I spent my weekend with memories

This weekend, I was able to spend my weekend not making memories, but feeling surrounded by them.  I spent most of the day Saturday working hard to get all of Christmas taken down and stored away (not in the attic because it's WAYYYY too cold, but in tubs).  I loved thinking about my great-uncle as I put away the Santa that he carved, and that had been a gift to my grandmother and I now have.  There were so many decorations that had been gifts from my paternal grandmother, and even a couple of gifts from my mom.  My aunt usually gives us a decoration each year as well.  I cherished putting away the tree that I had given to my grandmother one year that contained the names of her (then nine) great-grandkids, and I love the photos from many year that we've had in various frames, all displayed together on shelves.  There were a couple of decorations I've had since my childhood, and an entire ceramic village hand-painted by Andrew's grandmother.  There was also the Department 56 village pieces we have that my maternal grandmother collected.  We were each allowed to choose one, and we add them to the few that I already had.  I thought back to her opening one each year, and I thought about how she must have so enjoyed putting them out each year.

I also spent some time with a wonderful gift our family received at Christmas.  Andrew's cousin sent us digitized copies of dozens of photos.  I spent some time last evening going through them and organizing them.  Additionally, I've been wanting to re-do our photo wall in our hallway, so I've been thinking about what photos I want to put where, and what frames would look best in doing so.  I'm looking forward to adding photos of Andrew's family as well as some of my favorites of the kiddos.  I enjoyed those thoughts.

I am so grateful for this weekend.  It's been absolutely frigid, and we've been able to stay in so much.  We've had several beautiful fires in our fireplace, as well as enjoying the scents of lit candles.  I won't lie, I had hoped for a snow day tomorrow because I'm so motivated to organize, but the snow never really happened.  The windchills are going to be negative in the morning, but not cold enough to keep us from being in school on time!  We've been able to enjoy decent football games (ugh, Steelers, c'mon!), and this weekend has just been so good for my soul.  Additionally, Andrew and I even booked a weekend get-away for next weekend.  I am working on feeling peaceful.

Really been looking forward to this!

I have been looking forward to today, and this weekend, for quite some time.  Don't get me wrong, the 2+ weeks we had off at Christmas was very nice.  But, it was also very busy and scheduled and just overall a bit chaotic.  Today, neither Andrew nor myself have anywhere that we have to be.  AND, we get an extra day to our weekend.  It's bitterly cold here, and going to be through most of the next week.  A day at home, with no schedule, and LOTS of good football all weekend is exactly what I need.

Yesterday was a rough day, which makes this weekend all the better.  The weather was miserable, with cold winds and hard rain all day.  In many ways, the weather was a perfect metaphor for our day, as we were all attending the visitation and/or funeral of the mother of our student.  Andrea was an incredible woman.  We'd had many conversations with her, even in the just short two years her family had been a part of our school.  After I came home last evening, I gave Andrew a huge hug.  I'm so grateful we get to go through this life together.

I hope everyone has a wonderfully safe and blessed weekend!

She got to walk across the stage

Tonight was a graduation ceremony for Catherine's program.  It was a combined graduation ceremony with the other adult ed medical programs at her institution.  We hadn't realized the magnitude of the event.  There were even caps and gowns and everything.  It was a lovely ceremony.  As we met up with Catherine after, she mentioned that she finally got to walk across the stage.  I hadn't even thought about that, and my heart broke a bit.  It's been a really tough 12+ mos for our sweet girl.  I'm so hopeful that this ceremony marks a wonderful new beginning!

Early January

My grandmother turns 93 today.  I wrote a year ago that I was fairly certain she would make it.  My feeling about her reaching 94 is less certain.  She's just not the grandma I've always known.  She know it too, and it bothers her.  She has mentioned that it may just be time for her to go.  She's perfectly healthy, but I do know if something happens, she isn't going to want to fight.  I completely get it.  I'm sure she would tell you her 93 years have flown by.

There has been a tremendous amount of sadness in the new year.  On Friday, a classmate of Catherine's passed away from cancer.  He was a wonderful young man.  I knew him, although not well, but I did know his sister well.  While I know there is gratitude that he is no longer suffering (and suffer he did), my heart is broken for them and I just can't imagine.  No parent should bury their child.

We also had a student lose her mom yesterday.  She'd been diagnosed with cancer 20 months ago.  Again, it just shouldn't happen this way.  My heart is broken for their family.  In addition to the husband and young daughter she is leaving behind, I've been able to know her parents and as I said, no parent should ever bury their child.

January is a busy month.  I've got lots of school work, and lots of church work.  I was able to get the Christmas trees down, but everything else is still up.  I didn't feel a lot of holiday joy, but I'm working really hard to be grateful for each day and to remember nothing is guaranteed.  January is always a month filled with so much reality.

Happy 50th to my awesome husband

Today is the day my amazing husband turns 50.  I can't believe we are both this age.  I'm so incredibly lucky to go through life with him.  It's not that every day is perfect, but overall we have far more good days than not-good.  We had a gathering with a few friends last week, and we had lunch with the kids yesterday.  Today I had to work at church after school, but we plan to have a drink on Friday.  He's amazing!

How we spent our break

The last two weeks have been awesome in that I rarely had to wake to an alarm.  Sadly, it was not good sleeping most of the time.  Due to some scheduling snafus, I ran out of my maintenance medication.  Not being able to regulate my thyroid really took a toll.  I've been able to resume my medication for about a week now, and things are going slightly better.  I spent two days traveling to pick up my mother-in-law and she was here for nine days.  I enjoyed having her here, but it's also tough at times.  There was also drama with my mother and sister on Christmas, and that made the day particularly challenging.

As my children are adults, I understand that they won't be at each and every holiday event anymore.  I had hoped for a bit more of some compromising when it came to Thomas and his girlfriend, and that is also made some times challenging.  Andrew and I are struggling with having the young adults living here, but who want to live here as though they are still teens.  They need to be responsible and they need to pick up after themselves.  The attitude was bit much at some times.  Those are the drama we could do without.

The first Saturday of break was the extended family gathering.  Last year there were over 30 of us, this year there were only 16.  I was the only one from our house there, and that was the case with many others as well.  Hopefully next year there will be more able to make it.

There were good things, though, and I do want to remember those.  The Friday night before Christmas, Catherine arrived and was here for a week.  We had a lovely dinner with the five of us, and then drove around town through various neighborhoods looking at lights.  It was a fun evening.  We also had an evening where Thomas's girlfriend joined us for dinner, and then we played a fun trivia game.  We laughed a lot, and it was one of my favorite memories of the break.  I'm also really grateful that my mom made an effort to get us together with my cousin and her family.  I'm so glad the kids could have some time together.

We also had a lot of fun on New Year's Eve.  We stayed over at our friends' house, and we laughed so hard that my muscles still hurt today.  We really needed that evening.

In twelve hours I'll be back at work.  I'm ready for a routine again, but I'm not super excited about early morning wake up times.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to have a great year!

The first day of 2024

Typing this title was the first day I've used "2024".  Another year has arrived.  It is so hard to believe.  I am fifty years old, so last evening was my fifty-first NYE.  Wow.

As a child, New Year's Eve was always so very special.  My parents hosted a gathering every year, and my sister and I would spend the night at my paternal grandparents.  My grandmother retired when I was very little, and my grandfather retired when only 11, so most overnights were at their house.  My mother always took us to the bulk nut factory in town, and we were allowed to pick out snacks for the evening.  Peanuts and other nut assortments, and always jelly beans, were served as evening snacks.  We would eat dinner at Long John Silver's, and then we would undecorate my grandparent's tree.  As I got older, those weren't my plans, but even my freshman year of college, I stayed at my grandparents.  The very first NYE I remember was 1983, and I remember walking into the bedroom where my sister and I slept thinking, "I can't believe it is 1984."  I was ten years old, and that was forty years ago.

This was a tough break, although I'll write about that another in a different post.  Today is always one of my favorite days of the year, and this year is not an exception.  I'm especially grateful as the last two years have been less than spectacular.  This year, this day has been exactly as I hope it would be.  Andrew and I spent the day in our pajamas and our meals were leftovers.  Right now I am watching Michigan play Alabama (ugh) and enjoying the candle with a lovely fire in the fireplace.  Catherine spent the day at her apartment, and Thomas had to work before going to spend the evening with his girlfriend and her family.  We are still off tomorrow, and although I have A LOT to do, but for today, I'm just enjoying the peace and quiet!