The Little Things

I sent my son, Jake,  a Christmas card with a gift card inside.  He is turning 18 in 3 months and he doesn’t talk to me much.  Actually he doesn’t talk to me at all.  I catch glimpses of him on facebook when he posts something now and then, but we don’t interact.  Of course, I didn’t talk to my Mom much when I was his age.  In fact, I think there was quite a long time that I didn’t talk to her at all.  When you are on the brink of adulthood, you kind of just want to do your own thing.

I sent him a Christmas card with a gift card inside and I worried, of course, that the gift card meant that I had no idea what he wanted for Christmas.  But that worry only lasted a moment.  I think he is the better judge of what he wants at this point in his life.  A gift card is perfect.

I went to the post office on Friday and stood in the very long line.  I also sent cookies that Lucas made for everyone in really cool cookie containers.  I sent the Christmas card to Jake wondering what he will get with his gift card.

Tonight he messaged me for the first time in a few months and he thanked me for the card and money and we joked for a moment about what he might buy with it.  I read the text message over and over and realized that it is those little things that are important now.

Christmas 2008

We had a very wonderful Christmas day that started with Lucas bringing me breakfast in bed (eggs and pancakes) and then we all drank mimosas and opened gifts.  The day was full of drinking, laughing and absolutely fantastic food (Talapia, squash, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, etc).    That food was sooooo yummy.  While Mom and Risa cooked, the boys and I played Guitar Hero.    Risa’s friend stopped by and everybody continued to drink and be merry.   Check out the photos.

Christmas Tree Expedition 2008

We woke up this morning ready to head up north to find our Christmas Tree.  We rented a truck that seated seven so that we could all go in one vehicle and have room on top for the tree.   Risa made white chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, Mom and I went to get the truck, then we loaded it up with the saw and clippers and cold weather accessories like hats and gloves and coats.  We all loaded into the truck and headed up north to the Apache Sitgreaves Forest which was our designated cutting area from our permit.  It was an awesome day and we found a fantastic tree.  There was snow up there too so we got to play a bit in the snow.  The weather was in the 40’s.  The forest and scenery was beautiful.

Of course, once we found our tree, we had to haul it back to the truck and that is when we discovered that we had gotten turned around and didn’t know where the truck was.  Jacob and Charlie and I ran through the forest in multiple directions until we found the truck and then went back to get everyone else and the tree and drag it through the snow.  Once we got back to the truck, it was a matter of bundling up the tree in getting it up on the truck.  It was a really big tree!!  Jacob got on top of the truck and Mom, Risa and I lifted it up to him.  Then he and I strapped it to the truck.  After leaving the woods, we drove down to Payson and had some hot cider and tea and then headed home.

Check out the photos

In Phoenix

So, we are here, in Phoenix. We arrived on Thursday evening and spent the weekend unpacking. It is so unbelievable to be home again.

I am in the process of writing a full synopsis of our trip, but in the meantime, you can view photos here

Leaving Daytona!!

Ok, so finally, after planning for a full year, we are leaving Daytona.  We have all three households packed into six moving containers, job transfers are underway, the kids are out of school, and anything that didn’t get done isn’t going to.

After a year of non-stop, every day stress and jam packed days with 3 hours sleep per night if that, we are finally leaving for the trip of a life-time.

We are zig-zagging our way from Daytona to Chicago in order to visit friends and family along the way and then begin our 10 day trek across Route 66.  Photos will be here once we start on 66 (tomorrow), and you can view our map any time to see where we are, where we have been and where we are going.

Trip Map

What a year

68 days left until we move.  Almost one year in planning.  Today is the anniversary of my father’s passing.  What a year it has been.

Dad

As many of you know, my step-father has been having many health problems for the past couple of years. After his stroke two years ago, my boys and I sold our house in Arizona to move back to Florida and try to help my Mom as much as we could. Of course I never feel as though I can help her as much as I would like.

Now he has lung cancer and started chemo today. According to my mom, they say that the growth in his lung has doubled in size since it was first detected a couple months ago. So, now he goes to chemo every Tuesday in addition to his dialysis three days per week and the other doctor visits.

He has been looking pretty good lately when I visit, and that is a good thing I suppose. Sometimes I wonder what it must be like to feel your body falling apart and wondering how much more it can take. I wish I could stomach some of this stuff a bit better. I help out as much as I can transporting him to and from dialysis. I am not sure why it is so unsettling for me, but I really get noxious when I go to the kidney center. It is the smell of the place and the fact that they are taking his blood out of his body and filtering it and putting it back in. Somehow that just gives me the creeps. My mom says she hates to ask me for help with transporting him, but I try to help as much as I can because my mom is always so tired from working two jobs and all of the worry that she has on her shoulders. One of these days she will be able to have a life again and not the day-by-day worry-and-wait routine that she has been dealing with for the past couple years.