I'm Really Trying

 I've been trying to get back to blogging, I really have.

The hard part is that I like to talk about my day, what I have been doing...

These days are filled with my mom.

Her estate, bills, insurance, condolences and questions...

Last week I spent three hours with our attorney, who also was a high school classmate.

I spent one whole day tracking down papers and records.

I spent one whole day with my brother, packing up the kitchen.

I used to call my mother every evening, chatting for an hour...

It was easy, this is not.

Moving on...if you have been here for any length of time, you know...

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year!

I love Christmas so much that I offered to send my kids to their respective in-laws

for all other holidays just so I could have my entire family together for Christmas eve.

It's been a tradition in my mom's family as long as I can remember.

We cleaned and mom and my aunts baked.  We decorated and planned...

We sang, oh did we ever sing!  We waited for the nightly news and 

the announcement that Santa was in the area!

This year, this might be the first time we won't be doing this...

So many things standing in the way...

Hit me like a ton of bricks...

I can't wrap my head around adapting...

My gifts are bought, not wrapped.

My decorations are finally down from the attic but not unpacked...

Teagan and Locklan came yesterday and decorated the tree,

Oh my, what a mess that is!

It's in the middle of the living room floor.

Only one tree...

Only ONE tree!

One tree must mean it's almost Christmas...

If you have read this far, here's a reminder that even though we're all nuts, Jesus is the reason for the season!

Back soon.

That Was Easter?

Not one smidgen of chocolate...

Not one hard boiled egg...

Not one person walking in our door.

Seriously, that was Easter?

I was hesitant to get out of bed.

I was afraid that once I celebrated the resurrection of Christ,

it would be all down hill.

Then my phone rang.  

It was my oldest son, Michael.  

We had a wonderful, long talk.

I talked to Andy.

He and Locklan spent the night at camp, 

they came  home early that morning.

Mindy and Tony announced they were dropping off our Easter dinner...

We had ham AND turkey,scalloped potatoes, gravy, asparagus

AND we got to see Henry, sitting in his car seat!

Later we got to see this...

Isn't he adorable?

Andy and Ashley took the kids on a bike ride...

It was such a beautiful day and they were able to observe social distancing!

Yesterday evening, I called Andy to tell him I was on my way 

to do a

 driveway drop off of the kids Easter cards.

Andy and Ashley let the kids out in the yard so I could see them

I got to facetime Henry,

Talk to my mom for nearly an hour,

Watch a few Brit-coms

and that was Easter

without a smidgen of chocolate!

Stay inside, stay healthy, stay safe!

Short and Sweet!

I can't believe that Christmas is almost here.

I've been busy, had to take mom to the oncologist

(where Teagan and Locklan entertained everyone in the waiting room).

Mom had been complaining about feeling drained and fuzzy headed.

She chalked it up to being 88.

Her doctor sent her to the hospital for a blood transfusion!

They gave her 2 units of blood and she says she feel like a new, 88 year old, woman!

I still can't get around very well, but it's so much better than if was 4 or 5 months ago.

I downsized my decorating...

Went from 5 trees to two, one inside, one outside...

The inside tree has been decorated, undecorated and redecorated several times...

I let the kids do it!

A couple of years ago, I bought a Tree Dazzler after Christmas for $5

and promptly forgot about it.

I found it this week and got it out for the kids...

They decided it was more fun to decorate themselves...

Kids!

We took the kids to the mall, just to walk by Santa.  

Locklan actually talked to him, from a distance.

Teagan just screamed!

I had some shopping to do, but to leave the mall, we had to walk past Santa.

He saw us and waved and said bye bye.

Teagan waved and said bye to him.

The next day, she pointed to a picture of Santa and said Santa!

I asked her what Santa said.

Her answer:  Bye bye!

I'm done shopping but have not begun to wrap...

I had one snafu...

I bought a gift for Ashley from Amazon...

I checked online and it said it had been delivered to my mailbox!

I sent Mr. K out to retrieve it.

It was not there!

Amazon's web site said to give it 48 hours...

I did, still no gift.

I called Amazon, talked to a robot who authorized a refund on my credit card.

I reordered it.

It came in two days

The original came two days after that, 

The envelope had been torn open, wrapped in packing tape

and held together with a rubber band!

Someone opened it (hopefully by mistake)

and decided I deserved it.

I think I have as many returns as I do gifts!

Tonight we're going to a party at Mark's nephew's house.

I feel so blessed that the family still includes me.

Now I have to find an ugly Christmas sweater!

Wow, guess this isn't all that short.

Hope it was sweet!

You have to see this...

Yesterday the entire family got together to wish Henry a happy birthday.

Both our side of the family and Mindy's was there...

The only person missing was my oldest grandson, JR.

My family hasn't been all together since last Christmas!

We seem to follow the church and do 'small groups.'

I didn't get many photos, but you have to see the one Ashley and Mindy took...

My mom and the little grands.

Yes, it took both Ashley and Mindy to take it!

Precious, isn't it?

~sigh~

He is my Sunshine

On  Friday I took Locklan and Teagan to visit my mom, Grandma Toots.

She turned 88 on Tuesday.

Locklan asked her if she knew how to sing You Are My Sunshine.

My mom, who has been singing since birth, pretended that she 

didn't know it.

Locklan sang it for her

I wish I had recorded the video...

It was precious!

I stole this

I don't encourage plagiarism, 

but I had to share a Facebook post by my son, Tony:

I took this photo of my Grandma and Henry and she asked if I was going to put it on Craigslist. She said that’s how people get murdered. 86 years difference between these two. They are more similar than one might think!

Not All Grandmas are Great...

Last week, Locklan came to spend the night...

I love those times and try to make them special...

He's growing so quickly, it was time for new grandma-house pajamas...

He was pretty tickled with them!

The next day, we played with one of our favorite things,

those glass stones from the dollar store!

We make designs, we separate them into colors, 

we even count them...

Over the past few months, we've accumulated about 8 pounds of them...

How do I know?

Our latest project...

We weighed them on the kitchen scale!

Lunch time, Locklan showed off his chop stick ability...

He even figured out how to eat a peanut butter sandwich!

Later, Andy and Teagan picked us up and we went to visit my mom...

Teagan loves Grandma Toots as long as she can sit on Dad's lap!

Yesterday, Tony, Andy and Locklan went out to play with their RC trucks...

Mr K and I went sectional shopping...

But I couldn't make up my mind...

And since Mr K has had a hankering for German Food,

We headed for one of our favorites...

Max's Allegheny Tavern

so he could chow down on Stuffed Kielbasa!

That should keep him happy for a while!

~soooooooo~

It's still sunny out there, 

Mr K announced he has a cold...

sooooooo I'm going shopping!

It's all her fault!

Honestly...

I have been trying to be a good blogger,

Keeping things in order...

 

I really wanted my next blog post to be about the wedding ceremony...

 

And the reception!  Oh what a great celebration (with one hitch)...

I have photos of the honeymoon (yes, Ron and I went too!),

and even Christmas with the Red Sock Family...

 

But first, do you remember this exciting little episode with my mother?

 

That's when she had major surgery and was out of commission for a month...

 

What I didn't tell you, and I don't want to go into much detail here is that

she was escorted out of the wedding reception via EMS

and by 1:00 AM, was in surgery to repair a twisted intestine!

 

That recovery was short in comparison to the last one...

We made it through Christmas, New Year and even a few weeks into the new year...

 

On Sunday, Mr K and I were getting ready to go out when I got a call...

 

It was a nurse from the local hospital with an update on my mom...

 

Update?

MY mom?

Seems she was back in the hospital,

admitted on Saturday night!

 

When we got there on Sunday, she was really sick and in tremendous pain.

 

I spent yesterday with her and am getting ready to go down there again today...

 

They aren't sure what is going on...there is much poking and prodding going on...

 

Looks like there might be more surgery in the next day or so.

 

Keep mom in your prayers?

She's 86 and until a few days before her 86th birthday, had been doing well!

 

So...if you were waiting for the wedding photos, blame her...

 

And they will come soon, I promise!