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!