Lunch with Grandma

For the fourth year in a row, we brought pizza in for lunch with my grandmother.  This year, my sister asked me to see if my aunt wanted to join us, and she did!  It's really hard to go see Grandma alone, because she just really doesn't understand what is happening around her, she can't really carry on a conversation, and she doesn't have the TV on so it's either a monologue or awkward silence.  I'm sure my aunt appreciated having us all there and not having to make the visit alone.  I'm sure it's also really hard on my aunt to see her mother that way.  And the fact that my uncle is in failing health is also tough for Aunt Connie as well.  It was nice to have the afternoon all together, and my aunt and I had travel time to chat as well.  We are all aware that this is almost certainly Grandma's last birthday lunch, but it was a nice afternoon.

Relaxing on Friday evening

Today was a working Friday.  That is certainly not at all notable, except that the last three Fridays were not working Fridays.  The Friday before that was a 2-hour delay, and six weeks ago was the day after Thanksgiving.  So, in the last six Fridays, I only had to work a full day on ONE of them.

It was a good week at work.  We are starting this semester with great optimism that things will settle.  I'm not at all sad about that!  It would be nice to not feel the stress and emotions that we felt in the first semester.

I'm enjoying this Friday evening of relaxation.  Andrew brought dinner in for us.  One cat is asleep next to me, one cat is asleep next to Andrew, and Janey, our sweet new pup, is also asleep with Andrew.  Janey had quite a day today!  Andrew arrived home to find that she had completely chewed apart the bed that is in her crate.  Oh my, it was quite a sight!  Overall, we are so absolutely thrilled that Janey has joined our lives.  She has a lot of similarities to our precious Abby, but she is her own girl.  She keeps us laughing and brings us a lot of joy!  I've started taking down our Christmas, but it's quite a process.  Tomorrow is lunch to celebrate Grandma's birthday, and then hopefully I'll get some more Christmas put away.  

I'm grateful for this relatively quiet weekend!

My favorite Christmas decorations

As I'm getting ready to put away the Christmas decorations, I find myself thinking about my favorite decorations.  While there are so many that are filled with memories, and there are plenty that are over 40 years old, my favorite decorations are the photos.  I have 16 frames filled with Christmas photos from various years.  Obviously, not every year is represented, but I love not only looking at the memories, but I love the decorative nature of the frames.  I added this year already.  I've actually run out of room on the shelves where I keep them, but I've worked it out to expand a bit.  It makes me so incredibly happy when I get each photo out each year.

I undecorated the trees this evening.  I needed to separate Catherine's ornaments this year.  It seems like our trees might be pretty bare next year!  As I was putting the ornaments into their own bin, I couldn't help but think about how much I'm going to miss them next year.  I thought it wouldn't bother me because we've already had Thomas take his.  But, I realized this evening that some of the memories were still there because seeing Catherine's ornaments would make me think of the memory.  For example, one year, all seven of my grandmother great-grands visited Disney.  She made each of the kids a Disney related ornament that year by making them cross-stitch ornaments.  Those kinds of memories are so dear to my heart.

And speaking of my grandmother, today she turns 95.  My sister saw her today and said she is definitely fading cognitively.  My mom, sister, aunt and I are going to see her Saturday and bring in lunch.  I am nearly certain this will be her final birthday.  I am so, so grateful to have had her in my life for so long, but I know this is not how she wants to be living.

An entire week into 2026...time is still flying!

This break is officially over

Even though none of us had students yet, we've all been back to work.  I'm grateful I took the morning off and allowed myself to ease back into things, although the last several days I've been working hard.  I'm responsible for compiling, editing, saving, and sending the narrative progress reports that we do twice a year, and it keeps me plenty busy.

This break felt much busier than I would prefer.  The days leading up to Christmas involved trips to help my mom and days picking up our house here, and of course getting ready for Christmas itself.  I'm a little embarrassed by our bedroom as that just kind of became where I decided to throw things.  Thomas stayed over Christmas night and was here all day the next day until we went north for a family wedding gathering.

On Saturday the 27th, our dear friends son got married.  There were only 12 of us present, including the bride and groom.  It was important to them that we be there, and it was such an absolute honor to know they consider us family just as we do.  We were gone literally all day, but again, it was such an honor.

After that, things began to settle down, but I had done no work on the reports at all.  I'm grateful I have those things to do because if I didn't, I wouldn't be getting a paycheck this week.  At the same time, I'm a little sad that I didn't get an opportunity to do a Christmas puzzle.  I don't think I'll let that stop me though...it just extends the holiday!

This week is busy, but tomorrow is already Wednesday.  I get to go and finalize the adoption of our sweet pup, Jane, and she has been the best thing to happen to us in a long time.  2026...here we go!

These last six weeks

Six weeks ago, it was the Sunday beginning our Thanksgiving break.  Andrew arrived home with his mother, and we were kicking off the beginning of the holiday joy.  There are only two of the last six Mondays where I had to work the next day, and on one of those, I was pretty sure it would only be one day before a snow day (I was right).  In the last six weeks, we have had 12 school days.  That feels pretty darn good.

We still have tomorrow off, but then Tuesday we go back to work and the students will arrive on Wednesday.  There is no snow in sight, so it will be all in.  To be honest, I'm not terribly sad to be going back to work.  I love my job (but I'm just NOT a morning person...and ironically I have the earliest report time at the office), and of course I need a paycheck.  I think what I'm most sad about is that the holidays are coming to an end.  It truly is the most wonderful time of the year!  My MIL wasn't here as much as she has been in past years, and at age 86, we can't ever be certain that next year she'll be here.  I loved having all the kids here.  Catherine has let us know that next year, her boyfriend's family is planning a week-long trip.  And of course, it is nearly certain that this was my Grandmother's last Christmas.  Oh, the memories of Christmas with her are so treasured, but I suspect she will love Christmas in Heaven next year with her parents, all her siblings, and of course Grandpa and my dad.

Life is good.  I do not fail to see that.  I love my job, and I am grateful for it, but there is a big part of me that still wishes it was six years ago.  I would love to get to do the holidays all over again.  I am so grateful for the time we had together and the memories we made!

The first day of 2026

As I've written many times before, January 1 is often my favorite day of the year.  And this year is no exception!  We've been watching the College Football Playoffs, (after the Buckeyes awful loss, we are now Hoosier fans).  Andrew and I have both been doing a lot of school work today, but we haven't left our home...just the way I like it!  In fact, I informed Andrew this morning that I wouldn't be getting out of my pajamas, although in my defense I actually put on clean pajamas this morning.  I gave myself a new set for Christmas, and they are incredibly comfortable.  I also put on my comfy Christmas socks for the last time this season.  It's been a great day.

NYE was spent at our good friends' house last night, and it was especially fun to share it with other friends and even some of the kids.  There were twelve of us together at Midnight, and we left shortly after.  I told Andrew that I know I'm getting old because although I love our friends and I especially had fun watching the game, I'm to the point that I almost prefer to stay home and just hang out ourselves on NYE.

Our sweet new pup, Jane, has been so much fun today.  After insisting it would NOT happen, she slept in our bed last night.  Beagles are just absolutely the best!  She and the cats are coming to an understanding.  There are so many little traits that remind us of our dear Abby but she looks different than Abby and I'm glad about that.  I'm so, so glad that she has come into our lives.

This break had a lot of crazy, but I'm so grateful for the last few days.  It's very nice to end the old year and start the new one with a sense of peace!

The last day of 2025

Here we are, at the last day of the year again.  I'm no longer surprised by the rapid passing of time.  I'll blink, and it will be summer, than I'll blink again and wonder where the summer went as the students return, and then I'll blink and we'll be celebrating Christmas again.  Even though the year will fly by, I wouldn't mind if the next five days (I'm still off Monday) pass by at a snail's pace.

There were a lot of wonderful family memories made this year between Thomas's wedding and our big family vacation.  Catherine is also in a lovely relationship, and she is making better choices in life.  I'm thankful for the way things are going with my children every single day, and I don't take their successes for granted.

The hardest part of this year was the world around us.   The hardships faced by so many this fall has been especially emotionally challenging, and Andrew and I have both joined groups and committees to address these issues.  We've also both been incredibly busy with our church and the new pastor search, and of course my job has been a source of exorbitant stress.  I still love my job, but parents are crazy.

Today, we also created a new beginning.  I'm so thrilled to announce that a new sweet pup has joined our family.  A neighbor who volunteers at a local shelter tipped us off to a young female beagle that had just arrived, and Andrew put in an application the same day.  We had a meet & greet today, and we could not be more thrilled.  We've named her Jane Harriet (Goodall and Tubman), and Janie is a delightful addition to our home.  Right now she is curled up in Andrew's arm and they are both napping.  There are so many things that remind of us our sweet Abby because of her personality, but she is absolutely her own dog and is an absolute lover.  We are thrilled she is here.

I'm excited about the beginning of another year, and I'm grateful we are here to see it!  Our dear neighbor (and mother of co-worker) passed away Monday morning, and that combined with the death of Tatiana Schlossberg is a poignant reminder that nothing guaranteed.  I'm grateful to be able to see 2026 arrive.