Now Don't Pass Out!

I know my last post said that I would write that week, but things kind of got away from me.

Since my last entry, I have become another year older(puting me at a whopping 26), held another Thanksgiving at my home, my dad became another year older, we celebrated another Christmas with family and friends, I puked my guts out from the flu, we rang in another New Year with loved ones, and unfortunately mourned the loss of my grandmother. There was a lot of stuff in between, but these were the major events.

How about if we start with my birthday. It was a blast! In my family you don't really have a birthday, you have a birthweek or birthweekend. This would have been the first week of November. Yes, it has been that long! The first time we celebrated my birthweek, was with our friends Kt and J. I went over to Kt's earlier in the day and she and I made a cake. This wasn't your ordinary cake. It was kind of a tiered wedding cake. We really wanted to make one and what better excuse than a birthday. It was really fun. Her kitchen was a mess when it was all over, but the cake looked great. It was 2 tiers and have little purple flowers all over it. Right about the time we were finishing the cake, S and J showed up to make some dinner. We had an awesome meal! Halibut, chicken, garlic/parsley red potatoes, and mediterranean vegetables...yum! The meal was amazing! Then we had the cake and coffee for dessert. Who could ask for a better meal? Well, my mom is a pretty good cook too, so we had supper at my parents house the next night. My mom made her famous chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. One of my favorite meals. She makes the best chicken gravy! Kt and J came over along with K, G, and E and my parent's neighbor F. It was a blast.

Then comes Thanksgiving. This was the 4th Thanksgiving held at our home, but the first one in the new kitchen. It was much easier with the open floor plan that we are creating. The kitchen is pretty much complete, the only thing left to do is the trim. It looks great and this was the first time that some family members saw the new look. Just a little note, we bought our home from S's Aunt. She always held Thanksgiving here, so we've kept up with the tradition. Our new project is the dining room/breezeway(it is almost complete).

Christmas was different this year. I will explain more in a little bit. S and I went to his cousin's house to celebrate with his side of the family. We have done this for the last couple of years. We had some great food and good company. The kids opened their gifts and we opened a few. I was really tired from working the night before and had to get up early to be at work by 7 a.m. This is early for someone who normally works until 2 a.m. So we left, came home, and I went straight to bed. I got up early on Christmas Day, so I could go to work for a few hours. It is a really easy overtime shift and I work it every year. I have a coworker who likes to spend the morning with her family, so I work for her every year. I only worked two and a half hours. Like I said, it is a really easy shift. After work, I came home and wrapped all of the presents that we were taking to my families Christmas. Earlier I had said that this year was a little different. Well, almost everyone was sick. My mom had gone to the doctor a day or two before Christmas and found out she had strep throat. My sister came to celebrate with us and my dad ending up taking her to urgent care...as she had strep throat also. My husband was not feeling well either and spent much of the day curled up on the couch. My dad had a touch of a cold and my little niece, E, had a touch of a cold also. I was the only healthy one at the house until my brother-in-law arrived after work. My healthiness did not last for long. Scott was up at 3 a.m. with the flu on the day after Christmas. I slept through it. I went to work that night and came home at 5 a.m., after working all night, and started puking also. I hate having the flu and I hate puking even more! So, I missed a day of work, but am healthy again.

While I was sick, my grandmother died. I was pretty upset, because I couldn't go and say goodbye to her. She was in a nursing home and I didn't want to go and get everyone else sick. Plus, I don't think I could have moved off the couch even if I wanted to. Walking from the couch to the bed was hard enough. I don't think that I would have made it out to the car. So, I didn't get a chance to see her. We had the visitation and funeral last week. It was a nice funeral service...if you can say that about a funeral. My mother gave a great eulogy and my cousin, A, read some of the memories that the grandchildren had of our time with our grandmother. After the funeral the ladies at our church made a great lunch for everyone. The desserts were really good and I think we are still eating pieces of cake. The burial was at Fort Snelling. We were all huddled together to try to stay warm. It was bitter cold outside and the wind was wicked. Pastor said some words and we each said our final goodbyes. Still a little upsetting to talk about.

I do have to say having all of the cousins in town for the funeral was a good time. We got to spend some time with cousins that we haven't seen in many years. Last time I saw one of my cousins was when I was 14. We went to dinner with some of my cousins and then went bowling. It was a freaking blast! My cousin gets married in July of next year, so I think we will be making a trip to Virginia for this. Last time I was out to Virginia was when I was 6. S and my cousin B got along pretty well.

So, I know that this was a long post. A lot more has happened since November, but I highlighted the important things. The last bit of info is that I am finally back to working days. I hope that it lasts longer than the last few times I have gone to days. It will last as long as no one quits or goes out on maternity leave. I hope the next person on maternity leave is myself. You will all know when this happens!

Now, don't pass out because I finally blogged again. If you feel light headed, please place your head between your knees and take some deep breaths. Or grab a small paper bag and breath into it.

Hahahahahaha!
Kt