Lily, lovingly known as the Intimidator was a tiny Chihuahua rescued in Mexico under terrible conditions when she was only a few weeks old.   You are guaranteed a laugh when you read how she got her name.  

Rest in Peace, dear sweet Lily.  We miss you

Here's the rest of the crew (except for the Dachshunds and cat) waiting for Daddy to pull into the driveway......yup.....that's a diaper on Charlie, the Bernese.  Can you believe that they are all PUPPIES?

The show that keeps on giving

Each month, I am amazed at the awesome guests I had the privilege to interview on my show, Never Ever Give Up Hope.   When I think I have heard the most extraordinary story ever, my next guest will prove to be a new surprise.  These are people from all over the world who have overcome the greatest of odds and not only survived, but became successful in what they set their mind to accomplish.  The stories are off the charts.

Now that the show is in 51 countries, the amount of feedback I am getting is mind-blogging.  To put it in the words of one of my guests this month:  

"Carol Graham has a terrific podcast with stories of people who overcame great odds to find joy again. I felt honored to be a guest on this show, and now, I want to run out and let everyone know they should be subscribing to Carol Graham's podcast. If you ever faced adversity and almost been crushed by it, you will find many, many examples of people figuring out how to cope." Mary Lee MacDonald 

Mary Lee MacDonald's story is here:  Think your life is indestructible?  What happens when it is put on hold?

When we feel we have hit bottom

This past month had some highs but also some serious lows.  I spent many days and long nights wondering how I was going to cope with what was going on in my life......but in the end, we do go on, don't we?  We find a way to stay strong.

Today was a good day and this is where I always need to focus. Not on negatives, what ifs and if onlys.....but instead, on the FACT that no matter what we are going through -- we are GOING THROUGH.  We are not stopping -- we are progressing.

If no one else is listening to Never Ever Give Up Hope except for me, it would be worth every effort -- it is changing me, making me a better person in many respects.  More importantly, it is giving voice to so many guests who have stimulating, motivating and inspiring stories to share.

When a Valentine's card is more than a card

Don't get me wrong -- I love flowers and chocolate (too much) but what gets me twitterpated is the perfect card.  My husband manages to get the perfect card EVERY time.  For Valentine's Day this was the card:

Why was it so special?  No matter what we have been through in the 45 years we have been together, I have always tried to make my hubby laugh - on purpose!  I believe all of us can find humor in any given situation.  I had not realized it meant that much to him which made me cry rather than laugh when I read this card:

With just a look

You can crack me up.

And when I'm in a bad mood,

You can make me laugh

My way out of it.

Not only are you funny,

You're just plain fun to be with,

No matter what we're doing.

For all the fun and funny moments,

The smiles and the laughter,

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

An incredible honor

This month, I was thrilled to be accepted into the  Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and look forward to the opportunities that will be presented.  In addition, I was asked to write for another anthology, had an article accepted by a prestigious magazine and was thrilled to find out that my talk show is now being used as therapy for their patients by three medical professionals, including one psychiatrist.

Pretty unusual, I think -- do you?

William asks to hold his little sister several times a day.  "Gramma, I love her so much; I want to hold her forever."  He is such a gentle soul and loves to talk to her, tell her secrets (like he did in utero) and tell her about how he can't wait to play with her.  Makes this gramma want to cry.

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This post was part of the monthly Fly on the Wall challenge where a group of bloggers share what has gone on behind closed doors the past month.  The stories are a mixture of heart-warming, funny and intriguing.  I hope you take a few moments to check out my friends' posts:

Baking in a Tornado
Juicebox Confession
Menopausal Mother
Someone Else's Genius
Spatulas on Parade
Searching for Sanity
Go Mama O
Dinosaur Superhero Mommy
Not that Sarah Michelle
Southern Belle Charm
My Brain on Kids