Just an update to let everyone know I am doing much better. Writing that blog yesterday helped a lot. Thanks for indulging me some self-pity. Sometimes, we just need to get it out!! I did that, and then some!
Jasen came home really excited. Although he loves his job, especially for the family time it affords, his inner Army clock is telling him it's time to get back to the "real" Army. This school at Leavenworth will be one step closer to that. I am glad he's excited. It's definitely contagious!
Thank you all for your prayers. I ask you all to keep praying, especially for Davis. He's already very anxious about moving and this will be the first one he remembers.
I am so thankful for each of you!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
A Decision is Made
We will be moving to Fort Leavenworth this summer. Some of you are saying, "What? I thought that was the plan all along??" Yes, it was. Until this past month, when Jasen's branch manager (who is coming to The Citadel to head up the Army ROTC department this summer) told Jasen that he was on the standby list for the school at Leavenworth. We were really surprised, but tried not to think about it. We did tell Grace that there was a chance, a really good chance we would be staying here. Her reaction was surprising to me; she was sad. The idea of playing in the snow, being close to her cousins Joe and Maggie, and helping Mrs. Amber with baby Drew made her want to move to Fort Leavenworth.
On Monday night, on our way home from Grace's basketball practice, she asked me what I wanted as far as moving or not moving. I took a deep breath and explained that I tried my best not to WANT anything because that usually meant I got my hopes up for nothing. It was a good opportunity to remind her that, ultimately, neither us nor the Army are in control. God is, was and forever will be and He knows what's best.
Imagine my surprise this morning, when the call came from Jasen that we would be moving this summer. After I told the kids and we prayed to thank God for giving us His decision and for going ahead of us and preparing Leavenworth, I took Grace to school. She seemed almost giddy to tell her friends that she was moving. Our kids follow what we project, right? Well, by the time Davis and I got to the gym, my inner feelings were not matching my outer projection.
I don't want to move from here.
There, I said it. You would think after 6 location moves (I won't count the housing changes!) in 11 years, I would be okay with moving, with starting over, with changing our lives. But I am not okay with it. After all, I am the girl who only lasted a semester at A&M, three hours down the road from home. I am the girl that cried everyday for SIX WEEKS when we moved three hours down the road to Oklahoma. I get tired of starting over. Is it exciting? A little. Do I enjoy the redecorating? Yes. I love houses and I really do enjoy seeing what I can do with what the Army has given us.
But I am, at heart, a homebody. And for the first time ever we've found another place besides TX that we'd be willing to call home. And that makes it the hardest move of all. I love Charleston. Really, really love it. I love all the things to do here. I love the places to see, the history to experience, the places to eat. And it still feels small.
This time I am not leaving a church like I did in OK: one that nurtured us through a difficult time. This time I am not leaving an exotic location and soulmate friends like I did in Germany. This time, I am not leaving the friends who helped me pull myself and my kids up by the boot straps when Jasen was gone like I did in KS.
It's that I am leaving my heart. Really, honestly, that's the way I feel. This lowcountry has captured my heart. I love the marshes. I love the beach. I love the Spanish moss. You name it, I love it. Except maybe the humidity, but hey, I can deal with it.
We are leaving this place where we were separate from the military. There was no threat of deployment. And when we leave here, I know we are one step closer to all that. And I don't want to go through it again.
And I don't want to say goodbye to the friends I've made here, even just the acquaintances I've made. I don't want to leave the gym, where I discovered my real friends. I don't want to leave my friends whose lives I have become a part of and are on my daily prayer list.
Now, Charleston hasn't been perfect. I haven't made the friendships like I did in other places. Oh, I have friends and I will miss them, but without a deployment, those friendships aren't like the others I've made. Our church, while decent, is not what I want/thought it would be. The Army wives I've met here aren't what I have experienced before.
But the place and the family time has made up for the lack of perfection. I have always said that a place is what you make it. And we've made Charleston great. Really, we have.
So, when you ask me if I am excited about moving or tell me the schools at Leavenworth are great and all I can muster is slight smile and a biting of my lip so I won't cry, just know I am projecting the best positive I can, for the kids. I will be thinking about holding baby Drew, and sharing a 'rita or beer with Amber, and seeing the Kazors at the lake on the way, and hanging with my cousin, Jennifer, all the positives of a move to Leavenworth.
But my insides are knotted and sad.
Don't worry, I won't wallow in this for long.
On Monday night, on our way home from Grace's basketball practice, she asked me what I wanted as far as moving or not moving. I took a deep breath and explained that I tried my best not to WANT anything because that usually meant I got my hopes up for nothing. It was a good opportunity to remind her that, ultimately, neither us nor the Army are in control. God is, was and forever will be and He knows what's best.
Imagine my surprise this morning, when the call came from Jasen that we would be moving this summer. After I told the kids and we prayed to thank God for giving us His decision and for going ahead of us and preparing Leavenworth, I took Grace to school. She seemed almost giddy to tell her friends that she was moving. Our kids follow what we project, right? Well, by the time Davis and I got to the gym, my inner feelings were not matching my outer projection.
I don't want to move from here.
There, I said it. You would think after 6 location moves (I won't count the housing changes!) in 11 years, I would be okay with moving, with starting over, with changing our lives. But I am not okay with it. After all, I am the girl who only lasted a semester at A&M, three hours down the road from home. I am the girl that cried everyday for SIX WEEKS when we moved three hours down the road to Oklahoma. I get tired of starting over. Is it exciting? A little. Do I enjoy the redecorating? Yes. I love houses and I really do enjoy seeing what I can do with what the Army has given us.
But I am, at heart, a homebody. And for the first time ever we've found another place besides TX that we'd be willing to call home. And that makes it the hardest move of all. I love Charleston. Really, really love it. I love all the things to do here. I love the places to see, the history to experience, the places to eat. And it still feels small.
This time I am not leaving a church like I did in OK: one that nurtured us through a difficult time. This time I am not leaving an exotic location and soulmate friends like I did in Germany. This time, I am not leaving the friends who helped me pull myself and my kids up by the boot straps when Jasen was gone like I did in KS.
It's that I am leaving my heart. Really, honestly, that's the way I feel. This lowcountry has captured my heart. I love the marshes. I love the beach. I love the Spanish moss. You name it, I love it. Except maybe the humidity, but hey, I can deal with it.
We are leaving this place where we were separate from the military. There was no threat of deployment. And when we leave here, I know we are one step closer to all that. And I don't want to go through it again.
And I don't want to say goodbye to the friends I've made here, even just the acquaintances I've made. I don't want to leave the gym, where I discovered my real friends. I don't want to leave my friends whose lives I have become a part of and are on my daily prayer list.
Now, Charleston hasn't been perfect. I haven't made the friendships like I did in other places. Oh, I have friends and I will miss them, but without a deployment, those friendships aren't like the others I've made. Our church, while decent, is not what I want/thought it would be. The Army wives I've met here aren't what I have experienced before.
But the place and the family time has made up for the lack of perfection. I have always said that a place is what you make it. And we've made Charleston great. Really, we have.
So, when you ask me if I am excited about moving or tell me the schools at Leavenworth are great and all I can muster is slight smile and a biting of my lip so I won't cry, just know I am projecting the best positive I can, for the kids. I will be thinking about holding baby Drew, and sharing a 'rita or beer with Amber, and seeing the Kazors at the lake on the way, and hanging with my cousin, Jennifer, all the positives of a move to Leavenworth.
But my insides are knotted and sad.
Don't worry, I won't wallow in this for long.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Disney -- Day 3
Okay, I am going to be honest. Jasen and I had a World War III-kind of argument on the 3rd morning. I attribute it to our being overwhelmed trying to see everything at Disney and my stress level. Since my dad's accident and my inability to be there with him and my sisters, a meltdown had been brewing. When you pile on top of it the holiday and Disney prep, plus two late nights after long, full days, I was prime for an emotional breakdown. It's hard on most moms, I think, when we have to do most of the thinking and preparation for trips, holidays, etc. I did all of that for the two biggest of those events (Disney and Christmas), along with the guilt I felt about wanting desperately to be in TX. Does anyone understand all of this?
Anyway, Jasen and I wasted the bulk of 30 minutes screaming at each other...wait, no, I screamed, he talked loudly. Of course, I cried and told Jasen I needed more help and love from him. Jasen told me he wanted me to chill out, quit worrying about everyone seeing everything there was to see and be nicer. We made up eventually and got on our way to Animal Kingdom, but not before we did three things:
#1. Apologized to our kids for our fight
#2. Agreed we could not argue like that in front of the kids again (I keep hearing Dr. Phil say in my mind "You are altering who your kids are when you argue in front of them." Yep, I'm good at guilt!)
#3. Realized that, on our next vacation, we would add Baileys to our packing list and splash some in our morning coffee. Then maybe we'll relax a little!
Once we got to Animal Kingdom, we headed to the safari ride. Jasen and I remembered that from our honeymoon. Here are Jasen and Grace getting ready to go on a safari. Notice the ears...
We saw a lot of cool animals, including lions, elephants, and one white Rhino that we were only 10 feet away from. And it was on my side, which was MUCH too close!
There was a drum display that Davis was NOT going to be a part of. He was a little gripey that day and had to be coaxed into doing anything. See the little smirk on his face when he finally got involved?
Then we went from the African side to the Asian side, where we pulled our fast passes for the Mt. Everest roller coaster. You can see the coaster/mountain behind the kids:
Then we went and had a little lunch. For those of you who know me well, you know I don't really like Chinese food. Well, that's what we had and can I just say, I had the best crunchy honey chicken dish. Of course, it was at Disney, which probably speaks to the authenticity of the dish, but hey, it was in the "Asian" part of the park!!
After that, Jasen and the kids went to the Dinosaur area and I did a little shopping. I found the coolest shop in the Asian area...the Yak and Yeti. Oh, the treasures I found there! Asian green tea, scarves/wraps, and the cutest kimono-inspired pajamas/outfit for Grace. I also picked up some cute little Asian booties for my future niece or granddaughter. They are just precious.
Anyhoo, I met Jasen and the kids at the Dinosaur area, where we rode rides and the kids played some carnival midway games. If the games hadn't been $2.50 a pop, Jasen and I would have played, too, but that was steep even for me!
How did I miss out on this ride?
Grace before the "Whack-A-Mole" game.
Thankfully, this was not Grace's final score, but it wasn't much higher!
Davis before his game.
And this would be his final score...
After that, it was time to go see the "Finding Nemo" stage show. WOW! It was so amazing. The "actors" sang, danced, and acted, all the while holding onto puppet-type things which were the characters. It was really, really neat. Oh, while we were walking in, a mean, Yankee woman (or New "Yawka"), tried to pick a fight with me. Then Jasen jumped in. Fun times, fun times.
After that, we went to ride Mt. Everest. Grace had SOOOOO much fun on that one. There was a yeti that had ripped up the track, so you end up doing the coaster backward, after you do it forward. Again, I can't believe how much fun Grace had on the coasters. She rode that one twice, of course! Then we went to the Bug's Life show, which was just as bad as I thought it was the first time I saw it. I do not enjoy stink-bug smell. Enough said!
Once we were done there, we loaded up and headed to Disney's Hollywood Studios. That is probably my second favorite park at Disney. Lots of "Old Hollywood" there, plus a Pixar area and Muppet place. You all know I love the Muppets! Long Live Miss Piggy!
When we got there, we walked for a bit, then it was time for our reservation at the 1950's Primetime Cafe. Jasen and I had eaten there on our honeymoon and had a great time. When my sister, Amy, and her family went, they ate there and her kids loved it, so we knew our kids would, too. The place is decorated like a 1950s home. You are called kids all meal long and instructed to keep your elbows off the table!! It was the boys night to set the table so Jasen and Davis gave us our plates, silverware and napkins. Grace loved that. Here are the boys setting the table.
Another fun aspect of the Primetime Cafe? The desserts are shown on a View-Finder!
We were taught the proper scolding technique: two fingers up and "shame on you!"
Hey, who are they scolding??
It was at this point that Jasen and I discovered the calming e(a?)ffect of alcohol. Now, let me give a disclaimer here. Since I have mentioned liquor and the ability of it to calm us down twice in this post, I want to say that I do not normally advocate this type of behavior. I do not use libations at home on a regular basis to calm me down. Jasen and I are fully aware that alcoholism runs in our families and we try our best to be aware of how/when we have alcohol. However....
After our pre-dinner cocktails, we were so calm! Life got easier, we were less stressed and it was then we decided a little morning nip wouldn't be so bad! My cocktail at dinner had a flashing lightbulb in it, too! Fun times! I had the best pot roast ever and the kids at like horses. Jasen had tuna casserole that was actually a piece of tuna with casserole around it. Really cool. Our waitress signed Grace's autograph book "Grace, Clean your room! xoxo, Aunt Cindy'rella!'" Grace has laughed about that over and over again.
At that point, it was almost 9 p.m. The park was supposed to close at that time, but those of us staying on the Disney property, got "extra magic" hours. Everyone else was sent home and the rest of us got to play with less crowds. YEA! Jasen loved it. For those of you who don't know, Jasen can't stand crowds. Any kind of crowd: crowded streets, crowded sidewalks, crowded houses, even crowded "Happiest Place in the World." So those extra magic hours were like heaven for him!
We went on the Star Wars training ride, in which I discovered that "simulator" equals a messed up tummy for me. Then, we saw the Muppet 3D show and the Osbourne family's light display that was timed to a Trans-Siberian orchestra song. Yes, it seemed strange to me! However, The Trans-Siberian Orchestra + the Osbourne Family + Christmas lights = one really cool holiday display!
After the light display, it was back to our room. This night we were in around midnight and I had the promise of a later start from Jasen. YEA!! And check out our little troopers:
Still smiling!
Anyway, Jasen and I wasted the bulk of 30 minutes screaming at each other...wait, no, I screamed, he talked loudly. Of course, I cried and told Jasen I needed more help and love from him. Jasen told me he wanted me to chill out, quit worrying about everyone seeing everything there was to see and be nicer. We made up eventually and got on our way to Animal Kingdom, but not before we did three things:
#1. Apologized to our kids for our fight
#2. Agreed we could not argue like that in front of the kids again (I keep hearing Dr. Phil say in my mind "You are altering who your kids are when you argue in front of them." Yep, I'm good at guilt!)
#3. Realized that, on our next vacation, we would add Baileys to our packing list and splash some in our morning coffee. Then maybe we'll relax a little!
Once we got to Animal Kingdom, we headed to the safari ride. Jasen and I remembered that from our honeymoon. Here are Jasen and Grace getting ready to go on a safari. Notice the ears...
We saw a lot of cool animals, including lions, elephants, and one white Rhino that we were only 10 feet away from. And it was on my side, which was MUCH too close!
There was a drum display that Davis was NOT going to be a part of. He was a little gripey that day and had to be coaxed into doing anything. See the little smirk on his face when he finally got involved?
Then we went from the African side to the Asian side, where we pulled our fast passes for the Mt. Everest roller coaster. You can see the coaster/mountain behind the kids:
Then we went and had a little lunch. For those of you who know me well, you know I don't really like Chinese food. Well, that's what we had and can I just say, I had the best crunchy honey chicken dish. Of course, it was at Disney, which probably speaks to the authenticity of the dish, but hey, it was in the "Asian" part of the park!!
After that, Jasen and the kids went to the Dinosaur area and I did a little shopping. I found the coolest shop in the Asian area...the Yak and Yeti. Oh, the treasures I found there! Asian green tea, scarves/wraps, and the cutest kimono-inspired pajamas/outfit for Grace. I also picked up some cute little Asian booties for my future niece or granddaughter. They are just precious.
Anyhoo, I met Jasen and the kids at the Dinosaur area, where we rode rides and the kids played some carnival midway games. If the games hadn't been $2.50 a pop, Jasen and I would have played, too, but that was steep even for me!
How did I miss out on this ride?
Grace before the "Whack-A-Mole" game.
Thankfully, this was not Grace's final score, but it wasn't much higher!
Davis before his game.
And this would be his final score...
After that, it was time to go see the "Finding Nemo" stage show. WOW! It was so amazing. The "actors" sang, danced, and acted, all the while holding onto puppet-type things which were the characters. It was really, really neat. Oh, while we were walking in, a mean, Yankee woman (or New "Yawka"), tried to pick a fight with me. Then Jasen jumped in. Fun times, fun times.
After that, we went to ride Mt. Everest. Grace had SOOOOO much fun on that one. There was a yeti that had ripped up the track, so you end up doing the coaster backward, after you do it forward. Again, I can't believe how much fun Grace had on the coasters. She rode that one twice, of course! Then we went to the Bug's Life show, which was just as bad as I thought it was the first time I saw it. I do not enjoy stink-bug smell. Enough said!
Once we were done there, we loaded up and headed to Disney's Hollywood Studios. That is probably my second favorite park at Disney. Lots of "Old Hollywood" there, plus a Pixar area and Muppet place. You all know I love the Muppets! Long Live Miss Piggy!
When we got there, we walked for a bit, then it was time for our reservation at the 1950's Primetime Cafe. Jasen and I had eaten there on our honeymoon and had a great time. When my sister, Amy, and her family went, they ate there and her kids loved it, so we knew our kids would, too. The place is decorated like a 1950s home. You are called kids all meal long and instructed to keep your elbows off the table!! It was the boys night to set the table so Jasen and Davis gave us our plates, silverware and napkins. Grace loved that. Here are the boys setting the table.
Another fun aspect of the Primetime Cafe? The desserts are shown on a View-Finder!
We were taught the proper scolding technique: two fingers up and "shame on you!"
Hey, who are they scolding??
It was at this point that Jasen and I discovered the calming e(a?)ffect of alcohol. Now, let me give a disclaimer here. Since I have mentioned liquor and the ability of it to calm us down twice in this post, I want to say that I do not normally advocate this type of behavior. I do not use libations at home on a regular basis to calm me down. Jasen and I are fully aware that alcoholism runs in our families and we try our best to be aware of how/when we have alcohol. However....
After our pre-dinner cocktails, we were so calm! Life got easier, we were less stressed and it was then we decided a little morning nip wouldn't be so bad! My cocktail at dinner had a flashing lightbulb in it, too! Fun times! I had the best pot roast ever and the kids at like horses. Jasen had tuna casserole that was actually a piece of tuna with casserole around it. Really cool. Our waitress signed Grace's autograph book "Grace, Clean your room! xoxo, Aunt Cindy'rella!'" Grace has laughed about that over and over again.
At that point, it was almost 9 p.m. The park was supposed to close at that time, but those of us staying on the Disney property, got "extra magic" hours. Everyone else was sent home and the rest of us got to play with less crowds. YEA! Jasen loved it. For those of you who don't know, Jasen can't stand crowds. Any kind of crowd: crowded streets, crowded sidewalks, crowded houses, even crowded "Happiest Place in the World." So those extra magic hours were like heaven for him!
We went on the Star Wars training ride, in which I discovered that "simulator" equals a messed up tummy for me. Then, we saw the Muppet 3D show and the Osbourne family's light display that was timed to a Trans-Siberian orchestra song. Yes, it seemed strange to me! However, The Trans-Siberian Orchestra + the Osbourne Family + Christmas lights = one really cool holiday display!
After the light display, it was back to our room. This night we were in around midnight and I had the promise of a later start from Jasen. YEA!! And check out our little troopers:
Still smiling!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Disney...Interrupted
Please join us in welcoming Fergus, the newest member of the Graham family. He is a West Highlands Terrier, a.k.a. a Westie. Because he is Scottish in heritage (if it's not Scottish, it's crap, you know!), we gave him the Scotch name. He's 14 weeks old, threw up on Grace three times on the way home, and already cost us a bunch of money. Ahhh, the joys of dog owndership! The three dog lovers in the house adore him. My stomach hurts, either from nerves or that Bailey's and coffee I had with brunch. Pray for me...
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Disney -- Day 2
Our second day at Disney was much like the first: go, go, go!! I asked Jasen if we could chill out, take our time getting to Epcot, our destination for the day. He said yes and that resulted in us leaving our room a whole hour later than we had the day before. Not quite the break I wanted, but at least we got a little more rest.
We took the bus to the TTC then the monorail to Epcot. Gotta love the monorail! The kids really enjoyed it, too. Once we got to Epcot, we went to get our "golden ticket" a.k.a. fast pass for Soarin', a ride we were told we had to do. After the episode on Pirates of the Carribean the day before, I wasn't sure Davis would be up for anymore rides, but we pulled his fast pass anyway. We also did the "Living with the Land" ride, which was all about sustainability and what Disney does to make that happen. They have some of the coolest plants growing there. Imagine upside down tomato plants (okay, I know you can grow those now) and cucumber plants. Nevermind, all the traditional fruits, vegetables and herbs they grow. It's amazing and makes you realize Disney is not just an amusement park. They really are doing some cool things there, horticulturally speaking.
After that, we were at a loss about what to do. Our lunch with the princesses didn't start until almost noon, but that didn't leave enough time for us to wait in line at any attractions. We headed over to the World Showcase and watched a 15 minute film about Canada. It was narrated by Martin Short, so it was really funny, but also quite informative. It put Canada a little higher on my list of places I want to see someday. Here are Grace and Davis in front of the Victoria Gardens in the Canada area of Epcot's World Showcase.
And Grace took this picture of Jasen and I in front of the Mexican restaurant we ate at 11 years ago. For those of you who didn't know, we did the Disney Cruise for our honeymoon. Jasen remembers so much from that visit and I remember very little. Wish we'd had a blog back then!
Then, it was time for us to head to Norway to the Akershus, where we had a date with some princesses! We got there too early, so we did the Maelstrom ride, which was all about Norway's viking heritage. Davis was concerned there would be pirates, but he kept his eyes open the whole time. I was very proud!
Finally, time for our lunch with the girls of Disney. When we got there, we went in and the kids got a complimentary portrait with Belle. Once we were seated at our table, we were treated to a great Norwegian meal. We had appetizers (Jasen discovered he doesn't like red fish eggs) , then Jasen and I opted for traditional Norwegian dishes. I can't remember what he had, but I had some beef/pork dumplings that weren't bad. Then our princesses began arriving. We met Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Cinderella, Snow White, and Ariel. They were very much in character, especially the Little Mermaid. When it was time to take a picture with her, she told Davis, "Get over here, Tigershark!" It was so cute. Davis was very glad none of them tried to kiss him. Really, he was quite relieved! The boy doesn't want kisses from any girls, save his mama and sister. That suits me just fine!
After our meal with royalty, we headed back to do Soarin' which was awesome! Disney thinks of everything, even the smells you would experience as you flew over orange groves and through the trees. Too cool! Davis really enjoyed it too, so that was a relief. Then we went to "The Sea" area, where we rode Nemo's ride.
While we waited in line for that one, there was a guy all decked out in his Aggie finery. I had to talk to him, of course, and lo and behold, he was a field artillery major who was doing his master's at TAMU in public administration! Too crazy! His name is David Ward and get this: he was stationed in Bamberg, Germany, and was a part of 1/6FA, which was the unit Jasen was in! He was there before we were, obviously. Now, this is where it gets really crazy...he met his wife, Heather, while she was the Club Beyond coordinator at the chapel in Bamberg!! After all the time I spent working in that chapel, we had an instant connection. The Wards even met at Matt and Tina Huisjen's house, the Hospitality House, where I spent many a Friday night while we were in Bamberg. Isn't that crazy? Such a small world. And we met them because I said "Howdy!" to an Ag.
Next, it was onto Crush's Turtle Talk. During that show, Grace was able to ask Crush how he swims fast, which Crush then explained to her and demonstrated. Pretty cool! After that, we went to visit Spaceship Earth. That's the big silver golf-ball, as Jasen calls it.
At the end of that ride, you get to make a postcard for yourself from the future. Here is mine and Grace's. I'll try to get Jasen and Davis', too. It was funny because all you could see of Davis was his Mickey ears, which was quite appropriate since our boy only took them off to sleep.
Grace and Jasen did Mission:Space while we waited to ride Test Track with our fast passes. I stayed away from Mission:Space because I knew it would not be good for me. I don't do well in simulators. Test Track was awesome and really, really fast. Grace enjoyed all of these rides. She really amazed me. She was fearless as far as the rides went.
While Jasen and Grace went to take their turn together on Test Track, Davis and I went to find a spot to watch the fireworks at Epcot. I found a place and plopped down, about the time Davis woke up from a short nap. Um, yeah, he's not a happy "I just woke up from my 8:30 p.m. nap" person. He cried, I mean screamed and cried for at least an hour. Poor guy was just worn-out and that was his parents' fault! Here is Davis before his meltdown. He was so sweet when we had to wait for Grace to ride rides.
While we were sitting there, we met the most delightful family from Manchester, England. I only got first names, but there was Kim, the mom, Lauren, the daughter, and Jack, the extra-spunky son. Kim and I had the best time talking and Jack kept us entertained. He was quite "cheeky" as his mother said, and I am going to try to remember to call Grace that. We watched most of the fireworks, then headed back to the monorail, where we met a family from Arlington, the Hinsons. Turns out, the mom, Angie, used to frequent the Dodge House in S'ville, back in her younger days. Too funny! I love meeting people from all over that you can make a connection with!
Despite the fact it was almost midnight (again) when we got back to our room, the kids look pretty pleased, dontcha think? Obviously, Davis got over the burr in his blanket!
We took the bus to the TTC then the monorail to Epcot. Gotta love the monorail! The kids really enjoyed it, too. Once we got to Epcot, we went to get our "golden ticket" a.k.a. fast pass for Soarin', a ride we were told we had to do. After the episode on Pirates of the Carribean the day before, I wasn't sure Davis would be up for anymore rides, but we pulled his fast pass anyway. We also did the "Living with the Land" ride, which was all about sustainability and what Disney does to make that happen. They have some of the coolest plants growing there. Imagine upside down tomato plants (okay, I know you can grow those now) and cucumber plants. Nevermind, all the traditional fruits, vegetables and herbs they grow. It's amazing and makes you realize Disney is not just an amusement park. They really are doing some cool things there, horticulturally speaking.
After that, we were at a loss about what to do. Our lunch with the princesses didn't start until almost noon, but that didn't leave enough time for us to wait in line at any attractions. We headed over to the World Showcase and watched a 15 minute film about Canada. It was narrated by Martin Short, so it was really funny, but also quite informative. It put Canada a little higher on my list of places I want to see someday. Here are Grace and Davis in front of the Victoria Gardens in the Canada area of Epcot's World Showcase.
And Grace took this picture of Jasen and I in front of the Mexican restaurant we ate at 11 years ago. For those of you who didn't know, we did the Disney Cruise for our honeymoon. Jasen remembers so much from that visit and I remember very little. Wish we'd had a blog back then!
Then, it was time for us to head to Norway to the Akershus, where we had a date with some princesses! We got there too early, so we did the Maelstrom ride, which was all about Norway's viking heritage. Davis was concerned there would be pirates, but he kept his eyes open the whole time. I was very proud!
Finally, time for our lunch with the girls of Disney. When we got there, we went in and the kids got a complimentary portrait with Belle. Once we were seated at our table, we were treated to a great Norwegian meal. We had appetizers (Jasen discovered he doesn't like red fish eggs) , then Jasen and I opted for traditional Norwegian dishes. I can't remember what he had, but I had some beef/pork dumplings that weren't bad. Then our princesses began arriving. We met Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Cinderella, Snow White, and Ariel. They were very much in character, especially the Little Mermaid. When it was time to take a picture with her, she told Davis, "Get over here, Tigershark!" It was so cute. Davis was very glad none of them tried to kiss him. Really, he was quite relieved! The boy doesn't want kisses from any girls, save his mama and sister. That suits me just fine!
After our meal with royalty, we headed back to do Soarin' which was awesome! Disney thinks of everything, even the smells you would experience as you flew over orange groves and through the trees. Too cool! Davis really enjoyed it too, so that was a relief. Then we went to "The Sea" area, where we rode Nemo's ride.
While we waited in line for that one, there was a guy all decked out in his Aggie finery. I had to talk to him, of course, and lo and behold, he was a field artillery major who was doing his master's at TAMU in public administration! Too crazy! His name is David Ward and get this: he was stationed in Bamberg, Germany, and was a part of 1/6FA, which was the unit Jasen was in! He was there before we were, obviously. Now, this is where it gets really crazy...he met his wife, Heather, while she was the Club Beyond coordinator at the chapel in Bamberg!! After all the time I spent working in that chapel, we had an instant connection. The Wards even met at Matt and Tina Huisjen's house, the Hospitality House, where I spent many a Friday night while we were in Bamberg. Isn't that crazy? Such a small world. And we met them because I said "Howdy!" to an Ag.Next, it was onto Crush's Turtle Talk. During that show, Grace was able to ask Crush how he swims fast, which Crush then explained to her and demonstrated. Pretty cool! After that, we went to visit Spaceship Earth. That's the big silver golf-ball, as Jasen calls it.
At the end of that ride, you get to make a postcard for yourself from the future. Here is mine and Grace's. I'll try to get Jasen and Davis', too. It was funny because all you could see of Davis was his Mickey ears, which was quite appropriate since our boy only took them off to sleep.
Grace and Jasen did Mission:Space while we waited to ride Test Track with our fast passes. I stayed away from Mission:Space because I knew it would not be good for me. I don't do well in simulators. Test Track was awesome and really, really fast. Grace enjoyed all of these rides. She really amazed me. She was fearless as far as the rides went.
While Jasen and Grace went to take their turn together on Test Track, Davis and I went to find a spot to watch the fireworks at Epcot. I found a place and plopped down, about the time Davis woke up from a short nap. Um, yeah, he's not a happy "I just woke up from my 8:30 p.m. nap" person. He cried, I mean screamed and cried for at least an hour. Poor guy was just worn-out and that was his parents' fault! Here is Davis before his meltdown. He was so sweet when we had to wait for Grace to ride rides.
While we were sitting there, we met the most delightful family from Manchester, England. I only got first names, but there was Kim, the mom, Lauren, the daughter, and Jack, the extra-spunky son. Kim and I had the best time talking and Jack kept us entertained. He was quite "cheeky" as his mother said, and I am going to try to remember to call Grace that. We watched most of the fireworks, then headed back to the monorail, where we met a family from Arlington, the Hinsons. Turns out, the mom, Angie, used to frequent the Dodge House in S'ville, back in her younger days. Too funny! I love meeting people from all over that you can make a connection with!
Despite the fact it was almost midnight (again) when we got back to our room, the kids look pretty pleased, dontcha think? Obviously, Davis got over the burr in his blanket!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Disney -- Day 1
I know this is going to be the first of many blogs about our trip to Disney World. In a word, the trip was FANTASTIC! Really, we all had a great time. The parks were full, but not awful. Don't get me wrong, there were a lot of people there, but it didn't stop Team Graham from having fun. Just some back-story for you...
Last year, we found out that Disney was offering a great deal to military families to go to Walt Disney World. (WDW) We had planned on waiting a few more years before going because we felt like Davis was still too little to really enjoy it. However, with the added incentive of it being cheaper (not cheap; Disney is NOT cheap!) and the fact we could save all year to go, we decided last January that we were going to go this Christmas. Jasen began the hard work of budgeting to save for the trip and I tried really hard not to completely blow the budget each month!! We made reservations at Shades of Green, a Department of Defense-owned resort on WDW property, where we stayed cheaper than we could have stayed anywhere else.
We left on Friday, the 18th. The trip was only 6 1/2 hours, which wasn't too bad. Once we got there, we bought our tickets and decided not to go to a park that evening, because we would have had only a couple of hours to play. The kids were sad, but went to bed dutifully, knowing they would be blown away the next day. Aren't they sweet, all tucked in their bed? We were pleasantly surprised at how well they slept together.
The next day, we were up and at 'em early. We had breakfast in the room, then grabbed the shuttle bus to Magic Kingdom. YEA!! I think I was more excited than the kids when I spied Cinderella's castle from the ferry we took from the Ticket and Transportation Center. (TTC) Once we got to the Magic Kingdom, the race was on!! And I do mean race! We went to Space Mountain and pulled our fast passes. A fast pass meant you didn't have to wait in the long line, you could come back at a certain time and get right on the ride. Those things are a God-send and Jasen called them our "golden tickets." In some cases, they certainly felt like it! Amazing!Instead of listing off when we rode our rides, I'll just list the ones we hit that morning: Peter Pan's Flight, Snow White's Scary Adventures, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and the Mad Tea Party teacups. We also saw the Mickey Philharmagic show.
Every character we spotted made us ooooh and aaaaah! We didn't wait in line for photo ops with the random characters we spotted on the street, because we had character dinners lined up to meet them all. That day, we went to lunch at the Crystal Palace, where Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore came by to visit. Too cool!!
After lunch, we rode Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and Stitch's Great Escape. We also went to the Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor Show, which was great, but the kids were mad they weren't in the show. Davis also rode his first roller coaster, the Barnstormer. He told me it was scary, but he liked it. He was very brave on all the bigger rides he tried. Grace was our real daredevil. She rode EVERYTHING! More on that later. Also, Davis got to meet his hero, Buzz. It's so neat to watch your kids meet their favorites. At first, Davis was timid with Buzz. But when our turn was over, Jasen had to coax Davis away.
After that, we toured the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, the boys saw The Tiki Room show and the girls did some shopping. Then we jumped on the Pirates of the Carribean ride. That was the only time I thought we were going to have to make Davis ride something. He was so freaked out about seeing the mean pirates! He rode the whole ride with his hands literally covering his eyes. We tried to get him to take them down, but he wanted no part of it!
We rode the Jungle Cruise that day, too. FYI, Jasen is now thinking he wants to go work at Disney after he retires. He said he could really be happy, just going and pushing a button to send people off on a ride. Me? I see him more as a character dress-up person (Jedi Knight, anyone?), but whatever he wants. Of course, then I think back to his other post-retirement ideas: Circle K manager, junior high teacher, school administrator, etc. and I know things can change!
After a quick dinner, Grace and Jasen discovered what I think was Grace's favorite ride: Splash Mountain. Now, it was pretty chilly while we were in Orlando. We wore jackets almost every day and blue jeans. It was almost cold. As you can guess, there was no line at Splash Mountain and I think that's why Grace liked it!! Davis and I shopped a little while they rode that water ride. I am NOT a fan, even in the hottest weather!
After that, it was time for the Spectro-Magic parade. It was so cool!! The lights were just amazing. We all finally got our ears on, too. I don't know if you can tell, but Jasen's and Grace's Santa hats have Mickey and Minnie ears on them.
Then we headed to the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster, which was another fun one. Grace really got over on these rides. We would pull the aforementioned fast passes, four for the family because we had four tickets. Then she would ride with either me or Jasen, get off, then ride with the other parental unit. It was great for her! Also, while we were in this area, the fireworks show was fired off. Gorgeous, just gorgeous. One thing about Disney, everything is a class-act, first-rate production. No skimping on their stuff.
By this time, it was our time to go ride Space Mountain. Yep, it's about 10 p.m. The kids have been going all day with nary a complaint. The day was that fun and there was that much to see. You can imagine our disappointment when we arrived at Space Mountain at the designated time, only to find that it was having technical difficulties and they weren't sure when it would be reopened. Instead of waiting to find out, we waiting in line to ride the Astro-Orbiter, which is like Dumbo, only spaceships way up on a platform. It was fun, but the first motion-challenging ride for me!
At that point, it was time to head home. It was almost midnight! Can you believe that??? What a day we had! It was packed, completely packed and so tiring Davis fell asleep in the stroller on the way to the monorail. Awesome. Fantastic. SOOOOO much fun!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Who Says I'm Not Martha?
Since the first of this month, I have...
...mailed over 75 Christmas cards.
...baked over 20 small and big loaves of sweet potato and zucchini bread.
...made at least 10 batches of Muddy Buddies/People Chow.
...mailed 8 packages.
...baked four batches (I think that's 8 dozen) of gingersnaps.
..."worked" three Lia Sophia parties.
...attended two holiday gatherings.
...prayed too many/not enough prayers for my dad's recovery
...packed three bags.
And now, we are off to Disney World in the morning! But first, I shall...
...download at least $15 worth of Christmas music from Itunes.
...load at least four bags in the car.
...get Disney movies to prep the kids for the trip.
...send two more Christmas cards (R&R, your money is coming!!).
...say a few more prayers for Dad.
...get gas.
...load snacks.
Merry Christmas to All!!
...mailed over 75 Christmas cards.
...baked over 20 small and big loaves of sweet potato and zucchini bread.
...made at least 10 batches of Muddy Buddies/People Chow.
...mailed 8 packages.
...baked four batches (I think that's 8 dozen) of gingersnaps.
..."worked" three Lia Sophia parties.
...attended two holiday gatherings.
...prayed too many/not enough prayers for my dad's recovery
...packed three bags.
And now, we are off to Disney World in the morning! But first, I shall...
...download at least $15 worth of Christmas music from Itunes.
...load at least four bags in the car.
...get Disney movies to prep the kids for the trip.
...send two more Christmas cards (R&R, your money is coming!!).
...say a few more prayers for Dad.
...get gas.
...load snacks.
Merry Christmas to All!!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
The Dog Issue
For those of you who didn't see this on FaceBook, I am seriously contemplating "taking one for the team" and getting a dog for the family. Before I say anything more, let me stress that I am not and have never been an animal person. We had a couple of cats when I was about Davis' age, but to my knowledge, I wasn't terribly upset when mine ran off or was killed or whatever. There were a couple of dogs in my life growing up, but they came and went pretty quick and I don't remember being bothered. I despise cats, hate animal smells, don't need animal love, etc. As far as I am concerned, I don't want to give a lot of time, love and energy to something that will never talk back to me. I mean, where is the fun in that??
That being said, I know full well that if we get a dog, I will be the one that loves it the most. I will be the primary caretaker of said "family" dog. I will be the one that takes it out on walks, feeds it, runs it around to appointments, trains it to go outside, etc. Never mind that I have no idea where/how to begin on all of that, I don't really want to learn. It's a lot of work, I know. And I don't know if I am up for it.
However, last night was the first time I felt my heart really soften to the point of giving in. We had Sarah and Hadder, relative newlyweds and "old" friends from Fort Riley, over for dinner. They were dog-sitting and brought Wrigley (Wriggly??) the Shih-tzu. Sarah is already well accustomed to shih-tzus as her parents have one, Schnitzel. Our kids had SOOOOO much fun with Wrigley. At the end of the night, we laughed for a good ten minutes while Wrigley tried to outsmart Davis to get Davis' Woody doll. It was so funny and the kids were so happy. I looked over at Jasen, who had tears in his eyes, and I could tell he was thinking "Why don't we have one of these? Oh, YOU!"
After the Rendons left, Jasen and I discussed possibly getting a dog instead of a hamster in January, when we were supposed to get Grace a rodent for doing so well with her end of keeping her room tidy. I mentioned it to Grace as I put her to bed, just to see if she would be okay with not getting a hamster in exchange for getting a dog. The girl looked at me with tears in her eyes (why are we such a family of criers??) and said "Oh Mama, you know, you know I am alright with that." It was so sweet. No excitement accompanied the pleading, only precious, sweet pleading that it would indeed be alright with her.
Jasen has agreed that he would get a "girlie" dog. Listen, in a perfect world, we'd get a lab or golden that would spend all it's time outdoors, running and playing. However, this isn't a perfect world and we have no idea what kind of housing we'll be in next or after that or after that. So a smaller dog is in order. Of course, this would be an investment, too. I keep reminding my SOOO tight hubby (really, you all have no idea how tight he is with money) about that. However, Jasen grew up loving his animals so much, even Simon the hamster. As previously mentioned, I did not. And the idea of a mostly indoor animal doesn't really please me, but I know that if we are going to do it, that's the way it's gonna have to be!
When I think about how much fun the kids had with Wrigley last night and the sweet tears of my hubby and daughter, I am almost there. ALMOST. I just don't know what to do. Discuss amongst yourself...
Oh, and I haven't even touched on the whole, how will we move AT LEAST three more times with a dog??
That being said, I know full well that if we get a dog, I will be the one that loves it the most. I will be the primary caretaker of said "family" dog. I will be the one that takes it out on walks, feeds it, runs it around to appointments, trains it to go outside, etc. Never mind that I have no idea where/how to begin on all of that, I don't really want to learn. It's a lot of work, I know. And I don't know if I am up for it.
However, last night was the first time I felt my heart really soften to the point of giving in. We had Sarah and Hadder, relative newlyweds and "old" friends from Fort Riley, over for dinner. They were dog-sitting and brought Wrigley (Wriggly??) the Shih-tzu. Sarah is already well accustomed to shih-tzus as her parents have one, Schnitzel. Our kids had SOOOOO much fun with Wrigley. At the end of the night, we laughed for a good ten minutes while Wrigley tried to outsmart Davis to get Davis' Woody doll. It was so funny and the kids were so happy. I looked over at Jasen, who had tears in his eyes, and I could tell he was thinking "Why don't we have one of these? Oh, YOU!"
After the Rendons left, Jasen and I discussed possibly getting a dog instead of a hamster in January, when we were supposed to get Grace a rodent for doing so well with her end of keeping her room tidy. I mentioned it to Grace as I put her to bed, just to see if she would be okay with not getting a hamster in exchange for getting a dog. The girl looked at me with tears in her eyes (why are we such a family of criers??) and said "Oh Mama, you know, you know I am alright with that." It was so sweet. No excitement accompanied the pleading, only precious, sweet pleading that it would indeed be alright with her.
Jasen has agreed that he would get a "girlie" dog. Listen, in a perfect world, we'd get a lab or golden that would spend all it's time outdoors, running and playing. However, this isn't a perfect world and we have no idea what kind of housing we'll be in next or after that or after that. So a smaller dog is in order. Of course, this would be an investment, too. I keep reminding my SOOO tight hubby (really, you all have no idea how tight he is with money) about that. However, Jasen grew up loving his animals so much, even Simon the hamster. As previously mentioned, I did not. And the idea of a mostly indoor animal doesn't really please me, but I know that if we are going to do it, that's the way it's gonna have to be!
When I think about how much fun the kids had with Wrigley last night and the sweet tears of my hubby and daughter, I am almost there. ALMOST. I just don't know what to do. Discuss amongst yourself...
Oh, and I haven't even touched on the whole, how will we move AT LEAST three more times with a dog??
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Truckin' Along
Life continues to fly by for us here. I cannot believe our trip to Disney is only 8 days away. Jasen and the kids are SO excited. Well, Jasen is. I contend the kids are trying to be excited, but it's hard; they really have no idea what they are in for with Disney World! I, on the other hand, am so busy, I can't possibly be excited for something that is happening a week away. I got a lot of stuff going on between now and then!
My dad will have more surgery next Thursday. His doctors have decided that his jaw isn't aligning the way they want it to. They did talk about wiring his jaw shut, but have thought better of it now. They will be keeping his jaws in line with rubber bands. Also, they consider this surgery "minor." In Dr. Etheridge's words, "No need to call in the cavalry." He already knows how the Thomases work! I won't be coming to TX for this surgery. It's hard for me not to be there, but I know Dad is in good hands with the doctor and my sister and bro-in-law, Katie and Clancey.
Grace is doing well. I continue to be amazed at some of the things she's asked to do as a 2nd grader. She's had two projects already and another she's working on now. Guess what our girl said was her favorite holiday? Veteran's Day! What a sweetie! Anyway, I know the US is far behind in education standards, but I honestly wonder if the stuff she is being asked to do right now will really help her compete with a Chinese math brain one day....just a thought.
Davis is, well, Davis. The boy acts like a monkey at least 50% of the time he is awake and I tire of hearing his monkey sounds. I try to remind myself that I will miss it one day, but honestly, I don't think I will miss the monkey sounds! He loves school and church, especially Awana. That makes this mama very happy!
Tonight is Jasen's last night of graduate school for the fall. I am so proud of him. He's really enjoying his studies and has been made more aware of how we parent our kids, especially Grace, in light of how the "millenial student" learns. That's what he's been studying this quarter. Very interesting!
My dad will have more surgery next Thursday. His doctors have decided that his jaw isn't aligning the way they want it to. They did talk about wiring his jaw shut, but have thought better of it now. They will be keeping his jaws in line with rubber bands. Also, they consider this surgery "minor." In Dr. Etheridge's words, "No need to call in the cavalry." He already knows how the Thomases work! I won't be coming to TX for this surgery. It's hard for me not to be there, but I know Dad is in good hands with the doctor and my sister and bro-in-law, Katie and Clancey.
Grace is doing well. I continue to be amazed at some of the things she's asked to do as a 2nd grader. She's had two projects already and another she's working on now. Guess what our girl said was her favorite holiday? Veteran's Day! What a sweetie! Anyway, I know the US is far behind in education standards, but I honestly wonder if the stuff she is being asked to do right now will really help her compete with a Chinese math brain one day....just a thought.
Davis is, well, Davis. The boy acts like a monkey at least 50% of the time he is awake and I tire of hearing his monkey sounds. I try to remind myself that I will miss it one day, but honestly, I don't think I will miss the monkey sounds! He loves school and church, especially Awana. That makes this mama very happy!
Tonight is Jasen's last night of graduate school for the fall. I am so proud of him. He's really enjoying his studies and has been made more aware of how we parent our kids, especially Grace, in light of how the "millenial student" learns. That's what he's been studying this quarter. Very interesting!
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
No Slowing Down
Truly, since my dad's accident, my world has not slowed down one bit. Or the rest of the family's. After my whirlwind, two day trip to TX, I arrived home to a cleaner house than I left. What can I say? My husband rocks. Really, he does. What other man does that? Wait, you all have told me there are other men that do that! He told me he knew I would have so much to do when I returned home and the least he could do was have the house clean. Jasen ROCKS!
He was right, though, I did have a lot on my mind. Of course, the stress of Dad's accident and the trip were taking a toll. I took a three hour nap the day I arrived home, then to bed early that night. The next day, I hit the ground running. I had grocery shopping to do! On Saturday, I hosted my own "Starter Show" for Lia Sophia jewelry. I have decided to become an advisor for them and start my own little business. I am super excited, mainly because I really feel like God wants me to do this.
So Saturday morning, I welcomed 10 or so friends to my house for a brunch party. Those are my favorite for one reason: pomosas! Pomegranate juice and champagne. Delish! And after the days I had had beforehand, I needed that little drink in the morning!! We had a great time chatting, looking at jewelry, etc.
After they all left, we began preparing for the Karnes' arrival. We were so glad to have Jennifer, Jason, Braden, Landry, and Tripp come see us for Thanksgiving. We had a great time showing them the sights around Chuck-town. Of course, we had a date night which was so much fun and we ate great food here at home, too. When the Karnes' left, Grace said she was glad to have her house back, but that she wished the Karnes lived around the corner. Amen, sweet girl! I'll post some pictures soon!
My dad had his facial reconstruction surgery on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. The doctors said that, on a scale of one to ten, the surgery was a 10+. God is good! Dad's swelling never got as bad as they projected it would and Dad was able to go home from the hospital a day early. He stayed at my sister, Katie's house for a couple of days, then returned home on Monday. I called his office today, expecting to visit with one of his secretaries about him, but he surprised me by answering the phone. He's only taking pain meds. at night and is anxious to get his teeth replaced/repaired, but all in all, he's doing fabulous! He said today, "You know, I'm lucky. I could be dead." He's right. Again, God is good!
Tomorrow is my first "show" with Lia Sophia. It's not so much a show as it is an Open House at Davis' school for all of us mommies who have home-based businesses. I am anxious, of course, but I know it will be fine. I really do think this adventure I am on is God-ordained, so I know it will all work out. Of course, I would appreciate any prayers on my behalf, just that I won't make a you-know-what out of myself!
Oh, and all of you TX friends and family? I will be calling on you to host a show this summer, when we are there between our move from SC to KS....
He was right, though, I did have a lot on my mind. Of course, the stress of Dad's accident and the trip were taking a toll. I took a three hour nap the day I arrived home, then to bed early that night. The next day, I hit the ground running. I had grocery shopping to do! On Saturday, I hosted my own "Starter Show" for Lia Sophia jewelry. I have decided to become an advisor for them and start my own little business. I am super excited, mainly because I really feel like God wants me to do this.
So Saturday morning, I welcomed 10 or so friends to my house for a brunch party. Those are my favorite for one reason: pomosas! Pomegranate juice and champagne. Delish! And after the days I had had beforehand, I needed that little drink in the morning!! We had a great time chatting, looking at jewelry, etc.
After they all left, we began preparing for the Karnes' arrival. We were so glad to have Jennifer, Jason, Braden, Landry, and Tripp come see us for Thanksgiving. We had a great time showing them the sights around Chuck-town. Of course, we had a date night which was so much fun and we ate great food here at home, too. When the Karnes' left, Grace said she was glad to have her house back, but that she wished the Karnes lived around the corner. Amen, sweet girl! I'll post some pictures soon!
My dad had his facial reconstruction surgery on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. The doctors said that, on a scale of one to ten, the surgery was a 10+. God is good! Dad's swelling never got as bad as they projected it would and Dad was able to go home from the hospital a day early. He stayed at my sister, Katie's house for a couple of days, then returned home on Monday. I called his office today, expecting to visit with one of his secretaries about him, but he surprised me by answering the phone. He's only taking pain meds. at night and is anxious to get his teeth replaced/repaired, but all in all, he's doing fabulous! He said today, "You know, I'm lucky. I could be dead." He's right. Again, God is good!
Tomorrow is my first "show" with Lia Sophia. It's not so much a show as it is an Open House at Davis' school for all of us mommies who have home-based businesses. I am anxious, of course, but I know it will be fine. I really do think this adventure I am on is God-ordained, so I know it will all work out. Of course, I would appreciate any prayers on my behalf, just that I won't make a you-know-what out of myself!
Oh, and all of you TX friends and family? I will be calling on you to host a show this summer, when we are there between our move from SC to KS....
Thursday, November 19, 2009
My Dad's Accident
Thank you to all of our friends and family who have been praying for my dad's speedy recovery. I have to tell you that, despite what he looks like, he's doing so well. Really, he is. It is an amazing miracle of God that Dad had only trauma to his face. It could have been so, so much worse.
Sunday evening, after a day of playing golf and having dinner, my dad was driving down Hwy. 108 (Huckabay highway, for those of you who know the area; he was about 5 miles outside of town) after dark in his Lincoln Town Car. Thank goodness Dad's a huge man that wants/needs a huge car!!
Dad said he didn't see the horse until he was right on it. The horse was dark in color, standing directly in Dad's lane, rear-end toward my dad. Dad didn't hit the horse head-on because the horse was standing slightly at an angle on Dad's front left. We think that's why the airbag didn't deploy. We are not sure what created all the trauma on Dad's face, but I personally don't think it was the steering wheel. It was in pristine condition in the photos Angie got of the car. The driver's side of the roof of Dad's car is crushed in and I wonder if Dad's head wasn't in a position of looking up about the time the horse came down on that area. We just don't know. Wish I had a connection with an accident reconstruction person!
We don't know how long it was before someone found Dad or where his car was. I believe for some reason (been told maybe? Not sure) that Dad's car stayed on the road. The DPS officer who worked the scene is a friend of mine from my days at the Holiday Inn, where they all drink coffee, but because he was on nights, so I wasn't able to touch base with him. I hope to do so at some point.
They took Dad to the S'ville hospital where they got Dad stable, then put him on an ambulance (not Care-Flight, as the S'ville paper reported. DUH!!!) to Harris Methodist-FW where he proceeded to get sick due to motion sickness. Dad said he was glad he was transported via an ambulance, because he knew he wasn't that bad off. A girl who was a client of Dad's many years ago sat with him at the hospital in S'ville and held his hand until he left. She had just been getting off work when they brought him in and, since no one was with him, said she couldn't leave him. Dad said he remembers her holding his hand really, really tight. I love a small town! Where else does stuff like that happen? She also called the hospital in FW to check on Dad.
Dad's accident happened almost a full 13 hours before any of his family knew. Evidently someone at the hospital finally said "Hmmmm, wonder if this guy has any family?" Why no one in S'ville did that, I'll never know. Anyhow, Dad was able to get the nurse Amy's phone number (older sister for those of you who don't know) in Houston and his brother's number in Weatherford. Once Amy got the call, she had Katie go up. All we knew was that he was in the trauma ICU and unable to speak. Katie had no idea what she was walking into when she got there, poor thing. And of course, that hosptial is a compound so it was hard to know where to go.
She and Amy both thought Dad was unrecognizable. For me, his hair gave him away! And believe me, I had prepared for the worst. His face was (and still is) extremely swollen, with a huge gash on his right cheek. His eyes are black, his lips were busted up and repaired, lots of dried blood, etc. However, when you consider how lucky he is.... We've all heard of people who died hitting deer, much less a full-grown, ropin' horse. Since Dad's accident, we've heard horror stories about decapations, loss of life, etc. Dad's own doctor said this is an unusual case because with this much head trauma, usually there's also a broken neck or some kind of chest trauma. Dad had NONE of that. Truly, that's a miracle. When I think of what I saw when I worked for State Farm, I cringe knowing how easily things could have gone the other way.
Dad was able to go home from the hospital today. The doctor (who all of us daughters like, despite the fact he's a t-sip!) said that, because the only reason they were waiting for surgery was Dad's swelling, there was no reason for him to stay at the hospital. Yesterday they started Dad on pain pills as opposed to morphine, and Dad's pain stayed under control. Honestly, his pain hasn't been an issue. He's uncomfortable, he has pain, but he's not in horrible pain. They've got some great medicines out there!
So, after I left DFW today, Amy was able to take Dad home until next Wednesday, when he'll return for surgery. Amy is staying for a few days, then Katie will come and take over, with Angie being there off and on. They'll all be there for the surgery. Please pray for them. My dad isn't the best patient and isn't very good at patience! But I told him to "Be reasonable" which is advice he has told me in the past, and I know he's going to do his best.
After surgery, the surgeon told the sisters that Dad will be able to take care of himself, for the most part. His jaw will be wired shut and his diet will be liquids, but beyond that, he's really healthy. And really blessed. And we know that God really isn't done with him yet!
He's requested Brad Pitt's or Tom Cruise's face. I'll keep you posted on that!
Sunday evening, after a day of playing golf and having dinner, my dad was driving down Hwy. 108 (Huckabay highway, for those of you who know the area; he was about 5 miles outside of town) after dark in his Lincoln Town Car. Thank goodness Dad's a huge man that wants/needs a huge car!!
Dad said he didn't see the horse until he was right on it. The horse was dark in color, standing directly in Dad's lane, rear-end toward my dad. Dad didn't hit the horse head-on because the horse was standing slightly at an angle on Dad's front left. We think that's why the airbag didn't deploy. We are not sure what created all the trauma on Dad's face, but I personally don't think it was the steering wheel. It was in pristine condition in the photos Angie got of the car. The driver's side of the roof of Dad's car is crushed in and I wonder if Dad's head wasn't in a position of looking up about the time the horse came down on that area. We just don't know. Wish I had a connection with an accident reconstruction person!
We don't know how long it was before someone found Dad or where his car was. I believe for some reason (been told maybe? Not sure) that Dad's car stayed on the road. The DPS officer who worked the scene is a friend of mine from my days at the Holiday Inn, where they all drink coffee, but because he was on nights, so I wasn't able to touch base with him. I hope to do so at some point.
They took Dad to the S'ville hospital where they got Dad stable, then put him on an ambulance (not Care-Flight, as the S'ville paper reported. DUH!!!) to Harris Methodist-FW where he proceeded to get sick due to motion sickness. Dad said he was glad he was transported via an ambulance, because he knew he wasn't that bad off. A girl who was a client of Dad's many years ago sat with him at the hospital in S'ville and held his hand until he left. She had just been getting off work when they brought him in and, since no one was with him, said she couldn't leave him. Dad said he remembers her holding his hand really, really tight. I love a small town! Where else does stuff like that happen? She also called the hospital in FW to check on Dad.
Dad's accident happened almost a full 13 hours before any of his family knew. Evidently someone at the hospital finally said "Hmmmm, wonder if this guy has any family?" Why no one in S'ville did that, I'll never know. Anyhow, Dad was able to get the nurse Amy's phone number (older sister for those of you who don't know) in Houston and his brother's number in Weatherford. Once Amy got the call, she had Katie go up. All we knew was that he was in the trauma ICU and unable to speak. Katie had no idea what she was walking into when she got there, poor thing. And of course, that hosptial is a compound so it was hard to know where to go.
She and Amy both thought Dad was unrecognizable. For me, his hair gave him away! And believe me, I had prepared for the worst. His face was (and still is) extremely swollen, with a huge gash on his right cheek. His eyes are black, his lips were busted up and repaired, lots of dried blood, etc. However, when you consider how lucky he is.... We've all heard of people who died hitting deer, much less a full-grown, ropin' horse. Since Dad's accident, we've heard horror stories about decapations, loss of life, etc. Dad's own doctor said this is an unusual case because with this much head trauma, usually there's also a broken neck or some kind of chest trauma. Dad had NONE of that. Truly, that's a miracle. When I think of what I saw when I worked for State Farm, I cringe knowing how easily things could have gone the other way.
Dad was able to go home from the hospital today. The doctor (who all of us daughters like, despite the fact he's a t-sip!) said that, because the only reason they were waiting for surgery was Dad's swelling, there was no reason for him to stay at the hospital. Yesterday they started Dad on pain pills as opposed to morphine, and Dad's pain stayed under control. Honestly, his pain hasn't been an issue. He's uncomfortable, he has pain, but he's not in horrible pain. They've got some great medicines out there!
So, after I left DFW today, Amy was able to take Dad home until next Wednesday, when he'll return for surgery. Amy is staying for a few days, then Katie will come and take over, with Angie being there off and on. They'll all be there for the surgery. Please pray for them. My dad isn't the best patient and isn't very good at patience! But I told him to "Be reasonable" which is advice he has told me in the past, and I know he's going to do his best.
After surgery, the surgeon told the sisters that Dad will be able to take care of himself, for the most part. His jaw will be wired shut and his diet will be liquids, but beyond that, he's really healthy. And really blessed. And we know that God really isn't done with him yet!
He's requested Brad Pitt's or Tom Cruise's face. I'll keep you posted on that!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Hostess With The Mostess
This week is going to be a crazy one. Well, if you look at my calendar, there isn't much going on between now and Friday. Except for Bible study, one little meal/gift delivery to some neighbors, and exercise. But once I hit Friday, life is going to be NUTS!!!
Friday night, we are going out to eat with Jenelle and Rich. Jenelle is my hair stylist and I love her. Not only do I like the way my hair looks, but she's just a neat person. And despite the fact we have a lot not in common, we have some other things in common that told me, early on in our stylist/client relationship, we should be friends. Rich is in the National Guard, so we have the military in common. Their kids are the same age difference apart as ours, just a couple of years behind, with a girl first, then boy. Both couples consider themselves foodies and wine-o's, which meant we always talk about our newest restaurant endeavors. At some point, the girls decided the guys must be included in our relationship so we started getting our families together. Friday night, we are going to Anson's, which is the Gordon's newest favorite restaurant without the kids.
Then Saturday, I become the "hostess with the mostess." That morning, I host my Lia Sophia jewelry party. I am doing a brunch because I love brunch foods: quiche, muffins/sweet breads, coffee, pomosas and mimosas! I don't know how many of my friends will be here, but I've invited quite a few. Should be fun!
That evening, our dear friends, Jennifer and Jason Karnes, and their kids, Braden, Landry, and Tripp, will arrive for a week-long visit. I cannot tell you how long I have been waiting for this week to arrive. Jennifer and Tripp came last fall for a visit and, while they were here, it just reminded me that their whole family would love the lowcountry. Since both the adult Karnes' work, we had to make their visit during a time they could both have an extended amount of time off. No weekend trip would work for the whole brood! Thus, the Thanksgiving week trip was hatched.
I won't rehash why we love the Karnes so much. You've all seen/read/heard those stories before. Suffice to say, Jen and I have been through a lot together. Hey, we're working on a 25+ year friendship! And once the guys were added, the friendship deepened, as did our kids' arrivals. I have to say: is there anything sweeter than married friends where everyone (including kids) likes/loves each other?
I've already been preparing for the Karnes' arrival. The turkey is in the freezer and I have a couple of meals stocked there, too. I've already sent them what our Thanksgiving meal usually looks like and they said it looked complete. I'll be doing little things between now and Saturday to get the house ready, as well as other cooking. I think I might be living up to the title Jen and Jason gave me long ago: "Martha," as in Stewart. We probably won't have Martha-esque placecards, but we will have everything else!!
Friday night, we are going out to eat with Jenelle and Rich. Jenelle is my hair stylist and I love her. Not only do I like the way my hair looks, but she's just a neat person. And despite the fact we have a lot not in common, we have some other things in common that told me, early on in our stylist/client relationship, we should be friends. Rich is in the National Guard, so we have the military in common. Their kids are the same age difference apart as ours, just a couple of years behind, with a girl first, then boy. Both couples consider themselves foodies and wine-o's, which meant we always talk about our newest restaurant endeavors. At some point, the girls decided the guys must be included in our relationship so we started getting our families together. Friday night, we are going to Anson's, which is the Gordon's newest favorite restaurant without the kids.
Then Saturday, I become the "hostess with the mostess." That morning, I host my Lia Sophia jewelry party. I am doing a brunch because I love brunch foods: quiche, muffins/sweet breads, coffee, pomosas and mimosas! I don't know how many of my friends will be here, but I've invited quite a few. Should be fun!
That evening, our dear friends, Jennifer and Jason Karnes, and their kids, Braden, Landry, and Tripp, will arrive for a week-long visit. I cannot tell you how long I have been waiting for this week to arrive. Jennifer and Tripp came last fall for a visit and, while they were here, it just reminded me that their whole family would love the lowcountry. Since both the adult Karnes' work, we had to make their visit during a time they could both have an extended amount of time off. No weekend trip would work for the whole brood! Thus, the Thanksgiving week trip was hatched.
I won't rehash why we love the Karnes so much. You've all seen/read/heard those stories before. Suffice to say, Jen and I have been through a lot together. Hey, we're working on a 25+ year friendship! And once the guys were added, the friendship deepened, as did our kids' arrivals. I have to say: is there anything sweeter than married friends where everyone (including kids) likes/loves each other?
I've already been preparing for the Karnes' arrival. The turkey is in the freezer and I have a couple of meals stocked there, too. I've already sent them what our Thanksgiving meal usually looks like and they said it looked complete. I'll be doing little things between now and Saturday to get the house ready, as well as other cooking. I think I might be living up to the title Jen and Jason gave me long ago: "Martha," as in Stewart. We probably won't have Martha-esque placecards, but we will have everything else!!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Halloween!
Look, it's Cleopatra and Buzz Lightyear on our porch!!!!
We had a great Halloween this year! Some of you might know that, last year, after we trick-or-treated in our neighborhood, we came home and had NO trick or treaters. It was extremely disappointing. So this year, we were bound and determined not to let that happen!
We ended up going to my friend, Jenny's house. Jenny and I know each other from the gym, where she regularly does very mean things to me via a cycling class that I adore. She lives on the golf course adjacent to our subdivision, so we didn't have to go far. My other friend from the gym, Kristie, and her family were there, too.
After a few slices of pizza (looking back on it now, I don't think my kids had ANY dinner that night. OOPS!), we headed out to get some candy. The kids were all troopers and had such a fun time. After about 15 or so houses in the immediate area, we headed back to Jenny's house, where we handed out candy. We were able to see quite a few of Grace's classmates and our kids had a lot of fun with the Johnson and Dennis kids. Here are all the kiddos, except Jenny's youngest, Mackenzie, who was having no part of getting in this group shot!
Jasen and I had a really good time visiting with Jenny's father-in-law, Walter, who is a Marine Corps. veteran and now a chaplain for the sheriff's department up in Fort Mill, SC. Also, Kristie's hubby, Jamie was a HOOT. He's a Carolina redneck and fondly reminded us of all the TX rednecks we call friends. One day, we hope to meet Jenny's hubby, Walt, who was working that weekend at the Charlotte airport.
All in all, a great time was had by all.
Redneck Jamie and Iraqi Jasen. Can you tell they are enjoying each other??
Me, Kristie, and Jenny laughing at something the boys said to us. And that would be a green jawbreaker in my mouth.
We had a great Halloween this year! Some of you might know that, last year, after we trick-or-treated in our neighborhood, we came home and had NO trick or treaters. It was extremely disappointing. So this year, we were bound and determined not to let that happen!
We ended up going to my friend, Jenny's house. Jenny and I know each other from the gym, where she regularly does very mean things to me via a cycling class that I adore. She lives on the golf course adjacent to our subdivision, so we didn't have to go far. My other friend from the gym, Kristie, and her family were there, too.
After a few slices of pizza (looking back on it now, I don't think my kids had ANY dinner that night. OOPS!), we headed out to get some candy. The kids were all troopers and had such a fun time. After about 15 or so houses in the immediate area, we headed back to Jenny's house, where we handed out candy. We were able to see quite a few of Grace's classmates and our kids had a lot of fun with the Johnson and Dennis kids. Here are all the kiddos, except Jenny's youngest, Mackenzie, who was having no part of getting in this group shot!
Jasen and I had a really good time visiting with Jenny's father-in-law, Walter, who is a Marine Corps. veteran and now a chaplain for the sheriff's department up in Fort Mill, SC. Also, Kristie's hubby, Jamie was a HOOT. He's a Carolina redneck and fondly reminded us of all the TX rednecks we call friends. One day, we hope to meet Jenny's hubby, Walt, who was working that weekend at the Charlotte airport.
All in all, a great time was had by all.
Redneck Jamie and Iraqi Jasen. Can you tell they are enjoying each other??
Me, Kristie, and Jenny laughing at something the boys said to us. And that would be a green jawbreaker in my mouth.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Melody's Shower
Last weekend, Grace and I were blessed to make a quick trip to TX. You see, my cousin, Melody, is expecting her first baby. She and Leo are already blessed with Kaela and Christian, and now they'll have one together, Mitchell. Months ago, Katie organized a family shower, with all of Melody's first cousins and an aunt as hostesses. Our daughters were also in on the planning. Because I knew I couldn't come to this even in TX without Grace, I resigned myself that I would not be able to attend because, although Jasen makes good money, it's not good enough for a $500+ weekend trip to TX for his girls! So my job for the shower was invites/RSVPs because I could do that from Charleston.
I got my part of the job done relatively early and then added a little input here and there. As the time got closer, I got depressed because Grace and I were not going to be there. Enter our "benefactor." Someone near and dear to our hearts offered to pay for Grace's ticket which solved the economic problem for the Graham girls. Two and a half weeks before the shower, we made our plane reservations and prepared to be in attendance at the shower. Thank you, sweet benefactor!
The weekend of the shower, the Graham family got up early to deliver the girls to the airport about 6 a.m. Grace then talked all the way to DFW, sleeping for 5 minutes (so she says), so excited we both nearly jumped out of our skin. One of us (I'll let you guess which!) from sheer exhaustion from listening to all the questions and comments. When we arrived in Dallas, my mom picked us up then we proceeded to drive all around north Lewisville looking for somewhere to get coffee. I took us darn near to Denton then realized that we should have been turning south at all those exits! Hey, I never actually lived in Lewisville and it's been a LONG time since I lived in Dallas!!
We had lunch and dinner with Katie and Clancey, then spent the night with them. The next day, it was GO-GO-GO until shower time. In the time before the shower we: got coffee/tea, went to the grocery store, got gas, drove to Weatherford (site of the shower), ate lunch with my dad/sisters/niece, visited with Emily, and decorated a HORRIBLE looking office room for the shower.
The youngest hostesses welcomed the guests.
That's my aunt, Pattie, who looked so pretty in that color of blue/green.
Melody and her hostesses. Front: Melody's Aunt Karen, Regan, Grace, Melody, and her cousin, Taylor. Back: Amy, me, Angie, Lindsay (Melody's cousin), Angela (Melody's sister-in-law) and Katie.
The prettiest hostess...
Finally, the shower began and it was so nice. Melody got a lot of good stuff and that evening, I went to her house to help her go through it all. Melody has been a great "extra" mom to Kaela and Christian. She's going to be a GREAT mom to Mitchell. Her nursery is precious!
That night, Grace and I stayed at Tommy and Pattie's house. I can't say enough about how calm/relaxed I feel at their house. And I love how their family of four (Tommy, Pattie, Melody and Jeremy) is so connected. I pray for that in our family of four. Anyway, we got to visit with them and my dad's cousin, Brenda. The next day, we tried to go to lunch with everyone, but I ended up with what I think was my first migraine. Not pretty and it ruined my last few hours in TX. But that's okay. The previous hours had been so good, I couldn't complain. The pain/nausea subsided before we got to the airport so that was convenient!
All in all, we had a great weekend. When Grace and I were on the way home, she looked at me and said, in all sincerity, "Our girl's weekend was great mom. We have great girls in our family." I couldn't agree more! Stay tuned for more on that!
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