2018 year in Review

Well, 2018 is almost over and really--good riddance.  It's been a tough year.  We lost all our parents this year.  My mom died early in the year and my dad died after Thanksgiving.  Larry's mom battled a lot of sickness and after a successful move to an assisted living by us she passed away in September.  It's really surreal to be the oldest ones in the family now.  We have no grandparents and now no parents.

We battled some medical things ourselves.  I had a kidney stone. Larry had shoulder surgery.  I had a weird infection in my elbow.  We both had some unusual sickness at the beginning of the year.  I had some eye surgery. (Post on that later) and I started Invisalign too!

But it hasn't been all bad.  We got to go on a cruise in April to the Caribbean with great friends!  We had some beautiful California Closets installed in our condo. We got to go see our son in San Diego twice! We got to see some wonderful friends in Virginia. We spent a great weekend in Corpus with my daughter and her husband and the grand baby!  I got to spend several weekends this year with my dad coming over.

So as we turn the calendar to 2019, I'm anticipating good things!  We will have another grand baby in January!  And a new baby is always a happy way to start the year!  Annabelle will be 2 next year!  My son will be finished with the Marines in March and will be starting some new exciting career.  We will be celebrating our 30th anniversary and we are looking at a trip to Croatia!

There's lots to mourn for last year but lots to look forward for the year to come.

So my word for the new year is RELATIONSHIPS.  Trying to think of my relationships with people.  Not just my jobs or duties to people but what am I doing for the relationship?  How do I build that?  How do I grow and encourage those?  Lots to work but I'm praying God will guide me in this next year.  

Happy New Year everyone.

I buried my dad today

I buried my dad today.
Something I thought I'd never say.
But time marches on
We grow, we get old.
And these are the things we must face.

My dad was one of those awesome old time cowboy types.  He told stories in the slow old fashioned way.  He was never in a rush.  He relished whatever experience he was in at the moment.  He loved sitting and staring at a campfire and watching the stars at night.  He knew pretty much everything about everything-except movies and TV stars and celebrities.  He could speak intelligently about almost any subject because he was well read.  Every time I saw my dad he had a book in his hand or on his chest or right within arm's reach.

Some fond memories I had of my dad:

Climbing on the roof on the fourth of July to watch the fireworks all around the city. 

Being pulled in our wagon, that was attached to the riding lawn mower.

Countless camping trips.

Walking hand in hand in the last few weeks of his life.

Watching many a PBS documentary.

Standing in the kitchen and helping him cook biscuits or feed his sourdough starter or making heuvos rancheros.

Walking out in the yard at my grandparent's house and having him tell me the name of every kind of tree.

Getting up in the middle of the night and going to smell his pipe tobacco.

Staying up late to work a jigsaw puzzle.

I will miss you dad.  I've missed you for years already since Alzheimer's took you from us.  You made me laugh and I will treasure the many memories I had with you.  Thank you for making me the person I am today.