Good Riddance!!

Tucson

As I sit here I am counting down to the end of this horrible year.  I have 100 minutes left of 2009 and I can't get rid of it quick enough.  This has truly been a horrible year for us.  Just a recap.

Jan   --  My brother Dick starts out the year in the hospital and comes home mid January and dies Jan 21.

Feb.  --  Our wonderful doctor dies of a sudden heart attack.  Leaves us scrambling for a new doctor.

Mar --   Al becomes sick while we are visiting friends in Lake Havasu.  I get him back to Tucson as fast as I can.  He winds up in the hospital with a staph infection and ultimately has to have one of his knee replacements re-done. He spends 28 days in hospital/rehab. 

On a good note, we welcome Ada JoEllen into the world, great granddaughter #4.

Apr. --  Al goes back into the hospital for a couple of days as his picc line is infected.  ENOUGH of the hospitals!

May  --  We are prepared to leave Tucson and head back to Washington, however, we are held up because I am having some medical problems......

June  --  We finally head north...Al takes a nasty fall in Idaho Falls, ID and cracks two ribs. 

July  --  In Alaska, we hold my brothers memorial.  Then a few days later his daughter, my niece dies.

Aug --   We take a cruise from Alaska to Vancouver....and we had a good month..FINALLY!!!

Sept.  -- Billie and Dan almost lose their home to the horrible brush fire that engulfs southern California.  

Oct. --  Finally, a fairly quiet month.  We get back to Tucson in one piece and start to breath a sigh of relief...this year is almost over.  However, end of Oct. Jennifer calls and says she will have to have a hysterectomy...pre cancer cells have shown their ugly heads.

Nov. -  We fly back to Seattle to help Jennifer through surgery and get her back on her feet.  She is doing well.
Also in Nov. we fly to Missouri to meet great granddaughters Sophie and Ada and to visit with Grandson David and Tiffany.  We spend Thanksgiving with Mike, Bev, Sarah and other two great granddaughters, Natasha and Nadia.

Dec.  --  It's almost over, this year of 2009, but not before it knocks us around one more time.  Natasha has a small brain tumor and is operated on for removal.  She bounces back quickly, thank God, but is it really over?  We won't know for sure until 2010 if she will have to have radiation or chemo. 

So the drama that was 2009 is almost gone.  I can only pray that 2010 will be a much better year for us. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all our family and friends.......I have 62 minutes left of 2009.  Not gonna answer my phone................

Merry Christmas

Tucson,  68 degrees
Ah, Christmas.....all the hustle, bustle and rush is over.  Now to sit back and enoy. 

This Christmas is a little different for us in that Jennifer, who usually flys to where ever we are for xmas isn't here.  We are all, and when I say all, all of our kids and us, are going on a cruise next month, so Jenn elected to stay in Seattle for xmas this year.  I have talked to almost all of our kids today, or texted them. '

Today I am mostly reminded of Christmas' past.  I remember childhood Christmases where we opened our presents on xmas eve.  We usually went to my Aunt and Uncles for dinner and Mom or Dad would always dissappear for a while after dinner.  Then when we got home Santa would have been to our house.  I was told we were first on his list of deliveries.  I knew we didn't have much money, but we always had gifts and lots of love.

Then I remember when my children were small....the wonderment on their little faces when they would see the tree with Santa's gifts under it.   Jenn shared some pictures today of her and Melanie on xmas morning and I was instantly transported back in time. 

And last, but certainly not least, my prayers for our men and women that serve our country, either in the military, or as police and fire fighters....they are our hero's.  I am fortunate to have our adopted daughter Billie and her husband Dan, Billie as a Lt. in the LA County Sherriff department and Dan as a fireman in Los Angeles City Fire Dept....our own personal hero's. 

We are both so very thankful that our great grand daughter Natasha who had a tumor removed from her brain a week ago is doing well and home from the hospital.  We are also so very thankful for our entire family, Mike, Bev, Stephen, Sarah, Natasha, Nadia; Jerry, Jennifer; Melanie, Ron, Victor, Lori; Ric, Janet, Ashley, Cammie; David, TIffany, Sophie and Ada; Billie and Dan, our wonderful children, grandchildren and great grand children...we are so blessed.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Bah Humbug

Tucson
Boy, talk about someone being the Bah Humbug Christmas elf...that would be me.  I am not in the Christmas mood  and can't seem to get into the spirit.  I do have some of the outside lights hung, and the Christmas cards are done and mailed (thank goodness); but for the rest of it, UGH!

Part of the problem is my great grand daughter Natasha.  Natasha is Sarah's oldest child, (10) Mike and Bev's grand daughter.  Last week Natasha wasn't feeling good and Sarah took her into the ER.  What they found was shocking!  Natasha has a mass (tumor) on one of the 4 main veins into the brain.  Natasha will have surgery on Friday, Dec. 18 to remove the tumor.  Please pray for her and her family.  Needless to say I am worried sick.

In other news, our weather has been great...however, last week it was cold and rainy.  Our friend Carolyn was here from Seattle last week for a visit and the weather did not cooperate....it was cold, rainy, windy and generally ugly while she was here.  We had a good visit and hope she will come back, the weather isn't always rotten.

Our wild animal kingdom is alive and well.  The other night we had 12 javalina's around our flag pole and they stole the quail block we had out to feed our birds.  Drove the dogs crazy!!!  Then yesterday morning I let the dogs out because they were barking and saw why they were barking...2 bobcats were walking up our road.  Plus the coyotes seem to be busy singing every night.  It can get very noisy around here at times!!

We have done our donation to our local food banks and Toys for Tot's and I have a few bags of clothes ready to go to the local clothing bank.  Have you made your donation yet?  Support your local food banks and Toys for Tots to ensure that a needy family will have a Merry Christmas.

Our Christmas wish for everyone is simple...peace, joy, happiness and good health. 

Hmmm---it's been a while

Tucson
I thought I had posted a blog from St. Louis, but guess I didn't! 

We had a fabulous time in St. Louis with Mike, Bev, Sarah, Natasha and Nadia.  What a treat for me....Bev pretty much wouldn't let me do anything and I got some much needed rest.  Mike took over the care of Al for the most part and Bev and I played.  One day (in a horrible rain storm) we set out to find a Quilt shop in Florissant,MO.  Helen's Hen House Quilt Shop...what a great place.  It is in one of the many old mansions in the area.   One day we went to the mall; had lunch at St. Louis Bread Company, which for everyone else is Panera Bread Co.  One day all of us went to 5 Guys Hamburgers...that was good as well.  But for the most part we relaxed and enjoyed the wonderful hospitality of Mike and Bev and their great cooking. 

Nadia and Natasha

Natasha is growing up so fast....at 10 years old she is already beautiful....and nice.  Nadia is a typical 2 year old, cute as can be and into everything she can think of.  She really is a good baby, not fussy or cranky at all.  At least when she was with us....Sarah may differ with that tho.

But it all has to end, and on Friday after turkey day we headed back to Kansas City to catch our flight to Phoenix, but not without seeing David, Tiffany, Sophie and Ada one more time. 

We arrived back in Phoenix 30 minutes early (love SW Airlines!!) and got to our hotel early.  We were both tired, but looking forward to a nice dinner out and then bed.  Got to our car and guess what?  DEAD BATTERY!  Dinner was delivered pizza!!!  The next morning AAA came out and installed a new battery...I knew I was on the ragged edge of needing one, just trying to eke out another few starts!!!

We met Dick and Lano in Gila Bend and picked up the dogs.  Boy were we glad to see them.  And they were glad to be home, however, not getting as spoiled as they were when they were with Dick and Lano.

Since we have been home we have had several doctor appointments.  AL is doing fine; however, I am having trouble with carpal tunnel and will have to have surgery sometime in the near future.  I am going to try and postpone it until after the cruise in January.

Now I am deep into Christmas...cards, decorations, etc.  Last Sunday I baked 20 doz cookies; 10 doz went to the cookie drive for our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq; 10 doz went into my freezer for future use!

Good friend of ours, Carolyn from Seattle will arrive here this Saturday for a short visit and we are both anxious to see her.  That will distract me from Christmas for a while, which is fine with me.  I am just not ready for the holidays. 

It is cooling down nicely here....tonight in the low 30's, but during the day in the 60's.  We are suppose to get rain over the weekend and part of next week, which will be fine with us as we really need the rain.  I imagine Carolyn won't be to happy with it tho!!!

Jenn is doing well...had her post op appointment today and all is well.  Thank goodness.  She is having a hard time with no appetite and has lost 14 pounds in the last month...wish I could say the same.  Oh well, such is life.

Until next time, live every day as if it was your last....life is ment to be lived.