Two months today...that's how long it's been since my last post. I am truly sorry. My intention is to blog on a fairly regular basis so I can continue to keep my blog followers coming back to check for more updates. I don't have a good enough excuse for why I haven't posted in two months, just that I haven't. So...let's start fresh. Here's what's been going on:
October
Brooke was made an honorary firefighter with the Clovis Fire Department on 10-3. She made the local paper and the news in Amarillo, Roswell and Albq. It was a great day full of lots of friends and more good memories. We love our firefighter family just as they have come to love Brooke. And now she is one of them. We are so proud!! You should see her helmet!!
Made several trips to the dentist in Albq. and we ordered new (bigger/heavier) wheelchair for Brooke, which made us realize that what we currently drive isn't going to work with a bigger chair. Not with luggage too. So...the "mini van" discussions started. Mike is freaking out at this point. Never wanted a van. Feeling a little less masculine or something? Ha.
September
Dental and Immunology appointments. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Brooke informs us on 9-22 that she needs to see Mickey Mouse. She "worked" on her dad for 3 days and finally wore him down. Looks like we're going to Disneyworld next summer.
November
Another trip to the dentist.
Can't seem to get Brooke well. She's struggled with allergies/sinus congestion since September. Multiple docs/meds.
I sold my Highlander (White Lightening). This was a sad day for me. I loved that SUV! But I sold her to a good friend who was taking it to her sister in Ohio. Her new name is Snow Baby and from what I hear...everyone is happy. Eula Mae Hankins is on order (my mini van). She is due to arrive the first or second week of December, so in the meantime...I am sporting a fancy yellow car.
We got denied Brooke's wheelchair, but I am appealing it. Goofy process!
Mike finished cross country and had a really good season. Yea Clovis CC!
I am taking two classes at Wayland...3 more to go once I finish these two. Homework is a little more than I planned on having, so bear with me.
Preparing for Christmas...have done a little online shopping but really need to take a trip to Amarillo soon! We'll start the decorating process next week...Brooke will be THRILLED! She's wanted us to put the tree up since July!
I guess that's about everything in a nutshell. I promise to do better.
Thanks to everyone for sticking with me and continuing to come back to the blog for updates. I love you all!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Thanks Friona!
Four years ago this month marked a bittersweet time in my life. It was my 20th class reunion. Two days pre-reunion my dad died and two days post-reunion he was buried. And while that 5 day period was hard and painful, I thank God for the events of that weekend and for my classmates. They helped make an unbearable time in my life a little better. You see, I was blessed by growing up in a small town. Most of my us went to school together for 13 years, and when you have a class size of 74...you get really close. Don't get me wrong, I'm not dissing big schools, I'm just saying I feel really blessed to have a close, personal friendship with a lot of my classmates. They're family.
Two weeks ago, I attended Friona's all-school reunion. It was the 100th anniversary of the schools and I had so much fun! It was neat seeing all of the history, not to mention the people. Our family alone represented classes from the 40's, 50's, 60's and 80's. (And yes, my Granny was there with her date.) I was thankful that UH didn't remember T and I. There's a lot of unsolved mysteries from the 80's. Ha. And it was nice to learn that Mr. P. didn't retire because of me and D. And how in the world does Mrs. R. remember seating charts from 25 years ago? And sweet Mrs. O still looks the same. She was one of my favorite teachers and represented her Friona class from 1936, I believe. So many memories!
Class of 83...it was great seeing our Seniors! J...you're as crazy as ever; always fun to be around. I know coming home can't be easy. J, you inspire me...where do you get the strength and courage to do all that you do? Sign me up! And J...when God closes a door, he opens a window. It was so nice seeing you again. Hang in there my friend!
Class of 85...thanks for letting us hang with you guys. What fun! It was nice seeing each of you. B, you amaze me; what a success story! S, thanks for asking about my daughter - it meant a lot to me. T...what can I say...your wit keeps me laughing. B...you haven't changed bit. And M...as sweet as ever...I enjoyed our talk. And R and J...I love you guys; you made band so much fun!
Class of 86...sorry you had to be the lone male J, but you can honestly say that you were a chick magnet! T and D...I enjoyed rehashing horror stories from the past. M, thanks for being my date...so happy you have J in your life! M, it was great seeing you, my Land of Enchantment comrade.
Good friends and great memories!
Two weeks ago, I attended Friona's all-school reunion. It was the 100th anniversary of the schools and I had so much fun! It was neat seeing all of the history, not to mention the people. Our family alone represented classes from the 40's, 50's, 60's and 80's. (And yes, my Granny was there with her date.) I was thankful that UH didn't remember T and I. There's a lot of unsolved mysteries from the 80's. Ha. And it was nice to learn that Mr. P. didn't retire because of me and D. And how in the world does Mrs. R. remember seating charts from 25 years ago? And sweet Mrs. O still looks the same. She was one of my favorite teachers and represented her Friona class from 1936, I believe. So many memories!
Class of 83...it was great seeing our Seniors! J...you're as crazy as ever; always fun to be around. I know coming home can't be easy. J, you inspire me...where do you get the strength and courage to do all that you do? Sign me up! And J...when God closes a door, he opens a window. It was so nice seeing you again. Hang in there my friend!
Class of 85...thanks for letting us hang with you guys. What fun! It was nice seeing each of you. B, you amaze me; what a success story! S, thanks for asking about my daughter - it meant a lot to me. T...what can I say...your wit keeps me laughing. B...you haven't changed bit. And M...as sweet as ever...I enjoyed our talk. And R and J...I love you guys; you made band so much fun!
Class of 86...sorry you had to be the lone male J, but you can honestly say that you were a chick magnet! T and D...I enjoyed rehashing horror stories from the past. M, thanks for being my date...so happy you have J in your life! M, it was great seeing you, my Land of Enchantment comrade.
Good friends and great memories!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
My Dad
Today marks 4 years since my dad died. It was a sad, hard day. I'm so grateful that dad is no longer in pain, but I still miss him. My dad was the king of dry wit. He was funny, but in a really off-beat way. I miss that. I miss talking to him; he was my biggest supporter. I miss his voice, hearing him call me sweetheart. I miss his smell...he always smelled so fresh and soap-clean. I mostly miss the relationship he had with Brooke. He played such an intrigal role in my child's life and at times, she doesn't know what to do without him. While I hate that so much of his life was spent disabled, I am thankful for the time it allowed him to be with his family. Sometimes the hardships in life change us in ways we can never imagine. Dad was Brooke and Briana's best friend.
The last 5 days with Brooke have been hard. She is sick and and has been a real booger-bear at times. Something occurred to me today...she knows it is the time of year when her granddad died. How does she know? She can't read a calendar. I haven't talked about it in front of her. And...oddly enough, she hasn't seen me cry. So how does she know September 14th? Isn't that amazing! It certainly explains her outbursts lately! I can't imagine feeling pain or confusion or grief and not being able to express your feelings. Friday, she grabbed her pillow that has a pillow case with a picture of granddad and her and cried. She kept pointing up to heaven. This morning I had to come home from work for a while...the sitter called because Brooke was screaming and crying. She wanted her mommie at home, she doesn't feel good, and she pointed to heaven and asked for granddad again. Broke my heart. My dad left a huge void in Brooke's life. Her was her bestie!
Life is so uncertain...please enjoy time with family and friends and thank God every day for those you love. Rest in peace dad!
The last 5 days with Brooke have been hard. She is sick and and has been a real booger-bear at times. Something occurred to me today...she knows it is the time of year when her granddad died. How does she know? She can't read a calendar. I haven't talked about it in front of her. And...oddly enough, she hasn't seen me cry. So how does she know September 14th? Isn't that amazing! It certainly explains her outbursts lately! I can't imagine feeling pain or confusion or grief and not being able to express your feelings. Friday, she grabbed her pillow that has a pillow case with a picture of granddad and her and cried. She kept pointing up to heaven. This morning I had to come home from work for a while...the sitter called because Brooke was screaming and crying. She wanted her mommie at home, she doesn't feel good, and she pointed to heaven and asked for granddad again. Broke my heart. My dad left a huge void in Brooke's life. Her was her bestie!
Life is so uncertain...please enjoy time with family and friends and thank God every day for those you love. Rest in peace dad!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Slash with a side of Smiley -- Another trip to the Dentist
I got the idea of "Slash with a side of Smiley" from an incident at work last week. Funny how life experiences give us the very topics for which to write about. The story goes like this: I sent an mail asking for communication to include me. It was a very simple, polite request that made complete sense for the situation in which it was intended. What I got back was some really harsh and stinging words followed by a smiley face. I felt like I had been slashed with a knife! Here's the deal...a smiley face doesn't ease the pain, nor does it negate the ugliness of the words. The lesson here is that we all need to be careful what we say. There's no need to be ugly to people. Words, both written and spoken, cannot be taken back so be careful what you write and say. Choose your words wisely. Most importantly, use smiley faces appropriately. Let's reserve them for happy words!
We will be taking a day-trip to Albuquerque Tuesday for a follow-up with the dentist. This is the visit to determine if the tooth knocked loose during our last appointment can remain or if it has to be pulled. Mike can't go so my mom will be making this stressful trip with us. Please pray for our safety there and back and a successful appointment. Pray for Brooke to be as tolerant as possible with the process, for lessened stress, heightened tolerance, and no sedation issues. Pray for minimal bleeding, no more x-ray cuts in her mouth and most importantly for no infections or complications. There are no words for just how stressful dental appointments are for Brooke. Please pray for mom and I for patience, tolerance and strength. Other than surgeries, dental appointments are the most stressful things we have to endure. May God be with Brooke, holding her hand, letting her know she is never alone.
We will be taking a day-trip to Albuquerque Tuesday for a follow-up with the dentist. This is the visit to determine if the tooth knocked loose during our last appointment can remain or if it has to be pulled. Mike can't go so my mom will be making this stressful trip with us. Please pray for our safety there and back and a successful appointment. Pray for Brooke to be as tolerant as possible with the process, for lessened stress, heightened tolerance, and no sedation issues. Pray for minimal bleeding, no more x-ray cuts in her mouth and most importantly for no infections or complications. There are no words for just how stressful dental appointments are for Brooke. Please pray for mom and I for patience, tolerance and strength. Other than surgeries, dental appointments are the most stressful things we have to endure. May God be with Brooke, holding her hand, letting her know she is never alone.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Hmmmm....
Hello friends. It's been a while since my last blog so here goes...
Good day at work. MADE IT HAPPEN. Willed it to happen. I decided that today was going to be a good day so it was. Should I try two for two?
Do you ever wonder why some people have quirky pet-peeves? I usually don't mind them as long as they keep they're kept to themselves. I had one "thrown at me" today that has left me scratching my head ever since it happened. Actually, it's left me devising ways to purposely drive this person nuts. Ha. I was nice...I obeyed and kept my mouth shut, but I wanted to say, "What does it matter? Does it affect how I get things done?REALLY! Guess some folks just feel better nit-picking their way through life. Whatever floats their boat. Do you feel like a bigger person now? Woooo. ***INSERT SARCASM***
Ok, so I just learned that my 85 year old grandmother has a date in a few weeks to an event I will be attending. Serious. She has a date. How odd will that be? Something I keep reminding myself of...no one deserves to be alone. Hope she has lots of fun!! You go Granny!
Brookie is still feeling well - Praise God! She is so much fun. She's has been a hugger, a toe kisser, a noggin rubber, a birthday song singer, the boogey-woogey queen, and a chronic giggler for days and days and days. It's cute. Entertaining too! I invite all friends to our house for a good dose of BROOKE. She's just the ticket for whatever ails you!
Prayers out to the sick, the hurting, the lost...
Good day at work. MADE IT HAPPEN. Willed it to happen. I decided that today was going to be a good day so it was. Should I try two for two?
Do you ever wonder why some people have quirky pet-peeves? I usually don't mind them as long as they keep they're kept to themselves. I had one "thrown at me" today that has left me scratching my head ever since it happened. Actually, it's left me devising ways to purposely drive this person nuts. Ha. I was nice...I obeyed and kept my mouth shut, but I wanted to say, "What does it matter? Does it affect how I get things done?REALLY! Guess some folks just feel better nit-picking their way through life. Whatever floats their boat. Do you feel like a bigger person now? Woooo. ***INSERT SARCASM***
Ok, so I just learned that my 85 year old grandmother has a date in a few weeks to an event I will be attending. Serious. She has a date. How odd will that be? Something I keep reminding myself of...no one deserves to be alone. Hope she has lots of fun!! You go Granny!
Brookie is still feeling well - Praise God! She is so much fun. She's has been a hugger, a toe kisser, a noggin rubber, a birthday song singer, the boogey-woogey queen, and a chronic giggler for days and days and days. It's cute. Entertaining too! I invite all friends to our house for a good dose of BROOKE. She's just the ticket for whatever ails you!
Prayers out to the sick, the hurting, the lost...
Friday, August 13, 2010
Rough Day
Yesterday was just one of those days. There are really no nice words to describe it. It started out with Brooke having a seizure early yesterday morning. I don't think it was a grand mal, but I can't figure out exactly what kind it is? She has had 3 or 4 like this now and they all pretty much mimic each other. Either the sound she makes or the shaking wakes me up and I find her propped up on her right elbow jerking. It typically lasts anywhere from 10 seconds to maybe 25 seconds and then stops. She usually breaks a sweat and has labored breathing for a minute or two following it. She is coherent within a minute or so and the entire process from onset to totally ok is less than 5 minutes. These are very odd.
The day proceeds with communication issues regarding the respite providers which led to other issues which still have not been resolved. My people tolerance is pretty much gone by this point in the ballgame. Now it's time for the bi-weekly trip to the cancer center for a Neupogen shot. Ok, this was the first time I've taken Brooke with the shot being done in the treatment room. Was not mentally prepared for this! My nerves were already frazzled so it's easy to understand my sadness with seeing the 3 people who were in there undergoing chemotherapy. And while I'm wondering about their situation, I got the sense that they were just as curious about ours. After all, a trip to the treatment room at a cancer center for any reason can't be good. And there we sat. Just a note here to say that these guys are awesome. So patient, and compassionate. So, the shot was given and we walked out of the room. I was fighting back the tears and Brooke managed not to...she proceeded to grab a hold of the bathroom door handle and throw a big fit. It was all I could do to pry her away. In fact, it wasn't until the nurses brought her the basket of goodies that she did give in. Not exactly sure what was up? We fInally made it to the car where I fell apart. Just "one of those days."
The rest of the day was shot for me, I didn't know whether to hide under my desk or cry all afternoon. So...I did what unfortunately seems to come so easy to me these days...I gripped. (Thank you L and D and T for being such a captive audience.) Mike came home exhausted from his first day of school and Brooke's stomach hurt from the high-powered antibiotics she's been on for the past week. We all spent the evening chilling out, which is exactly what this family needed!
The day proceeds with communication issues regarding the respite providers which led to other issues which still have not been resolved. My people tolerance is pretty much gone by this point in the ballgame. Now it's time for the bi-weekly trip to the cancer center for a Neupogen shot. Ok, this was the first time I've taken Brooke with the shot being done in the treatment room. Was not mentally prepared for this! My nerves were already frazzled so it's easy to understand my sadness with seeing the 3 people who were in there undergoing chemotherapy. And while I'm wondering about their situation, I got the sense that they were just as curious about ours. After all, a trip to the treatment room at a cancer center for any reason can't be good. And there we sat. Just a note here to say that these guys are awesome. So patient, and compassionate. So, the shot was given and we walked out of the room. I was fighting back the tears and Brooke managed not to...she proceeded to grab a hold of the bathroom door handle and throw a big fit. It was all I could do to pry her away. In fact, it wasn't until the nurses brought her the basket of goodies that she did give in. Not exactly sure what was up? We fInally made it to the car where I fell apart. Just "one of those days."
The rest of the day was shot for me, I didn't know whether to hide under my desk or cry all afternoon. So...I did what unfortunately seems to come so easy to me these days...I gripped. (Thank you L and D and T for being such a captive audience.) Mike came home exhausted from his first day of school and Brooke's stomach hurt from the high-powered antibiotics she's been on for the past week. We all spent the evening chilling out, which is exactly what this family needed!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Our Brookie is Back!
Hooray...Brookie is back! Yesterday was her turning point. She's back to being silly, giggley and bossy. Ha. She set out all of the usual cake-making ingredients last night and insisted I bake her a spice cake. Plus, she's taken over my iPAD. What's up with that? She is hooked on You Tube videos...she watches totally G-rated things like: Wheels on the Bus, If You're Happy and You Know It, and Itsey Bitsey Spider. OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER!! It looks like Santa may have to start saving up to buy her one of her own! OUCH.
First day of school for Mike today...NOPE, HE'S NOT HAPPY TO BE BACK. Usually I make fun of him since I work year-round and he doesn't have to, but life really is easier when he's home with Brooke taking care of things that I don't have to while he's off. I love that! I also get bummed now because it means winter is around the corner. Winter bums me! I don't like cold weather nor the illnesses that come with it! It scares me with Brooke's health problems.
Had some friends asking for WDW info last night on FB. Little did they know that their request was right up my alley! This psycho trip-research girl was all over that request! I sent them 8 emails. Seriously. I apologized in advance, but I LOVE planning trips! I really think I missed my calling...should be a travel planner. The downside to tonight's trip down Disney lane is that now I want to go back. My dream is to go at Christmas so I can see all of the decorations. I hear it's gorgeous. Maybe some day. It's on my bucket list! T & C...send me a postcard in December!
Prayers to Tina's mom, the baby who shot himself with a brad-nailer, the 14-year old with a brain tumor, my co-workers friend with a mass in her kidney and anyone else who is suffering, struggling or lost. May God bless and comfort everyone.
Night all and God Bless.
First day of school for Mike today...NOPE, HE'S NOT HAPPY TO BE BACK. Usually I make fun of him since I work year-round and he doesn't have to, but life really is easier when he's home with Brooke taking care of things that I don't have to while he's off. I love that! I also get bummed now because it means winter is around the corner. Winter bums me! I don't like cold weather nor the illnesses that come with it! It scares me with Brooke's health problems.
Had some friends asking for WDW info last night on FB. Little did they know that their request was right up my alley! This psycho trip-research girl was all over that request! I sent them 8 emails. Seriously. I apologized in advance, but I LOVE planning trips! I really think I missed my calling...should be a travel planner. The downside to tonight's trip down Disney lane is that now I want to go back. My dream is to go at Christmas so I can see all of the decorations. I hear it's gorgeous. Maybe some day. It's on my bucket list! T & C...send me a postcard in December!
Prayers to Tina's mom, the baby who shot himself with a brad-nailer, the 14-year old with a brain tumor, my co-workers friend with a mass in her kidney and anyone else who is suffering, struggling or lost. May God bless and comfort everyone.
Night all and God Bless.
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