Grandma's World

2012-01-31T08:50:00.005-05:00

Mercy started gymnastics in November. She goes once a week for an hour. She has really improved from those 1st weeks. She has great form and desire to do well. She really loves this activity. She does seem to be a natural at this.

January has been a busy month. Jt had his 1st Tae Kwon Do match. He does pretty well. At this age they are amusing. He was so proud of himself as was his grandma. He is learning so much. We have another match in April in Indy. Should be fun!

2012-01-11T11:09:00.002-05:00

Jt and Stacey became engaged on December 18th, 2011. When they took this picture last summer, I said it would make a great engagement picture. They are a perfect match for each other. She loves him and his kids. They all adore her. I am lucky that he found a good girl that is a good fit for our family. I stayed with the kids so they could go away for the weekend. Stacey thought she would be surprising him by taking him to a couples hotel with a swimming pool and hot tub in their room. She had no idea the surprise would be on her when he proposed to her. She called me that night to tell me he proposed and she said yes. The kids were screaming, they are so excited to have her as their stepmom. So now it is time to lose a few pounds so I can get a nice dress to wear to the wedding, which by the way is September 15th, 2012.

End of 2011

2011-12-22T16:34:00.002-05:00

I haven't done a great job keeping up with my blog this year. 2011 was a tough year and one that I will be grateful to see end. Our family experienced a lot of loss in 2011. My husband's good friend died in April. He was only 51 and committed suicide.

Then I lost my mom on May 24th. I never thought I would be so lost without her. There is a hole in my heart that will not close. I have cried many tears since that day. The holidays are the hardest without her. She made my childhood and adulthood memories of the holidays very special and it will NEVER be the same without her.

I lost my Nana on August 18th. This was my other rock. Besides my mother she was the closest woman to me. God now has 2 angels in Heaven with him. I just wish I could have had them here with me a few more years.

So as 2011 comes to a close I will reflect on those I loved and lost. Those I love and hold dear to me and pray for a good 2012. One filled with love and happiness, peace and joy. Merry Christmas and God Bless us eveyone.

2011-07-01T08:48:00.002-04:00

Spring has came and the Good Lord called my mom home on May 24th. She was is now pain free and with my dad. As difficult as it is without her, I know she is happy. I miss her terribly. For the 1st time in my life I feel truly lost. I love you mom.

2010

2010-12-17T08:09:00.002-05:00

As I close out another year, I look back at the year that just may have been one of the most difficult years I have ever experienced. My son was divorced and awarded full custody of his children. My mother became ill and now requires around the clock care. That has taken a toll on our whole family since we care for her ourselves in shifts.With the major caregivers being myself and Louie. She is no longer the person that raised me. She is very difficult to live with and care for. I still have hope that she can improve, but it doesn't seem likely.
At work things have improved. Business is much better than last year. People are slowly getting jobs again. I hope 2011 will see gains in the job market for many unemployed people. I want my friends and family to know that I love them and I hope 2011 brings peace and prosperity to all.

Fall 2010

2010-09-10T12:47:00.003-04:00

My son's family has experienced big changes this last year. He was divorced and was awarded full custody of his kids. He met a great girl and they are building a solid realtionship. My grandchildren love her and that is wonderful. Here are a few pictures. Mercy

John Tyler (JT)

Stacey, JT, Little JT and Mercy

2010-08-18T23:22:00.000-04:00

Iraq war is declared over! 7 1/2 years after it started the last full combat brigade crossed over to Kuwait. Remember the beginning, Mar 2003. Had a WNDU news reporter in my living room. They wanted reaction of local familes of Company B Marines in Iraq. Was a big deal then. Didn't even made the TOP story on local news stations tonight. I was watching it on MSNBC. Know more about Iraq than I ever needed to know...

Bits of Summer 2010

2010-07-27T08:17:00.007-04:00

Jt at the Elkhart County fair July 25th, 2010 Mercy and Nick dancing at Brooke's wedding on June 26th, 2010

JT, Nick and Mercy at Nick's 5th birthday party, 2010

Mercy riding the pony at Nick's 5th Birthday party. Now those parents know how to host a kid's party.

Mercy trying out Papa's old skate board.

Daddy's girl

2010-07-01T10:24:00.003-04:00

Mercy and her daddy dancing the night away at Brooke & Kevin's wedding. I love this picture. Wish it was clearer. The lighting made my pictures blurry. Can you believe how tall she is getting? Hard to believe she is 6 years old. Harder yet to believe that JT is 27 years old!!

Easter 2010

2010-04-06T08:01:00.005-04:00

Easter was fun again this year. The kids got to stay with us and wake up at our house to their Easter baskets from the Easter Bunny. JT loves his Mater car

Just what she wanted!! She looks so big in this picture.

Checking out their Easter baskets.

My 2 angels on Easter morning.

Homecoming 3/24/2007

2010-03-25T09:20:00.002-04:00

Hard to believe it has been 3 years ago yesterday when our Marines returned home after their 2nd tour in Iraq. For those of you who have never experienced a homecoming, it is comparable to giving birth or getting married, only with a big sigh of relief. We forged bonds with Marine families that will last a lifetime. I love and miss my Marine Corp family. There will always be a place in my home and my heart for a United States Marine. Semper Fi.

Grandma's Poor Baby

2010-03-05T10:48:00.002-05:00

Do not let your grandkids play with their parents. Big J, Little J and Mercy went to Kid's Kingdom yesterday to enjoy the warm, sunny weather. Big J had Little JT over his shoulder as they were going down a tunnel. Little JT lifted his head just as they were going under a 2x4 cross bar. He cut the back of his head open. 3 staples later he was good to go. Of course his dad felt so guilty he took them to Chuckie Cheese. I called him last night to see how he was doing. He told me that a spiderman tent would make him feeling alot better. Then his sister had to milk his injury. Mercy told me that JT told her that I would get "them" something. I guess she thinks she deserves something for her pain and suffering because she witnessed him getting hurt. I hate to tell her that I think he is going to cause her more suffering. He is only 4 and he has had a broken leg, and cut open his arm after putting it through the storm door. Grandma's poor little baby........

Kids....

2010-02-19T15:12:00.002-05:00

Look closely at Mercy's eyebrows. She decide to trim them with her dad's nose hair trimmer. When asked if it hurt she said "no, but I will never do it again." Thank goodness she didn't take them all off.

Dad

2010-01-28T16:15:00.002-05:00

It was 4 years ago on January 26th that my dad passed away. The days are easier, the memories are sweeter, but a still miss him like crazy. He was one of a kind. He was a great person and loved by everyone who knew him. Over 700 people came to pay their respects when he passed away. My family was aware that my dad knew "everyone", but I don't think we realized the vast number of people that he touched in his life. He left his mark on this earth. There are so many wonderful things I remember about him. I smile when I think of all the silly things he did. I laugh when I remember how mad he would get at me when we played cards. He took it so serious. He had to win. He knew the dates of everyone's birthday. He loved his grandkids, and he melted over a little great granddaughter named Mercy. She was Poppy's girl.

His former employer named a company award after him. The top employee of the year now will receive the Marshall Holycross award. Which includes a cash prize and a trip. They are nominated for the award. They have to exemplify a strong work ethic, moral standards, and a dedication to their jobs. As they said "If there is such a thing as a perfect employee, Marshall would have been it"

My siblings and I are very proud to have been his children. We have a high standard to live up to.

2010

2010-01-08T08:23:00.004-05:00

Another day of snow flurries in Indiana. 2010 has started off with a bang. I remember when I was a kid we would be praying for snow days. If we were lucky enough to get a snow day, we would sit around all day in our PJ's and watch TV, the good shows like Loony Tunes, Gilligan's Island, and I love Lucy. Sometimes my sisters and brother and I would pray cards and broad games. Now South Bend schools would have to their doors covered in snow before they cancel classes. Sorry, kids, you were born to late to enjoy school broad personnel with common sense. It does make the Notre Dames campus beautiful. So for January let it be snowy and then if we are lucky, February and March will see very little amounts of lake effect or system snow falls. Since it makes very little difference to me what kind of snow it is. SNOW is SNOW.

Farewell to 2009!!

2009-12-16T08:23:00.003-05:00

The year of 2009. I for one will be happy to kiss this year good bye. It was a year of turmoil and testing of my strength. It started out the very 1st day of the year when my mom became ill on 1/1/09. In the hospital for 8 days and almost losing her. Louie is laid off from his job 2 weeks into the new year. Then 2 months later he becomes so ill with his liver that the doctor's have no idea what was wrong. They say it was some rare virus. He has recovered but it was very scary.
The economy took the worst hit since the Great Depression. In my job of staffing, it was very depressing to interview people who have never been unemployed in their life and now they so desperate for work that they sit at my desk and cry.
The whole year has been more trials of my character. One thing that it has taught me was that I need to face things head on and battle for my family and our survival. I can say I am not the same person I was a year ago. I am stronger. I look forward to a new year and the joys it will bring me. I pray for peace and prosperity for all.

One Last day at the Park

2009-10-30T16:37:00.003-04:00

Jt took Mercy and JT to the park for once last chance to enjoy the warm weather before winter sets in. They look like they had a great time. Love my sister because she is so cool......

Watch this trick!

A monkey on the monkey bars.

October 1st

2009-10-01T08:20:00.002-04:00

3 years ago today Cpl. Aaron Seal lost his life serving our country in Iraq. He was my son's fellow Marine, but most of all his friend. This young man will always be in the hearts of those who knew him. It is a comfort to know that this country has such brave young men and women to protect and defend our way of life.

Sweet Memories

2009-09-21T08:33:00.007-04:00

Growing up my family never had much money. Our vacations consisted of a trip to Dowagiac Michigan to my Uncle Bud and Aunt Wilma's lake cottage. We spend most weekends there. It was a place that everyone went to. There would be 2 or 3 families each weekend. It was great. The adults would be fishing, cooking, playing cards. The kids would be in their swim suits from dawn until dusk. Hide-n-seek, catching frogs, turtles and fish was innocent play. Everyone was always welcome to spend time at the cottage. I have so many wonderful memories of our time there.
Sunday morning after breakfast Louie and I took a drive to Dowagiac to find the cottage. My aunt sold it about 10 years ago. The new owners added on to the front. I didn't expect for the flood of emotion to bring me to tears, but there I stood snapping pictures and crying. Remember all the wonderful people who have now passed on. I had the best childhood a kid could ask for. That is probably why my memories make me ache for a time much simpler. The cottage as I remember it.

How it looks today.

This is the same view

So beautiful.

ND WINS!!!!

2009-09-21T07:58:00.004-04:00

What makes it even sweeter when Notre Dame beats Michigan State? Tailgating at the Evans' garage. Everyone is within walking distance, so there is no drinking and driving. They even have a wall plague attached above the garage door.

Sweet Child

2009-09-15T07:40:00.003-04:00

Mercy just has her own unique way of expressing her feelings so that you understand the thoughts of a 5 year old. On Sunday, she asked if she could spend the night with me. After being told no that I had to work on Monday, she climbed onto my lap to snuggle with me. I asked her why she likes to stay with me so much? Her reply was priceless. "Because I love you grandma, and you have grasshoppers in your yard. "

Out Of The Mouths Of Babes

2009-09-10T16:35:00.001-04:00

Mercy was riding in the back seat of her mother's car yesterday. Out of the blue, she said her mommy a very serious question. She wanted to know if her daddy is at work and her mommy goes to jail, who will take care of her and JT. Kelly said she cracked up laughing, but told her that if that should happen, she would have the policeman call grandma to come and take care of her and her brother. Where do they get this stuff???

Mercy's 1st Soccer game

2009-08-22T15:09:00.005-04:00

Mercy had her 1st game on Saturday. It was rainy and cold, but the rain stopped for the 45 minutes of the game time. Her good friend McKenzie was on the opposing team. McKenzie cried and refused to play because she wanted to be on Mercy's team. By the end of the game I was very cold and not feeling very well. Ended up sick and in bed. Here are some pictures of her day. Mercy on the side lines, waiting for her turn to play.

Smiling because Grandma brought a bag of treats.

Waiting for the game to start.

You go girl!! Kick that soccer ball!

Mercy's 1st Scoccer Practice

2009-08-19T07:57:00.002-04:00

Mercy will be playing scoccer. She had her 1st practice Tuesday night. She called me at work to remind me that she wanted me to come to her practice. She is very excited to play. Here are a few pictures of her at practice. She would kick the ball into the net and run back on the field, but not without first looking over at us to make sure we were watching her and giving us a thumbs up. 1st Game is Saturday.

2009-08-19T07:56:00.001-04:00

Scoccer

2009-08-19T07:54:00.002-04:00

Smile!

2009-08-17T09:40:00.001-04:00

Mercy & JT pose so nice for their dad. When I say smile for grandma, this is what I get! They are so much fun! I can't believe just how fast they are growing.....

2009-08-13T10:26:00.002-04:00

Little JT and his daddy on his 1st day of school at Elkhart Christian Academy. What a handsome duo. Just looking at this picture makes me smile. I am amazed that my kid is old enough to be a daddy.

3 Babies

2009-08-10T07:44:00.003-04:00

Louie and I were hanging out in the yard Sunday afternoon. I happened to look out into the back yard and this was what I saw. A mommy doe and her triplets. We watched them for about 15 minutes. I was surprised that I was able to run into the house and get my camera and make it back in time to snap a few pictures. She watched me closely, but didn't run off into the woods. They are so beautiful.

1 Year

2009-08-10T07:35:00.002-04:00

It has be 1 year ago today that I quit smoking. The first few months were the most difficult. I would have a craving, but learned that it would pass quickly and I could go on without thinking about smoking. I have very few moments anymore that I think about it. I still will have a strange out the blue craving, but it passes very fast now. I will think "wow, I just had a craving" and just that quickly the craving is gone. I am very grateful to all those people who refused to give me a cigarette when I asked for one. I have NOT had even one puff in the last year. Lets hopeI can say that again next August 10th.

For the Love of a Child

2009-06-29T13:25:00.003-04:00

This beautiful little girl told me yesterday that she loves me more than flowers. There is no better way to explain love when you are only 5. I knew at that moment I was the luckiest grandma in the world. I can only hope that more people love me more than flowers.

A Day Out with Thomas the Train

2009-06-22T08:26:00.012-04:00

Our trip started on Friday morning at 10 am. We set out to travel to southern Indiana to spend the night in a hotel. Not a 1st for my grandkids, but they do not remember ever staying in a hotel, so it was fun for them. The trip down was fairly smooth. Only had to stop once for a potty break, and once for lunch. We arrived at the Comfort Inn in Richmond, IN at 3:00 pm. The 1st thing to do on the agenda was to swim in the pool. This was a wonderful experience for them. Little JT loved the hot tub. Mercy, Big JT, Nick, Dianne & Ken took to the big pool. Then it was time for dinner. Jill & I had been looking forward to eating at the Big Boy restaurant all week. We pull into the parking lot. There are employees standing around outside. THEY HAVE NO ELECTRIC!!! I can't believe it. We go shopping at Wal-Mart for an hour and return. They now have electric and we get the BIG BOY sandwich that we have been craving forever.

Back to the hotel to get some sleep. We have to leave for Our Day out with Thomas at 7:00 am. We arrive at 8:30 am after a few detours. Little JT received a Spiderman costume for his birthday from his mom & dad, so the picture of all the kids with Thomas, has Spiderman there. We then go on our train ride. It takes about an half an hour. After the ride we hit the bathrooms in the depot. They are playing a video of Thomas in the depot. Kelly & JT take some of their stuff back to the car. Dianne & Jill use the bathroom 1st. Mercy, JT & myself are watching the video. Dianne comes out and Mercy decides she has to go to the bathroom. I tell Dianne I am taking her to the bathroom. Only I fail to mention to her that little JT is sitting there watching the video, because I think she sees him. I come out and they are all out across the pavement at the Tattoo booth getting tattoos of Thomas. As Mercy is getting her tattoo and I ask Dianne what kind JT got. She looks at me and says that she doesn't have JT with her. Jill and I panic and run back to the depot. I am calling his name, he is not in there. I go outside, now I am in a full panic. I tell a lady that is at the booth outside the depot that I have lost my grandson. I go back inside the depot and there he is standing watching the movie. I grab him and asked where were you? He looked at me and said "I had to poop". My god, I thought I was having a heart attack.
By 12:30 pm we were all hot and wore out. They were getting cranky. It was time to head for home. They were both asleep before the 1st stop light. Now I know why I had only one kid. They woke up about an hour 2 hours out of South Bend. The "he is touching me" and "how much longer" drove me nuts. I was very happy to pull into my driveway.

Mercy & Daddy doing tricks......

Jill, me, Nick, Mercy & JT in front of the Big Boy.....

The group in front of Thomas

JT is a Jr. Engineer

Nick & Mercy enjoying the train ride.

Mercy riding Fancy. She loved this pony.

JT lovesdthe bouncy house. I had to drag him out...

Happy 4th Birthday!!

2009-06-18T07:46:00.006-04:00

It is amazing how fast grandchildren grow. This sweet little baby has grown into an adorable little boy. Hard to believe he will be 4 on Friday. Tomorrow morning we leave for Connersville IN. For his birthday we are going to spend the night at a hotel, enjoy the pool & hot tub Friday evening. Saturday morning we will visit the train museum. Thomas the Train will be there. We are planning to have a fun filled weekend. What I am looking forward to? Eating at the Big Boy restaurant near our hotel.

1st birthday, June 19th, 2006

This is his "wish grandma would get that camera out of my face look"

2 weeks ago. Riding bikes out on the driveway.

All about Me

2009-06-16T08:28:00.002-04:00

If you weren't aware of it, it is time everyone is inform that the world revolves around this girl or so she thinks. God forbid that her little brother get one more ounce of attention than her. She will make sure you see her. I took this picture at JT's teeball game, because no one was paying attention to her, she had to get grandma to take her picture in a tree.

Take Me Out to the Ballpark.

2009-06-16T08:13:00.006-04:00

Little JT's first teeball game was Saturday, bright & early at 8:00 am in Elkhart. The rain held off until after the game. I have missed spending my Saturday's at the little league ballpark. Now I get to experience it with my grandson. Big JT is the coach. Here are a few pictures that I took of our little slugger. This is his "game" face. Teeball is serious business.

The coach (Dad) teaching him to bat.

Made it to 1st base, but the helmet was bugging him.

Big Sister lending her support before she was off to play with the other kids.

A Man's Best Friend

2009-06-11T10:19:00.002-04:00

Mercy and Maggie. Maggie is a wonderful, lovable dog. She is the smaller version of their other dog Sid. Sid weights 190 lbs, Maggie is only 110 lbs. They are very protective of Mercy & JT. JT took this picture with his camera. I want to have this printed out and framed. It is a great photo.

Memorial Day

2009-05-29T16:32:00.007-04:00

For the past few years there has been no holiday that stirs more emotion and meaning to me than Memorial Day. If you have a loved one serve in the military you understand. If you lose a love one to war you really understand. I want to thank our wonderful men and women in uniform for their sacrifice so we can enjoy this holiday the American way, Bar-B-Q's and hanging out at the lake enjoying life without fear. My view from the deck of the trailor at Bair Lake in Jones, MI. I love my time here. Nothing is more relaxing than listening to the sounds of the lake.

Our family picnic Sunday afternoon. Louie & John listening to the Indy 500.

Robyn is holding our new addition to the family. This is Gracie. My cousin Laurie took her in at 3 weeks old. She has offically adopted her. She was abused by her mother. She is now in perfect health. She is a sweet baby.

Nick loves his bubble machine. He is such a cutie. He is our blonde bomber......

Happiness is a House with Grandchildren

2009-05-20T07:55:00.006-04:00

Nothing brightens my day like grandchildren. I am amazed at how fast they are growing up. Here are a few of pictures of their last couple of visits to grandma's house.

JT is going to be Spiderman when he grows up. He says he needs to learn how to grow Webs......

She is my girly, girl. Loves that boa scarf.

She loves to pose. Maybe a modeling career in her future? She says she wants to be a "human " doctor.

3 year olds don't eat, this will cause baggy pants.........

Clay High School Prom 2009

2009-04-27T16:19:00.004-04:00

My nephew Johnny Hall and his prom date, childhood friend Ashley Szymczak (I think that is how you spell it). Such a good looking twosome, but just friends. John is my nephew that has more charm, and humor than anyone I know. As a toddler he could talk me into anything he wanted by saying, "But your my favorite aunt" and I would always give in. It is hard to believe he is old enough to be in high school, let alone attending his junior prom. I am very proud of him. Boy, my sister is getting old, just look at how big her kids are. :)

Getting Our Life Back.

2009-04-24T15:57:00.006-04:00

It is amazing how fast things can change. You are busy minding your own business, living your life and God throws you a curve ball. Probably to see if you are paying attention. That is how my life has been since the 1st of the year. For starters my mom went into the hospital twice, then Louie gets very ill with some weird liver virus. That really put me in a tailspin. He is now getting better each day thank goodness. Because of all the extra money I had to shell out on the COBRA insurance and his meds, I had to cancel Mercy's trip to Chicago and the American Girl store. I didn't say anything to her, but I told her mom and dad that I would have to postpone the trip until later in the summer when I could afford it. Last night she said to me, "grandma, you forgot to take me to the doll store for my birthday". I felt so bad. I didn't think she would put it together that we hadn't gone since we did have a birthday party for her. I promised her I would take her in the summer. I should have realized that she is 5 now and nothing gets past her.

Then to top it all off, my son asked me last week what I would think if he joined the Navy. Don't get me wrong, I love our military, and am so proud of his service in the Marine Corp, but another enlistment is a little more than this mom can take. He informed me that he has been talking with a recruiter about joining to become a doctor. They will pay for it. I just know that if that happens and he is a Navy doctor, he will be the 1st one sent to a combat zone. I will keep you posted.......

Happy Birthday to You!!!

2009-04-08T07:47:00.008-04:00

JT turned 26 yesterday. He shares his birthday with his daughter, Mercy. She turned 5 yesterday. Her party was at Chuckie Cheese. Here are a few pictures to remember such an important birthday. 5 is a milestone, from toddler to kid. She sure is a delight to her grandma.

Jt & me

After blowing out her candle, she told us her wish was to go

to the beach with her grandma. That one is easy.....

Mercy & her best friend from school, Emma.

Mercy, JT with Emma and her brother Ethan.

Mom & Dad got her real gold earrings of the

Little Mermaid.

Mercy wanted a little dog that walks. This is a

Fur Real Friend. She named her Tweety.

My world is upside down

2009-03-24T08:32:00.002-04:00

My husband Louie has been itching for the last couple of weeks. I have been teasing him telling him he has bugs....which he does not find the humor in. So last Friday night I took him to Med Point when he could no longer stand it. I figured he had gotten into some poison ivy or some chemical at work. I thought he would get a shot and we would be on our merry little way. Boy was I wrong. I fear it is the beginning of a long road.
The doctor at Med Point said he is jaundice and that the itching is coming from some kind of liver ailment. They asked me how much he drank and I told them that he has a few beers on bowling night. He never drinks alcohol at home. They ran blood work and said they would call us Monday with the results. They gave him a prescription for the itching. Of course I go home and start looking up liver ailments on the web. Have myself scared to death. To top it off, Louie was laid off in January so our insurance was canceled on 1/31/09. I looked at our COBRA options. We have until 4/2/09 to elect to enroll. I called them 1st thing Monday morning to make sure that they will pay the bills. They will, so I have enrolled Louie in the coverage.
Yesterday they call to have him leave work and go to Med Point for a CT scan of his liver. I have him pick me up on his way. There were no blockages and no tumors. Good news, I think. They decide to run more tests and he passes out standing there. Now I have to rush him the the emergency room. They run a battery of tests and have referred him to a specialist. The ER doc said it could be something as simple as a virus or as bad as cancer. So that is where we stand as of this morning. I am at work, but it is difficult to get any work done.

Roll Skating

2009-03-16T11:11:00.006-04:00

Mom got to come home last Thursday from the hospital. I didn't do anything in the kitchen while she was in the hospital., so I took last Friday off to get some painting done. I got half of it painted. I am going with yellow and white. It is a slow job since Louie & I are doing the remodeling. Louie had to work Saturday, so I went rolling skating with my grandkids. I thought I would be sitting and watching. They had another idea. Their idea was for grandma to SKATE with them. I am a very good skater, but it has been many years since I was on skates. My feet were KILLING me. We had a great time, and I was surprised at how good these little ones could skate. They fall and get right back up.

Me, Jt, & Mercy

Mercy - her legs look long in this picture

JT - he did very well for being only 3

Tough week

2009-03-11T13:42:00.003-04:00

It has been a tough week at my house. My mom is back in the hospital. I had to call an ambulance on Saturday night to take her to the emergency room. She was in respiratory failure. This is the second time in 2 months. They put her in ICU again for 2 days and then moved her to a floor that is a step down from ICU. Hopefully she can come home tomorrow. To top it off, Louie and I are in the middle of remodeling the kitchen, so this week we haven't gotten a thing done. I am tired and think I need a vacation from everything.......

New Granddog

2009-02-27T11:52:00.002-05:00

Here is the newest addition to my son's family. He is a Mastiff named Sid, He joins another Mastiff named Maggie. They are the sweetest dogs and are terrific with the kids.

American Girl Doll Store & Thomas the Train Trip

2009-02-25T10:46:00.004-05:00

The reservations are set. Mercy & I will be traveling to Chicago on April 10th to go to the American Girl Doll Store in Chicago. This will be her birthday present from grandma. She is very excited. She does not have a doll yet. We will get her one when we go there. It will be a very expensive birthday. She will be 5 on April 7th.

On June 19th, Little JT's 4th birthday, I have purchased tickets to the Thomas the Train show in Connersville, Indiana. We will leave in the morning on the 19th, go to our hotel, let the kids swim and then on Saturday we will go to the Whitewater Valley Railroad Museum. We will have a total of 14 of us going. My cousin Dianne is taking her son and 2 girls from work are taking their kids. Dianne took Nick last year and he loved it, and wanted to go again this year. They have an actual real train painted like Thomas that we can ride on. The conductor is dressed as Sir Toppin Hat. The show is only there for 2 weeks.

JT's New Business

2009-02-24T08:43:00.004-05:00

Jt has started a new business. He is a photographer. He does not have a lot of experience. He did do my wedding photos back in 2001 and I was very happy with them. He has a good eye for this. He is very excited to get some business. Mercy likes to be his model. I think she gets it from her dad. Here is a picture of him posing.

2009-02-19T16:39:00.002-05:00

As a mom of a Marine, it is always sad to hear of someone in our armed forces pasting away. Pvt 2 Ryan Stabnik died this week at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. I had heard the story on the news. I just found out he is the nephew of one of our neighbors. He was loved and will be missed.

Found a Job!!

2009-02-18T14:14:00.005-05:00

My husband had a lead on a job from the Cornwell Tool truck driver. Steve told Louie that Expect Tire on Western Ave. was looking to hire an experienced mechanic. Louie stopped in there yesterday afternoon and the manager gave him an application and told him to take it home and fill it out. Then come back today and they would sit down and talk.
He hired him. He should start sometime next week. They are waiting on his drug screen and background check to be completed. I am so glad he has found something. He was told they have great insurance. It is also days, thank goodness. He was on 3rd shift. With the current economy, I was a little worried how long he would be unemployed. It is a big relief to us. We are lucky, he was only without a job for 6 weeks. I have heard of people who have been looking for work for over a year.

Proud Grandma

2009-02-12T18:36:00.003-05:00

I babysat last night for JT & Mercy while mom was at school and dad had to work. When I got there both kids were not dressed. I told them that they needed to go get dressed so we could go out for dinner. This is how my grandson dressed himself. I thought I was going to die laughing. Shirt inside out and backwards, pants backwards, no socks, only slippers, and this hat. I fixed his clothes, put socks and shoes on his feet, but I let him keep the hat. He is so darn cute and funny.

6 Months

2009-02-09T16:23:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow, February 10th, will mark 6 months since I quit smoking. If you have ever smoked, you know just how hard it is to quit. I miss it the most when I an stressed out, or totally bored. So far I have managed to beat down the cravings. Not once have I picked up a cigarette since I quit. I know I can't smoke just one. One is all it would take for me to start again. The thing I really notice is I can't stand the smell of smoke on people's clothes. I still like the smell of a cigarette burning through. I do feel better, but I can't seem to be able to lose the extra pounds. I have joined a gym, but I am bad about going in the winter. If it is cold, I go home, put my pajamas on, and eat comfort foods. Now that the weather is getting better, I hope I will go and workout more. I love walking outside. I seem to do better when I can get out in the fresh air.

Spring Is On The Way

2009-02-08T11:40:00.006-05:00

I found this picture of Mercy from last summer. She is pretending to be asleep on the swing. After the warm weather yesterday, I am so looking forward to spring. Louie and I went to Menard's and purchased 2 new storm doors for the front & back doors. I hope he gets the front door done today while the weather is nice. He made fun of me yesterday when I said I can't wait until I can mow the lawn. I love working in my yard and planting my flowers. This is a picture of one of my flowers from last summer. I hope that darn groundhog is wrong and spring will be here soon.

Retirement

2009-02-02T07:49:00.002-05:00

I attended a retirement party for my cousin Ron on Saturday. His last day of work was Friday, January 30th. He worked 40 years for Koontz Wagner. I am so happy for him. I bet it will seem strange to him after about a week or two that he doesn't have to get up and go to work. I look forward to the day I can retire. 20 more years if I am lucky.

3 Years

2009-01-30T15:23:00.005-05:00

Monday, January 26th marked the 3rd year since my dad passed away. I wonder if it will always be a difficult week for me? I find that I am so much more emotional than normal. I watched a Lifetime movie, Prayers for Bobby and cried long after the movie was over. I went to work with very swollen eyelids the next morning. I consider myself very lucky to have had such a wonderful dad. Life was like a 50's sitcom at my house. I am getting to the point where I can talk about him more without crying. So much has happened since he has been gone, things I wish he could've seen. Things like his former employer re-naming their Employee of the Year Award. It is now the Marshall Holycross Award and the winner gets $5000 and a trip. They said that if there was ever such a thing as a perfect employee, my dad was it. That would have made him very proud. JT becoming a firefighter, he would be beaming with pride and would let everyone he came into contact with know he had a grandson that was a Firefighter. Watching Mercy & JT grow up. He enjoyed them so much, and he only had a very short time with them. Ryan graduate high school. I guess there will always be something we wish we could share with him. I have faith that he knows all about our triumphs and is there for us during our sorrows. When he died, someone said to me that life will never be the same. They were right.

Gotta Love My Husband

2009-01-26T15:42:00.008-05:00

In my next life....if there is reincarnation, I want to came back as a MAN. I was so sick this past weekend that when I came home from work on Friday I went to bed and didn't get up until Sunday morning. On Sunday I said to my husband (who is currently laid off from his job) that I need to try and take a shower so I can get up and get some things done. He asked me what I needed to get done, I told him laundry. I swear to God, he looked at me and in his sweetest husband in the world voice he said to me, "Well, just take it slow." If I would have had the strength I would have knocked him out. I thought if I married a younger man I could train him. Boy was I wrong. Husbands, ya gotta love em, because you can't KILL em.

Six years

2009-01-23T09:19:00.005-05:00

Hard to believe it has been 6 years since our Marines were 1st deployed to Iraq. Some will be returning to Iraq this year. It is strange how fast time goes by and life continues to go on when they are on US soil and when they were in Iraq, time seemed to stand still.

Mom is home

2009-01-13T08:51:00.005-05:00

My mom came home on Saturday. She will have a nurse come in 3 times a week to take her vitals. A therapist is coming in 3 times a week also to help her get into the shower and to give her breathing excerises to do. I am hopeful that she will be on the road to recovery. Louie was laid off last Friday so he is home with her most of the day. She said he took good care of her yesterday.

Saturday night my granddaughter and I had a sleep over. As tired as I was, I couldn't refuse her plea to spend the night with me. We watched cartoons and ICarly. I can't believe how fast she is growing up. I'm not sure what she is doing with the arm thing. I think my little princess may be a Vanna wannabe. I enjoy every moment of her childhood.

Mom Update

2009-01-06T10:10:00.002-05:00

My mom is still in the hospital. They doctor said she will be there for a few more days. When she comes home she will have a nurse come in a couple days a week to check on her and take her vitals. Her heart rate is up because she is working so hard to breathe, but she is improving.

Louie found out yesterday that he may be losing his job at the end of this week. His company is cutting 18% of their workforce. I didn't tell mom because I don't want her to worry. He is very talented and has many skills. I am hoping that somewhere there will be a company that needs a great employee and he won't be unemployed for long. Everyone say a little prayer.

Times passes quickly

2009-01-05T15:46:00.004-05:00

I found this photo card last week. I must have misplaced it and forgot all about it. It has pictures of Mercy & JT when they very little. I LOVE the pictures of Mercy playing in the dirt, and JT and Papa. I can't believe how much they are grown.

Lucky New Year

2009-01-04T19:06:00.003-05:00

I am already considering 2009 a lucky year. My mom got sick with the flu last Monday. She called the doctor and he sent her out a Z Pac on Tuesday. On New Year's Eve she thought she was getting better. On New Year's Day I cooked a big Turkey dinner and the kids came over. She didn't even get out of bed. She said she had a bad headache. On Friday morning when I was getting ready for work, her light was on in her room. I checked in on her to see if she thought she was getting any better. She said no. She has COPD, so I was afraid that this would lead into pneumonia. I told her I was going to take her to the emergency room. I went and got dressed and then I went back into her room to tell her to get her shoes and socks on. She told me that she couldn't. I told her fine, I would call 911 and have them send an ambulance and they would take her to the ER. She said ok. Then I knew she was REALLY sick. My sister Robyn and I followed the ambulance to the hospital. When they let us go back to her room, they told me that I was lucky that I had got her there when I did. Because she was so sick and weak she was not able to exhale the carbon dioxide (not sure I am spelling that correctly)in her system. Normal counts are 20 to 30 and hers was over 100. They didn't know how she was even awake. This could have killed her. They admitted her to the ICU. By Saturday her count was down to 54. Today they got her blood work back and she was overdosing on Tylenol. For her headache she was taking Tylenol, and Day Quil for her flu, and Darvocet for her aches and pains which has Tylenol in it. They said she will be there for a few more days until they nurse her back to health. I am so glad we had put a lighted ceiling fan with a remote in her room. She was able to turn her light on even when she couldn't get out of bed. If her light had not been on, I would have probably left for work and not checked on her and she may not have made it until I got home at 5 pm.

2008-12-30T07:52:00.008-05:00

Mercy & Thunder. She was very happy to get her pony.

JT loved his Jeep.

Little JT is very excited to see Santa.

I believe Bobbi has never seen Santa before tonight....

Can you tell who watches QVC???

Favorite Cousins - born 10 days apart

Sunday Morning

2008-12-29T08:35:00.007-05:00

4:45 am Sunday morning I awaken to the sound of a loud crash. I sit up in bed and ask Louie if he heard "that sound". We both get up and look outside to see a large chunk of the tree in our front yard laying on our patio. It broke our picture window, smashed our screen door, broke our picnic table and smashed a part of our roof. A big chunk was laying up against my car, but no damage what so ever. It has been a weird weather week and I think with the snow, ice, rain, and wind it just snapped off.

A Horse named Thunder.

2008-12-29T08:27:00.004-05:00

Here is a picture of Mercy with her horse, Thunder. Her very favorite Christmas gift this year. I will post more pictures of Christmas Eve and our family get together later.

Sleeping in

2008-12-23T10:35:00.005-05:00

Girly Girl

2008-12-18T16:37:00.005-05:00

Mercy is so excited to have her ears pierced. Last night at JT's graduation she asked me for a mirror so she could sit and look at her ears. She didn't seem to notice the pizza smudged on her face. I took out my "nice" pocket mirror that folds up from Bath and Bodyworks and handed it to her. I look over a short time later and notice she has taken a pen and wrote HER name on MY mirror. She thinks what is mine is now hers if I let her use it. Guess I will have to get MYSELF a new mirror for Christmas. Granddaughters, how did I ever live without one???

Graduation 2008

2008-12-18T16:14:00.002-05:00

JT graduated from Paramedic school last night. Here is a picture of us with our son. Louie & I are so proud of him and all he has been able to accomplish. He really is a wonderful son.

Friends you can count on.

2008-12-15T10:16:00.007-05:00

I am so excited! I have been looking all over for a toy horse for Mercy. The price on the Fur Friends Smores Pony is $269.00. Way out of my price range. This horse will turn it's head your way when you speak. It makes horse sounds and when you sit on it, it makes hoof clopping sounds. This morning my boss told me that today on the Toys-R-Us web site they had it for $99.00, but it was out of stock. I called the store and they were also out of stock. I called Target and they don't honor competitors coupons. I looked on-line at the Wal-Mart website and they had it in stock, but not at the sale price. I was going to call and see if they would honor a on-line sale ad when my boss called and said she was in the check out lane at Wal-Mart and had the last Smores pony in the store in her cart. They would honor the on-line ad. I can't wait until Christmas eve, I will have her unwrap all her other gifts, then I will bring that horse out last with a big red bow around the neck. I'll need to borrow a video camera from someone.

Letter to Santa

2008-12-12T07:46:00.003-05:00

One evening last week Mercy called me. She wanted to know why her brother got to come over and see the presents under my tree and she didn't. I told her that she was sleeping when Dad came over so she had to stay home with Mom. She then told me that she wants a "real" horse for Christmas. I tried to explain to a 4 year old that there are laws about how much land is needed to keep a horse and their yard didn't meet the required acreage. She knows that I had real horses and her dad had a horse when he was young. You could hear the disgust for me in her voice. But Grandma, I want a real horse.....I asked her if a toy horse would do, and she sighed and said that is ok.
My sister called me last night to tell me that she called Mercy. Mercy has come up with a plan to get her real horse. She is going to write a letter to Santa and have him bring her a "real" horse.
Now I have some shopping to do to get a life like toy horse. I can't have a disappointed granddaughter on Christmas morning.

Proud Mama

2008-12-04T15:14:00.004-05:00

I am amazed by the son I raised. I worried for so long while he was in high school that he wouldn't have a clue what career path to take. He never seemed to know what he wanted to do with his life, beside hang out with GIRLS. Then he wanted to join the Marine Corp instead of going to college. For awhile I wasn't happy with that choice either. Then I came to accept his decision and was very proud of his service to his country.
Now he is a Firefighter with the Elkhart Fire Department. Because of his background in Iraq and knowing he had to handle the bad stuff, they offered him a chance to become a Paramedic. He has been attending school 2 nights a week for the last year and a half. He called me last night to tell me he passed his FINAL exam and has two practicals to complete before he can get his license. He was so excited and I am so proud of him.

Our Tree

2008-12-01T19:46:00.001-05:00

This is our tree. Soon it will have wrapped gifts all around it.

December

2008-12-01T15:34:00.003-05:00

This is my favorite month of the year. I love everything about Christmas. The decorations, the Christmas carols, the smells of baking cookies, wrapping gifts, but most of all I love the Christmas Tree. Here is a picture of the tree we put up at work.
I was every busy this past Saturday. I cleaned the house from top to bottom as is tradition in my family that everything be perfect before the tree is put up, cleaned the carpet in the grandkid's room, then put up our Christmas tree. I think one of my favorite memories from when I was a kid, was after we were done with all the cleaning and decorating, my dad would have us turn off all the lamp lights & sit in the living room with only the lights of the Christmas tree on. I miss my dad most of all during the holidays.

2008-11-28T09:03:00.008-05:00

Mercy & Ryan. This is a BIG deal. Mercy has always been afraid of Ryan for some reason. This Thanksgiving she cuddled up with him on the couch to watch Christmas cartoons. I had to get a picture. She says she is no longer "shy" of him.

Brandi & Little J

The guys hang in the garage watching football

All the important discussions occur here!!!

Welcome to the World of Womanhood

2008-11-28T08:20:00.003-05:00

Thanksgiving Eve, Kelly, Mercy & Little JT spent the night at our house. Big JT had to work. This was Mercy primping for her Thanksgiving Day "party". This is my "Party Girl". When she woke up Thanksgiving morning she told me that she slept good with the curlers in her hair. She doesn't have Grandma's natural curly hair.

2008-11-26T10:02:00.006-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

This is my favorite Holiday. I love spending time with my family and stuffing our tummys. It is a day to remember our family members who are no longer with us and to rejoice and be thankful for all that the good Lord as given us.
It is also a day to relax before the Christmas holiday madness begins. I will not be shopping the day after Thanksgiving.

2008-11-24T11:39:00.004-05:00

I was very busy on Thursday & Friday. I work for Peoplelink Staffing. My employees were the crew that cleared the stadium of snow for the game on Saturday. This was on the WNDU website. I am so proud of each and every one of them. They worked very hard. To bad they couldn't do much to change the outcome of the game.

It's one game day preparation they don't want to make a tradition at Notre Dame…a full stadium snow removal.

Friday more than one hundred people worked at Notre Dame's stadium to get ready for Saturday's game.

They are shoveling underneath the stands, spreading salt in the aisles, and clearing the field.

"It’s a big area but small places to work in, a lot of snow, as you can see it’s still coming down," says temp worker Greg Crew.

The last time it snowed during a game was in 1992 during the infamous “snow bowl.”

But many say they can't remember the last time there's been this heavy of a snowfall *before* a game.

"This is a real treat… probably my worst nightmare. Back when we saw the schedule for November 22 thought nah can't be... but it is what it is," explains Dan Brazo, Notre Dame’s Athtletics Facilities Manager.

Crews will be back in the stands Saturday morning to continue working. Notre Dame hired help from a temp agency for help plus the rugby team volunteered to help out also.

2008-11-24T11:39:00.000-05:00

Company B Marines

2008-11-19T08:26:00.005-05:00

As soon as I walked in the door last night, my mom informed me that JT had been over and told her he received a call from someone at the Marine Corp Reserve unit. They are being deployed to Iraq again after the 1st of the year. She said he told her that he was having a difficult time with the thought of his men going without him. She said he hasn't decided if he wanted to reenlist and go with them. I have no idea if it is that easy to do. I grabbed my phone and called him. He said "No" I am not going, tell Grandma to quit stirring the pot......
He so lucky he said that. 2 tours was plenty for this mom. I don't think I could handle another deployment.

A tear in my eye...

2008-11-18T10:40:00.003-05:00

My dad passed away 3 years ago this coming January. The holidays just don't seem the same without him. My cousin Dianne took her son, Nick to have his Christmas 08 pictures taken at the Picture People in the mall. They have a Santa there that the kids can have their picture taken with. Dianne was amazed by this Santa. He looks exactly like my dad. Dad used to dress up as Santa on Christmas Eve and the little kids would get 1 present that night from Santa. Dianne couldn't believe how much he looked like her Uncle Marshall. She said when he came out dressed in regular clothes, he had a Notre Dame sweatshirt on, just like my dad. She felt that seeing this man as Santa was my dad's way of telling everyone that he is here with us during the holidays. I am going to schedule for Mercy & Jt to have their picture taken with him.

1st Love

2008-11-17T11:10:00.004-05:00

As I left work on Friday, I decided to stop at the Phillips 66 station in Roseland to play a couple of lottery tickets I had in my purse. I went in and traded them in on a couple more tickets. I took the tickets out to my car to scratch them off. As I was scratching them off, I looked up at a Jeep Cherokee that I thought was my uncle. It wasn't and I kept playing my lottery tickets. I won a couple of bucks and decide to go back in and trade them for more tickets. As I was getting out of my car, the man from the Jeep was coming out of the station. He looked at me and said "Melody?" I looked at him, said yes, but I was trying to figure out who he was and how I knew him. He could tell I had no idea who he was. He came up to me and hugged me and said I am John Weller, do you remember when we were 15? I was shocked to say the least. He was my very 1st boyfriend.

It was 1974. I fell head over heads in love with that boy. We dated that summer then we broke up. We went out again when I was 18 for a short time when he was home from college. Then when I was 28 I called him in Florida and he came home for a weekend and spent some time with me. It did not matter how long we had been apart, whenever I would see him, my heart would do flip-flops and I would swoon over him. After that weekend I wrote to him and told him it would never work. He was living a totally different lifestyle than me. I was a single mom raising a young son. I couldn't just go and party when the mood struck me. I never heard from him again. I have often thought of him over the years.

He is now 49 years old. Still has his hair, but it is gray. I don't think he has ever been married. He was living the fast life in West Palm Beach Florida until about 10 years ago, when he moved back to Indiana. He said to me that he has seen me at lunch at Frank's Place with my "boyfriend"(Totally a fishing line). I told him that was "my husband". We chit chatted awhile and then he was gone.

I was amazed that my heart didn't do flip-flops, and I wasn't shaking on the inside. I didn't melt to butter any longer. He was still good looking, but looking so much older and you could see the years of partying has taken a toll on his body. I realize none of us look the same as we did when we were in our twenties. I was just happy that think I "looked" better than him.
It reminds me of the song by Garth Brooks. Thank God for unanswered prayers.

Where Did The Sun Go?

2008-11-14T16:46:00.002-05:00

Ok, I am sitting here at my desk 10 minutes before 5:00 pm on Friday evening. I should be delighted that the weekend is only moments away. I take a look outside my window and let out a sigh, I wonder when I will see the sun again. I can handle the cold, it is the sunshine I miss during these long winter days. It seems as though the "perm-a-cloud" as arrived very early this year. I live for sunshine. So already I am counting down the days until spring.

Veterans Day

2008-11-11T16:21:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was the 233rd Marine Corp Birthday. Happy Birthday Marines and Semper Fi.

Remember to thank our veterans today.

New week...

2008-11-10T09:30:00.004-05:00

I am so glad last week is over. I had 4 people I know pass away. Friday was such an emotional day at my Aunt's funeral. My cousin had emailed everyone last week to ask if anyone would like to write our memories of Aunt Wilma for the minister to read at the service. I emailed her my memories. Then just before the service I find out from the minister that he wants me to read it myself. It took me awhile to read it because I was crying through the whole thing. My brother said he was fine while my cousin read hers, but when I started to cry, everyone started to cry. It was just so emotional. Growing up we spent almost every weekend at "The Cottage" she and my uncle owned. I have wonderful memories of her and my Uncle Bud. It was a very long day.
My sister Jackie decided she was going to spend the night with us. JT and Kelly called Friday evening and said they were bring the kids over to visit. They had stopped at Wal Mart on their way over and purchased food to make nachos and a Yahzee game. Just before we started to play our game, Kelly had given the kids their nachos. She asked little JT if he wanted to say the prayer, he of course said no, so Mercy said she would say the prayer. It was so cute. I don't remember the whole thing becuase I was laughing. She said "Dear God, thank you for this day, thank you for this food and God, Thank you for this "party". She is her Grandma's girl, a girl who loves a good party, even through the "party" only consisted of 7 people. I had given Little JT 2 ice cream bars and he wanted more. His mom said he had enough. I told her that he is use to getting more when she isn't there. She said how many to you give him? 5? She thought I would say no, only 3. I said no, 7. I thought she would die. We had such a nice evening. I hope my grandkids rememeber these moments with love when I am gone.

PRESIDENT OBAMA..........

2008-11-05T07:52:00.003-05:00

I stayed awake until 1:00 this morning, I was so proud of our country. In my 48 years I never thought I would see a black president. I am excited to have been apart of history. For the first time in a long time, I am hopeful for the future of this nation. For those people who are afraid, I ask you why? We are a nation that will protect our interest and our system allows us to change our leaders if we are unhappy. It is time to come together and work as a nation to build a better future for our families, and a stronger America.

Difficult week

2008-11-03T09:13:00.002-05:00

Last week was a difficult week. It started on Monday with the death of one of my clients. On Tuesday JT's uncle Eddie died of cancer, he was 47 years old. I use to work with Eddie at Big C Lumber, that was how John (JT's Dad)and I met. I was totally shocked.
On Saturday morning my aunt Wilma died. She was 87 years old. I have great memories of her and my uncle Bud. They owned a cottage and when I was growing up we spent almost every weekend there. Waking up to a cottage full of relatives, swimming, boating, fishing in the lake. Playing hide and seek, catching frogs. Life sure was simplier back then. I will always cherish those memories.
Then on Saturday afternoon my husband's friend, Roseland Police chief Craig Toner was killed by a drunk driver while he was out riding his motorcycle. Louie and Craig worked out together at the gym and they both hung out at Moondog's. When Louie went on 3rd shift, Craig also patroled Roseland at night. He had Louie program his personnal cell number into my cell, should I have an emergency in the middle of the night. He was a great guy.

Fitness Deal.......

2008-10-31T12:08:00.002-04:00

I AM EXCITED.....Cardinal Fitness offered a great deal for the month of October. It was $20 to join instead of the normal $99, plus the $20 processing fee and $19.95 a month. Since Jen & I joined on Tuesday, my husband & my aunt joined. My boss and 2 other girls in my office went and joined. We now have enough people to workout with if someone decides that they can't make it a night, we won't have to go alone.

2008-10-30T09:17:00.002-04:00

My really good friend Jennifer and I joined Cardinal Fitness last night. We both have been working out on our own. We do alot of walking, but with the weather starting to turn colder, we both have found that we are talking ourselves out of walking every night. Having someone to work out with is motivation to stay on track with our workouts. I really enjoyed having someone to chat with.
My goal is to live a more healthy lifesytle. If I can lose a few pounds that will be great but I will do it slowly. I am not going to resort to fad diets anymore. The up and down of dieting has not ever resulted in long term weight loss for me. More importantly, Jen & I are both hoping to be able to lower our cholesterol and blood pressure enough to be able to stop taking pills.

2008-10-28T07:51:00.002-04:00

My husband works 3rd shift. He leaves for work around 9:00 pm. Last night I was in bed watching TV when he left for work. He called me to tell me to look outside. This was the view from my front door. The snow was coming down in BIG flakes. It just seems to early for snow. It does get me in the mood to Christmas shop.

2008-10-23T14:57:00.003-04:00

JT has had a difficult time speaking clearly. It was very hard to understand what he was saying most of the time. This really upset him when we didn't understand what he wanted. He has had a speech therapist working with him for the last 3 weeks. I am amazed at his progress. I can understand him over the phone. I actually thought he was Mercy when I was talking to him because I could understand him. He is very proud of himself and you can tell how happy he is to be understood when he talks.

2008-10-22T11:20:00.003-04:00

Last month our company took part in the Business Expo at the Century Center. For the past several years we have had Tony Rice sign autographs for the people who visit our booth. For those of you are not Notre Dame fans, Tony was on the 1988 Notre Dame Championship football team, so he is pretty much a "big" deal in these parts. Here is a picture of the owner of our company, Bill Wilkinson with Tony. I have to tell you Bill is a southern gentleman, and is a delight to work for.

2008-10-17T15:57:00.002-04:00

The little boy is her friend Max.

2008-10-17T15:52:00.002-04:00

Mercy and I had a wonderful grandparents day at school. The pre-K through 6th graders did a program. Then we spend the morning in our grandchild's class room. She was so happy to have me there. Here are a couple of pics.

2 months and counting

2008-10-16T16:30:00.002-04:00

It has been 2 months to the day since I quit smoking. For those of you who have ever smoked, you will understand when I say I miss it. I smoked for 33 years. I wish I could be one of those social smokers who smoke only when they are drinking at a bar or party. I know that if I took even one puff I would start smoking again. I can't give in. I am starting to get addicted to exercise. I guess we just replace one addiction for another. At least exercising is good for me. At least that is what I am telling myself.

Busy Weekend.....Again

2008-10-15T10:53:00.002-04:00

It will be another fun filled, action packed weekend for the Towles. Well, maybe not action packed, but enough to keep me from vegging on the couch.

I took Friday off to attend Grandparents Day at Mercy's school. She attends Elkhart Christian Academy. This is a PreK through 12th grade school.
They will have breakfast for the grandparents, then we will see a program the little kids will preform, and then we will spend some time with them in their class. The children will be dismissed at 11:40 and Mercy and I will "do" lunch and then some shopping. We should have a great day. I will post some pictures of our day next week.

Saturday my cousin is getting married. Cheryl and her groom live in Tennessee, so I don't get to see very much of her anymore. The only down side is the wedding in in Elkhart and the reception is in Middlebury. Don't ask me why it is so far, no one but JT and Kelly live in Elkhart County. It will be nice to see my extended family for a happy occasion for once.

Sunday will be busy with all my chores that I didn't get done on Friday or Saturday. I am hoping that I will be able to fit some workout time in somewhere.

The Battle goes on.......

2008-10-14T08:06:00.000-04:00

My battle of the bulge continues. I was so depressed this past week , no matter how much I exercised, it was not showing up on the scale. This morning I weighted myself and much to my relief, I had dropped 5 lbs since last week. I can feel the difference in my clothes, but I need to see it on the scale. I want lower numbers. I have several pieces of nice clothing that's just hanging in my closet waiting on me to lose some weight.
I am getting to the point that I love my walk/jog in the evening. Louie and I enjoy the alone time after dinner. He helps to motivate me to go another lap, without ever saying a word. When I am by myself and my legs are aching, I can talk myself out of that extra lap every time.

What The Heck????

2008-10-07T15:35:00.000-04:00

Have you ever received something in the mail that made you wonder, "What the heck"? Yesterday after work, I get home and stroll out to the mailbox to pick up the mail. As I am walking back to the house, I am going through the mail. I notice an envelope that kind of looks like a check. We get junk mail that looks like checks all the time, but it is always some kind of gimmick to get you to switch phone service or something like that.
I open it and it is a $40 check from the Indiana State Auditor. I am thinking, what is this for? Then I notice in small print on the stub. Payee: Melody Holycross (my maiden name) and Payer: John E Lee (JT's Dad). THIS IS A CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENT!! I have not had a child support payment since 2001 when JT turned 18 and graduated from high school. I haven't spoken to John since Mercy was born in 2004.
I can only assume it was a payment that must have gotten lost in the mail and they just received it. With today's economy, I can't even get a tank of gas, but I was broke this week, so oh well, I am cashing it.

Play time

2008-10-06T13:13:00.001-04:00

Not a weekend goes by that my granddaughter doesn't call to see what I am doing and if I can come to her house and play.
She called on Saturday to inform me that she and her brother got 2 real bunny rabbits. Her bunnie's name is Tinker Bell, and JT's bunny is named (we could guess) Wall-E. Of course she wanted us to come over and see the new additions to the family.
When we got there they were bubbling over with excitement. They took my hand and lead me to the garage. In the cage was 2 adorable bunnies. I notice a few scratchs on both Mercy & JT.
It was then time to go to Mercy's room to play school. She is the teacher every time. When JT painted her room he painted a small square of chalkbroad and framed it on her wall. She is a very bossy teacher. I got in trouble for laughing in her class and Little JT got in trouble for kissing me in her class. She would stomp her foot and yell "NO LAUGHING OR KISSING IN MY CLASS. Grandma Great only got in trouble if I made her laugh. I wish I had a video camera with me. It was priceless.

Lunch with My Son

2008-10-02T08:18:00.000-04:00

I had a very nice surprise yesterday. JT called me and asked me how to get to the new So. Bend Community School Corporation building. He needed to get some transcripts for his college classes. I explained where it was at. He then asked me to lunch. It has been a very, very long time since I have had time alone with my son. We had a nice lunch. He told me he was in the Elkhart Truth again yesterday. He had to rescue a man that was crushed between a dock and a semi. I think I need to start a scrap book for his firefighting achievements. The best part of my day was spending time with my favorite person in the whole world. Whenever I see him, I think just how lucky I am to be his mom.

Fallen Marine

2008-09-30T16:24:00.000-04:00

October 1st 2006, I can remember it like it was yesterday. It was just over a month into our unit's deployment to Iraq. I got a call from the Key Volunteer Coordinator, Christina Zupich on Sunday evening. Her first words were, we lost our 1st Marine. It was her duty to inform all the Key Volunteers so we could pass it on to the families before they heard it from the news media. My heart dropped and my selfish reaction was to ask if my son was ok. She assured me he was.

It was the most difficult phone call I had ever had to make to my families. I have never had to pass on this type of information before and thankfully I never had to repeat it.

I was so sad and so proud to be able to attend this brave Marine's funeral. He will always be my Hero.

Feeling Fit

2008-09-30T08:24:00.000-04:00

Week 8 since I quit smoking. It is getting much easier, but I noticed the pounds stating to creep up on me. At 5'2 I can't afford to gain anymore weight. I decide last week to walk a little each evening, and to switch from diet coke to iced tea. My goal was 30 minutes a night after supper. I found that after I walked, I didn't have cravings for sweets in the evening. Last week I walked every evening for 30 to 35 minutes on the Clay High School track. Saturday I up it to 45 minutes, and over an hour on Sunday. I have dropped about 5 lbs. I am beginning to feel better. My breathing has improved enough that I was able to run for a short distance on Sunday. 2 months ago I wouldn't have even attempted to try to run. I am hoping by this time next year I will be healthy and fit. I have 2 years until my 50 birthday. I guess it is time to take my health seriously. No more living life like a kid......

Breaking Up is Hard to Do..........

2008-09-30T07:56:00.000-04:00

It is always sad to see the summer come to an end. The first sign of the winter to come, is when I have to throw away my hanging plants. This picture show just how lovely they were mid-summer. Last Thursday I decided it was time. They were dying fast, only a few small flowers left on them. I had to force myself to take them down and place them with the Friday trash pick up.

My potted plants and the flowers in my flower bed are still doing well. Maybe if we have an Indian summer they will last another month.