Travels with Alz Heimer: Quickly Approaching Sixty-five

Susan Mary (Probeck) Truitt

This coming September 2013 will be significant in a number of ways for me..on the 4th I will be turning 65. I know it is hard to believe--isn't 65 old? but I don't feel particularly old. Yes, I have some aches and pains but I workout regularly and feel good most of the time!! What makes me realize that I am indeed getting old is that our last daughter, Anna is getting married in September and our oldest son will be 42 in September...

Doug and I celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary this year...our families were not thrilled about our marriage in 1969. We were from different backgrounds and our parents never did get to be friends--but through thick and thin--for better and for worse we have had an enduring marriage and a wonderful family.

God has blessed us as we gave our hearts to Him in full surrender in 1980!

In our first 10 years together I gave birth to 5 children, our first son having lived only a few hours.

Here we are in 1980--living in Wheaton, newly saved and trying oh, so hard, to let the Lord have His way with us.

When Joe, our youngest, entered first grade ( we had a wonderful Christian school that the children were able to attend) I had the time to devote to helping others as a foster home...we took in infants who were waiting to be adopted...we did this for a number of years. There are so many fond memories of these years and the lessons the children all learned in giving of themselves for these little babies.

During our married life we moved many times---I became an expert at packing and unpacking..Doug had his own masonry business and then became a house builder...I loved every place we ever lived..yes, even Westville which was more of a challenge to make homey. It was fun to make a house a home and to see what God had in store for us as a family.

Well, in 1992 God had a surprise for us in the form of a baby girl of our own..at 44 I was expecting a "change of life" baby! Joe was 13, Lena 16, Alex 18 and Nat 21. We were a very busy family!! There were basketball, soccer, football and baseball games that the children were involved in. Nat was a student at Moody Bible Institute where he earned a degree in Theology. We were still raising three teenagers and a baby, too. What busy days they were and I wouldn't change them for the world.

Here we are in 1993

Nat and Christy were newly married (they have often commented how Anna could have been their child as they were married in January of '92 and Anna was born in December of '92).

I home schooled Anna all the way through high school..She was such a good student. She was reading at 4 and never has stopped. I worked hard at being a good teacher--not only in school subjects but, as with the older children, in everyday things.

We moved to Michigan when Anna was 6 and all the children were married and on their own. We bought the farm Doug and I had always wanted and tried our hand at being farmers...we raised sheep and learned how to attend to the lambings..we raised organic grass fed beef and had our share of horses...we never were very good with the horses, but we gave it a try. Mucking out the barn was very close to the worst thing I have ever had to do. Work for Doug has been a bit thin here in Michigan but God has always provided and as Joni Mitchell says in her song, Sisotowbell Lane--any place else now would seem very strange.

All the children are married now with their own families.

We have eleven wonderful grandchildren.

They are scattered throughout the Midwest and as far as Montana and now Anna will be off to begin her new life as a married woman...After all these years of work and sacrifice for all of them what will the Lord have for me to do? 65 is truly a new beginning for me and I am excited to see the next few years unfold.

All that we do for the Lord He will reward..