Oops, somehow posted before actually writing anything. Anyways.
Sadly, my short Christmas vacation is now coming to an end and it'll be back to school for another long five months. I have enjoyed every minute just about, although I haven't gotten near as much sleep as hoped for. I guess I'll need to get used to it sooner or later. I don't know anything new from the doctors as of yet, although the tests and appointments haven't finished yet. I loved meeting my new nephew Noah, and entertaining my other nephew Caedin and niece Sarah. I'll have to post some pictures really soon. Josh even had some fun times here and there with them. It was a bittersweet week up there in a way as our grandpa had died. I don't know how my mom handled it...but then, I kind of do because I grieve in sort of the same way--silently and individually, in my own internal way. We had a great week though and amazingly, no one in the family got into any nasty spats. My nephew threw a few good tamptrums though...try talking reason to a three-year old, impossible! He's definitely hit a selfish stage. (Sheesh, i tried to use ph instead of f) Sarah is just a little doll, although she will be her own troublesome self soon enough. She has quite a personality for a one and a half year old. She reminds me of the teenage version of my sister :-p We even managed to get a good family picture with all adults smiling! Josh got me the newest Lifehouse c.d. which totally rocks!
We had an overall good trip and the flights went well for us. Early morning flights during a busy season are the smart way to go. My sister and her family didn't fare as well getting out of DIA with a LONG security line, thus making them too late to the gate.
Since we got back, Josh worked and I ran errands and relaxed at home if I wasn't at the doctor's office. We also went to the "A Night in Old Vienna" last night at the Longview Symphony and it was one of the best performances I've seen them do with arrangements from Jurassic Park, Phantom of the Opera, and West Side Story. They also did an excellent job with a waltz by Richard Strauss, the Blue Danube, Fantasia of Greensleeves, and my all-time favorite, Radetsky March. The performance was preceded by an excellent dinner at Olive Garden with Caleb Friedlander and the Toads.
This morning, we leave bright and early for Houston to spend New Year's eve and half of New Year's with Mom Toad and Danny. We have had our own little WoW LAN party going on with five desktops and two laptops. You should have seen the trunk of our camry with two large monitors, a big box and three cases. Hehehehe. Such nerds are we :-)
Right now I'm multitasking with the two laptops by playing the game and typing up this post. Just figured I'd add a bit to the blog. And it's a happy day, so I'll avoid the sad posts I could write on two recent deaths--my grandfather and Hunter Cippele. I used to go to school (elementary) with his older brother and his grandmother was my elementary school's principal when I and all my siblings were there. Anyways. Back to the game :-)
We have been having a delightful and entertaining/interesting time here in abnormally warm L.C. I'll have to take time to sit and post about the sick niece who threw up on me, or sliding down the hill....in the car, and things like that. I've been getting lots of reading time in too and a little bit of time in the hot tub since Josh and I switched from staying with my parents to a place that they manage---the mattress was causing sleeplessness. (My dad has just bought a new memory foam pad for it after the second complaint of a child about the mattress. that's my dad....) Anyways. I've had fun taking lots of pictures and playing with kids, as well as reliving moments with siblings. It's amazing how well----oh, wait, we still have more day to get through :-)
Anyways. That's the teaser. Really, I'll try and get more up soon.
God bless us everyone!
Well, my grandfather died yesterday. I'm glad he managed to hold on until the day after my mother's birthday. She seems to be doing pretty well. They're having the funeral after Christmas so that no one is rearranging Christmas plans. That's how he would have wanted it. After my neuro appointment, we are headed to Dallas and than we will be flying out early tomorrow morning. Please pray for good weather for the entire trip as we'll still have a six hour drive with my sister and her family down to Lake City from Denver. :-) and for Josh's sanity as he rides in a minivan with two little kids :-p
I'm having trouble comprehending everything in a way--that I have a break and we're going to Colorado, that I am now down to one grandfather still living (and doing very well). My Grandpa F. was a dear man, who encouraged my love of reading with lots and lots of books. He used to help manage the library at his church. He will be GREATLY missed. He took care of my grandmother for 10 years as her dementia progressed.
Well, we really must finish getting ready to go here. We'll be posting from somewhere....
oops, the cheesecake timer went off
*wanders off*
not ready yet.
Anyways. In the last week I've been swamped trying to finish all the grading, pass out tests, buy Christmas gifts, clean the apartment a bit more comprehensively, bake, sleep, celebrate my birthday, read Memoirs of a Geisha, and laundry, and planning what to do on my half days.
I'm greatly fatigued, but the end is near! I have two more classes to give tests too and hope that they all manage to fill out two scantrons. We also have a potluck at school tomorrow, hence, I'm making a candy cane cheesecake. I've been given a couple of things of candy, and little set of hand lotion/soap/sticky notes/nail file, and a nice huge purse. It's almost a mini-diaper bag.
I'm very ready for a vacation. I was also pleased that people remembered my birthday yesterday, like my mom. She called me and everything. She also was calling though to tell me that my maternal grandfather was dying so that I wouldn't be surprised when she called to tell me it had happened. I have so many feelings....and not as much time to dwell yet. She's worried about a family to-do just because of timing. But it's in God's hands. My grandfather is ready to die, and it would end the great discomfort and pain he has been feeling. But with all of my siblings planning on meeting in Colorado to celebrate Christmas with my parents, it would be hard to do any rearranging. Plus I have a neuro appointment next Monday that while it could be reschedule, I should probably get in sooner than later. So it's going to be hard on me not to go up and say goodbye. I'm not big on funerals anyways though. I like the meeting up with family and unknown friends who share stories and grant me the chance to understand and know a loved one's life. and here I am rambling on selfishly about my feelings. Keep my mom, aunt, and uncle in your prayers.
One day here when I have a clear mind (free of headache) and I'm not distracted by baking items, I shall post about my grandfather and what I know of him.
Sadly.
Well, in this little time I have before I must go to another day of school, I guess I should tell you about some of the exciting times of life. Last Thursday was Josh's birthday and we went to the Christmas parade and had dessert at Carino's. I had also taken him out to lunch. On my way from lunch to school, I started to feel a bit of the heart symptoms....hoping it would pass in what 20 minutes I had before class. Unfortunately they didn't, it just kept getting worse. So, I left school early and went to the doctor to discuss some labwork I had done. Turns out, I had a UTI. Just resting in the doctor's office helped the heart stuff to pass, so after going back to school to retrieve a few things I'd forgotten, I went home and rested more. The parade was a bit of fun. Kind of different from the Lake City parade where the only people not there are the ones working in restaurants serving warm drinks to people watching the parade. It was also entertaining in the general Southern feel here and there.
Friday passed uneventfully at school and after making some calls to get a head count, we headed over to Joe's to give them a 10 minute warning about our 19 person crew. I'm glad we went early because they had us set up in 2. I sat inside because it was warm and was downing yet another glass of water for the antibiotics and people started to trickle in. We ordered food. It was good. and think they gave us a discount because the bill was less than what I had expected. I left a decent tip though. It was crazy because it worked out to less than $5 a person.... Then we went to Marshall and walked and drove to see the lights and Christmas displays, and than sat around for a little while in the wonderful coffeehouse. At which point we all parted ways and went home.
Saturday was another math/science meet. It's really boring from the perspective of a coach because we're all locked away grading the tests. The team won, so that was good. I went home and made Josh a belated birthday cake and we had dinner and fun times at the Toad's. Sunday was church and an afternoon of grading for me. Dinner at the Litterski's-yum! and more grading to go when I got home.
The week since then has passed by fairly uneventfully. One more week with today and tomorrow! So there's the update.