Just Family Stuff

I called Christine and invited her to come see Beth at work. She's been Beth's job coach for about 8 years and we think of her as one of the family. We're no longer using her company but we know she loves Beth and only wants the best for her. She was so excited to see Beth and is so thankful we found a job for her.

Nick came to church with us on Sunday and then we all went out to eat The Hook. We'd never been there before, they specialize in seafood but they also have burgers, breakfasts, a good variety of stuff. Unfortunately the fish was dry, the potatoes were kind of bland and the prices were high. Oh well, now we know!

Sharaya and Allie headed home and the rest of us stopped at a little overlook. It's a tiny space between a couple of houses but they've put in a bench and 4 parking spaces so it's nice to just stop for a few minutes and enjoy the view!

An Hour At The Beach Works Wonders!

Special Connections is going well. We're getting a few more students but we have more volunteers so that's making things a lot easier. I'm having a Leaders Meeting on Friday so I've been preparing my agenda and getting supplies, thank you gifts and resources ready.

I went to a baby shower for the daughter of a friend. This is a miracle baby because she was told she could never have kids. And now she is in the middle of her second trimester. I'm so glad I got to celebrate with her!

Chuck, Beth and I went to see Aladdin the other day. As we were going into the theater, Sharaya and Allie were coming out! We thought they did a great job keeping true to the Disney version while also giving Jasmin a bigger part, more of an adult roll. It's really good!

  
I think I told you work has been crazy, we're remodeling two main bathrooms, we're changing out the sound panels in our gym/commons... and we're preparing for a Worship Night this Sunday. But the cleaning never stops!

I took some time last week to go down by the water. It was early in the morning (okay it was 8:00, early for me!) and so peaceful. Exactly what I needed!

 

What do you do to de-stress?

First Official Day On The Job

I came home for lunch on Thursday and before I went back to work, I helped Beth with her hair. (A few years ago her doctor diagnosed her with Alopecia so now I put her hair in a small ponytail to help hide her bald spot.)

I head back to work and at about 2:00, Beth came walking in. The DART bus had dropped her off and she was coming to get her key.

I gave her a check list to help her remember the things she's supposed to do before she actually begins emptying the trash.

She took her key and the list and headed out of the office. I kept watching her until she went around the corner toward the stairs. I kept thinking about her and after about an hour I couldn't stand it anymore! I was wondering how she was doing but I didn't want her to see me!

I saw one of the classroom doors was open and the light was on so I stopped just short of the door.

I turned the sound off on my phone and then turned on the camera. I slowly slid my phone across the wall so just the lens is in the doorway and I suddenly hear,

"Whew!! You be okay?"

"I be okay."

My guess is she had bent over, trying to tie the bag and had just stood up and got a little dizzy!

I pulled the phone back real quick until I heard her moving again. Then I carefully took a few more pictures and went back to my desk.

It took her about an hour and a half to finish all 8 classrooms, take the cart outside and throw all the bags into the large dumpster, bring the cart back downstairs, sign out, and then come up to my desk. An hour and a half! I was very impressed!

You know, she is SO glad to be working! For many years whenever she talked to someone - anyone! - she would say, "I have a boyfriend." Nick was her favorite thing to talk about.

Now? Now the first thing she says is, "I have a job now!" She tells anyone who will listen, about her job. Where she works, what she does...

Her and I were talking about flipping our calendars. It's a big thing around here! Beth knows that at the first of the month, she gets paid from the state. So around the middle of every month, she starts counting down the days until we flip our calendars.

I told her that this time when we flip our calendars she'll get paid from the state and she'll get her paycheck. 

She squealed so loud!! "Eeeeeee!!"

So that's how her first official day went. She always checks her phone when she's done to see how many steps she took. I'm looking forward to see how this affects her in the months to come.

Thank you for stopping by! 

I hope you have a week worth squealing about!

So Thankful

 

Linking up with Rebecca Jo 

This week I'm thankful for: 

Seeing a video of my dad

A day of gorgeous sunshine!

Looking forward to a long weekend

Getting outside and working in the yard

Finding my debit card after about 4 days!

Having some quiet time down by the water

Lots of volunteers for our Sunday school class

My Thankful list being so aesthetically pleasing!

I hope you're having a great week!

Alligator Eyeballs

We were trying to figure out where to go for Mother's Day and Sharaya suggested Uncle Bucks Fish Bowl and Grill. It was amazing!! 

As you walk in, there's a restaurant on the left and a bowling alley on the right. 

But it's not just any bowling alley. It's underwater themed and so much fun!

Some of the bowling balls were even painted to match the theme ~

We stuck with the plain bowling balls though. I know I couldn't bring myself to hold that ball! 😳

When all was said and done, Beth won. Being on that bowling league has really helped her!

If you get a chance to go to Uncle Buck's please do! We really had a great time!

She Bought Breakfast From Clear Across The Country!

The morning after we moved my dad, (May 7th) my sister and I got up and got ready to go see him again. There's a fun diner right on the way, it's decorated in a 1950's theme and she suggested we stop there for breakfast on our way. Absolutely! I love that place!

Then she told me Diana was going to pay for breakfast.

(My youngest Diana lives in Pennsylvania.) "What do you mean?" 

I guess Diana had contacted her and wanted us to tell her where we were going to eat so she could call the restaurant and pay for our meal! For Mother's Day! Plus, the day after Mother's Day was the 14th anniversary of our mom's death. 

Diana said she wanted to honor us, and grandma. 

Awwwe!! What a fun surprise!

I think it was the manager who came up and told us that our bill had been paid for. Then he wished us both a Happy Mother's Day.

After we were done our waitress came up and said, "Your bill was paid for. Your daughter called in and paid for it over the phone. I didn't even know you could do that!"

Thank you Diana! We love you!

Diana and my mom around 2001

Flowers, Family and Flights

Linking up over at Knit By God's Hand

This week I'm thankful for:

 Moving my dad into assisted living went very well

I got to fly out of a small, local airport

Being able to travel

Coming home again

Time with my sister

Amazing Mother's Day gifts from my girls

My church

Having a quiet day off from work

Fresh flowers

Hot tea on a rainy spring day

I hope you've had a lot to be thankful for this week! 

The Feeling Of Freedom

This last week was so emotional. You could tell my dad was nervous about moving but he knew it had to happen. My sister has been doing everything for him and I think he was just expecting her to do it all. At one point my dad told her, "Deb! I'm hungry!" And she asked him what he wanted to eat. And I lovingly said, "Actually dad I think what you meant to say was, 'Hey Deb would you please fix me something to eat?'" 

And honestly, neither one of them smiled. They both had exhausted, no nonsense expressions on their faces.

Throughout the week I had to remind my sister to feed her animals.

My dad asked her to help him with everything.

She forgot where she put medication.

The house was always closed up. 

Every day she got him out of bed and helped him to the couch. Sometimes he would get up and walk around the living room and kitchen to ease the Restless Leg Syndrome but for the most part he stayed on the couch until it was time for bed again.

They absolutely love each other and they both know the other one is trying their best but after so many years of this, the situation had just drained them both.

It was without a doubt time for my dad to move.

My niece, nephew and some of their kids came over and helped us move the few pieces of furniture that he was going to take with him. We got him in the truck then went back into the house for our purses and stuff and my sister began to cry. I just stood there and hugged her for a while.

When we got to the facility Deb decided to leave my dad in the truck while we moved his stuff into his room. It didn't take very long and he was walking into his new place. His room is much bigger than the one he had at my sisters and there was bright sunlight beaming in through the window.

They put a pole by his bed so he can start getting himself out of bed on his own. My sister has helped him for years but he has to be able to do it on his own.

While Deb sat at the table with the administrator going over medications and paperwork, my dad walked around the facility.

It's a gorgeous place with animals on the property (goats, miniature horses...) a beautiful courtyard, all the residents eat every meal together in the dining room, it's going to be a better quality of life for him and I think he realizes that.

After 3 days his only complaint was that they don't feed him enough! For a 94 year old, he eats non stop! He's the only resident that cleans his plate and asks for seconds! 😋 

The last time Deb and I visited him we were only there a short time when he said, "Well you two I guess I'll see you tomorrow." He was ready for us to leave! 

Thank you all for your prayers. We know he's gonna be just fine!

And my sister? We went back to her place and she collapsed in her recliner. "I can't believe how free I feel."

So Busy

I've been so busy the last couple of weeks, even more than usual. We're remodeling a couple of our bathrooms at work which puts more work on my department because our maintenance guy isn't available to unclog a toilet or hang a TV... the custodial department is definitely working overtime! The bathrooms will be nice when they're done though!

On Wednesday:
Three loads of laundry
Worked in the yard
Visited with a dear friend (He's 87 and a widower)
Went to Costco
Went to work for a couple of hours
Then Beth and I went to the grocery store
Whew!

I was up early on Thursday to help serve at our National Day of Prayer event. There were about 200 people from different churches and denominations from all over our area. The breakfast started at 7am so most of us arrived at 6am to help get things ready. It really is a blessing to be a part of the Body of Christ.

Beth got a new jacket the other day. She's needed one for a while and we found one in a magazine that had elastic around the wrist. It's so hard to find inexpensive clothes that fit her because her waist is large but her shoulders are not and her arms are short... Well, the jacket came.

Looking at the label

Realizing it's addressed to her

The elastic isn't as gathered as we'd like and the sleeve hangs down over her hands, but I might be able to fix that. But it completely covers her tummy and she can't wait to wear it!

Thank you for all your encouragement and kind comments on Beth's new job. I took her to work yesterday afternoon (after working in the morning and coming home to meet the pest control guy!) and we spent about 2 hours doing the actual job. She signed her time card, we put her key on the lanyard she bought just for work, we put on some gloves, got the big rolling trash cart and got to work! She doesn't have her uniform yet but here are a couple of pictures of her in action.

She finished emptying all the trash (there are a total of 19 trash cans in the 8 classrooms and 4 bathrooms) in just over an hour (a lot faster than I expected!) so I'm already planning to give her more work. 

On Monday I fly out to San Diego to help take care of my dad. Actually on Tuesday we're moving him to a facility where he'll be able to get 24/7 care. My sister is absolutely worn out and it's tearing her up to have to do this. She called me a couple of weeks ago, sobbing, asking if I'd be mad if she put him in a home. He's becoming more angry and violent, like slamming his fist on the table and yelling at her when she's just trying to help him to the bathroom or make him dinner, and she's done. Physically, mentally, she can't go on. So I am going down on Monday and will be home on Friday.

I know it's not going to be a 'vacation' but it will be good to see my dad and sister again and help them through this transition.

Have you been through a transition lately? 

Was it good or difficult?