Happy Thanksgiving

Here's hoping you all have a very wonderful Thanksgiving Day with family and/or friends! Be careful. Be safe.

Love

One day last week, I got home from work, feeling a bit light-headed and queasy. When I sat down on the bed and put my head back against the wall, it felt as if the room were spinning. Ugh. I changed out of my work clothes into some comfy clothes and a zip up sweatshirt. I proceeded to drag my sick-feeling bod out to the couch. As I laid there with my eyes shut, Lindsay came into the room and told me she had something for me. She handed me a heart-shaped piece of paper. And on that paper it read:

"Love is not finished yet"

I don't know where she found it or if she made that up herself, but it's pretty profound and I just had to share it.

When she gets home tomorrow evening from spending the weekend with her dad, I will ask her where she got that from. And I will give her a hug and tell her I LOVE her!

Great visit

Had a very nice visit with my parents today. I got up there about 11am, chatted w/dad for a bit, looked through the local papers, my cousins came over to take some bait out for the deer, chatted with them for a bit, ate some lunch, showed mom & dad the pics from our trip up to the U.P. and went for a "crop tour" as my dad always called it. A ride around the countryside to look at the crops. Some are my dad's fields and some the neighbors. We also stopped and visited with our neighbor up the road. Mom baked pumpkin pies this morning so we had that after lunch and I got some to bring home too! All in all a great day. Dad is doing pretty good. he still says some strange things but overall he's soooo much better! Mom did say they had a huge argument the other day and she almost took him back to the care facility. But he ended up apologizing because he was in the wrong. She reminded him that he won't remember the argument tomorrow, but she will. Anyhow, they seem to be doing well.

I got home shortly before 7pm and now am vegging watching a movie, doing some laundry. Tomorrow will be cleaning and baking. Joe is at his dad's hunting (with the dogs) and the girls are at their dad's also. Alone time, gotta love it!

Have a great weekend!

Fall Colors

Just wanted to share a few more pictures from our trip. The picture on the right is the trail to view the Falls. The picture below is of the Lower Falls. And of course the one above is US! :)

Weekend Get-Away

Last weekend Joe and I made a trip to the Upper Peninsula to get-away and see the fall colors. I am so glad we did it that particular weekend because this weekend is even colder! It was rainy and cool, but we had a good time nonetheless. We arrived at Mackinaw City between 8:30 and 9pm after dropping the girls off to my mom & dad near Saginaw. We stayed over night in Mackinaw City and then got up early to be on the bridge at "sunrise" - well needless to say it was foggy and sunrise didn't really matter either morning, Saturday or Sunday. lol But we did get up to Tahquamenon Falls - both the Lower and Upper Falls. They were beautiful. Here is a picture of the Upper Falls & the colors. We also went to Whitefish Point and seen some rescued boats and some boats that do the rescuing. We also went to St. Ignace and shopped there and in Mackinaw City. Sunday, we got up, went to the Casino for a bit and then came home, picking up the girls from my parents. At least getting home a bit earlier than planned worked out getting laundry done! lol

One Year Ago Today....

I remember standing on the deck taking a picture of our first.......SNOW!

Thank goodness it isn't quite that cold yet this year. I'm just never ready for winter to come. Lindsay had a soccer game on Thurs night and it was damp and cold....I already didn't feel well but then sitting out in the cold yucky weather...didn't make it any better.

Have I mentioned lately how I dislike winter?? BUT then again, I'm thankful it hasn't snowed....YET.

Popping in

Just thought it was time to post again. Today at work they celebrated the September birthdays with cake & fruit. It was my turn! lol We got a pic taken and everyone that came to the celebration sang to us that had birthdays. It was fun.

Lindsay had her first soccer game. Joe is her coach. It's a youth fall league through the Area Recreation. Anyhow, their team, The Wizards, won 1-0. Next game next Thursday!

Tomorrow is my dad's b-day. We are all going to celebrate at the care facility on Saturday. Should be fun but we are hoping it's not too overwhelming since there will be 13 of us all around him.

Anyhow, that is the scoop so far. I'll check back in a few days.

My Birthday

Yep, today is my 36th birthday! It's been a pretty good day. I got some awesome pictures of my girls as my gift from them and my mom! Mom had the girls for a couple weeks this summer and they got them taken as a secret!

I got a lot of emails from co-workers and friends, which made the day even better! Thanks everyone!

Have a great night!

Irritated

I'm feeling irritated today. Don't know why really....just am. I'll post again when I'm in better spirits.

First Day of School!

Look at my beautiful 2nd & 5th graders! Today was the first day of school in a new school. We walked the girls there, Joe and I. When we got into the first door, K didn't want to go. She started to tear up and luckily the principal, Mrs. Cooper, came by. She asked if everything was alright and I told her that this is a new school for us. So she asked Kim if she'd like her to take her to her classroom to meet her teacher. Kimberlee asked her if they get "buddies" to help show them around and Mrs. Cooper said yes, Mrs. Welch could get her a buddy. So we walked to K's classroom, met the teacher, asked about a buddy and a little girl turned around and introduced herself to K. I told K that Joe would stay with her and I needed to get L down to her classroom, she said ok. So I walked L down to her classroom, met her teacher, told her we were new to the school, asked about a buddy and she said yes, they have classroom buddies. She said we were to wait out by the lockers til it was time to go into their room. So when it was time, she called the kids in and I went in and helped L find her table with her name tag on it and then I asked her if she was ok. She said yes, I gave her a hug & a kiss, told her I loved her and told her to have a good day. She said all the same back to me and I left. By the time I got back down to K's room, the kids were all in their rooms, and her class was already writing something. I found Joe waiting for me just outside the one set of doors. I asked him if K was alright and he said that she didn't want to go into the classroom, but the one gal took her hand, told her it would be alright and said she could sit by her. That was sweet! Then Joe asked me if I was alright...of course I teared up - more as a sign of relief than anything I guess. The first day was hard on me too. But it's all good and in about 20 minutes, I'll take off to go pick them up. They only had a 1/2 day today and it's about an 8 minute walk to the school from here.

So there you have it...the first day of school story. It all turned out well and I'm sure when the girls find me waiting at the flagpole for them, they'll be talking a hundred miles a minute about the new friends and stuff in their rooms!

Happy Labor Day!

I know it's a day early, but c'mon, do I post every day?? Nope! So since I have the time, I'm gonna send out my "Happy Labor Day" wish for you now. :)

Did some baking yesterday. Got my zucchini all shredded, used some of it and froze the rest for now. I got green peppers cut up and froze as well. Mom gave me some last weekend from her garden! I made zucchini muffins instead of bread and I also made banana nut muffins and blueberry muffins. I made Chicken Tettrazini for dinner which was yummy. I was going to make a Pork Chop dish for dinner, but we need to eat leftovers...so I'll take the pork chops out today and make them tomorrow instead.

The girls are at their dads til tomorrow evening and then we have to get all ready for school the next morning. First day at a new school for them. It's only 1/2 day but still....it'll be a bit nerve wrecking and exciting all at the same time. I think after school I'll take them to Diane's Dollhouse since we've been wanting to go check it out. I just have to USE my memory! lol

Mom said dad was doing pretty good yesterday. He enjoyed some of her peach pie that she took up to him. From what she told me of their conversation, he's pretty darn alert and the nurse tells her he is eating-eating-eating! So this is all good stuff! We go visit him next weekend. There is also a little Festival going on near my moms which we will go to as well. Should be a fun weekend.

Ok, enough rambling. I hope I haven't shocked anyone by posting again - so soon! lol But I had the urge!

Take care - til next time....

Because I said so

This lady is great....

Because I Said So

go visit....

4 Month Anniversary!

Wow, can you believe it's been 4 months already??? I sure can't! Time just flies and I'm loving every minute of it! You may ask, what the heck are you talking about woman?!?!?!? Well, I've been at my new job 4 months as of tomorrow 8-30!!! Life is good! Some days are boring. Some days are crazy busy. It's getting to be fall time and there will be a lot of work going on since the weather is cooling down....crazy busy - gotta love it!

Joe had some bloodwork done a couple weeks ago because he's been having some serious migraines. The P.A. gave him some meds to take in the meantime but we get the results on Friday. I'm very anxious to hear what is happening with him.

Tomorrow morning the girls and I tour their new school with a secretary and might get to meet the principal if she is available. This, I know, will help both the girls and me not be as nervous on their first day next Tuesday.

Monday I have an appt with the doctor to get my bloodwork results. Mine are just to monitor my levels since I have high cholesterol and am borderline diabetic. Next Friday I will go for my very first mammogram. I am almost 36 and it's time to have one done, just as a precaution.

Nothing spectacular planned for the Holiday weekend that I am aware of. The girls will be going to their dads on Friday til Monday afternoon, so it'll just be me and Joe.

Last weekend we visited my dad. He is still doing quite well. He knows he needs to gain weight and he has been. He still says things that are totally not current, but we just go with it. He's talkative, alert and seems to remember certain things. I was expecting to have a not-so-great visit because mom said he has been confused and not willing to take his meds without a lot of coaxing...but that's not the dad I seen. I've been very lucky to have good visits every time we go. And we go every other weekend.

Well that's the latest update for us. I hope if you are reading, that all is well in your world!

Red Cross

I'm so proud of myself. Friday, at work, I gave blood for the very first time! Our company sponsored a Blood Drive and since it was right down the hall....I signed up right away when they first announced it. I figured, heck, since I was having labwork done so regularly for so long, I have no fear of needles or being poked or seeing my own blood, I may as well go ahead and GIVE. So I did! I was proud and so were some of my co-workers who found out it was the first time for me. That made me feel good too! :)

In other thoughts...we went and visited my dad this weekend. He is doing much better. The doctor has increased his Effexor and eliminated the Ativan. Dad was showing signs of aggression and so the nurses contacted the doctor who inturn increased the meds. Dad is very talkative now. He may not make a lot of sense but it helps with the visits when he can sit still for a bit and have a conversation. It doesn't have to be a lucrative convo...just the fact that he's talking is good. He isn't sleeping as much during the day and he's eating much better too. So those are all good signs. It just makes me wonder how long it'll take for the diseases (Dementia/Alzheimers/Progressive Supranuclear Palsy) to progress to the point where he'll need the meds increased again. *sigh*

The girls are back up to my moms for the week. We will pick them back up from her next Saturday. So once again, the house is quiet. We had them overnight on Friday. We went to see Hairspray while Joe went to see Transformers and then yesterday drove up to visit my dad and leave them with my mom. My sister & her 2 girls were at my moms too for the weekend, so my girls are getting to play with their cousins while there!

Ok, off like a dirty shirt. Will try to post more often.

Ok, so...another addition

I'll admit, it seems odd to be able to purchase 2 vehicles in a short amount of time. But you know what??

WE DESERVE IT!!

And now with 3 vehicles in the family, we have one for a spare! lol And...only one is financed! Positive thoughts...positive thoughts....

The weekend is here!

Yay, the weekend is here. My week at work was really slow, which in turn, made it feel like it was two weeks! lol

Last night we went and picked up our new addition to the family. It is a 1996 Chevy Tahoe. It's maroon, 4 WD and a really nice vehicle. Joe sold his Dakota to the neighbor boy, so we got him this vehicle, which will be more reliable than the Dakota EVER was! Now just keep your fingers crossed that Joe can find a job soon. It would be nice for him to start working again.

The girls are off to Florida w/their Aunt. They are spending some time with her and then some with Pampa and his girlfriend. They'll be back to MI next Saturday. I'll be calling them later to see how their trip is so far.

Joe is off fishing...I'm reading my HP #5 Book. Waiting on the mail to bring my HP #7 book. I still have to read #6. What the heck was I waiting for?? lol

Have a great weekend!

Quiet & HOT

It's going to be a HOT one here today. 96 is the predicted high and that is HOT for Michigan! *sigh* Our air conditioner is still not hooked up at this house! Apparently the wait for service from heating/cooling companies is 3-4 wks. The landlord said a relative of his brothers is going to come either Mon or Tues to hook it up. I hope so, I'm getting aggravated by how long this is taking!

Yesterday we were supposed to have gone up to my cousin's wedding. Instead we didn't. We did, however, meet my mom to drop the girls off to her for the week. So it's quiet here. Joe and I both slept in this morning. Infact, he's still sleeping. I better wake him up soon or he'll feel like yuck the rest of the day. I usually do too. I stayed in bed to long this morning too though. My neck hurts and it's taken me 40 minutes to wake up - even WITH coffee! lol

Not sure what we'll do today, since it will be so hot. We were going to go fishing this morning. Maybe I ought to wake him up so we can go. Then we talked about going on a bike ride around Kensington MetroPark but I don't know for sure what we'll do.

So anyway, I shall let you go for now so I can go wake "sleeping beauty"!

A lot has happened...

since my last post - wow! I hadn't realized it has been that long. I am sorry for falling out of the loop!



We made it through day camp and the move. We've been in our rental house now for over a week. There have been some items that the landlords had to address, such as air conditioning, ceiling fans...etc, but it's all gone well. They are very nice landlords and even had a "welcome home" bag on the counter when we walked in the house.



Day camp was a long 4 days as I was on my feet the entire time in the kitchen. It was still fun and I'm glad I did it, but also glad it's over!



Joe has gotten a new job also, working for a re-po company in our new town. He started yesterday and so far so good.



I guess that is all for now. We did stop by to see my dad this past weekend but he was napping and wanted to continue to nap, so we'll visit him this next weekend when we go back up to drop the girls off to my mom for the week and also attend my cousin's wedding/reception.



Ta-ta for now!

I think we've got it!

Well, it appears that we are going to be happy renters. Just waiting on the final word from the homeowner. Joe and I met w/the couple last night and somehow, someway, Joe and Brian know each other from somewhere...how funny! Brian talks as if we are good to go on moving in, but Laura, on the other hand, wants to "check" everything out. We've been honest w/our financial past and so we hope it's all still a "go". We asked if we could move in on 6/22 and they said "yes, the sooner the better". So, we have some preparation to do in the next 2 wks but we're ready too.

This coming Thursday is the girls last day of school. Next Sat we have a grad party to go to for my cousin and so we are going to visit my dad also. Sunday is Day Camp Set up and then the 18th-21st is Day Camp. 22nd we hope to get a rental truck and move! 23rd is my nephew's b-day party...so we'll be going to that too. It's a busy time, but it'll all be good as long as I don't get anxious about it all.

Update on my dad. My mom feels in her heart that his disease is progressing. It's very sad. But we are enjoying the visits when we get up there. Not much more to tell.

Have a great weekend!

Brighter Day

Ok, so the next morning I tried to wake up with a renewed faith. And it worked...I mean, I am still bummed of the situations we've faced and they haven't worked, but I'm trying not to let that get me down overall.

We just have to continue our search for a rental home. They are out there...it's just a matter of getting someone to rent to us with our credit situation.

My aunt from Texas flew in on Tuesday to see my dad. She is staying til tomorrow. We went up to see her, my mom & dad on Thursday and today they are coming down (my mom & aunt) to spend the night so mom & I can take her to the airport tomorrow. I'm just glad she got to see my dad. It's been since June 1988 since she's been to Michigan.

And I want to say congratulations to my friend Sara, who became a grandma this week!!! Yay! I'm so glad mom & baby are doing so well!

Ok, off to the grocery store!