Mattocks Family News

Where to start?

This has been some kind of year....

Some good times and some bad times.

But God is good through it all.

It has been just over a year now that Travis quit his job to pursue the ministry full time, That was in Nov. of 2012 when we made that decision, who would have thought we'd have made it this long without him working a regular job. We have been preaching out since June but just going from home as of right now.

In February Dad and Mom took us on a cruise, this time the boys got to go and boy did they enjoy that!

At the beginning of the year Paw-Paw had a stroke. It paralyzed him on his right side. That was a very scary time for us all.

Since then he has been in therapy and has regained some usage of his right leg enough to drag it and be able to walk with a cane. My parents moved Paw-Paw and Maw-Maw here in September and they live near the church in a cute little house and are doing well.

In March we lost Trav's Grandma Jackie. I still miss her dearly although we didn't see her as often as we'd have liked now when we go to Trav's parents there is an empty spot. I miss our talks of books we've read and our scrabble games.

June we did make it to Pacific Coast Camp much to the boys delight.

July we preached in AZ. @ Bro. Walkers, and then we were in Idaho and Washington I believe, my months are running together so I could be wrong. LOL

I actually can't remember what happened in August, nothing significant I suppose since that month is drawing a blank.

September we helped Dad and Mom pack up Paw-Paw and Maw-Maw and move them here and boy what a chore. Moving someone that has lived in one spot for 38 years makes for much accumulation. But we did it and then we made the long drive with a parrot and 2 dogs in the car along with them. EEKS!

Since then the parrot has died but the little mutts are still breathing. :-p (lol) Sorry to all dog lovers, I don't like animals much.

September also brought my birthday. 31 years I've been alive now. I have gained weight and grey hairs and a few wrinkles are starting to appear but hey, everyone says I'm still young. I can lose the weight if I'd set my mind to it, the grey hairs don't bother me and I'll just not think about those wrinkles and pray I have skin like my grandma who has few wrinkles.

My sweet mom took me to Vegas for my birthday, just the 2 of us and we so enjoyed our time there shopping and visiting and laughing and cutting up together. Love my mom so much, don't know what I'd do without her and pray she lives to be 110. ;-)

I have taken up making scarves and the boys say I have too many. ;-) But I love them and due to me being cold all the time they really have kept me a little warmer wearing one always. Maw-Maw wanted something new to keep her busy so I've been teaching her to make them also. Perhaps someday I will find someone that wants to buy them and start selling them.

October I believe it was we preached a revival in CA.

November we preached in AZ.

And a few other places here and there. I will post some church pictures sometime when I get a chance.

November brought with it bad news. We went to West Coast Conference in CA as we do every year. It was very good. All of us noticed dad having trouble with chest pains and shortness of breath and talked him into getting in to see a Dr. when he got back to Seattle the following week. Come to find out he has multiple blockages. He will be going in for 6 bypasses on the 10th of Dec.

So on Monday Trav and I and the boys will be headed up to Seattle to be there for that. It is extremely serious and being the serious emotional person that I am I'm holding myself together with a thread, of course everything will be perfectly fine but my black thoughts think up Uncle Glennith and Grandma Jackie, they both had heart bypasses and they are gone today. Dad is much younger though and of course healthy besides his heart. It's very hard to think of all this and so I do my best to just not think, period.... I really get aggravated at myself for being so emotional and not being able to keep myself from being a watering pot, its annoying to me.

I keep wondering what God is thinking? He does say he won't put on us more than we can bear, he obviously sees me as someone different than what I see myself as. Between this and our financial status and our lives in general being so topsy turvey and I never know if I'm coming or going.

But life keeps moving on. And I take one hour at a time. And God pulls us through every week, and then another month goes by and I look back and wonder how we made it. I can't wait to look back at this year and say Thank God 2013 is over for it wasn't my best year, in fact it just might be one of the worst, but I made it and I'm still here, I'm still believing in God, I'm still living for him with my whole heart.

Well enough of all that!

On a lighter note....

The boys are doing great. They are growing up so fast and I love them to death. Dallas will be turning 13 here in a few months and I look back and say where has my little boy gone. He's a teenager and knows it all and could conquer the world if we'd just give him free reign to do so. But being parents we keep pulling back on the reins and saying hold up son, not just yet. LOL

Coda is still just Coda although I see the teenage signs coming on even though we have 2 more years.

My little niece Zaylee will turn 3 in May and is as sweet as ever but she is just growing like a weed and such a smarty pants. She listens in on everything and you don't realize it until she says something and you wonder, now where did she get that. LOL

Zaylee spends the night at my house often and recently in the last month or 2 I guess I've been a little short with everyone and not real interested in talking or being social, my husband was telling me, my kids have been telling me, but I really decided I better get a grip and chill out and not let life control who I am when Zaylee was here and out of the blue said "Auntie, why you so mad?" and at the time I didn't even feel mad and I didn't really realize if I had said or done something at that time to make her think that. Amazing how kids can sometimes make you stop and examine yourself. So I've been doing my best since then to be a better person and not try and shut myself up into my own little world and shut everyone else out.

And so now you know whats been going on. And too many of my feelings probably.

I will try and do better in keeping my blog updated better.

I grabbed a couple pictures and posted below.

 Dallas 7th Grade Photo

 Mom and I headed to Vegas

 My Family (headed home from WCC)

 Me n Mom

 The 2 who understand me the most besides my Gram

 Dallas is now as tall as me ;-p (he's so proud) haha

 My lil cutup, never serious Coda

Coda 5th grade photo