Whirlwind Weekend...

A re-cap with the majority of the post about the highlight...

Friday night we headed in to see Grampa... not a great night for him. He asked Husband and I 3 times if we "lived" there...:( :( We left from the hospital and met some friends for dinner and had a blast with this couple and one of their two young daughters. SUCH a well-behaved girl and I think a true testement to parents who love each other, are in it for the long haul and have great discipline.

Saturday brought a girls day out. Shopping for L and Sky and I ~ then to a bball game of GA's...where we had "fun with the camera"....or maybe it is just ME having fun with my camera :)

Race to our respective homes to get ready for our friend Christopher's 40th B-day!!!!! What a FANTASTIC job his wife did in putting together this celebration in his honor. I think he felt the love and we all had a GREAT time. (as evidenced by the pictures below! :))

The birthday boy is in red....

The wives trying our hand at it....can you match up the spouses? :)

"Fun with the camera" again :)

Good friends....

Chrisopher and Lynne his gorgeous wife serenading us with the impressions and everything to "Summer Love" from Grease....FANTASTIC. TRACY... Trust me you are sorry your #1 Grease Fan-self missed this. It was AWESOME!!! :)

Just for good measure because it IS MY BLOG after all :)

Sunday brought SS, Church and then to my parents so that Husband could help my Dad finish the wheelchair ramp for my grandmother (that they started yesterday) ~ oh. Have I not mentioned that my grandmother has moved in with my parents through the grandfather hospital ordeal? Yes... well.. its a good thing. But certainly an adjustment. For everyone. Mum, Nannie and I went to see Grampa at the hospital and then Mum and I went into Target for a few things so they could visit alone for a little while. He definately lit up when she wheeled into the room. I have NEVER seen my grandparents affectionate so it is sweet to see.

Back to Mum and Dad's for dinner and home by 7:45Pm. Honestly, does NOT feel like a weekend... I'm EXHAUSTED. Back to work tomorrow and I think I'm actually looking forward to it. The week looks quiet and that will be GOOD.

*As always if you are in the pictures or own anyone in the pictures, and wish to be removed, just let me know.

Grampa Update...

J and I just got back from seeing Grampa… he was sleeping when we got there so we checked in with his nurse and he told us that he seemed to be doing ok this morning… was right with it and was joking with him but then about a ½ hour before we got there he was kinda out of it and had tried to get out of bed so they had to turn the bed alarms on… we went down and each called one of our parents J and then we decided to just check in one more time before we left and I’m glad we did. They had him sitting up "drinking" his lunch though he wasn’t hungry or feeling like anything… he kept saying his stomach was "lame"… they did remove his pain reliever drip.. but are trying to stay on top of the meds with oral meds. The CNA checked his vitals and they seemed good. No fever… A social worker came in to check in with him and asked if he had any questions regarding home care and such… and she said that someone had requested she come see him and I told her to come back in about an hour when Nannie and my Mom would be back there… praying that she and my mom can connect.

Grampa...

He came out of surgery which was a blessing in itself. My parents, grandmother, and J&J&CJ left around 3:45... I called my dad and he told me to go there before I came home from work and what I found was a very sleepy and OUT of it grandfather. He was ZONKED and I was not going to wake him up. I did touch his hand and his leg and he did not stir so I left him a message on his white board in his room..

"Grampa, I love you. Julia"

I hope someone reads it to him before it is ereased. Otherwise I will tell him myself tomorrow. Planning on taking my lunch break there. I'm thankful.

Winter Clarification

I'd just like to provide some clarity to the comments posted here :) I do LOVE snow....in fact I really don't mind winter. It is 3 favorite season :) I love to snowshoe, ice skate, sled (when there is not a grape arbor around) build snowmen, etc. etc. However... here it is.. HOWEVER.... I AM NOT A FAN OF THE FREEZING COLD. And by "freezing cold" I mean anything below 25 degrees. I'm a fair weather winter fan. If it is too cold to go outside to DO any of the above mentioned fun I am GROUCHY. I AM NOT A FAN. Today, on my ride in my car told me it was -2. That, is NOT A GOOD TIME. That is the part of winter I am not a fan of. I do not like to be "trapped" inside where you have to stay so that your nose doesn't fall off from frost bite.

The fact that the weather channel is saying the January thaw is coming this weekend and we are going to hit 40 degrees.... I'M IN!! I'M PSYCHED.

Back to work...

Back to work after the lovely holiday sporatic breaks (bleck) but thankfully I had something fun to look forward to!! GA & Oboyz came over for dinner and a MOVIE!!!! And now because I am camera obsessed? (Husband is REALLY re-thinking his fantastic Christmas purchase!! :) I have documented the evening!!!

Dinner ~ which was spinach and cheese stuffed shells, salad, and Husband's WORLD FAMOUS (at least they are to me because they are SOOOOO SOOOO good!!!) dinner rolls!

Snuggle time on the couch to watch Flicka!! Great "flick" (oh yes, cheesy pun TOTALLY intended!) but I am a SAP for movies like that, horses, Dad/Daughter relationships... what's not to love? :)

And of course DESSERT!!! :) Mini brownie bites with PB cups in them and Oboyz had tea so that mug is captured here! :)

This picture below is noteworthy only due to the fact that Oboyz is NOT a dog "fan" if you will... so here she is, kinda close to Rebound and please note the crazy turtle/frog thing on his head that SHE put there and he so quietly endures the humiliation. What a good dog. hrrrmm.. wonder what will happen to Oboyz' car while she is away at school... hrrrmm.. :) :)

I do have to say though, I think the highlight of the evening would be when Husband went out to scrape their car of the ice... How's this for cold TMA?? The ice... WAS ON THE INSIDE OF THEIR CAR!!! THEY HAVE NO HEAT!!!!! BBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

I know its tough to see but I had to TRY to capture it!!! :)


I truely love spending time with these wonderful girls. :)

Tomorrow brings anxiety and concern... my grandfather, at 91 years old is going in to have a colostomy (sp) bag put in and a large, what they believe to be cancerous tumor removed. My grandmother will in turn go to stay with my parents (oh yes, they have been living on their own at 90-91 all this time per their wishes) I see the trials abounding but I am trying to remain with my eyes on Jesus. A phrase of a song just keeps coming to my mind and what I shared with a friend in MD today... "What a friend we have in Jesus..." He is the one there for us in all our times of joy and sorrow, need and want....

Ringing in the New Year

Welcome 2008....this is how we spent it...

Husband got up sometime after 4AM because he was kissing me goodbye by 4:35AM to go ice fishing. Oh yes, it is the opening day of his FAVORITE season. The man loves to stand around a hole in the frozen water and await the precious flag...I don't get it but I knew it going into this marriage so I don't complain (often) :) And certainly not on opening day! :)

L&L and I (and of course the kidlets) typically go shopping on New Year's Day...no one is EVER there and the deals are usually great.... but we had some bad weather approaching so we decided to stick close to home... they at theirs and me here... I got motivated, did all the laundry, washed, dried and took care of most of it. I did 2.5 hours worth of ironing and I got the kitchen clean and the downstairs vaccumed. I am feeling REALLY good about my day... oh yah, and before all the house work.... Rebound and I spent some time outside....

A view from the living room tonight... Husband is back out on his way to plow our yard and off to take care of his Mom's.

New Year's Eve..."Wanna Wii"

We had a few options on NYE but decided to lay low with J&J&CJ...it went a little something like this and we were home by 9:30!! :)

*if you are in or own anyone in the pics above and want them removed, just let me know