Healthcare and My Husband

I want to be honest with my readers. The last year has been so tough! If you recall, my husband was hospitalized last year. Right before the holidays. We spent Christmas in the hospital. Praying for his health. It's all that mattered!

We never knew, just how much our lives would change. I'm not just talking the day to day. My husband is still on the road to recovery. He still struggles with his energy. Takes 2 naps a day. Some days, his balance is really off. I can see my husband getting frustrated with himself. I try to be extra supportive every day. But there are days, when he has little patients with himself.

But with my husband slowing down, all of us need to pick up the slack. Unfortunately, most days, it feels like it's just my daughter and I. My daughter doesn't even live close by. But she manages much of our paperwork for us, and helps with the bills and taxes. Yes, owning a business is crazy! I'm so glad that we have her to depend on. And she has made it a point, to spend a few weeks at a time, with us.

We are also blessed to have great employees. Who support us. And help wherever they can. But it's still rough. My husband and I, we had each taken care of one part of the business. And when he got sick, there was a lot to learn. Almost immediately. Suddenly, I was learning about the 30 different taxes we pay. About all the bills that I never knew how to pay. Thank God for our daughter. Who knows about and takes care of much of this.

But on top of all of this, we've never had health insurance. My husband is nearly 80 years old. So he had the basic medicare coverage. It just happened, that my daughter was able to get a new plan going. While my husband was still in the hospital. Right before the deadline.

It helped. But honestly, even with the new insurance, it's really expensive. The first prescription cost, we had to cover, it was $950. We never got reimbursed for any of it! We still paid nearly $10,000, for my husband's almost week stay in the hospital.

We were lucky. The ambulance was paid for. About 80% of the hospital bill was covered. We were able to pay off the doctors and hospital bill late in the summer. The other day, we got a bill in the mail. For $4,000! I about died! It's for an oxygen machine, that my husband has never used! The company dropped it off. Never serviced it. Nothing. But my daughter got on the phone, and medicare paid for it. We're still waiting for service. Good thing it's not life threatening.

My husband has always gone to the doctor, twice a year. We paid $120 for 2 medications that he'd been taking for over 30 years. But we weren't' prepared for $400 a month. On prescriptions and supplies. And that's our co-pay. It makes me wonder how other people do it. My husband is now going to the doctor once a month as well.

In so many ways, we've had to figure things out for ourselves. Our daughter has been such a great help! She knows so much about the health care system. Just the other day, she was on the phone for over 3 hours! Why? To get us some answers. One prescription that we get, went from $140, to $14. Wow!

That's what most of that last year has been. Nursing my husband back to health, taking care of a business, and learning about health care. It's a hard task. Especially with a small business. That my husband and I own and run. Pretty much on our own. Then maneuvering around the health care system. Trying to bring family together. Dealing with my own parents, and their failing health.

I'm hoping to get back to blogging. Reading blogs. Doing more crafts. Getting back to me. Just a little bit. I miss doing things that I enjoy. Things that just make me happy. Even if it's sewing for a half an hour. I need some down time. My husband and I need some down time. Time to get back to us.

Congratulations!

My granddaughter graduated last night. It was such an incredible experience! We've been close to her since she was small. And my husband and I had decided that we were going to try and do as much as we could for her. My daughter also helped. Between the 3 of us, we were able to buy her class ring, yearbook, clothes for graduation, announcements, cap and gown, and we're throwing her a party.

It's honestly the least we could do. She's had an uphill battle. Her entire life! And this was such a giant accomplishment for her. We are all so proud. Especially since she graduated with good grades. She was on the honor roll. And received an award for that.

The icing on the cake, was that the principle talked about her during his speech. It really made her feel special. My granddaughter has taught us all amazing things. Especially that, you can accomplish anything. It doesn't matter if you have disabilities, learning problems, or are in special education classes. The sky is the limit! We are all so proud!

Long Time...No Chat

It feels like forever. The last few months have been tough. And I haven't had much time for anything. First, I'd like to thank you for sticking with me. And praying for my husband. He's doing much better. Slowly making improvements. But getting better.

On the career side of things, well, we're taking lots of cuts. We work with education, and the budget crisis is just killing us. My husband seem to be buried at the moment. In work. In life. And all that stuff.

We're not letting it get us down though. We are still moving forward. Trying our best to get back to "normal." More than anything, live life. And be happy with the life we have. You'll be hearing more from me. On a more regular basis. Thank you again for sticking around, and praying for my family.

Please Pray

I'd just like to ask you a HUGE favor. Please keep my husband in your prayers. He was rushed to the ER on Thursday night. And has been in the ICU since. We're not sure what's wrong. And honestly, I'm incredibly scared.

We have such amazing support from our family and friends. They've been right here with us. Praying, looking out for my daughter and I, and just being here. What we need the most.

I am quickly posting this. From my daughter's cellphone. I just wanted to ask you, please say an extra prayer for my husband. We're strong believers in the power of faith. And prayer. I'll try to keep you updated, if not, please read my daughter's blog. I'm sure she'll post something from time to time.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday Dad

Today is my dad's 97th birthday! And even more shocking than that, he is in amazing shape. Better shape than most people half his age! As in, he still climbs the roof. And feeds his animals. I can only hope to live as long as my dad. And be in the great health that he is.

I thank God, for letting me have so much time, with my dad. He's such an amazing man. So loving. So caring. Just a great dad. And a great human being. He's the first man that ever loved me. And the first man that I ever loved. I really think that our relationship has helped me so much in life. He taught me how men should treat women. And I owe my marriage to my dad. What an amazing man!

I'm praying and wishing that my dad has an amazing day! That he enjoys his birthday. And has another year of health and happiness. Happy Birthday dad!

Busy

It's been so busy around here! We have a very long day today. Our company has inspection. That's why I'm baking a cake at 6:30am. It's been a busy couple of weeks. Just preparing. That on top, of our regular work schedule. It's been super busy around here.

And we have family that came into town on Thursday. We met them for dinner. Which turned into a late dinner. They were late. Very late. We didn't have dinner until almost 8pm. We're used to eating pretty early. At least before 6pm. Because we go to bed early. My husband starts working at 3am. And I'm there by 5am. So it was a late night, for a "work night." But we did enjoy ourselves. Lots of catching up. And we're looking for another dinner. It did make for a tough Friday though. Both my husband and I were extremely tired.

At the moment, I'm trying to get ready for Halloween. I'm making a costume for my daughter. I also need to decorate. I've been slacking on that. I'm also preparing for a holiday Craft Fair. I think I might have too much on my plate. At least at the moment.

Work is also very busy. This is the time of year, that it really picks up. Lots of out of town trips. Lots and lots of paperwork. And in general, just a lot of work. But we're going to get through it all. Before we know it, it's going to be Thanksgiving. And I'm going to wonder were the time has gone.

Incredible Sadness

I just got off the phone with my daughter. She is back east. Where she lives part time. The Guy and her had to rush off last night. They were going to come here for a quick visit. Today. But Hills got hurt last night. And that was much more important.

Hills was 9 days past her due date. I'm thinking, that is actually pretty normal for a 1st pregnancy. But she went into pretty active labor yesterday. Her midwife stayed with her all day. And last night, Hills' water broke. And they were on their way to the hospital.

Unfortunately, they were involved in a bad accident. They were hit by a drunk driver. The baby had to be delivered almost immediately. Now, Hill's and her little girl are in the ICU. In very serious condition. From what my daughter told me, they've both had 2 surgeries a piece. And this just saddens my heart. Worse, they are now 3 hours apart from one another. At hospitals specializing in each of their care.

Innocent lives should not be touched like this. This woman shouldn't have to be in a hospital hooked up to machines, fighting to live. Neither should her innocent baby girl. Please say some prayers for them. Hills is like my daughter. My daughter and Hills grew up together. And she spent so much time with us. We could use all the prayers we could get for these two innocent lives. Anything to get mom and baby healthy.

New Granddaughter

My husband and I have a new granddaughter! We actually just got back from the hospital. We went for a quick visit. Our granddaughter is a doll. She is just perfect. And looks so much like my husband's side of the family.

It's always so amazing when babies are born. It's a magical time in life. A new and innocent baby. A miracle. Our family is so blessed today. What a nice new beginning. Our granddaughter brings with her so much positive energy. And we just can't wait to see her grow up into a beautiful soul.

A Much Needed Break

This afternoon, my husband and I are going to our cabin. We have tomorrow off. It's "Fall Break." We can definitely use the time away. I'm also anxious to go visit my parents. They're getting ready to move. I'm ready to just enjoy them for a few days.

And I'm ready to be away from work. For a couple of days. And out of the city. At this point, you can feel the stress of the city. I'm ready for some relaxation. And time away from all of this.

We're not going to spend the entire weekend out there. But it's going to be a nice change of pace. Something that both my husband and I could use. And hopefully, we can come back more relaxed. Because we have quit a lot going on in the next few weeks.

I just need to finish packing. And we still need to go grocery shopping. Eventually we'll get it all done. And we'll be on the road. Well, after the work day is over. :)

Church Fiestas

This weekend our church had their annual Church Fiestas. It was a lot of fun. Even with the very "moody" weather. During the day, it was so hot. In the upper 90s! And in the evening, it would get cool, windy, and rain. Yes, it would rain. Not the best weather for an outdoor fiesta. But it happens every year. And we learn how to sit out the weather.

On Saturday, my husband and I were in the parade. We have an old car. And we really enjoy being in the parade. My brother and sister in law were also in the parade. We had invited a few friends to join us. Unfortunately, they didn't come. But we had lots of family there. And lots of friends too. We always catch up with old friends and family.

The food was good too. And there was some good entertainment. Not as much as normal. But still very good. Same with the food. It wasn't as good as in years past, but it was good. And we ate a lot. I'm probably good for a few days. Do you get that way? You eat so much, in a short amount of time, that you lose your appetite for a few days. That's how I feel.

But we had a great time. We spent most of the weekend at the Fiestas. We ate most of the weekend. And I even managed some shopping. There was a Silent Auction. With lots of nice things. I ended up bidding on, and winning, 5 copper bracelets, a pair of earrings, and a rosary. All for under $50. A good deal, considering I've paid up to $60 for a single copper bracelet, in the past.

We had a lot of fun. But I'm exhausted now. I need a day or 2 to recover. But this is a weekend that we look forward to every year. Just seeing old friends and being a part of the community is so fulfilling. Something that my husband and I definitely enjoy.

Wonderful Weekend

My husband had a really nice weekend. It started out on Saturday morning. With a "Family Breakfast." My husband's sons put it together. It was the 4 of them, 2 of their wives, and a few of their kids. But it was enjoyable. And I really liked seeing my husband so happy.

I enjoyed talking to our daughter in law. She always has interesting things to talk about. And she was telling me about our new granddaughter. Our grandson and his girlfriend are expecting a little girl later this year. And I also enjoyed talking with my granddaughter. We don't see her a whole lot. But she is almost 2. And is really starting to become talkative.

Right after breakfast, we head north. For a 3 hour drive. We were going to a birthday party. For our niece's step son. And it was a beautiful drive. Everything was so green and beautiful! I seen these light-lime green Hollyhocks. I really wanted to stop and pick some of the seeds. I planned on doing it on the way home, but I forgot. And now I'm really sad about that. Hollyhocks are some of my favorite flowers.

But when we got to my niece's home, it was such a beautiful place. We'd never been there before. When she got married almost 3 years ago, we were going. We had reserved a hotel room and everything. But she got sick, and her and her husband just had a small wedding. No one was invited.

I'm very glad that we went this time. Their home is beautiful. Nothing fancy, but very welcoming. And their property is amazing. They live out in the forest. And the stream goes through their property. It was a really nice place. With tons of gorgeous roses.

They wanted us to stay the night. But my husband and I decided to head back. Really, we were hoping to stop by the casino. The one that our daughter went with us to last month. We headed back south. It was about a 90 minute drive.

We had a nice evening. Both my husband and I won. Before we knew it, it was after midnight. Way past our bedtimes! We are usually in bed pretty early, 10pm or so. Because we have to be up early for our business. Now we needed to find a place to stay.

We drove south. Our capital city is about 30 minutes from where we were. We were about halfway there, when we got stopped in a DWI checkpoint. It took almost 90 minutes to get through. We weren't stopped. But there were so many cars there. Just outside of that, the Opera had gotten out. Another traffic jam.

At nearly 3am, we were finally in our hotel room. Completely exhausted! We slept for a few hours, then got up and got ready. And our hotel had a nice breakfast. We had breakfast, and went back to our room. To take a nap. We really didn't get a whole lot of sleep that day.

By 10am, we were on the road again. My daughter had told us about a fiesta that was going on. Again, we went north, but in a slightly different direction. This time, the drive wasn't as long. And the fiesta was nice. It was different from what we're used to. But we had a nice time.

Sunday was a pretty hot day. So we were very happy that the park we were at was under a lot of trees. The music was really good. And we had some delicious burgers. I had a tortilla burger. But the chili was so hot!

Because we were in a small town, I decided to look around some of the shops. Boy were they expensive places! They claimed to be antique shops, but most sold things from about 5-10 years ago. I seen some Avon broaches, selling for $40! And some pretty ugly dolls for $100. I didn't buy anything. I did see a hat from the 40s that I really liked, but it was almost $90.

That was our weekend. We got home on Sunday night around 9pm. We were beat tired! We just took our overnight bag down, and I went to bed. I didn't even hear all the fireworks that were going on in our neighborhood. But my husband said there were a lot of them. We had a really nice weekend. Something that we definitely needed. And so did my daughter.

Hospitals

It seems like these days, more and more people we know are in the hospital. Maybe we're just getting older. I'm not sure.

My sister in law had her gallbladder removed today. She's my husband's older sister. We went to visit her. And it turned into a mini family reunion. My brother in laws and 1 sister in law came shortly after us. It was nice to see my husband and his brother and sister together again. They originally had 13 siblings. Now there's just 3. So we try to be there for one another.

Yesterday we went to visit a good friend. He had surgery too. He's actually been in and out of the hospital for about a year now. When we first met, he was so active. Now, he seems to be struggling a bit.

It's hard to see people suffer like this. To be confined to the hospital or rehab centers. But I'm grateful that their health is improving. That's all we can really ask for. And as we left the hospital this afternoon, my husband told me, "We better get to eating. You know, I don't want to end up here. In a room." So we stopped for a nice quiet dinner.

Busy Weekend

This had to be 1 of the busiest weekends we've had in a long while. A graduation party, a wedding, a baby shower, and a post wedding get together. I'm exhausted just thinking about all we managed to pack into 2 days!

Yesterday started with an early breakfast and quick trip to the tire shop. What a day to decide to change our tires. I know. But we did. I went home and made some salads for my niece. Her daughter's graduation party was Saturday evening. And she was making all the food on her own! Italian food. So I offered to make the salads. Unfortunately, we didn't get to go to the party. There was just too much to do.

But we did go to a wedding. Some of our best friends, friends we've had for well over 30 years, had a son that was getting married. Our kids actually grew up together. And the bride is a really good friend to my daughter. So close, at one time we thought the groom's cousin and my daughter would be married. They dated when they were younger. The bride is one of my daughter's best friends. They were all really close growing up. The 4 "Musketeers."

That's where we were. And it was an amazing wedding! Beautiful, full of love, and so elegant. My daughter was the maid of honor. The groom's cousin was the best man. And those dresses, they were breath taking! I also helped with the food. And spent a goo part of my day cooking. Good thing it was an evening wedding!

We were easily out until 2am. That's how good the wedding was. And some of our dearest friends were there. It was just a nice event. It's incredible to see how much all these kids have grown. They're adults. And in many cases, married with children! I still remember going to little league games. Watching these little boys play t-ball! Now they have sons in t-ball. My daughter was just a little younger than them. The only girl! But they all grew up together. The boys took really good care of her both then, and now.

And today. It was just as full! My husband and I barely made it to church. We were so tired. But we did make it, and then to breakfast. And then off to our friends' home. Since my husband and I got married, it's a tradition to have a post-wedding lunch for the bride and groom. Just close family and friends are invited. And the wedding party.

It's more of a lunch to get to talk with everyone. You know, on the day of the wedding, you're pretty busy! But this is a casual event. And the bride and groom get to open all their gifts. We had a wonderful time. Lots of food, good company, and laughter. It was a nice afternoon and evening.

I had been invited to my Goddaughter's baby shower as well. She just had her 2nd baby on Thursday. But the shower was on Sunday evening. And I didn't make it. On the way home, we drove by my niece's home. And we dropped off mine and my daughter's gifts. I felt bad for missing it. But there was just a lot going on this weekend.

Here it is, almost 10pm, and my husband and I just got home! But it was a weekend fill with lots of love. And so many good people. The celebrations were amazing. And one day, I look forward to my own daughter's wedding. Whenever she decides to tie the knot. (wink, wink. That was a hint.) Until then, it might take until next weekend to recover!

A Little Family Time

On Sunday, we went to the Zoo. It was a lot of fun. There was a big fiesta at the Zoo for Father's Day. And my daughter and I took my husband.

There were so many people around. It was a little ridiculous. So we dropped off my husband near the Zoo and we went to park. It's a good thing we know the area. And we found a relatively close parking. About 2 blocks from the Zoo. We live across the river from the Zoo. So it was a nice to know the area.

Like I said, there were so many people there! I think in the newspaper it said that there were 10,000 people. It was full! And we really didn't do much. It was so incredibly hot out. My husband's leg was still bothering him. So he sat and watched a band perform as our daughter and I went to go look at a few animals. She made it to town this morning and met us at breakfast. It was a good morning.

We didn't see many animals. There were too many people. And it was incredibly hot! The animals were hiding. And in the few cages that there were animals, there were too many people. So we went back to sit down. And the reason we went, for a concert was about to begin. Some friends of ours were playing a mariachi concert. We were very excited.

My daughter had packed a nice lunch for us. Some tuna salad, watermelon, and all the fixings. So we sat and had lunch. Again, it was incredibly hot. So we really enjoyed the watermelon. and the concert, well it was good. We enjoyed the music. Although we didn't really get to see the musicians/our friends. The people just wouldn't sit down. At one point, they stop the concert. It was that bad.

And then the storm started to come. It sprinkled on and off for a while. The wind was incredibly strong. And before we knew it, about 2/3's of the people had left. We enjoyed the end of the concert. We actually got to see a few familiar faces. And just before 6pm, it ended.

We cleared out. My daughter carry our 3 chairs, cooler, and a small cooler bag. I felt bad for her. But she insisted. We came back and picked up my husband and headed to Dairy Queen for a little ice cream treat. It was so yummy! And I'm pretty sure, no positive, that my husband enjoyed his day.

Then yesterday, we were invited to the casino. Our son's girlfriend invited us to meet them for dinner. My daughter, husband, and I left a little earlier than the 2 of them. We wanted to go look around. We had never been there before. Even though, I'm pretty sure it's the closest casino to us.

We did the usual things. Signed up for the player's club, looked around, and found some good machines. We played for about an hour before our son and his girlfriend got there. She also happens to be one of our employees. And is really one of those people you enjoy being around.

We went to dinner. The food was very good. And the company was even better. We sat and talked about many things. Remembering good people. Laughing and joking. It was a nice evening. Then we headed back out to gamble. My husband went back to the machine where he had been winning before dinner. And I went back to mine. Side by side. But it was so cold. So I moved to sit behind him.

Before I knew it, my husband had my daughter playing a machine! My machine. :) She was enjoying herself. And every time she went for change for us, she would tell us about these "I Dream of Jeannie" machines. She really wanted to try them. But we never left our machines. By the end of the night, we had all won a little. I had around $20, my daughter the same, and my husband had about $15. We went to go cash out. And there were those machines. I remember, I had $23. Because I gave them each $1 and we sat to play.

My husband really did good. He must have won $25 in about 10 minutes. Even our daughter won another $21. We decided to leave with our winnings. And our free tote bags. But it was a lot of fun. We got home sometime after 11pm. But we had a good time. We lost our son and his girlfriend during the evening. It turns out, our son had won almost $400. And put it all back into the machines! But honestly, we had a great time. And that's all that counts!

Road Trip Part 3

Our only night at the cabin was fun. We had a nice dinner. Tacos and all the fixings. The food just tastes better there. Believe me. It's like a little piece of heaven. My mom also came over to visit. My parents live across the dirt road from us. It was a short visit. But it was nice to catch up. For most of the evening, my husband, my daughter, and I just sat and talked. We also listened to music. One of our favorite things to do there. The oldies are amazing! And my daughter and I were crocheting.

I have to say, that was some of the best sleep I've had in a long while. And the breakfast the next morning was amazing. My daughter and I also cooked a few things to leave with my parents. I know my dad really enjoys my tortillas and chili. And we made some desserts. Before we left, we sat and talked with my parents for a few hours.

On our way, we stopped at a casino. Honestly, we don't gamble a lot. This is really out of the ordinary for us. But it's summertime. And we're traveling a lot more. This casino also gives you $10 to gamble with for every visit. My husband and I gambled for a while. We were doing pretty well. But we got hungry. And we all decided to go for dinner.

This casino has some of the best food. And I'm glad that we stopped. We had a really nice dinner. It was BBQ night. The food was amazing! Even if we had to wait for it. And wait we did. There were so many people there. But like I said, it was well worth the wait!

After dessert, and watching some sports on their TVs, and we decided to head home. It was almost 8:30pm. By the time we got back, it was late. Nearly 10pm. And my daughter was getting ready to leave. She had to get back to her life. But we really had a nice weekend. And I enjoyed it. I'm pretty sure we all did.

It was much more than the road trip, the shopping, gambling, or even the food. It was about time with our family. Now that our daughter is grown, lives far away, and is on her own...it really is hard to find time to spend together. I'm glad that she still makes time for us. I still can't believe my little girl is all grown up. But she is. So I really appreciate these times together. When we can just be a family again.

Road Trip Part 2

Here's the 2nd part to our road trip...

We decided to head south for dinner. Not far from the church. My daughter and I had wanted to stop at some antique shops we had seen. But we were definitely a little too late. Almost everything had closed. It was already after 6pm. So we just kept driving.

And we ended up at the Casino. We had been there once. For my husband's birthday in 2009. And we had really enjoyed it. So we decided to have dinner there. We pulled up near the doors. So my husband wouldn't have to walk so far. And we seen another lady fall going into the casino. It was not a good day for people walking.

We decided to have dinner first. It was a really good decision. We were so hungry. And the dinner rush hadn't yet begun. The food was really good. And we had an enjoyable evening. Our family likes to eat slow and watch everyone around us. Our waiter also made it enjoyable. He didn't rush us or anything. And after dessert, we all felt like we needed to be rolled out of there.

We headed downstairs. My daughter and husband went in search of an elevator, I went looking for some machines. We did end up getting a little lost. But eventually, we found each other and some good machines. My daughter kept getting us change and drinks. She doesn't like to gamble. But we had a great night.

We did end up losing all of our money. But it really wasn't that bad. About $25 in 3 hours or so. But it was a lot of fun! My husband played a Mayan Adventures machine. And he kept saying that the princess looked like me, and the prince looked like my brother. I do have to agree.

At almost 12:30am, we decided to leave. My husband went to the front door, and we went to go get the van. We had parked clear on the other side of the casino. My daughter and I were laughing so hard. And I can't for the world of me, remember why. But we had a nice time.

It took forever to get to our car. But we made it. And we found my husband waiting outside. It was cold in the casino. And it was a nice night out. My husband enjoyed another nice nap as we continued south. I know that's why he wanted to buy this van. It's a conversion van. Has very comfortable seats, and a TV with a VCR and DVD player. I usually drive. And he relaxes.

It was so dark out. My daughter was navigating for me. And eventually, we made it to our capital city. Really, it's not that far. But it was so hard for me to see at night. But we got a room. My husband got settled in. And our daughter brought us our bags. It was about 2 or 3am before we settled in for the night.

The next morning, my daughter went to get us some breakfast. And we got ready. I really like staying at the Comfort Inn. One less thing for us to have to worry about. They have a nice continental breakfast. Free newspapers included. My husband and I still managed to head downstairs for some cereal. And my daughter loaded the van for us.

By 9am, we were headed southwest. We had planned on meeting our son at our cabin. But 2 things came up. A good friend of ours is a secretary at an elementary school. She found herself with 6 field trips and no transportation. For that morning. I drove, my husband slept, and our daughter worked out the details of the trips. She called the school, our employees, and her brother. And everything was worked out. Except our son's truck, had broken down. So he was fixing it.

Instead, my husband, my daughter and I headed west. We did have to stop for some groceries though. We stopped in a small town about an hour west of our cabin. To pick up the essentials. We were only going to be there for a day. So we didn't need much. But the place was so full of people! Probably because it was a Friday.

But we shopped. We got some things I needed at the cabin. And we bought groceries for sandwiches, tacos for dinner, and some breakfast food. By the time we got to the cabin, we were hungry and tired. My daughter made us some really good sandwiches, avocado and all the fixings. We had lunch. And one by one, we all fell asleep.

Stay tuned for more...

Our Family

The thing about our little family is, we're really close. Just my husband, our daughter, and I. Both my husband and I were married before. And we both had kids. 8 in total. Then we got together. And we have 1 daughter. She is really the light of our eyes. Even now, at the age of 27, and with a boyfriend, she is still our little girl.

My husband hurt his leg real bad early Tuesday morning. I'm not 100% sure what he was doing. You know men, they don't want to be made to feel unmanly. I do know that my husband and are son were working outside. And Tuesdays are our trash days. My husband said he was throwing away the trash. Somehow, he hurt his leg. And has been in so much pain ever since.

But like a man, and like a typical member in this family, he refuses to go to the doctor. So my daughter came to check in on us. Flying across the country. Mostly, she came to take care of her daddy. And he listens to her. Go figure! But I'm glad that she's her. And making her dad feel better.

Between the leg massages, heating pads, ice packs, etc. she has been cooking for us today. Which I always enjoy. When did our daughter grow up? And how did she become such a great cook?

There is one thing I'm very glad for, that our family is so close. That when one of us is in trouble, we come together to work it out. It has not always been this way. And it's not always easy. But it's our family. And we're a tight little bunch. I thank God for that every day.

Memorial Day

What a wonderful holiday this is. Just a day to remember our loved ones. I really appreciate that. My husband and I went to the graveyard today. And we put out flowers for all those people that we love. I just can't believe we've lost so many people in our lifetime.

My heart still breaks for our granddaughter. She past when she was just 6 weeks old. She would have been 18 years old at the end of next month. And my grandma, she's been gone for almost 27 years. She still doesn't have a headstone. My husband and I decided that we're going to get her one this year. No matter what anyone else in the family has to say.

I also miss my mother in law a lot. She was such a wonderful woman. And she lived next door to us. My daughter spent so much time with her grandma growing up. I can't believe, it's going to be 13 years this September. And my sister in law. She was so much like a mom to me. So loving. And she loved my daughter so much. It will be 7 years on Halloween that she's been gone. And my brother in law, the clown of the family. I can't believe he has been gone over 4 years now!

Today we remember a lot of people. Especially those who gave their lives for us and our country. I had 2 brothers in the service, my grandfather, and my father. My husband had 2 brothers and 2 sons. We have so many family members in the military. This day means so much to us. I'm glad we get a day to remember and reflect.