Happy Birthday to my wonderful Mom! I love you so very much!
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Big Day
Well today has/will be been a fairly big day of sorts. My mind has been going in a million different directions, so I've been distracting myself with whatever possible. My dad had spinal surgery today to implant a shunt. The surgery is over, and he is recovering. So that's good news. Today is also my parents 32nd wedding anniversary. Great timing, right? Today also marks the day I put my two weeks in at my current job and I become super excited and nervous about my new one in two weeks. I have been the opportunity to make a HUGE move for me professionally and it feels AMAZING to see that my years in grad school were not a waste of time and money. (a LOT of money).
So to help keep me distracted I have been looking at FSU football stuff. I know, nothing new, right? The spring game is this Saturday and I CANNOT wait to see the players, new and old, show us what they got.
If updates are not as frequent as usual, don't be alarmed. Between all the mentioned above, I am also moving next week. Haha. I do love to multi-task.....
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Cuteness overload
Last Saturday I was invited to attend my boyfriend's nephew's first birthday. As a gift I offered to bring my fancy camera, Fernando (it's name, deal with it, lol) and all his fancy attachments and be the photographer for the day so no one (specifically the mother) had to worry about photos not being taken. This was actually a really good excuse to use my beloved Fernando, but I also knew how much they would appreciate the opportunity to be more "in" the party then taking the pics themselves.
I'm going to go ahead and warn you. You may be overloaded with cuteness. This kid, Elijah(Eli) is so cute it makes your ovaries kick on at just the sight of him. Remember, you've been warned.
Oh and a puppy may or may not have been photographed with said adorable baby. Again, you've been warned!
The photographer becomes and unwilling model, this is my form of rebellion....
I'm going to go ahead and warn you. You may be overloaded with cuteness. This kid, Elijah(Eli) is so cute it makes your ovaries kick on at just the sight of him. Remember, you've been warned.
Oh and a puppy may or may not have been photographed with said adorable baby. Again, you've been warned!
Gratuitous shot of my handsome man (after he got the badminton bird cock stuck in the racket...)
The photographer becomes and unwilling model, this is my form of rebellion....
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
My Mimi
As I have already mentioned before in this blog here, I have grown up with what most people consider "older" parents. My parents met and married later in life than most, with my father being 9 years older than my mother on top of that. Add onto that my parents having trouble with having kids and I was not born until 7/8 years after they were married. Because of this my grandparents were much older than conventional grandparents, or in one case, already in severe failing health. By the time I was 7 both my father's parents had passed( with me never knowing his father) and before I was out of junior year of high school I only had my Grandmother, Mimi.
Now let me tell you about Mimi. Mimi is a badass. Yes, I said it. She is. My mother's mother to be exact. She is of Cherokee Indian decent, about 4 foot 10 and a ball of spitfire. She is currently 96 years young and still going strong. She lived on her own until she was 92 (with the help of nurses a few times a week) until we finally decided it was no longer safe for her to do so. Thankfully we did this in time before late-age onset Dementia set in. While most would think Dementia, or often mistakenly diagnosed Alzheimer's disease, would make us distraught or upset, but I actually feel the opposite. She is happier than she has been in years and in no way knows that she has little hearing left, is blind as a bat and cannot walk around much at all any more. She's is content in her own world that sometimes correctly includes my family, but most of the time does not. She always remembers our family yellow lab, Jackson, though. She loves her daily therapy dog visits. The Assisted Living Facility graciously allowed my mother to bring the old yellow lab for everyone to pet and love on once he passed therapy dog regulations. All the old men there can't wait to see his wagging tail and big brown eyes everyday.
But back to why I originally posted this blog entry - This morning I came across another blog here and was struck by the article posted. This article was describing my Grandmother. To the T. My grandmother has to have her daily chocolate/ice cream and is constantly carrying around "her baby" (a baby doll my mother gave her). As long as she has these, she is as pleased as punch. The article from the blog post is a must read for anyone who has does or ever had a parent/grandparent with Dementia and/or Alzheimer's.
I wish more Assisted Living facilities were more like the one mentioned in the article and the one my Grandmother is thankfully in.
An excerpt form the article below:
Now let me tell you about Mimi. Mimi is a badass. Yes, I said it. She is. My mother's mother to be exact. She is of Cherokee Indian decent, about 4 foot 10 and a ball of spitfire. She is currently 96 years young and still going strong. She lived on her own until she was 92 (with the help of nurses a few times a week) until we finally decided it was no longer safe for her to do so. Thankfully we did this in time before late-age onset Dementia set in. While most would think Dementia, or often mistakenly diagnosed Alzheimer's disease, would make us distraught or upset, but I actually feel the opposite. She is happier than she has been in years and in no way knows that she has little hearing left, is blind as a bat and cannot walk around much at all any more. She's is content in her own world that sometimes correctly includes my family, but most of the time does not. She always remembers our family yellow lab, Jackson, though. She loves her daily therapy dog visits. The Assisted Living Facility graciously allowed my mother to bring the old yellow lab for everyone to pet and love on once he passed therapy dog regulations. All the old men there can't wait to see his wagging tail and big brown eyes everyday.
But back to why I originally posted this blog entry - This morning I came across another blog here and was struck by the article posted. This article was describing my Grandmother. To the T. My grandmother has to have her daily chocolate/ice cream and is constantly carrying around "her baby" (a baby doll my mother gave her). As long as she has these, she is as pleased as punch. The article from the blog post is a must read for anyone who has does or ever had a parent/grandparent with Dementia and/or Alzheimer's.
I wish more Assisted Living facilities were more like the one mentioned in the article and the one my Grandmother is thankfully in.
An excerpt form the article below:
Giving Alzheimer’s Patients Their Way, Even Chocolate
PHOENIX — Margaret Nance was, to put it mildly, a difficult case. Agitated, combative, often reluctant to eat, she would hit staff members and fellow residents at nursing homes, several of which kicked her out. But when Beatitudes nursing home agreed to an urgent plea to accept her, all that changed.
Disregarding typical nursing-home rules, Beatitudes allowed Ms. Nance, 96 and afflicted with Alzheimer’s, to sleep, be bathed and dine whenever she wanted, even at 2 a.m. She could eat anything, too, no matter how unhealthy, including unlimited chocolate.
And she was given a baby doll, a move that seemed so jarring that a supervisor initially objected until she saw how calm Ms. Nance became when she rocked, caressed and fed her “baby,” often agreeing to eat herself after the doll “ate” several spoonfuls.
Dementia patients at Beatitudes are allowed practically anything that brings comfort, even an alcoholic “nip at night,” said Tena Alonzo, director of research. “Whatever your vice is, we’re your folks,” she said.
Once, Ms. Alonzo said: “The state tried to cite us for having chocolate on the nursing chart. They were like, ‘It’s not a medication.’ Yes, it is. It’s better than Xanax.”
It is an unusual posture for a nursing home, but Beatitudes is actually following some of the latest science. Research suggests that creating positive emotional experiences for Alzheimer’s patients diminishes distress and behavior problems. ...read the rest here
And she was given a baby doll, a move that seemed so jarring that a supervisor initially objected until she saw how calm Ms. Nance became when she rocked, caressed and fed her “baby,” often agreeing to eat herself after the doll “ate” several spoonfuls.
Dementia patients at Beatitudes are allowed practically anything that brings comfort, even an alcoholic “nip at night,” said Tena Alonzo, director of research. “Whatever your vice is, we’re your folks,” she said.
Once, Ms. Alonzo said: “The state tried to cite us for having chocolate on the nursing chart. They were like, ‘It’s not a medication.’ Yes, it is. It’s better than Xanax.”
It is an unusual posture for a nursing home, but Beatitudes is actually following some of the latest science. Research suggests that creating positive emotional experiences for Alzheimer’s patients diminishes distress and behavior problems. ...read the rest here
Friday, August 20, 2010
Congratulations!!!
My big sister, Brittany, got engaged last night! I'm so happy for her, I cannot express it in words! It's been a long time coming..... ;)
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
You are my sunshine
I've been feeling rather nostalgic lately. I don't really know why or when it started, but it's been taking over slowly but surely for a while. The last few days I've been thinking more and more about the relationship I have with my father.
It's no secret that I have ALWAYS been a Daddy's girl since day one. My father has two daughters, my older sister and I. I was much more of a tom boy than my sister growing up and I always loved doing things with my dad that traditionally he would do with a little boy. Sure I loved dressing up and playing house, but I LOVED going to the woods with my Dad, playing with the BB-gun my mom didn't know he taught me how to shoot, fishing whenever possible, and watching football with him every weekend. I think some of my favorite memories of us together is driving around aimlessly with him when I was a little girl in his Bronco on the weekends.
It would always start out with him saying we were going to go visit our Uncle Bob (yes, I have a great uncle Bob) and inevitably we'd end up driving around back roads and woods for HOURS. Sometimes we'd end up at a lake, or the coast and he's let me run around like a wild child while he shot the breeze with whatever old timer was around. He'd always tell me these stories of when he was younger about places he'd been, things you need to know about the area if you want to fish here or there, or all the crazy characters he had met over the years. And let me tell you, my Dad has a MILLION stories to tell. I always loved that part of having an older father. My Dad was retired by the time I could drive while most other kid's parents were freaking out about turning 40/45/50 at most. I now often find myself closing my eyes and thinking about those careless days when I'm trying to relax. I will always be a Daddy's girl. He was, and continues to be, my partner in crime in my family and it breaks my heart to see him slowing down so much in the last couple of years. I will always get nostalgic whenever I hear the song "You are my sunshine". He used to sing it to me on those days in the truck or when I was scared. I will always treasure those days. I wonder if he ever knew how much it meant to me then...
It's no secret that I have ALWAYS been a Daddy's girl since day one. My father has two daughters, my older sister and I. I was much more of a tom boy than my sister growing up and I always loved doing things with my dad that traditionally he would do with a little boy. Sure I loved dressing up and playing house, but I LOVED going to the woods with my Dad, playing with the BB-gun my mom didn't know he taught me how to shoot, fishing whenever possible, and watching football with him every weekend. I think some of my favorite memories of us together is driving around aimlessly with him when I was a little girl in his Bronco on the weekends.
It would always start out with him saying we were going to go visit our Uncle Bob (yes, I have a great uncle Bob) and inevitably we'd end up driving around back roads and woods for HOURS. Sometimes we'd end up at a lake, or the coast and he's let me run around like a wild child while he shot the breeze with whatever old timer was around. He'd always tell me these stories of when he was younger about places he'd been, things you need to know about the area if you want to fish here or there, or all the crazy characters he had met over the years. And let me tell you, my Dad has a MILLION stories to tell. I always loved that part of having an older father. My Dad was retired by the time I could drive while most other kid's parents were freaking out about turning 40/45/50 at most. I now often find myself closing my eyes and thinking about those careless days when I'm trying to relax. I will always be a Daddy's girl. He was, and continues to be, my partner in crime in my family and it breaks my heart to see him slowing down so much in the last couple of years. I will always get nostalgic whenever I hear the song "You are my sunshine". He used to sing it to me on those days in the truck or when I was scared. I will always treasure those days. I wonder if he ever knew how much it meant to me then...
You Are My Sunshine
My only sunshine.
You make me happy
When skies are grey.
You'll never know, dear,
How much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away
You make me happy
When skies are grey.
You'll never know, dear,
How much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away
Monday, July 19, 2010
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