I've been thinking of this post for the past few days. So much has happened in 2008, the good, the bad, and the ugly... At the beginning of this year, my resolution was to stay positive. For the most part I was, but there were some events which really tested my resolution.
So let's review: unemployed, no home, no income... whew! The one thing I know I learned was how to receive. How can that be hard, you say? I'm a giver by nature. Receiving is very uncomfortable for me. But, swallow your pride, put away your self image, and do what you need to do to survive. I think the hardest thing about receiving, is to know the right way to give. For years, being a giver was something I didn't even think about. If you needed it and I had it, it was yours. God was always there to refill my cup. But there is a clear and real difference between giving because you really want to help, and giving so you can fill your "charity" square on your bingo card of life. So many people helped us through this year. To many the giving was real, to others we were just a charity case, something they could tell people about, something they could throw in our faces when we least needed to hear it. I learned how easy it was for people to lie. But not to worry. I still appreciated it all and will never forget the help.
We were talking recently about how many times we dreamed out loud of better times and kinder people. I think if I say "when I win the lottery" one more time, Tricia will scream. LOL! (Hey, dreaming keeps you going some times.) We now know what it feels like to have an empty bank account and be living in a car. We know hunger. We know what it feels like to be treated like dirt and talked to like we were worthless. We know how peoples words can leave a scar on our hearts that will never go away. We know who our true family and friends are. It's funny, because I really believed some people when they said they would be there for us, said they were our friends, and gave, even when they rarely ever even saw us. I was amazed to learn how many people judged us by the money we didn't have. We learned unconditional love. Even when we were being judged by people not even knowing the facts, we kept praying and held our heads high. I will never stop praying...
I know our Lord was carrying us this entire year. I describe this past year as if Christ were taking us for a walk through a giant mansion. Each room held different experiences, some good, some bad. Some times things looked beautiful on the outside, but when you got into them you found everything to be fake. Yet Christ held our hands throughout the entire year. He opened our eyes to be able to see the true people from the fakes. He blessed me with a real and true friend, a daughter who never turned her back on me, and the two most wonderful grandaughters ever. He gave me realtives I will forever be indebted to. I am blessed!
The best part of this past year is knowing the future will be better. I pray you all have a beautiful 2009, learn to give unconditionally, love unconditionally, and keep your faithful loved ones close. It will be my year to say thank you to all the people who helped us. I know who you are and know I will be saying thank you loud and clear. Happy New Year!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
The Grandchildren's Christmas With Us
We all know the real reason for the season. It's about the birth of the Christ child, the start of something new and beautiful. And that is what this blog is about. My grandchildren always make me smile. They make me want to do fun things and laugh. I watch them and it brings back all the memories of my girls when they were little. We've tried over the years to create special holiday traditions that will become a part of our families history. Since Dan died, it has undoubtedly been difficult to keep up some of those traditions. But we will keep trying and keep smiling as life brings us new and exciting traditions and memories. Here is a collection of photos that have made this year special...
http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=7ba26cda10d495c327d0cb"
http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=7ba26cda10d495c327d0cb"
Monday, December 22, 2008
Daddy's Poem
Her hair was up in a pony tail, her favorite dress tied with a bow. Today was Daddy's Day at school, and she couldn't wait to go. But her mommy tried to tell her, that she probably should stay home. Why the kids might not understand, if she went to school alone. But she was not afraid; she knew just what to say. What to tell her classmates of why he wasn't there today. But still her mother worried, for her to face this day alone. And that was why once again, she tried to keep her daughter home. But the little girl went to school eager to tell them all. About a dad she never sees a dad who never calls. There were daddies along the wall in back, for everyone to meet. Children squirming impatiently, anxious in their seats One by one the teacher called a student from the class. To introduce their daddy, as seconds slowly passed.
At last the teacher called her name, every child turned to stare. Each of them was searching, a man who wasn't there. 'Where's her daddy at?' She heard a boy call out. 'She probably doesn't have one,' another student dared to shout. And from somewhere near the back, she heard a daddy say, 'Looks like another deadbeat dad, too busy to waste his day.' The words did not offend her, as she smiled up at her Mom. And looked back at her teacher, who told her to go on. And with hands behind her back, slowly she began to speak. And out from the mouth of a child, came words incredibly unique. 'My Dad couldn't be here, because he lives so far away. But I know he wishes he could be, since this is such a special day. And though you cannot meet him, I wanted you to know. All about my daddy, and how much he loves me so. He loved to tell me stories he taught me to ride my bike. He surprised me with pink roses, and taught me to fly a kite. We used to share fudge sundaes, and ice cream in a cone. And though you cannot see him. I'm not standing here alone. 'Cause my daddy's always with me, even though we are apart I know because he told me, he'll forever be in my heart' With that, her little hand reached up, and lay across her chest. Feeling her own heartbeat, beneath her favorite dress. And from somewhere here in the crowd of dads, her mother stood in tears. Proudly watching her daughter, who was wise beyond her years. For she stood up for the love of a man not in her life. Doing what was best for her, doing what was right.
When she dropped her hand back down, staring straight into the crowd. She finished with a voice so soft, but its message clear and loud. 'I love my daddy very much, he's my shining star. And if he could, he'd be here, but heaven's just too far. You see he is a Marine and died just this past year, when a roadside bomb hit his convoy and taught Americans to fear. But sometimes when I close my eyes, it's like he never went away.' And then she closed her eyes, and saw him there that day. And to her mothers amazement, she witnessed with surprise. A room full of daddies and children, all starting to close their eyes. Who knows what they saw before them, who knows what they felt inside. Perhaps for merely a second, they saw him at her side. 'I know you're with me Daddy,' to the silence she called out.
What happened next made believers, of those once filled with doubt. No one in that room could explain it, for each of their eyes had been closed. But there on the desk beside her, was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose. And a child was blessed, if only for a moment, by the love of her shining star. And given the gift of believing, that heaven is never too far. They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.
At last the teacher called her name, every child turned to stare. Each of them was searching, a man who wasn't there. 'Where's her daddy at?' She heard a boy call out. 'She probably doesn't have one,' another student dared to shout. And from somewhere near the back, she heard a daddy say, 'Looks like another deadbeat dad, too busy to waste his day.' The words did not offend her, as she smiled up at her Mom. And looked back at her teacher, who told her to go on. And with hands behind her back, slowly she began to speak. And out from the mouth of a child, came words incredibly unique. 'My Dad couldn't be here, because he lives so far away. But I know he wishes he could be, since this is such a special day. And though you cannot meet him, I wanted you to know. All about my daddy, and how much he loves me so. He loved to tell me stories he taught me to ride my bike. He surprised me with pink roses, and taught me to fly a kite. We used to share fudge sundaes, and ice cream in a cone. And though you cannot see him. I'm not standing here alone. 'Cause my daddy's always with me, even though we are apart I know because he told me, he'll forever be in my heart' With that, her little hand reached up, and lay across her chest. Feeling her own heartbeat, beneath her favorite dress. And from somewhere here in the crowd of dads, her mother stood in tears. Proudly watching her daughter, who was wise beyond her years. For she stood up for the love of a man not in her life. Doing what was best for her, doing what was right.
When she dropped her hand back down, staring straight into the crowd. She finished with a voice so soft, but its message clear and loud. 'I love my daddy very much, he's my shining star. And if he could, he'd be here, but heaven's just too far. You see he is a Marine and died just this past year, when a roadside bomb hit his convoy and taught Americans to fear. But sometimes when I close my eyes, it's like he never went away.' And then she closed her eyes, and saw him there that day. And to her mothers amazement, she witnessed with surprise. A room full of daddies and children, all starting to close their eyes. Who knows what they saw before them, who knows what they felt inside. Perhaps for merely a second, they saw him at her side. 'I know you're with me Daddy,' to the silence she called out.
What happened next made believers, of those once filled with doubt. No one in that room could explain it, for each of their eyes had been closed. But there on the desk beside her, was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose. And a child was blessed, if only for a moment, by the love of her shining star. And given the gift of believing, that heaven is never too far. They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Palm Bay Christmas Parade
Sometimes you can wait all day for a parade, and then just poop out at the last minute. The girls tried to stay awake, but...
We started out during daylight, waiting for the Palm Bay Christmas Parade to start. Kaylie and Tricia were relaxing and being silly.
These are Makenzie's "Christmas Eyes".
And here are Kaylie's "Christmas Eyes".
Remembering Dan the Magical Way..
http://www.onetruemedia.com/my_shared?z=10691912709064ed438910&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url
This year we tried to turn things around and begin to embrace the beauty of the holiday season while remembering Dan. In the past 4 years we were focusing on just him, not on how he impacted our lives during this season. This year was different...
We started our day by Tricia, Jan and I meeting Josh at Disney World. You had to know, it was the coldest day so far this year, with the high reaching 62. We froze. We all planned to "do the day" the way Dan would have, enjoying all his favorites. It started with a Monorail ride to Epcot. One of our favorite spots at Epcot was the Rose and Crown Pub, remembering our lives in England and all the friends we have there. We enjoyed a great lunch, having our favorite potato and leek soup followed by Shepard's pie. That's just the way to bring back some great memories. Jan tried an ale for Dan, but she didn't care for it, saying she'd best leave that for Dan. We laughed a lot and just enjoyed the atmosphere. A quick walk through England brought back not just the sights, but even the smells we knew. Mmmm...
You can't go to Epcot without touring the worlds, so off we went. France was our first stop. I must admit, Bevan was also on my mind as I remembered going to Paris. I'm sure he and Dan would have enjoyed a great time there! America is always a good stopping point for anyone whose ever been in the US Military. They keep it very patriotic, making remembering Dan very easy. Germany was decorated very nicely and I remembered the time we spent there with my brother Steve and his family. Dan said he finally felt like he got to know them after that trip. We had to go to Italy and remember my brother-in-law John teasing Dan about the "great Italians"! At the end of the worlds is an area we shared with the memory of Dan's favorite of my cousins, Jerry. When Jerry died, we dropped a seagull in the water there to remember Jerry. It's still there, and I'm sure the guys check on it now and then to be sure it stays there.
Josh left us after the worlds to get things done at home. We thanked him for sharing time with us and once again making this entire day possible for us. We love you Josh! Tricia, Jan and I headed for the Nemo ride and the giant aquarium. It was very nice, but hot in there. We walked around a bit more and decided to head over to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Celebration. Just our luck, the monorail was out of order so we jumped on a bus to get back to the park. We got on a different monorail once we got to Magic Kingdom. Dan loved to ride the monorail so we looped the park twice before we got off.
Main Street in Magic Kingdom was decorated so beautifully. Dan loved to decorate our outdoors at the holidays and even motivated our entire neighborhood in Fawn Ridge to decorate. We checked out the decorations, noting which ones Dan would like best. You'll see them on the montage. Tomorrowland was a must see for us and there were indoor things to do there, which would keep us warm, so we went there first. Disney really is magical. It can take your problems away and put your head in a better place. We had to go to Small, Small World as Dan loved to take Kaylie there. There were a few emotional moments as we passed the carousel, remembering Dan taking Kaylie on her first ride... Keep smiling!
By now we were getting hungry again so we had a bite before heading for the show at the castle. Mickey and his friends gave us a great show, including lots of holiday cheer and music. The finale was fantastic! Cinderella decided she wanted the park to look more Christmassy. Of course, Fairy Godmother overheard her and made a change. She covered the entire castle in white lights! It looked like it was covered in ice. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful! As you watch the montage, notice how the castle keeps changing colors. It's just amazing!
During the down times we would talk about how Jan's husband Bob, and Josh would go outside every night to look at the neighborhood decorations. There was a "Tool Time type rivalry between Jan's house and ours for decorating. Kristy, Tricia and Dan would always decorate the outside together. When all our lights and Bob's lights were up, the competition would begin. If one of added a decoration or lights, the other would also add something. By Christmas night we lit up the whole neighborhood! We had our hot chocolate and cookies to warm us up.
Disney World wouldn't end without a parade, and a great Christmas parade it was. My pics don't show all the pretty colors, and the people in front of us kept me from getting some good shots of the dancers, but I'm sure by watching the montage you will still enjoy it. We talked about how Dan and Bob would have decorated everything. Disney missed out on two great decorators! As we boarded the Riverboat to head back to the car, we were exhausted. It was a day full of happy memories and touching moments. Dan would have been proud. We turned a day that was normally full of tears, into a day filled with memories and warm moments. We miss you Dan, but we will be decorating for the first time this year. We won't do it as well as you would have, but we will try... We love you Dan!
This year we tried to turn things around and begin to embrace the beauty of the holiday season while remembering Dan. In the past 4 years we were focusing on just him, not on how he impacted our lives during this season. This year was different...
We started our day by Tricia, Jan and I meeting Josh at Disney World. You had to know, it was the coldest day so far this year, with the high reaching 62. We froze. We all planned to "do the day" the way Dan would have, enjoying all his favorites. It started with a Monorail ride to Epcot. One of our favorite spots at Epcot was the Rose and Crown Pub, remembering our lives in England and all the friends we have there. We enjoyed a great lunch, having our favorite potato and leek soup followed by Shepard's pie. That's just the way to bring back some great memories. Jan tried an ale for Dan, but she didn't care for it, saying she'd best leave that for Dan. We laughed a lot and just enjoyed the atmosphere. A quick walk through England brought back not just the sights, but even the smells we knew. Mmmm...
You can't go to Epcot without touring the worlds, so off we went. France was our first stop. I must admit, Bevan was also on my mind as I remembered going to Paris. I'm sure he and Dan would have enjoyed a great time there! America is always a good stopping point for anyone whose ever been in the US Military. They keep it very patriotic, making remembering Dan very easy. Germany was decorated very nicely and I remembered the time we spent there with my brother Steve and his family. Dan said he finally felt like he got to know them after that trip. We had to go to Italy and remember my brother-in-law John teasing Dan about the "great Italians"! At the end of the worlds is an area we shared with the memory of Dan's favorite of my cousins, Jerry. When Jerry died, we dropped a seagull in the water there to remember Jerry. It's still there, and I'm sure the guys check on it now and then to be sure it stays there.
Josh left us after the worlds to get things done at home. We thanked him for sharing time with us and once again making this entire day possible for us. We love you Josh! Tricia, Jan and I headed for the Nemo ride and the giant aquarium. It was very nice, but hot in there. We walked around a bit more and decided to head over to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Celebration. Just our luck, the monorail was out of order so we jumped on a bus to get back to the park. We got on a different monorail once we got to Magic Kingdom. Dan loved to ride the monorail so we looped the park twice before we got off.
Main Street in Magic Kingdom was decorated so beautifully. Dan loved to decorate our outdoors at the holidays and even motivated our entire neighborhood in Fawn Ridge to decorate. We checked out the decorations, noting which ones Dan would like best. You'll see them on the montage. Tomorrowland was a must see for us and there were indoor things to do there, which would keep us warm, so we went there first. Disney really is magical. It can take your problems away and put your head in a better place. We had to go to Small, Small World as Dan loved to take Kaylie there. There were a few emotional moments as we passed the carousel, remembering Dan taking Kaylie on her first ride... Keep smiling!
By now we were getting hungry again so we had a bite before heading for the show at the castle. Mickey and his friends gave us a great show, including lots of holiday cheer and music. The finale was fantastic! Cinderella decided she wanted the park to look more Christmassy. Of course, Fairy Godmother overheard her and made a change. She covered the entire castle in white lights! It looked like it was covered in ice. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful! As you watch the montage, notice how the castle keeps changing colors. It's just amazing!
During the down times we would talk about how Jan's husband Bob, and Josh would go outside every night to look at the neighborhood decorations. There was a "Tool Time type rivalry between Jan's house and ours for decorating. Kristy, Tricia and Dan would always decorate the outside together. When all our lights and Bob's lights were up, the competition would begin. If one of added a decoration or lights, the other would also add something. By Christmas night we lit up the whole neighborhood! We had our hot chocolate and cookies to warm us up.
Disney World wouldn't end without a parade, and a great Christmas parade it was. My pics don't show all the pretty colors, and the people in front of us kept me from getting some good shots of the dancers, but I'm sure by watching the montage you will still enjoy it. We talked about how Dan and Bob would have decorated everything. Disney missed out on two great decorators! As we boarded the Riverboat to head back to the car, we were exhausted. It was a day full of happy memories and touching moments. Dan would have been proud. We turned a day that was normally full of tears, into a day filled with memories and warm moments. We miss you Dan, but we will be decorating for the first time this year. We won't do it as well as you would have, but we will try... We love you Dan!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
A New Life
We all know what today is. We all remember four years ago today. But something has changed this year. Although the pain of losing Dan is as strong today as it was four years ago, today we are beginning to celebrate his life. We have so many wonderful memories of him. Tricia and I made a conscious decision to make this year different. Starting today we are going to focus on the good changes we made and Dan made in our lives.
Dan really didn't care for the Christmas season after the year of his fathers accident. As a matter of fact, he almost hated it. He grew extremely depressed at the holidays. His feelings of guilt for not being able to be there to help his family and his father seemed to sometimes consume him. Slowly, over the years, we were able to show him that there were other good things to remember at Christmas... like what it was really about!
The start of it ironically came at a time when Dan had been laid off of work the day before Thanksgiving. I really thought that was going to be a year he was going to succumb to the depression badly. I sat him down and asked him to try something different that year. We were going to focus on making the holiday about the kids and the true meaning of Christmas. The kids got up on the morning of Thanksgiving and began our routine of preparing the meal. We all had special jobs to do, as in our house, everyone was involved in the meal prep, just like the Pilgrims and Indians. However, on this day, I was the Chief in the kitchen. (Dan usually was as he loved to cook.)
We enjoyed our parades and meal, but then something different happened. Instead of Dan watching football, he disappeared out into the garage. Pretty soon he was calling the girls out to help him. Dan was getting out all the outdoor Christmas decorations! That year, as you can ask the girls, was one they will never forget. Dan made it through the season, still a little down, but determined to move forward.
Whenever our family wanted to have great family time and just "put away" the troubles we may have been going through, we would go to Disney World. It was just a short drive and we had annual passes, so it was easy. We would go to the Osborne Light Show and see all the lights and decorations. Disney would have an annual pass holders night and we would go to it, enjoying the cookies, music, lights and Disney snow!
So today, we are going to move forward in a new way. Our friend Josh has invited us to Disney World again. He is getting us in and helping us to enjoy and remember. We are going to moved forward and change to a positive mood for the holidays. Are we going to forget what today is? Absolutely not! But because of what today is, we are going to remember Dan happy, follow his lead to move out of the depression, and get back to living. I'm sure there will still be tears, but hopefully they will be more happy tears than sad. Dan really wanted to go see the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and planned to do so before he got sick. So tonight...we're going! And we will enjoy it for you Dan! We know you will be with us.
Check back with us tomorrow because we will post pictures as our gift to Dan for his birthday!
We love and miss you constantly Dan!
Dan really didn't care for the Christmas season after the year of his fathers accident. As a matter of fact, he almost hated it. He grew extremely depressed at the holidays. His feelings of guilt for not being able to be there to help his family and his father seemed to sometimes consume him. Slowly, over the years, we were able to show him that there were other good things to remember at Christmas... like what it was really about!
The start of it ironically came at a time when Dan had been laid off of work the day before Thanksgiving. I really thought that was going to be a year he was going to succumb to the depression badly. I sat him down and asked him to try something different that year. We were going to focus on making the holiday about the kids and the true meaning of Christmas. The kids got up on the morning of Thanksgiving and began our routine of preparing the meal. We all had special jobs to do, as in our house, everyone was involved in the meal prep, just like the Pilgrims and Indians. However, on this day, I was the Chief in the kitchen. (Dan usually was as he loved to cook.)
We enjoyed our parades and meal, but then something different happened. Instead of Dan watching football, he disappeared out into the garage. Pretty soon he was calling the girls out to help him. Dan was getting out all the outdoor Christmas decorations! That year, as you can ask the girls, was one they will never forget. Dan made it through the season, still a little down, but determined to move forward.
Whenever our family wanted to have great family time and just "put away" the troubles we may have been going through, we would go to Disney World. It was just a short drive and we had annual passes, so it was easy. We would go to the Osborne Light Show and see all the lights and decorations. Disney would have an annual pass holders night and we would go to it, enjoying the cookies, music, lights and Disney snow!
So today, we are going to move forward in a new way. Our friend Josh has invited us to Disney World again. He is getting us in and helping us to enjoy and remember. We are going to moved forward and change to a positive mood for the holidays. Are we going to forget what today is? Absolutely not! But because of what today is, we are going to remember Dan happy, follow his lead to move out of the depression, and get back to living. I'm sure there will still be tears, but hopefully they will be more happy tears than sad. Dan really wanted to go see the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and planned to do so before he got sick. So tonight...we're going! And we will enjoy it for you Dan! We know you will be with us.
Check back with us tomorrow because we will post pictures as our gift to Dan for his birthday!
We love and miss you constantly Dan!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
A Lego Party!
Remember Legos? We did too, so we decided to have a Lego Party...
We made lots of fun things and invented a few new buildings. By using the trees we even made what looked like a Christmas tree. I was amazed at how much attention to the "details" Kaylie insisted on having. The windows needed shutters, the yard needed plants and trees, the house needed windows and doors with frames. Makenzie made a car with tires, not just wheels, a driver (of course) and even made it work with the crank! These girls are so creative!
Makenzie still loves playing on our laps. She sure loves her Auntie Tricia!
What do you think? I love the flag and the antenna in the yard. We should have shown you the whole thing! Legos are so much fun!
We made lots of fun things and invented a few new buildings. By using the trees we even made what looked like a Christmas tree. I was amazed at how much attention to the "details" Kaylie insisted on having. The windows needed shutters, the yard needed plants and trees, the house needed windows and doors with frames. Makenzie made a car with tires, not just wheels, a driver (of course) and even made it work with the crank! These girls are so creative!
Makenzie still loves playing on our laps. She sure loves her Auntie Tricia!
What do you think? I love the flag and the antenna in the yard. We should have shown you the whole thing! Legos are so much fun!Sunday, November 16, 2008
Watching the Last Night Launch...
Talk about bringing back memories! I can remember being at Edwards AFB, CA right after Kristy was born, and watching the first shuttle landing in the desert. We were all mesmerised by the event, knowing we had just witnessed history being made. After the landing we took Kristy, a little baby at the time, and went to see a display of an actual shuttle. It was amazing to me to see the famous "tiles" that cover the out side of the shuttle. They looked like they were about a foot thick! Dan and I stood there with Kristy and talked about how we wished she was old enough to remember that moment. We never realised she would be living so near the Space Center when she got older.
FLASH FORWARD ALMOST 30 YEARS! Tricia, Kristy, Makenzie and I decided to go watch what may be the final night Space Shuttle launch ever. It's one of those things you can't imagine, you just have to see. We wanted Makenzie to have a memory of this special night, so off we all went.
It was a short drive to the beach to find a good viewing spot. That's funny actually, because anywhere you are you can see a night launch. When the shuttle blasts off, it literally turns the night sky to day. It's so amazing! I can remember taking sisters, brothers, in-laws, nieces, nephews, and parents to see launches when they were here. I wonder who remembers them?
When we arrived, Makenzie and I decided to go exploring until launch time.
We found a "secret sidewalk" that no one else was on, and decided that was the perfect spot to start our exploration. As we walked along, Makenzie stopped to touch beach grass. I said close your eyes and touch it, it tickles!
The moon was hiding in the grass.
When we got back to the car, Makenzie had a Star Wars moment and showed us all how Yoda looked. (Even his funny eyes.)
Tricia had a birds eye view out the car window.
It was time for the launch to start. Makenzie was so excited!
Blast off! (We are about 20 miles from the actual launch site.)
Heading up!
Entering the clouds...
Good luck Space Shuttle. Stay safe!
Space shuttle on the left, moon on the right!
FLASH FORWARD ALMOST 30 YEARS! Tricia, Kristy, Makenzie and I decided to go watch what may be the final night Space Shuttle launch ever. It's one of those things you can't imagine, you just have to see. We wanted Makenzie to have a memory of this special night, so off we all went.
It was a short drive to the beach to find a good viewing spot. That's funny actually, because anywhere you are you can see a night launch. When the shuttle blasts off, it literally turns the night sky to day. It's so amazing! I can remember taking sisters, brothers, in-laws, nieces, nephews, and parents to see launches when they were here. I wonder who remembers them?
When we arrived, Makenzie and I decided to go exploring until launch time.
We found a "secret sidewalk" that no one else was on, and decided that was the perfect spot to start our exploration. As we walked along, Makenzie stopped to touch beach grass. I said close your eyes and touch it, it tickles!
The moon was hiding in the grass.
When we got back to the car, Makenzie had a Star Wars moment and showed us all how Yoda looked. (Even his funny eyes.)
Tricia had a birds eye view out the car window.
It was time for the launch to start. Makenzie was so excited!
Blast off! (We are about 20 miles from the actual launch site.)
Heading up!
Entering the clouds...
Good luck Space Shuttle. Stay safe!
Space shuttle on the left, moon on the right!
I try to imagine what Makenzie will remember of the launch. Even more wondrous is what she may be showing her children 30 years from now. I hope she tells them the story of her first night launch, even if it may be the last night launch ever...
Friday, November 7, 2008
It Hurts
I came home that day, from another numbing doctors visit. This time my cancer had moved to my colon. Now all I had to do was tell my family and fight like mad, just to live longer.
Telling Dan was so hard. He'd been through so much with the first cancer. He had been doing everything for me during that cancer. I was going to do more this time. I already made up my mind that he'd been through enough. We decided we had to tell the girls...
My daughters will tell you, if you need to talk to them about anything serious, don't ask them to sit on the couch to talk. They associate the couch with where they were sitting every time we had to tell them about cancer in our family. Couch off limits!
I can't begin to tell you how much harder it was to tell them the second time. Their lives had been turned upside down before and they were just beginning to regain some sense of normalcy.
But, like the strong women and husband they are, we all hugged, cried and decided this would be different. It was.
First cancer: 5 chemo treatments, 14 radiation treatments. Second cancer: 48 chemo treatments, 12 radiation treatments. I was determined to beat it, just because of the hell it was putting my family through...
That was 5 years ago today. I beat it again. You may be thinking, man she's strong. But the one cancer I couldn't beat is the one that will haunt me forever. I prayed for God to give me Dan's cancer. I dared Him to. I swore I'd beat it in the past and I could beat it if he gave it to me, not Dan. He had other plans.
So today I celebrate beating the second cancer. My heart breaks that I couldn't beat Dan's for him.
Telling Dan was so hard. He'd been through so much with the first cancer. He had been doing everything for me during that cancer. I was going to do more this time. I already made up my mind that he'd been through enough. We decided we had to tell the girls...
My daughters will tell you, if you need to talk to them about anything serious, don't ask them to sit on the couch to talk. They associate the couch with where they were sitting every time we had to tell them about cancer in our family. Couch off limits!
I can't begin to tell you how much harder it was to tell them the second time. Their lives had been turned upside down before and they were just beginning to regain some sense of normalcy.
But, like the strong women and husband they are, we all hugged, cried and decided this would be different. It was.
First cancer: 5 chemo treatments, 14 radiation treatments. Second cancer: 48 chemo treatments, 12 radiation treatments. I was determined to beat it, just because of the hell it was putting my family through...
That was 5 years ago today. I beat it again. You may be thinking, man she's strong. But the one cancer I couldn't beat is the one that will haunt me forever. I prayed for God to give me Dan's cancer. I dared Him to. I swore I'd beat it in the past and I could beat it if he gave it to me, not Dan. He had other plans.
So today I celebrate beating the second cancer. My heart breaks that I couldn't beat Dan's for him.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Cars...
Fess up on this one!
Everyone, at one point or another has named their car or been in a named car. Tricia and I were talking about England last night and one of her favorite memories of going places there, was our British car. The girls were very young so we named our American car Ernie, and our Brisitsh car Bert, like the Sesame Street characters. Bert and Ernie were best friends, and our cars were always parked next to each other, just like best friends hanging out together. The girls like riding in the British car because it didn't have seat belts. Every time we would turn the corner, the girls would slide across the vinyl seats and laugh away. (Sometimes I think they "helped" the sliding process a bit.)
When we moved back to the States we had a Ford Escort named Sammi. The girls loved that car. When we went to sell it, they layed across the hood telling it they loved it and it would be ok. It was like losing a family member. :(
Then came our green Chevy Malibu we dubbed the "moldy green machine." It was such an ugly green color we couldn't come up with a good name for it.
Cars come and cars go, but none the less, somewhere in your past or present I think everyone has named their car. So think back a bit and add a comment to share any names you had for your cars. I'd love to hear some.
Everyone, at one point or another has named their car or been in a named car. Tricia and I were talking about England last night and one of her favorite memories of going places there, was our British car. The girls were very young so we named our American car Ernie, and our Brisitsh car Bert, like the Sesame Street characters. Bert and Ernie were best friends, and our cars were always parked next to each other, just like best friends hanging out together. The girls like riding in the British car because it didn't have seat belts. Every time we would turn the corner, the girls would slide across the vinyl seats and laugh away. (Sometimes I think they "helped" the sliding process a bit.)
When we moved back to the States we had a Ford Escort named Sammi. The girls loved that car. When we went to sell it, they layed across the hood telling it they loved it and it would be ok. It was like losing a family member. :(
Then came our green Chevy Malibu we dubbed the "moldy green machine." It was such an ugly green color we couldn't come up with a good name for it.
Cars come and cars go, but none the less, somewhere in your past or present I think everyone has named their car. So think back a bit and add a comment to share any names you had for your cars. I'd love to hear some.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Makenzie's "3"
It was really important to Tricia and me to be able to share a special birthday with Makenzie this year. Whatever our budget would allow us to do, we wanted to be sure Kaylie was a big part of it too. With limited funds we decided to make plans for a very special day. Thank God for Josh, one of Kaylie's Godfathers. Josh works at Disney. When we went to visit him he said he'd help us get in and have a great time. That he truly did!
We started the day early, getting ready and over to Disney World. Josh met us all there and we began what I knew would be a day full of memories for the girls. Of course, Cinderella's Castle was the first thing that caught their eyes. "Zamma, it's so big! Does she really live there?" If you look at the upper castle you can see her bedroom! We watched the characters perform while Makenzie directed the music. We toured the castle and enjoyed the beautiful mosaic walls inside. Kaylie loved Cinderella's glass slipper scene.
Josh was able to spend a good portion of the day with us, so the girls could enjoy him too. He showed them Mickey and Minnie's house. Everyone tested out Minnie's sofa. We all loved meeting Mickey and Minnie and getting our pictures taken with them both. You should see Minnie's kitchen!
We started the day early, getting ready and over to Disney World. Josh met us all there and we began what I knew would be a day full of memories for the girls. Of course, Cinderella's Castle was the first thing that caught their eyes. "Zamma, it's so big! Does she really live there?" If you look at the upper castle you can see her bedroom! We watched the characters perform while Makenzie directed the music. We toured the castle and enjoyed the beautiful mosaic walls inside. Kaylie loved Cinderella's glass slipper scene.
Josh was able to spend a good portion of the day with us, so the girls could enjoy him too. He showed them Mickey and Minnie's house. Everyone tested out Minnie's sofa. We all loved meeting Mickey and Minnie and getting our pictures taken with them both. You should see Minnie's kitchen!
Both girls got to ride the roller coaster with William. I think it was Makenzie's first Disney roller coaster ride! Kaylie loved it so much she went on twice. We had a great lunch, but Josh had to cut it short so he could go to work. We made plans to see him later. He has "connections" and got us perfect seats in the VIP section to see the Daytime Parade. It was so awesome to watch the girls faces as the characters came by and waved to them or high fived them. Cinderella wished Makenzie a special Happy Birthday as she was wearing a Disney birthday pin from Josh. She was totally awestruck! (He really spoiled us all.)
No child can go to Disneyworld without riding on Dumbo. The girls loved it! We also went into It's a Small World, where we all sang and watched as the girls tried to take it all in. Their eyes were huge! We girls agreed that was the best part. They all went to see Snow White, but Makenzie says the witch "is mean and nasty!"
At 5:00 pm daily, there is a flag retreat on Main Street. We all watched Josh during the retreat. The girls said that was for Papa... It was so amazing. I was so proud of them as they stayed still with their hands on their hearts. Good Girls!
Next came some more rides, and then the night time Spectromagic Parade. Once again we got to spend time with Josh. He took the kids out in the street to play a game until the parade started. Kaylie wanted to stay by him the whole time. We ate our Mickey ice cream, and then watched a beautiful night parade. All the floats and costumes were lighted, making the girls faces easy too see. (That and their huge eyes!)
I've included a short montage of our day. I hope you enjoy it and decide to visit Disney to create your own memories soon. It truly is a "magical"place, and definitely the best place to celebrate your 3rd birthday. Just ask Makenzie! Remember, make those good memories!
After you watch the video, click over to Kristy's blog. She's got some wonderful photos too!
http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=7001e0dc5ae01bc242d422
Kristy's blog: http://thelavellafamily.blogspot.com/
At 5:00 pm daily, there is a flag retreat on Main Street. We all watched Josh during the retreat. The girls said that was for Papa... It was so amazing. I was so proud of them as they stayed still with their hands on their hearts. Good Girls!
Next came some more rides, and then the night time Spectromagic Parade. Once again we got to spend time with Josh. He took the kids out in the street to play a game until the parade started. Kaylie wanted to stay by him the whole time. We ate our Mickey ice cream, and then watched a beautiful night parade. All the floats and costumes were lighted, making the girls faces easy too see. (That and their huge eyes!)
I've included a short montage of our day. I hope you enjoy it and decide to visit Disney to create your own memories soon. It truly is a "magical"place, and definitely the best place to celebrate your 3rd birthday. Just ask Makenzie! Remember, make those good memories!
After you watch the video, click over to Kristy's blog. She's got some wonderful photos too!
http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=7001e0dc5ae01bc242d422
Kristy's blog: http://thelavellafamily.blogspot.com/
Friday, September 12, 2008
First Visit
The first overnight visitors to our house were, of course, the girls. They had a lot to explore and just wanted to know that Zamma and Auntie were doing OK. We played in all the boxes and totes, hiding and just having fun. 
Tricia and Makenzie slept in the bedroom, while Kaylie and I took the sofa. We had such a good time just "hanging out together". The traditional popcorn was popped, and we watched our favorite TV shows. I loved watching their faces when we unpacked something and they would say "Zamma, this is like opening Christmas presents!" We had to play the "Guess what this is " game to see who could guess what we were about to unwrap next. As usual there were traditions that had to be upheld. Most of all, we had to resume the Oreo Cookie Party. Five cookies each and a great glass of milk, makes for a tradition not to be forgotten. We all know that grandmothers are "required" to have cookies!
After a crazy night of fun and laughs the girls now know Zamma and Auntie are OK and ready for them to visit again soon!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Bleeding
Through the past 8 months there was a song that really helped me stay focused, Bleeding. You hear it a lot more now, but when I hear it I am singing it in my head to our Lord. You see, despite whatever may have been happening around me, HE got me through it all. Here is a link to listen to it and perhaps you will feel the same when you hear it from now on. Its a video, but the sound, not the pictures are what I focused on. Did He want to sing the same song? Could you sing it and understand what I was feeling? Let me know.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQwaf_KCjHk
Think back and remember some other songs from your past. Do you still remember what you were going through when the song came out? Music is amazing!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQwaf_KCjHk
Think back and remember some other songs from your past. Do you still remember what you were going through when the song came out? Music is amazing!!!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
FINALLY!!!
Last Friday saw the end to an eight month nightmare. When the electricity was connected and we were officially "in" our place, I felt like the numbness of all those months was finally over.
The last month had been the worst, and the best, thanks to some really good friends. The start of the month found us unexpectedly looking for a new home. We had each other, and that was about it. Living life in a car wasn't fun, but it did make us stronger. We made connections with the right people and were able to get the ball rolling on our place. All I can clearly remember about that time was how Dan must have felt watching all of it unfold... hmmm! We had some really great friends who were there for us and made the waiting better. We were with friends Terry and Skye during Tropical Storm Fay, and were able to help them through a bout of mopping a flooding livingroom and diningroom. After that we moved on to our friend and prior neighbor Jan and her son Scott. The six dogs were a real treat and we ended up seeing who could get the most dogs to come by them. Snoopy is mine! Friends... thank God for them.
So we are now in our place. We've been unpacking and setting things up non-stop. Kaylie and Makenzie spent the night Saturday, and loved playing in the boxes and trying to find us as we unpacked. "Zamma, you have too much stuff" says Makenzie! Got to get the storage area organised before Hurricane Hanna gets here. Hurricanes are a bother, but the flooding here has been record breaking. At one point we had 18 inches of rain in a 24 hour period. Not good... Fortunately the new place had a 1 foot step up into the house. We should be OK, but pray for more wind and less rain. As it stands right now they say it will pass @80 miles off shore from us. That will give us hurricane force winds, but hopefully less rain. Besides, after that we have Hurricanes Ike and Josephine to prep for... Watch behind Josephine, that's the one I'm worried about, but it's not named yet. In the 18 years we've lived in Florida, Central Florida has gotten more storms in the last 4 years than ever before.
I'm hoping to keep blogging on a more regular basis now. I know this was a place to check out for updates and good memories in the past. I'm planning on getting back to that again. Watch for more regular entries. I'm hoping, barring any floods or power failures, to be back for good now. Think of us during your weather updates. Laugh if you want, but the next time you wring out a washcloth or dishcloth, you will think of us down here in "wet" Florida.
WE'RE BACK!!!!
The last month had been the worst, and the best, thanks to some really good friends. The start of the month found us unexpectedly looking for a new home. We had each other, and that was about it. Living life in a car wasn't fun, but it did make us stronger. We made connections with the right people and were able to get the ball rolling on our place. All I can clearly remember about that time was how Dan must have felt watching all of it unfold... hmmm! We had some really great friends who were there for us and made the waiting better. We were with friends Terry and Skye during Tropical Storm Fay, and were able to help them through a bout of mopping a flooding livingroom and diningroom. After that we moved on to our friend and prior neighbor Jan and her son Scott. The six dogs were a real treat and we ended up seeing who could get the most dogs to come by them. Snoopy is mine! Friends... thank God for them.
So we are now in our place. We've been unpacking and setting things up non-stop. Kaylie and Makenzie spent the night Saturday, and loved playing in the boxes and trying to find us as we unpacked. "Zamma, you have too much stuff" says Makenzie! Got to get the storage area organised before Hurricane Hanna gets here. Hurricanes are a bother, but the flooding here has been record breaking. At one point we had 18 inches of rain in a 24 hour period. Not good... Fortunately the new place had a 1 foot step up into the house. We should be OK, but pray for more wind and less rain. As it stands right now they say it will pass @80 miles off shore from us. That will give us hurricane force winds, but hopefully less rain. Besides, after that we have Hurricanes Ike and Josephine to prep for... Watch behind Josephine, that's the one I'm worried about, but it's not named yet. In the 18 years we've lived in Florida, Central Florida has gotten more storms in the last 4 years than ever before.
I'm hoping to keep blogging on a more regular basis now. I know this was a place to check out for updates and good memories in the past. I'm planning on getting back to that again. Watch for more regular entries. I'm hoping, barring any floods or power failures, to be back for good now. Think of us during your weather updates. Laugh if you want, but the next time you wring out a washcloth or dishcloth, you will think of us down here in "wet" Florida.
WE'RE BACK!!!!
Friday, August 15, 2008
A New Beginning
The past few weeks have taken Tricia and me to places we never expected to be. We've seen and done things that have left us in tears for hours. Things that have been said to us have made us realize what is truly important in life, and believe me when I say we have become stronger people as a result of this journey.
But there is good news to report. We have our own home now and will officially be in it by the end of next week. This is a journey I pray none of you ever have to experience. But, unlike what someone told me awhile back, I got through it with many, many prayers. Prayers do work and they do give you the strength to keep going, even when everything else seems to be falling apart around you. NO ONE WILL EVER CONVINCE ME NOT TO PRAY! Thank you to everyone who has helped us along the way. You know who you are. We will never forget you.
So, it looks like we will be staying in Melbourne for the time being. If any promotions arise as a result of my present jobs, and they want me to relocate, we'll go... but they are paying for the move. I'm too old to keep doing this. Today I moved for what I think is the 50+ time. I can't lift anymore, and my body has screamed that fact to me for the past several hours. I'm hoping once we get settled in I can get back to a regular blogging routine. I've received emails from so many of you saying you enjoy hearing what this blog has to share. I'll be just a bit longer, but I'll be back!
Watch for an email with the new details of our address and phone numbers. In the mean time, reach us by our cells and email addresses. We're still alive and kicking!!!
But there is good news to report. We have our own home now and will officially be in it by the end of next week. This is a journey I pray none of you ever have to experience. But, unlike what someone told me awhile back, I got through it with many, many prayers. Prayers do work and they do give you the strength to keep going, even when everything else seems to be falling apart around you. NO ONE WILL EVER CONVINCE ME NOT TO PRAY! Thank you to everyone who has helped us along the way. You know who you are. We will never forget you.
So, it looks like we will be staying in Melbourne for the time being. If any promotions arise as a result of my present jobs, and they want me to relocate, we'll go... but they are paying for the move. I'm too old to keep doing this. Today I moved for what I think is the 50+ time. I can't lift anymore, and my body has screamed that fact to me for the past several hours. I'm hoping once we get settled in I can get back to a regular blogging routine. I've received emails from so many of you saying you enjoy hearing what this blog has to share. I'll be just a bit longer, but I'll be back!
Watch for an email with the new details of our address and phone numbers. In the mean time, reach us by our cells and email addresses. We're still alive and kicking!!!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Funny, Funny Island
Have you ever been sooooo bored and wanted to do something fun with the kids? Let's just say that's what led to our adventure to "Funny, Funny Island".
It all started on a boring night while the girls (Kaylie and Makenzie) were in my room wanting something to do...
We decided we wanted to go on a trip somewhere. As you well know, there is a lot to do to prepare for a trip, get food, get shots, etc. We had to be ready for a fun time! Off to the ocean to set sail...
We were sitting in the middle of the bed trying to come up with a good idea. Suddenly, (all imaginary, of course) a huge ocean wind blew up and we were sent off course in our "bed-boat" to a place called Funny Funny Island. We couldn't get off the island (bed) because there were sharks circling us. Then, as luck would have it, one of our books fell in to the water. We all held Kaylie's legs while she hung over the "beach" and fished the book out of the water before the sharks ate it. Whew, that was close! That shark had lots of teeth and looked way too hungry!
We decide to explore our island, travelling all around it on our knees. (There's a visual for you... me crawling on a bed on my knees.) We finally found a huge cave and decided to go inside. (It was easy if you crawled under the comforter.) It wasn't really dark in the cave so when we hung on to the ceiling of the cave we could see pictures that the natives drew on the walls of the cave. (The light from the TV as you look through the comforter was showing us the seashell design on the comforter.) Those natives really knew how to draw good seashells! We decided to trace them with our fingers and pretend to draw pictures of our own. We looked the pictures up in our books to "decipher" them. (We learned a new word, decipher!)
All of a sudden there was a huge clap of thunder and Makenzie nearly came out of her skin. As luck would have it, God was assisting us in our island trip by making thunder for real, outside. We decided we would stay in the cave until the storm passed. We listened to some natives talking outside the cave (the TV voices) and decided when the storm was over we would try to get back home. After the storm, we came out of the cave and saw a ship in the bay. We also saw rocks we could walk on (thank God for pillows) to get to the ship and head home. slowly we climbed on the rocks and tried really hard not to fall in the bay. That hungry shark was still out there somewhere!
Yes, we made it to the ship (the doorway) and went safely home to tell everyone about our trip. When we got home the girls said we should share some pictures we took on our journey, so here they are!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
It's Been Awhile
Don't faint, I'm still alive and kicking! So its been awhile since I've posted... When I started this blog it was to bring back memories and help me to better understand who I've become. If, along the way, I sparked some good memories for the readers, that was a bonus.
I haven't been posting because, if you know me at all, I try to see the cup as half full... all the time. With all that's been going on in my life lately, it seemed like there were days when just seeing the cup was an accomplishment. I don't like to spread negativism's and that's all I've been feeling. By posting, I felt as if I was spreading that to everyone else.
I've been to the beach a lot. It's my place to think and make sense of the things that aren't easy for me to understand. It's the best place for me to pray. When the waves come in, it's like God's saying "Throw in your problems and I'll wash them away." Out go the waves and my head seems cleared.
Earlier this week I had a slap of "get your act together". I'd emailed my cousin Renee to see how my Uncle Glen was doing. I was feeling one of those "vibes" and I had to know he was OK. Renee responded with an email that took my breath away. My cousin Summyr has leukemia. It killed her Grandmother, my Aunt Grace, and now she had it. In flooded the memories and wow, was I messed up. My Aunt Grace was there for me when I had my breast cancer. She and I had the bald head, chemo, radiation , and we shared this bond that not many people ever have. (Thank God.) To know that her granddaughter was now battling this stupid disease was unbelievable. I remember wanting to make sure someone was asking my Uncle Glenn how he was through all of it too. (Somehow the spouse doesn't always get the support they deserve.) Now Summyr's husband, Mike is in that boat and I wish there was something I could find to say to him. I saw some pictures of the two of them and know their love is deeper than most people will ever be able to share. One look in their eyes and you know they are fighting this together. I believe they will beat it... together.
My memories of my cancer days have been very prominent these past few days. I remember Dan cutting my hair for me. I could hear him crying, but I never said a word to him. I let him rub my head and call me "Baldy", because I knew that it was his way of facing the reality of the disease and it would ease his pain. I remember the closeness we shared through that ugly disease, both cancers, and I know without a doubt, without Dan and my girls I never would have survived my cancer.
So where does this leave me now? Missing Dan even more. Remembering the sacrifices he made for me. Knowing everything my family was doing for me was as much to help them as it was to help me. Some people need to "do" to get through challenges. Others type, write, read, or just pray a lot. Whatever works for you, do it. My sister-in-law Pam is also battling cancer and all I can tell her, too is to keep fighting. This is changing your life and the lives of your families. I remember swearing I would never take another day for granted. I was wrong. I did and still may. You would think I would have learned ...
But one thing is still the same as then: I do not have time to die. I have too much left to do. I have too much left to learn. I have too many smiles to flash and hugs to give. And knowing me as I know you do, you know I still have too much talking to do. So I'll end this post by saying:
"After you read this, think about just how lucky you are today. Then thank our Lord for what you have. Faith is free. Try it. It will sustain you when it feels like nothing else will."
Amen.
I haven't been posting because, if you know me at all, I try to see the cup as half full... all the time. With all that's been going on in my life lately, it seemed like there were days when just seeing the cup was an accomplishment. I don't like to spread negativism's and that's all I've been feeling. By posting, I felt as if I was spreading that to everyone else.
I've been to the beach a lot. It's my place to think and make sense of the things that aren't easy for me to understand. It's the best place for me to pray. When the waves come in, it's like God's saying "Throw in your problems and I'll wash them away." Out go the waves and my head seems cleared.
Earlier this week I had a slap of "get your act together". I'd emailed my cousin Renee to see how my Uncle Glen was doing. I was feeling one of those "vibes" and I had to know he was OK. Renee responded with an email that took my breath away. My cousin Summyr has leukemia. It killed her Grandmother, my Aunt Grace, and now she had it. In flooded the memories and wow, was I messed up. My Aunt Grace was there for me when I had my breast cancer. She and I had the bald head, chemo, radiation , and we shared this bond that not many people ever have. (Thank God.) To know that her granddaughter was now battling this stupid disease was unbelievable. I remember wanting to make sure someone was asking my Uncle Glenn how he was through all of it too. (Somehow the spouse doesn't always get the support they deserve.) Now Summyr's husband, Mike is in that boat and I wish there was something I could find to say to him. I saw some pictures of the two of them and know their love is deeper than most people will ever be able to share. One look in their eyes and you know they are fighting this together. I believe they will beat it... together.
My memories of my cancer days have been very prominent these past few days. I remember Dan cutting my hair for me. I could hear him crying, but I never said a word to him. I let him rub my head and call me "Baldy", because I knew that it was his way of facing the reality of the disease and it would ease his pain. I remember the closeness we shared through that ugly disease, both cancers, and I know without a doubt, without Dan and my girls I never would have survived my cancer.
So where does this leave me now? Missing Dan even more. Remembering the sacrifices he made for me. Knowing everything my family was doing for me was as much to help them as it was to help me. Some people need to "do" to get through challenges. Others type, write, read, or just pray a lot. Whatever works for you, do it. My sister-in-law Pam is also battling cancer and all I can tell her, too is to keep fighting. This is changing your life and the lives of your families. I remember swearing I would never take another day for granted. I was wrong. I did and still may. You would think I would have learned ...
But one thing is still the same as then: I do not have time to die. I have too much left to do. I have too much left to learn. I have too many smiles to flash and hugs to give. And knowing me as I know you do, you know I still have too much talking to do. So I'll end this post by saying:
"After you read this, think about just how lucky you are today. Then thank our Lord for what you have. Faith is free. Try it. It will sustain you when it feels like nothing else will."
Amen.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Head Vacations
So, what do you do when you are broke, but you still want to do something. If you know me, you know I'm crazy, so...
I go on Head Vacations. (Now this is not the same as "head trips" from the 70's!) I do it to relax, get away mentally, and to keep my "the glass is half full" perspective. Let me explain, before you think I've totally lost it. I'm betting I'm not the only one taking head vacations...
Sometimes my vacations come as a result of being broke, sometimes as a result of being financially OK. Here's an example:
This was about 8 years ago. Dan and I were swimming in our pool, relaxing and counting our blessings. We talked about how there were things we wanted, but nothing we really needed.
We had the "if I had a million dollars to blow" conversation and it went a bit like this:
We would have a huge family reunion with all our parents, siblings and their families, aunts and uncles and their families. Like I said, it would be huge! We would do one side of the family first and then the other side. We decided on a week at Disney World. After we flew everyone down or trained in the non-flyers, we paid for everything, except souvenirs. We booked the Caribbean Beach Resort for everyone. The good part about Disney is that they do all the transportation, so we could come and go and no one had to do any driving. We would all do whatever we wanted during the day, but we had to all meet up for at least breakfast each day. We were family and needed to appreciate that fact. Wherever possible we booked shows, like the Luau at the Polynesian Resort, or LaNouba at Downtown Disney. The idea was to have everyone together to enjoy "FAMILY". Everyone could go to all the parks and water parks as they pleased. We made a suggested agenda for anyone who wanted it. The last night there we all got together for a huge family photo on the steps in front of Cinderella's castle at the Magic Kingdom. We had Family Reunion shirts made up for everyone. Everyone agreed to share their photos and videos with each other so that at the following years family reunion we would all reminisce about Disney World.
So here I am 8 years later still having Head vacations. Kristy laughed at me the other night because I even took out paper and wrote down who I'd invite, where we would go, and things we could do. Maybe I should be a Family Vacations Planner or something??? Anyway, it got me through the "I'm tired of being broke" mood I was in. It's one of those things to do when you are bored and don't have the means to go/do something. I'd suggest the family play it as a game and have the kids look up ideas of things to do. Then save them and hopefully someday turn the dreams into reality. Anyone who knows me is tired of hearing me say "when I win the lottery"...
Here are a few more exaples of Head Vacations I've had:
- there was the time I took 11 other people with me on a tour of England to see where we used to live and all the very cool things there.
- the time my sisters and I went to Key West to just "hang out". (This one actually came true.)
- the one where I take all my Dad's sisters and brothers and we go to Disney to ride on the Merry go round. (That was actually a Head Dream of my Dad's.)
- we rent two 28 bedroom houses in the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a week and have family get togethers.
- we invite people that have helped us out during our lives to spend a week in Florida and relax or do whatever they want to do to get away. (Did this one too!)
There is also another good thing about taking the time to Head Vacation. You find things you can do and appreciate that are within your grasp right now. You see how lucky you are to have what you have and who you have in your lives. So, admit it or not, I'm betting you've all gone n a Head Vacation or two in your time. The question now is will you comment on this blog and share some Head Vacations with me? Who knows, we may have "gone to the same place" and never even knew it!!!
Comments please... fess up!
I go on Head Vacations. (Now this is not the same as "head trips" from the 70's!) I do it to relax, get away mentally, and to keep my "the glass is half full" perspective. Let me explain, before you think I've totally lost it. I'm betting I'm not the only one taking head vacations...
Sometimes my vacations come as a result of being broke, sometimes as a result of being financially OK. Here's an example:
This was about 8 years ago. Dan and I were swimming in our pool, relaxing and counting our blessings. We talked about how there were things we wanted, but nothing we really needed.
We had the "if I had a million dollars to blow" conversation and it went a bit like this:
We would have a huge family reunion with all our parents, siblings and their families, aunts and uncles and their families. Like I said, it would be huge! We would do one side of the family first and then the other side. We decided on a week at Disney World. After we flew everyone down or trained in the non-flyers, we paid for everything, except souvenirs. We booked the Caribbean Beach Resort for everyone. The good part about Disney is that they do all the transportation, so we could come and go and no one had to do any driving. We would all do whatever we wanted during the day, but we had to all meet up for at least breakfast each day. We were family and needed to appreciate that fact. Wherever possible we booked shows, like the Luau at the Polynesian Resort, or LaNouba at Downtown Disney. The idea was to have everyone together to enjoy "FAMILY". Everyone could go to all the parks and water parks as they pleased. We made a suggested agenda for anyone who wanted it. The last night there we all got together for a huge family photo on the steps in front of Cinderella's castle at the Magic Kingdom. We had Family Reunion shirts made up for everyone. Everyone agreed to share their photos and videos with each other so that at the following years family reunion we would all reminisce about Disney World.
So here I am 8 years later still having Head vacations. Kristy laughed at me the other night because I even took out paper and wrote down who I'd invite, where we would go, and things we could do. Maybe I should be a Family Vacations Planner or something??? Anyway, it got me through the "I'm tired of being broke" mood I was in. It's one of those things to do when you are bored and don't have the means to go/do something. I'd suggest the family play it as a game and have the kids look up ideas of things to do. Then save them and hopefully someday turn the dreams into reality. Anyone who knows me is tired of hearing me say "when I win the lottery"...
Here are a few more exaples of Head Vacations I've had:
- there was the time I took 11 other people with me on a tour of England to see where we used to live and all the very cool things there.
- the time my sisters and I went to Key West to just "hang out". (This one actually came true.)
- the one where I take all my Dad's sisters and brothers and we go to Disney to ride on the Merry go round. (That was actually a Head Dream of my Dad's.)
- we rent two 28 bedroom houses in the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a week and have family get togethers.
- we invite people that have helped us out during our lives to spend a week in Florida and relax or do whatever they want to do to get away. (Did this one too!)
There is also another good thing about taking the time to Head Vacation. You find things you can do and appreciate that are within your grasp right now. You see how lucky you are to have what you have and who you have in your lives. So, admit it or not, I'm betting you've all gone n a Head Vacation or two in your time. The question now is will you comment on this blog and share some Head Vacations with me? Who knows, we may have "gone to the same place" and never even knew it!!!
Comments please... fess up!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Don't Faint
So where are we now? Any guesses? We are now back in Melbourne, Florida. The company I was working with part-time in Illinois had a full time opportunity back in Melbourne, so I took it. After all, you know me, only I would go all the way to Illinois to find a job right here in Melbourne.
It was all pretty funny actually. I got a call one day asking me if I was interested in relocating, as I had indicated "yes" when initially applying with the company. I asked where and she said "Florida". As Miami is not a place I'd ever want to move to, I asked where in Florida. At that time my choices were Ocala, Tampa and Melbourne. LOL! Melbourne! I started laughing and she asked why. I told her to check my resume where she saw that I was from Melbourne. We talked about the opportunity and made the decision that Melbourne was going to be a definite option. I talked to Tricia, as her input is just as important as mine, and we said "time to go back to Florida". They also have a position at the Corporate Headquarters in Tampa, but the person in that position now, has not officially turned in her retirement paperwork. Until she does, that option is on hold.
There is also a position open in Naples, Florida. I'm talking with my boss now to see if that would be a better decision and work better for both the company and us. If I go to Naples I also know I could pick up some part time Hallmark work, until the end of the year, to get us back on track. Keep checking in to see the final outcome of this, now 7 month, journey.
There have been so many people that have helped us through all of this mess: Kristy,William and the girls let us stay with them initially and now. Candy and John, my sister and brother-in-law and their family, let us live with them for two+ months, and countless people that repaid loans they had with us, as well as far too many people offering us financial assistance. We had invitations for visits and mini trips at just get away. How do you thank someone for that? We, over the years, never helped people with the intentions of expecting anything in return. (That's not why you help someone.) But the Lord has definitely called in some markers for us. My goal now is to get back on our feet and repay anyone who helped us in any way. There is someone out there who helped us, and asked to remain nameless, who cannot ever understand the help they provided us. You know who you are, and we will never, ever forget your help. If anyone helped us in any way, know we will not forget.
So if you are wondering where we are, for now it's Melbourne. My knees are flat from hours of prayers. I feel as if this may be coming to an end. Where we end up may still be a bit fuzzy, but as always we are together and remaining healthy. As the Lord often does, he tested us. Never will I say we passed with flying colors, but if you've ever read the poem "Footprints", I think He's going to let us walk on our own... for awhile. Thank you Lord! Don't go far...
It was all pretty funny actually. I got a call one day asking me if I was interested in relocating, as I had indicated "yes" when initially applying with the company. I asked where and she said "Florida". As Miami is not a place I'd ever want to move to, I asked where in Florida. At that time my choices were Ocala, Tampa and Melbourne. LOL! Melbourne! I started laughing and she asked why. I told her to check my resume where she saw that I was from Melbourne. We talked about the opportunity and made the decision that Melbourne was going to be a definite option. I talked to Tricia, as her input is just as important as mine, and we said "time to go back to Florida". They also have a position at the Corporate Headquarters in Tampa, but the person in that position now, has not officially turned in her retirement paperwork. Until she does, that option is on hold.
There is also a position open in Naples, Florida. I'm talking with my boss now to see if that would be a better decision and work better for both the company and us. If I go to Naples I also know I could pick up some part time Hallmark work, until the end of the year, to get us back on track. Keep checking in to see the final outcome of this, now 7 month, journey.
There have been so many people that have helped us through all of this mess: Kristy,William and the girls let us stay with them initially and now. Candy and John, my sister and brother-in-law and their family, let us live with them for two+ months, and countless people that repaid loans they had with us, as well as far too many people offering us financial assistance. We had invitations for visits and mini trips at just get away. How do you thank someone for that? We, over the years, never helped people with the intentions of expecting anything in return. (That's not why you help someone.) But the Lord has definitely called in some markers for us. My goal now is to get back on our feet and repay anyone who helped us in any way. There is someone out there who helped us, and asked to remain nameless, who cannot ever understand the help they provided us. You know who you are, and we will never, ever forget your help. If anyone helped us in any way, know we will not forget.
So if you are wondering where we are, for now it's Melbourne. My knees are flat from hours of prayers. I feel as if this may be coming to an end. Where we end up may still be a bit fuzzy, but as always we are together and remaining healthy. As the Lord often does, he tested us. Never will I say we passed with flying colors, but if you've ever read the poem "Footprints", I think He's going to let us walk on our own... for awhile. Thank you Lord! Don't go far...
Monday, May 5, 2008
Relatives...
My Aunt Jane was married to my Uncle Dan. They came to visit us in Florida to celebrate Uncle Dan's 75th birthday. We had so much fun with them. They wore us out with all their energy! We fondly called them Tarzan and Jane! We miss you Uncle Dan.
Aunt Shirley was the aunt I didn't get to know that well until I was older. As the mother of nine children, you can understand why. Now when we see each other we start out with a big hug. She's great!
Uncle Junior is my Dad's brother. He teased us as kids and continued the tradition with my children. Tricia makes a special point to try to see him whenever we go to Two Rivers.
Here are my Aunts and Uncles from my Dad's family. (back row= Uncle Dale, Aunt Louise, Uncle Leroy, Aunt Shirley, Uncle Junior, Uncle Earl, and Uncle Pat. front row- Uncle Frank, married to my Aunt Patsy.) My Grandparents had 12 children. It's so nice to see the eight remaining family members together enjoying each others company. This was the first time I saw my Uncle Leroy in over 35 years! Too long... I could write for weeks with the memories I have of all of these relatives.I missed so many family events being in other parts of the world during my life. But please know, everyone stayed in my memories and will not be forgotten. Thank you Lord, for the memories!
Wow! 50 Years
This past weekend we had the pleasure of being there when my Aunt Patsy and Uncle Frank celebrated their 50Th Wedding Anniversary. We wanted to make their gift special for them, so we created an Anniversary Cake. My Aunt Patsy is famous for making the most beautiful wedding cakes. Everyone always asks her to make theirs because they not only look beautiful, but they always taste so good. To celebrate for Uncle Frank and the "Cake Lady", Aunt Patsy, (as my kids used to call her when they were little), Tricia and I made this cake for them. The bottom "layer" is a keepsake box with their invitation in the lid, and the entire cake is covered with 50 one dollar bills from my brother Steve, sisters Candy and Marcia, and my Mom. They are very special to us as we used to go to their house to visit when we were kids. We would spend the weekend with them having fun and of course getting into trouble as kids always do. 
As I watched my cousins pose for this photo with their parents I was reminded of so many good times we had as kids.
To help make the event memorable, there was a Mock Wedding. Here you can see the "Anniversary Version" of their wedding party. Aunt Patsy and Uncle Frank stood in the middle of this "group", still smiling at the reenactment of their wedding.
This is their original Wedding Party. Quite a different picture, as you can see. I'm so happy for them. Celebrating 50 years is something every married couple talks about. I'm so glad I got to be there for it.Sunday, April 27, 2008
I Don't Need To Say Anything More
I don't need to say anything more. Please go see this and listen. (Hmmm, I think I hear Dan humming in the background.) Turn up your sound!
http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/706270
It's awesome!
http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/706270
It's awesome!
A Busy Week
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This past week was a busy one here. Early in the week we celebrated my nephew Roberts 12Th birthday. He's a Star Wars lover, so of course he had Yoda on his cake. We had a great family celebration and enjoyed his favorite meal: BBQ ribs, sliced carrots, potato chips and of course the Baskin Robbins ice cream cake.
On Saturday Samantha made her First Communion. She did a great job and looked very pretty. Her Godmother is Marcia and Dan was her Godfather. (If you look closely he's behind her in the picture. :) ) We had a nice time but had to cut it short. Tricia fell at the house so we needed to get her home and get her arm iced. What an ugly bruise. It's one of those that will take several days to really show up.
We were dog sitting for my brother Steve's dog Harley. She is the most well behaved dog! When we got back to Steve's house I think Harley sensed that Tricia was hurt. She stayed right by her side and whimpered when we first took the ice off Tricia's arm. She knew every move Tricia made the rest of the weekend. They were inseparable. I took Harley down by Steve's lake, Wind Lake to give her some outside time. She and I took some walks and played fetch for almost an hour on Sunday. Unfortunately the pictures I took of her watching Tricia sleep did not turn out. I'll try again next time.
If you ever need to relax and do some serious thinking and praying, the area around Steve's house is perfect. I'll let the photos speak for me on that. So, here are a few pics to keep you aware of what's up in our lives.
On Saturday Samantha made her First Communion. She did a great job and looked very pretty. Her Godmother is Marcia and Dan was her Godfather. (If you look closely he's behind her in the picture. :) ) We had a nice time but had to cut it short. Tricia fell at the house so we needed to get her home and get her arm iced. What an ugly bruise. It's one of those that will take several days to really show up.
We were dog sitting for my brother Steve's dog Harley. She is the most well behaved dog! When we got back to Steve's house I think Harley sensed that Tricia was hurt. She stayed right by her side and whimpered when we first took the ice off Tricia's arm. She knew every move Tricia made the rest of the weekend. They were inseparable. I took Harley down by Steve's lake, Wind Lake to give her some outside time. She and I took some walks and played fetch for almost an hour on Sunday. Unfortunately the pictures I took of her watching Tricia sleep did not turn out. I'll try again next time.
If you ever need to relax and do some serious thinking and praying, the area around Steve's house is perfect. I'll let the photos speak for me on that. So, here are a few pics to keep you aware of what's up in our lives.
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