A Quick Update

Well, time sure flies if you're having fun...or not. It flies! Was it really almost a week ago we were just getting our minds wrapped around the idea that Christmas was actually around the corner? Now it's going to be a brand new year!

I'm just curious and would be thrilled if anyone would care to leave a comment to answer: what were you doing 10 years ago? I was totally living in another state--state of mind, state of the union. We were living in Maryland. People I loved hadn't yet passed from the world: my uncles John and Bob and my first husband Rich. I couldn't begin to conceptualize my kids in high school, never mind college. And so it goes...

But the last 10 years have brought blessings, good times as well as bad and sad times.

Most recently, here is what's going on with our gang near and far:

TB just started a new pain med which is helping to take the edge off everything. Thank God. It's tough to suffer chronic pain but it's very very hard to watch someone you love suffer and be unable to do anything to stop it. It's also very tough to deal with some people who just don't "get it" and think that you can tough out this type of pain. I guess you have to suffer that type of intense pain to really get it when a loved one says, "I can't come see you today. I hurt too much." I'm talking about certain family members here and that's all I'll say about that.

Right now I'm not feeling pain and I'm totally grateful for the respite. I need to get back on track managing my diabetes and weight though.

Billy and Linda are both working at the same place which helps now that Linda doesn't have a car. Heidi and Kristin are doing just fine.

I'm worried about the grandboys. Nikolas in TN is fine as far as I know and we just got a totally cool picture of our little Taylor in her cheerleader uniform. I framed it already but want to take it out so I can scan it and show her off. The three grandsons I'm worried about are all having health issues.

Brandon had his gall bladder out, had an infected finger and is feeling better but there's some concerns that need to be addressed. And Ryan's cholesterol came back high and so he's scheduled to see a nephrologist. It seems to me that he might have protein or albumin or something in his urine for him to have to go see a specialist like that. These guys are just 13 and 11, a bit young to have all that going on.

And our little T has a lot of fluid in his ears which is probably interfering with his ability to hear and speak. He's having new tubes and an adenoidectomy in a couple of weeks.

It's always something.

Here's some more pictures from our holiday--these were taken just before and on Christmas Day.



Our Christmas 2007