Robe

When I got home last night, I had a present. Eric went shopping during lunch yesterday and bought me a present!! He bought me a new, soft, wonderful robe!! I love it. I am wearing it right now while I am typing this.

Have a great day!!

Busy

I haven’t been writing much lately, I have been so busy. Work has been crazy busy… school started… and generally I have just been in a funk. I am so tired all the time. I only had a minute to write, but didn’t want anyone to think that I wasn’t still out here!!

A Day for the Books

Today I took off work to go pick Katheryn up in Atlanta. She has been in South Carolina since my Grandfather’s funeral, and with school starting tomorrow she had to come home.

Today was not an ideal day to travel. Today was a rainy day. When I say rainy day, I mean it. I picked my dad up and we headed out around eleven. We went to Jimmy Carter Blvd. in Atlanta and ate lunch at Cracker Barrel. It was actually pretty fun. I don’t spend a ton of time with my Dad these, we are just all too busy.

It rained all the way there… but looked like for the trip home it might clear up. As we were fixing to head back through Atlanta for the return journey the bottom dropped out. I am talking a rain that no one on the freeway could see through. Dad says that you know it is raining hard when the tractor trailer trucks pull over.

We stopped at a rest area to .. ah… rest (and potty) right before the worst hit us (thank goodness) or I probably would have wanted a catheter!

Eric sent me a text telling me that we were in for a bad storm (I wanted to tell him duh!!) and to be careful. I am actually very lucky that he loves me so much. He loves to take care of me. Sometimes, I am not so appreciative of that trait in him…. but I am so thankful to have such a kind and loving husband.

Coming up Baggett Road on our way home I felt like we needed a boat!! There was water across the road flowing like a river in about 5 places. Usually the kids don’t notice that kind of thing, but today they did. Jordan (who never watches the news) ran in and turned on his television and started watching the weather. He saw a tornado warning for Dalton (which is where Eric works) and what said “a tornado watch will expire in Dalton in ten minutes” he read as “there is a tornado watch in Dalton, everyone there will expire in ten minutes”!! He came into my office scared to death for his daddy. We had to call Eric during a business dinner in order to calm him down.

Tonight is the last night of the kid’s Christmas vacation. I feel like they didn’t have much of one. Eric was sick the first few days. My Aunt died on the 21st in Texas. I had to work the 22nd and 23rd. The 24th we went to visit Grandad and had Christmas dinner with Nana. The 25th we had to re-organize so that my Mom could fly out for her Aunt’s funeral. We ate lunch then went to visit my Grandparents, only to find that over night Grandad’s condition had really deteriorated. Mom ended up not able to leave and go to the funeral. On December 26th my Grandfather passed away. The remainder of their break has been spent grieving.

After that kind of Christmas break, I honestly was ready to return to work! Jordan is worried and sad though because he knows that his buddies will be talking about their great, amazing break… and all he has to talk about is death and illness.

Keep my little guy in your thoughts tomorrow, he really needs it!

Goodbye 2008

2008 had its moments. It was my first complete year married to the best husband on the planet. I finally got my dream job (and I love it!!) My daughter turned 13 and officially made me old!! My mom went back to work part time. I finally got to know my sister-in-law better and have found that we really do have tons in common and I like her better than ever.

My Grandfather got sick and passed away. That one is pretty tough to swallow. I am coming around to the fact that this is OK too. I will miss him in ways that I can’t begin to explain here. He was one of my best friends. My childhood confidant. Losing him on December 26, so close to Christmas was terrible.

I had the pleasure of giving the Eulogy at his funeral. This was my first time to do that whole “public speaking” thing and it not be about work or school. I think that I did ok, I got through it. I posted the Eulogy earlier this week. I also got to play my clarinet at the funeral while my sister in law sang. Katheryn and I played at the grave side service. A really cool part of that is that my best friend Tommy (who is an amazing musician) wrote an arrangement of Amazing Grace for two clarinets for us to play. It was in my opinion one the sweetest “I’m sorry your Grandpa died” gifts that we got.

Last night, we went to Blane’s (my nephew) 10th birthday party. It was a small gathering of family, and was exactly what we needed. I was afraid that my Grandmother wouldn’t come, or that she wouldn’t be able to. She was there.

I know that being alone for the first time in 63 years is going to be hard. I was married for 13 years when my married to Jeff ended.. and it was hard. I can’t imagine adding 50 years to that and then suddenly being alone. I also had the kids… and it was still difficult. I know that this year, as a family we focus on helping her find her wings and be there for her in any way that we can.

I have never been one for making New Year’s resolutions, but this year if I were to make them they would start with exercising more, being a better wife and mother, working smarter not harder and to help my Grandmother adjust.

I hope that everyone out there reading this has a better 2009 than we had 2008!!

I just can’t end this New Years post without asking “What the heck is up with Dick Clark?”