Home at last

Soooo happy to be home. Sleeping in my own bed last night was wonderful. Waking up in my own bed was even better!

Today has been spent cleaning and getting the laundry done. And resting, lots of resting.

I just about did too much yesterday, what with all the furniture rearranging. Did I mention I moved an entire king sized bed all by myself? Well, I did. All by myself. After a week in the hospital with Donald, I needed some physical activity and I think I managed to get quite a bit in the past few days. So much, that today I am very sore! But I am glad I was able to do some things to make life a little easier for my in-laws. I cleaned and grocery shopped on Thursday, moved furniture and cooked on Friday and drove home that night.

I took this picture on Wednesday before they told us we could take Donald home. He had a very rough day and night on Tuesday, so this was especially sweet.

I will be going back to Glenpool on Monday to help out some more. Hopefully I will have recovered from the past 8 days.

TGIF even if it is the 13th

Wow, what a week this has been. We made it to Tulsa on the 5th and I haven't been home since!
Ed's dad was not doing well at all and could not be left alone, so Ed and I spent the next 5 nights attempting to sleep in recliners in my FIL's hospital room. I finally sent Ed home to sleep in a real bed on Tuesday night and stayed with his dad by myself. Ed's back situation is precarious at best and he needed a good firm bed to keep it from going completely out on him. Plus, his mom was pretty close to total exhaustion and was in need of a good dinner and an early bedtime.

Finally on Wednesday, the Dr.'s said he could come home!! We were packed and ready in a flash. A week in the hospital with basically no sleep and not the best of eating habits was more than enough for all of us! But of course after staying up all night for a week, it was nearly impossible to sleep that first night. Last night was a little better and tonight I will be sleeping in my very own bed!! Ed's sister will stay the weekend and if needed I will come back on Monday. While I certainly don't mind coming back and helping, I would rather he be doing well enough that I am not needed. We are getting concerned about Ed's mom as well, she has been under so much stress the past few months, with her sister's illness and recent death and now Donald's health problems. We are just trying to make sure she doesn't end up in the hospital bed beside him next time.

So, TGIF the 13th, a lucky day as far as I am concerned!!

PaPa

My father-in-law isn't doing well. He had surgery a week ago to remove the hardware from his previous back surgery and is still having intense pain. Pain that morphine doesn't seem to be touching. He has been to the ER twice now, once by ambulance and is currently in the hospital. We are going to Tulsa as soon as Ed can tie up some things at work. I am so worried about MaMa (my MIL). She has been taking care of him for months now as well as taking care of her sister Gladys. With the funeral for Gladys this week and PaPa's issues, I know she is wearing down. Both physically and emotionally. Hopefully she will allow us to take over and do somethings for them both and take care of herself. You see it so often, a spouse or family member becomes ill and the caretaker ends up in as bad if not worse shape than the person they are caring for. I just don't want to see this happen to MaMa.

PaPa, MaMa and Pa.


It is so hard to watch the people you love age and become frail. I have known my in-laws since I was 13 years old (they didn't become my in-laws until I was 18) and it is just so hard to see the way they have aged. They were really very young when I first met them. Only in their early 30's. Now they are in their early 70's. I am so thankful for all the years I have known them and hope to have them around for many more. I know how truly blessed I am to have them as my in-laws. Not everyone has this kind of relationship with with their spouse's family and I know how fortunate I am. So, we will go to them and do for them what they will allow us to do. Hopefully we will be able to offer some comfort.

Getting along

Happy to report that MomaKat has decided to forgive Puddy for whatever he did to tick her off. They actually both cuddled on my lap yesterday at the same time! She did however hiss at him once last night, but so far has not been terrorizing him the way she has for the past 2 weeks or so.

Still don't know what set her off, just glad she is getting back to her old self and Puddy can walk thru the room without fearing for his life.

On another note, just heard from Kaci, she won Best Costume at both of the Halloween parties she attended!! So I guess all my hard work was not in vain. Just hope this doesn't encourage her or anyone else to think I can start doing this regularly.....

Kaci, as Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink! Not bad, considering how long it has been since I last attempted to sew anything.

Rest in Peace Aunt Gladys

Aunt Gladys passed away last night. I am just so sad that she wasn't able to come back from her fall. I am happy I was able to spend some time with her last Sunday. When I walked out of the room, she was sitting up, her eyes were bright and I had high hopes that she was going to battle back from all of this. But it wasn't meant to be.

I don't know what the arrangements are yet. I hope to talk to Lovella later today and find out the details. I feel so sorry for Lovella, she is the only remaining member of her family. Gladys was her last sibling. I can't imagine how that must feel. I have only lost my mother and I feel so lost some days.

I love you Aunt Gladys and I hope you are at peace now, reunited with Kenneth, your parents and siblings. Thank you for always making me feel a part of your family. We may not have been related by blood, but you were my Aunt in all the ways that really mattered.

I will miss you.

TGIF

Boy, am I glad this week is finally over!

A brief rundown....

Sunday, Tulsa for a visit with Ed's dad before his surgery
Monday, I go back to Tulsa for the surgery, Ed to Cali
Monday night, I go to OKC to begin making Kaci's Halloween costume, call my dad on the way and find out my brother is having surgery Tuesday morning in OKC.
Tuesday morning, 6:30am, I am on my way to the hospital to be with my Dad and brother.
Tuesday afternoon, surgery is over, searching for pattern to make this costume..
Tuesday night, pulling my hair out, wondering what could have made me think I could still sew...
I mean seriously, it took me 10 minutes to remember how to load the stupid bobbin with thread!! And cutting out the pattern? The scissors were pure torture and it took me until the next day to discover why.
Wednesday morning at approximately 1:30am finally going to bed
Wednesday morning at approximately 8:00am sewing again...
Wednesday afternoon at approximately 3:00pm I am done, I have given it my best and I am going home! Oh and the reason the scissors hurt my hand so badly while I was cutting? The brand new scissors that Kaci bought just for me to use? THEY WERE LEFT HANDED SCISSORS!!!!!! My finger is still swollen!!
Stopped off in Shawnee for a visit with Patty and Thomas, he was 2 weeks old the last time I saw him and he is 6 months old now!! Sweet little boy.
Thursday morning, woke up in my own bed!! Yayyyy. The kitties were so happy to see me and I am so glad to be home.
Thursday night, Ed finally makes it home from Cali. I even made it to the grocery store and made some very yummy enchiladas thanks to the Pioneer Woman's recipe!!
TGIF!!!!!!!

Company's comin!

Yep, finally getting some company here in the hills of Arkansas. We don't get near as many visitors as I would like. I became so used to having a house full of kids while my girls were growing up and it has been quite a change since they have left us with an empty nest. So when we are fortunate enough to have visitors, I get very excited. Especially when those visitors are friends of the girls and I don't get to see them very often. So today, this is who is coming to see me.

And this is what she looked like 3 years ago today! She was Kari's roommate all 4 years at the Naval Academy and 1 year in Hawaii. I love this girl!! She has the sweetest heart and has been a very good friend to Kari. She flew all the way from Hawaii to be a bridesmaid in Kari's wedding. And wore this dress. I don't think she is a big fan of dresses, so this was a big deal for her. And I totally understand, as I am not much of a dress wearer either. I wore pants to the wedding. Wore a dress to Alissa's, said that was the last one I would wear and so far, it has been. Yep, 7 years since I had a dress on. Don't like em, not gonna wear em. But I digress, back to my company. So excited to see Alli Moon in a few hours!!

She is bringing her dog she rescued from Iraq. Alli is an EOD officer. She explodes things in a safe way so that they don't hurt people. When she told me she was choosing this for her service selection I nearly cried. This is a very dangerous line of work. It took her to Iraq and thank the good Lord, she came back home. While she was there, her unit adopted 2 dogs and when it was time to come home, they managed to get the dogs out of Iraq as well. So Duke is now living the good life with Alli and will get to see the hills of Arkansas as well. Wonder what he will think of it? : )

Better get busy, I am making a couple of new recipes and I want to make sure it is all yummy for her.

I love company!! : )