A Little of This and That - and Updates

A couple of weekends ago Chuck and Sharaya drove from Seattle down to Santa Clara, CA to join in the Super bowl festivities. The day before the game they went to the Fan Experience at a convention center with all things Super bowl related: food, activities, displays. They enjoyed that but said it was very crowded. 

The next day, even though they didn't have tickets to the actual game they found an Irish pub that was flying the 12's flag and spent the day there. 

They got there before it opened and there were enough people waiting outside that the owner let them all in early. By the time the game started that afternoon they said it was so loud you couldn't even hear the TVs, and the place was packed and people were crazy... and they had the BEST time! They were so glad they went! (I didn't go because I wouldn't be able to handle that much noise for that many hours.)

Diana and Oliver were dressed in their green to represent the Seahawks! 

And this was me watching from home without my hubby. I think it's the first big game we haven't seen together. But I was wearing my fuzzy socks, and had some hot tea and fun snacks. And we won! So I had fun!

Let's see, what else? Oh, Chuck bought a new car recently. New-to-us but still, new! It's a 2022 Hundai Tucson and he really likes it. I say 'his' car (we each have a car) but it's actually our family/retirement car. He wanted to get something newer that would last us through our golden years. We'll pay it off before he retires and we expect this will be the last car we ever buy.  

It's a little strange to be planning for the last years of your life. I'm still close with friends from high school and we were texting this morning about retirement and Medicare and mentioning how it's crazy that we're at that age now. Life really goes by so fast.

We had a few days of sunshine so for lunch one day I walked around our parking lot at work. And saw these little daffodils, they made me smile! It's a little early for them here but we've had some nice weather this winter. The plants are so confused.

Well, I think that's about all from here. Oh wait, updates! 

• Beth's foot is completely healed from where she stepped on the nail.
• It looks like hair is growing in the area where she had the cortisone shot for the alopecia so we made another appointment for next month.
• I was able to cancel the biopsy and schedule a third mammo. I asked if we could do it in Bellevue (about 20-30 minutes east of us) because I was told they have a machine where you can take pics while seated. And she curiously said, "Well, we have one of those machines here too." I don't know why the lady in Seattle didn't tell me that! But we now have a new appointment scheduled for Seattle.
• Chuck is going to physical therapy a couple times a week and his back is doing much better.

Okay now I think I've covered everything. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Before We Forget

Hello,

We're actually having blue skies and sunshine for a few days, it's been so nice! That's unheard of here in Seattle in January. I was even able to get out and do a little yard work the other day. 

Before Christmas becomes a distant memory, I wanted to share this different take on the song Mary Did You Know? If you haven't heard it, I'll try to include the link Here.

This made me think of all the kids and adults with special needs who struggle with these very issues. The Lord knows them, He sees them, and He loves them.

Beth and I were coming home from the grocery store the other day and had this conversation. Out of the blue she says:

B: Next time I make my sliders.

(We sometimes have sliders and chips for dinner. She comes upstairs and uses our bread, mayo, meat, etc. we make them together and then she takes her dinner back down to her place. I'm guessing that's what she's talking about.)

Me: The next time we have them you can make them yourself downstairs?

B: Mmm-hmm

Me: Oh, you have all the stuff to make them? The meat, and mayo and everything? That's great!

B: Yeah.

Me: That's excellent Beth. Sure, you can definitely make them downstairs then.

B: I forgot!

Me: You forgot what?

B: To buy the stuff.

Me: Oh, so you DON'T have the stuff to make them?

B: Yeah.

Me: Oh okay, we'll have to remember to put them on your list for next time.

B: Okay.

That's how most of our conversations go. She knows what she wants to say but doesn't always know the right words. Sometimes it takes us a while to figure it out. I'm grateful the Lord knows her heart though, and her every thought.

What else? Oh, Beth came upstairs recently very frustrated. I saw her go into the kitchen, she got a cup and headed back downstairs. I asked her if anything was wrong and she said something about a drip. Come to find out our bathtub drain was leaking and it was coming out in her room, right above where she sits to watch TV and write!

The plumber came out on Tuesday and was able to fix it in less than two hours. She was at All Aboard so I sent her a photo of the work he was doing. You can see the hole in the ceiling.

We've covered it temporarily and now we've got to get someone out to put up some new drywall. In the meantime we've moved her desk back into place and she's back to writing and watching TV from her regular spot.

After church today we went to Applebee's for lunch, then she and I went to Walmart. She was looking on-line for some gel pens and I guess she found them at Walmart. She searched through the many pens for the exact ones she saw on-line and then I heard her say, "There they are!" There were 6 in a package, so she bought two.

A few months ago Diana suggested we get the Family Album app since they're on the East coast, and now they're easily able to share pictures of Adelaide and Oliver with us. Three year old Adelaide just started taking ballet lessons, and six month old Oliver took one of his first rides in a swing:

We were just there a couple weeks ago but I miss them so much already!

Well, as we swing into next week, I hope each day is on point for you. :) Have a great week!

This and That

Beth caught a cold right before we left for Pennsylvania. We spent four hours in the walk-in clinic the day before we left but thankfully she tested negative for covid and strep. The doctor said she just had a regular head cold.

She felt fine during the trip but knew she wouldn't be able to hold Oliver. He was just too young still. But I think they had a moment one day at the dining room table, it seems he was listening as she talked to him.

We stopped for ice cream the day we went to Princeton University and they have a mirror there that used to be at the fun house at Palisades Park around 1933. Beth certainly couldn't pass that up!

At work today we had our annual First Responders Appreciation Lunch. We invite them from all over the county and it seems each year there's more. There are police officers, fire fighters, animal control, EMTs... plus their administrative staff. We're so grateful for the work they do and the lunch is one small way we can say thank you.

August 14 we were flying home so we didn't get to celebrate on that day. This year marked 43 years for us. We ended up going out to dinner this past weekend and on Monday we got to go to a Mariner's Game. We won so that made it even more fun!

You know, 43 seems like such a huge number but it's hard to measure the time. I was 21 and he was 24 when we got married but it seems like we've just always been together. We dated for six weeks when he proposed and we were engaged for one year. 

We've been so grateful to have so many adventures in our lives, we've gone places we could only dream of and seen things many people wish they could see.

New York

Cabo San Lucas

Israel

And our girls. We were able to give them a good life and as adults, they truly love each other.

And now grandkids. We are just blessed beyond measure. I'm so grateful for the life I get to live.