Aileen and respite care....

Aileen has a new respite care giver and she is amazing!  Aileen really enjoys her time with her and she has been working with disabled adults for a long time, is a CNA, and I don't know what else, but she knows her stuff and we are grateful to have her.

One Saturday she took Aileen shopping at the Dollar Tree.  The next Saturday she took Aileen to "The Movie Tavern" to see "Planes" the new Disney movie and had a ball!!  Yency said she loved getting to eat lunch and see a movie at the same time!  Two of Aileen's favorite things!!

Yency Campos, thank you for coming into our lives!! And thank you for taking such good care of Aileen!!

Yency and Aileen

 

Aileen at "The Movie Tavern"

Jogging at the lake....

For a while now I have been walking/jogging at the lake on my own.  The group kind of split up....some because school started again, some because my schedule has changed and when I can walk/jog is different every day now so its been a while since I have seen my good friend Caitlin and her little kiddos and I have really missed getting to talk with her almost every day and see her cute children!!

So I was thrilled last Thursday when I got to the lake to jog and half way around the lake I ran into Caitlin and her kids!!  I was so excited to see everyone and catch up....after we walked a few more times around the lake they went to play in the playground for a little while.  What was fun is that when I would jog by Caitlin and L would wave their arms and say Yayyyyyy!! It kept me going and it was fun to have my own cheering section!!  Thanks you guys!  Miss you!  Love you!!

We have the nicest patients.....

The Doctor I work for always says this (we have the nicest patients) and I have always agreed with him but a little over a week ago I really had to agree!!

One of our patients brought in 2 homemade pecan pies, one for the Doctor and one for me and I have to say it was the best pecan pie I have ever eaten!!  Even though I am on a calorie counting diet, I decided I had to at least eat a piece or two to see if it was any good!  And boy was it!!

We really do have the nicest patients!!  Thank you!!

Temple Day.....

The beautiful thing about respite care for Aileen is that we were able to set it up so that the 2nd Saturday of every month we have care for Aileen for 10 hrs, so that we can drive to Dallas and attend the temple for our Ward Temple Day, then go to lunch, run some errands, go shopping, etc...then head back to Ft. Worth.   Before this Alan and I had to take turns going to the temple or one of us sit in the car with Aileen and take turns going in for a session or once or twice a year we had some very special friends (The Malones) who would offer to watch Aileen for us so that we could go together.  I know one time my sister Elizabeth sat in the car with Aileen at the Temple and watched her so that we could go in together....in other words, it was a struggle and took great coordination to go to the temple together....but now, so easy!  So grateful for the new program that Aileen is on (Texas Home Living) that makes respite care possible.

After all that explanation, 2 weeks ago Saturday, we went to the temple, so happy to get to go together now, we have gotten to do that more this year than ever before!!  We went to lunch at "Corner Bakery" which has their calories on the menu so we can still keep track of that.  We wanted to go to the LDS Bookstore, but either it has moved and we don't know where or it has closed down because it was not in the shopping center and even all traces of the sign etc...were gone!! That was a little heart breaking, it was always nice to know if I needed something for Sunday School, or my home that was church oriented, we could drive to Dallas.

Alan wanted to see a movie after that because we still had time to be out and about and believe me our respite care gal wants us to stay gone for the allotted hours because she is counting on that money...so its a win/win situation although sometimes we have to be creative to come up with things to do to keep us away from the house!!  Alan said jokingly one time "I feel like I'm locked out of my house".  But we don't complain, we've had too many years of no respite care.  We are loving it.  It even makes it easier for me to be a good grandma to Charlotte, to have time that I can spend just with her and not having to worry about Aileen too.  Now, don't get me wrong, I love Aileen and love being with her, but it is easier going places without having to worry about diapers, extra clothes, plastic covers for chairs, etc., etc., etc.  So we saw "The Butler".

After we got home and Aileen taken care of with dinner etc...I went over to John & Allison's and babysat Charlotte so that John & Allison could go out!!  Allison definitely needs some time out of the house and away from Charlotte....you know some grown-up girl time with her husband.

So it was a great day!

Two weeks ago.....

Yes, I'm behind on  my blogging!!  Besides just being busy helping Allison with Charlotte on my afternoons off, I have also started a new part time job that I can do from my home to earn extra money for the added expenses we have been forced to take on i.e. new 2nd car for me and a new air conditioner!!  It's piece work, and I can do it anytime that works for me, but of course with my other job and typing that is usually evenings and late into the night....it also has quick turn around times like I may pick it up Wednesday afternoon, but its due by Thursday at 11:00 am.  So there has been no time for blogging!!  But I'm so grateful for the work and it has been an answer to my prayers and concern!!  So I will have to try and catch up when I can!!

Two weeks ago while spending Wednesday afternoon with Charlotte and Allison - we had an appointment to get Charlotte's passport for the trip that the Rex's will be taking to Costa Rica for Christmas!!  Allison had to change her passport to her married name and Charlotte just needs to get one!  So we broke out of quarantine just long enough to do this!!  Allison is such a trooper, she has been closed in her home with Charlotte until Whooping Cough is gone!! 

 

Even Charlotte is feeling the affects of not being able to go outside she stands by the window and looks out at the world and its kind of sad because she is so busy and so inquisitive that I know she wants to go outside!!

 

Oh, I love spending time with this little doll!!  She is so much fun....even when she is stuck inside!!

Then because we have respite care on Wednesday for Aileen, so that we can go out, run errands, or whatever we need to do....Alan and I had a date that night - 1st we went out to eat at Wendy's, then we walked, then Alan had a Scout meeting so I read while he went to the meeting and then we went over to Dad's and Barbara's and visited for a little bit, then went home!  It was a fun evening even though we didn't do anything special!  We just enjoyed!!

New Shutterfly book - Charlotte

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Sometimes a mother just needs to brag.....

Anne Marie has been in nursing school for a couple of weeks now and is working so hard and studying so hard and the scores on her tests reflect all the hard work!!  Keep it up Anne Marie!  We are so proud of you!!  I know you've just begun, keep working hard, believe in yourself like I believe in you and your Heavenly Father believes in you, and I know you will succeed!!! Love you!!

Alan's new movie will be out in November......

Thor 2 is coming in November!!  Which is appropriate as that is Alan's birthday month.  To me this is Alan!  Love you sweetie!!

Tootie Graduates from Nursing School!

Aunt Tootie has officially graduated from Nursing School and has passed her licensing exam and is  a LVN, looking for a job!  Hopefully that will come soon!  She has worked really hard and to take this on at 58, I say pretty amazing!  Congratulations!  We are all so proud of you!  It was a happy day!!

Lauren and Taylor so proud of their Mom!!

Week 31 - Biggest Loser - Charlotte Edition

Week 31 turned out to be a hard week for Alan and me.  Alan didn't lose anything and I only lost 1 lb!  So my total to date is 89 lbs.  I actually was relieved to lose 1 lb I was afraid I wouldn't lose any or maybe even gain.  So I'll take it and try to be better this week. 

Labor Day Holiday!!

Labor day is the day that my mother past away 4 yrs ago!!  The official day is Sept. 7th, but the day she died was Labor Day!  So I thought about her a lot today and talked a little with Dad about her.  I miss her.....but every time I sing a song to Charlotte that my Mom use to play the piano and sing with me as a little girl I think about her and it makes me smile, her legacy continues on.....

Today was my step brother Chris' 30th birthday!!  So we had a family party today at his home, because he has a pool and a nice grill to grill on and big rooms to have us all over!!  And after all you only turn 30 once!!  Even though it rained all morning there were some who swam anyway....silly kids!!  It's always nice getting together with family!

Chris and his fiance' Ashley

Dad and Aileen

David and his kids Landin and Emmy

Aunt Debbie (Tootie) and her girls Taylor and Lauren

Grandma (Barbara), Aileen, and Mom (Lois)



Barbara, Aunt Beverly, and Ashley

Lois and Dad

Aunt Beverly, Chris, and Ashley

 

Then, because Charlotte is "quarantined" and really the only people who can be around her are her parents and us, because we've already been around her so much before she got sick and have gotten the preventative treatment.....so it's either go to their home or have them come to ours but they don't go anywhere else for awhile....until the cough is gone.  They came over after John's football practices for work that morning and we grilled too!  We made turkey burgers, and for the first time grilled corn on the cob.....it was really good! We used lettuce to wrap our turkey burgers in instead of buns since we are all counting calories, had watermelon, and all the fun fixin's for burgers...pickles, cheese, tomatoes etc...  And because we had time we played a few more games of cards!  We are loving the game room!

 

 

It was a great Holiday!!

Sunday at Grandma and Grandpa's

Sunday the kids and Charlotte came to dinner!  I really love having them so close!  And since we knew they were coming, we wanted to make sure we got the card table for the game room upstairs, because we were still playing cards down in the kitchen, even after all the big moving around, reducing of clutter and garage sale!!  All of those things being done was so that we could play and enjoy the game room!  So I got a card table, and while I was at it I saw some pillows that I thought would be perfect to finish the daybed and pretty much complete that little project!  Now I need to paint the walls!!!  But we had a fun time.  We played both Canasta (the Clay's choice of card game) and Shang-hi (the Brown's choice of card game).  And Charlotte was cute as a bug all night!!  Love her so much!!

 

First BYU Game of the Season!!

One thing we are serious about in our family is BYU Football!!  Even more so now that Allison and John have both Graduated from there, and because John is very serious about BYU Football!!!

John and Allison invited us over to watch the first BYU football game of the season, BYU vs. Virginia!  It was hard to watch them lose, because they actually played the better game,  but they made a stupid mistake at the end of the game and gave it to Virginia!!  So sad!  But we were all there watching in our BYU t-shirts!! Even Charlotte was ready to cheer on the Cougars!! 

We  had Chips and Salsa, the Salsa Allison and I made.  Allison's was fire hot, make your eyes water hot, clean out your sinuses hot.  And mine was very mild, because Alan doesn't like hot!  But they were both very much enjoyed!!

Even if BYU lost, which we always hate to have happen, we still had fun watching and being together!!

Visiting Teaching - Survival Kit

One of our Visiting Teaching ladies is a school teacher and not just a school teacher but she teaches pre-school so she has 30 or so 4 yr olds!!!  She survived her first week, but we wanted to help so MaryAnn made this really cute little survival kit and we took to her on Saturday!  Inside the can was chocolate, and school supplies....plus these printed out "band-aid" messages that she found on pinterest http://pinterest.com/pin/212161832416572577/ .  MaryAnn did such a good job on it and our gal really loved it! 

 While we were doing that, MaryAnn helped me (because she has a truck) go get the headboard for my guest room that I found at a Nashville Texas Antique Store in Burleson.  I was happy to get that done.  I think the room looks lots better with a headboard!