Growing Family

Hey everyone...I will hopefully be more diligent about posting as some of y'all will be using this as a life line for the family.

My grandfather, Pop, will be moving in w/ us this week. He has been struggling w/ a knee replacement and has been in the hospital for the second time w/ it. After very little consideration Phillip and I invited him into our home. Really we wouldn't have it any other way. It amazes me that it takes the two of us 6mo to a year to buy a car but the bigger things in life are a no brainer and really don't require much discussion.

The goal is to see how much improvement can be made in the next two months. We are however in the process of evaluating him for other causes for his complications. The joys of medicine are that it really is a game of elimination and as our buddy Dave says, "...it's called a practice for a reason, they are just practicing medicine on you..."; we'll see!

So for all our great support systems out there...thank you! Because of how much everyone has done for us this year we are now in a place where we can do something like this. I remind everyone that says this is "noble" work or that we are really going to be overwhelmed, we have it easy. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law are the ones who are the hero's out there for care. I am in a constant state of awe over what they accomplish w/ only each other to rely upon. We are getting up to 12 hours of home care a day to help me with what he needs...all the fun stuff like getting him showered and dressed and ready for the day. It will free me up to take care of the things that are more enjoyable like appointments, meals and just hanging out w/ him and the kiddos.

Boys are looking forward to it. RJ said this morning, "I like it when you take care of me when I'm not feeling well, he will like it too!" Jack is just going to love having an extra lap for reading books!

All our love and prayers. We will be forgetful in the upcoming months but please just poke me from time to time as I want to avoid becoming myopic...

Kitchen!!!!!

From the family room

Prep area...close up of back splash

Sink area...close up of counter

Baking area...baking station...Hammie's area (intended for dog bed; surprise! he won't use it)

It's finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here are the photos. I was going to go to all the effort to clean it all, but then I realized that it wouldn't matter because why have a false pretense. You know we are real people and we live in our kitchen. So here it is!

Happy Halloween!

Here are my cuties on Halloween! There were about 10 rowdy boys that went in a mini gang all around the neighborhood. We were diligent about the "Thank you's" but there was still quite a bit of shoving and tears as they all tried to get to the door first or to the next house first.

RJ was a Storm Trooper (yes his mama is proud!) and Jack was Tigger. Jack is such a candy maniac that he didn't want to stop and wouldn't give up his bag even though it was so heavy he was dragging it from house to house. First piece out was a Hershey bar. He takes after his Nana:)

Mama's Babies

Here is a pic of my blond babies...Aren't they to die for!?! Just loungin' around. Jack was trying to be just like RJ...

Pop

Hey, hope everyone is well. I have spent the week w/ my grandfather (Pop) at a recovery center. He had knee replacement last week and ran into some problems w/ recovery after leaving the hospital. For being 82 he is doing better then I thought he would but not as well as he thought it would be. A combination of heavy drugs, lots of PT and feeling rather overwhelmed and anxious got to him Monday. He had spent the day alone and was not really tracking very well when I got there Monday night. He was really out of it and slurring his speech so it was time for the family to regroup and spend time with him during the day. That and my Aunt B was taking all the fun for herself by being with him the week before at the hospital when he had a drug reaction. I have spent the last two days with him, just hanging out and getting the straight poop from the staff. Everyone is doing much better today. He is less grumpy and more himself today especially. He was even flirting with the staff:) It was nice to see him transform from a grumpy old man to a dirty old man! I will be there in the morning for PT again and be handing the bat ton to my mum; well more like passing the whip... gotta get her in the groove with the staff and Pop's room-mate situation. George is a dear, once you butter him up and that makes for a much quieter day for both boys. It is so hard being elderly and losing the Independence you so desperately need. I just hope that I am helping in the way he needs. I started to think so when I got back from a longer lunch w/ my sister Kate and the kids (she has the more difficult task of watching the kiddo's while I am at Pop's beck and call). He looked at me and said, "Oh there you are, what took so long?" Must be doing something right. Kate brought the little ones by in their costumes to trick-or-treat and spread some smiles. They were all covered in chocolate and had more in their hands by the time we got to lunch. I think Kate and I were the only ones hungry and were wearing all the candy that wasn't in their bellies. I will post pictures when I get the camera from Kate. They are precious!
Have a happy Halloween! Wow, it is already November!!!!!!!!!

Halloween Fun

Here are photos of the boys doing the pumpkin thing. As you can tell from the photo Jack found one of my headbands...

Here is a small sample of what I wore to the party last night...yes I was sober when getting dressed. Phillip was only comfortable taking a picture of my top half for everyone to view...did seal the deal on a couple of little boy crushes;)

Kitchen Work

Here are a few funny photos of Phillip and his buddy Dave working on the electric in the kitchen. Needless to say they are quite the silly pair when together...