by Sarah | May 31, 2010 | All About Family, Crap
Just after Mother’s Day I got the call. “Grandma is going into the hospital for some tests.”
Words you never want to hear.
Within a week we had a diagnosis – stage 4 Lung Cancer. Plans were made to get to New York. My mom was to go out on the 26th of May; Archie and I were going on June 10th. None of us made it. We just didn’t have enough time. She was gone not a week after her diagnosis.
14 years ago I lost my grandpa. Less than a week ago I lost my grandma.
“GroGram” as her great-grandchildren called her. She was stubborn, strong, proud, and oh-so-loving. Nothing meant more than family. She’d seen what suffering Grandpa went through when he fought his cancer – and she wasn’t about to put us through it.
But the loss feels so sudden, so strong.
Her life was rich, full, long.
She had 3 daughters, 5 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren – not counting spouses, who all loved her as if they’d been born into her family.
I had 33 years w/ her in my life. Brandon was blessed to have known her during his 12 years. My girls – they won’t remember. The picture of GroGram holding Riley is one of the few I have of her w/ my kids. I’ll always wish we’d gone to see her more. Financially it wasn’t feasible, but I still wish we’d forced it.
With each day you spend with your family, whether they live close or far – remember that in the end it will never seem like enough time together. Don’t scrimp on time, eat it up and revel in it. Take hundreds of pictures, don’t leave the camera in the case. Don’t waste a moment – because every time it’s over far too soon.
***
I love you, Gramma…GroGram. We all miss you so much – but I know you’re with Grampa, happy and free of pain.
by Sarah | May 31, 2010 | General
In a fluke accident my old webpage is gone. I couldn’t revive the subdomain, even though I have tried on several occasions. So this new page will suffice. I’m still working on transferring over all of the pages and the info on them. This post is a placeholder until I can get a real post up.
by Sarah | May 9, 2010 | All About Family, All About Me
For my mom…
Who was always there to listen when I was growing up.
Who fixed my costumes for dance, and made us matching Christmas outfits.
Who was there when my oldest was born.
Who taught me the fine art of not freaking out at every fever, scrape or bump.
Who taught me how to be a Mom.
Who was there when my middle one came into the world.
And watched the two oldest when our little Angel joined us.
Thank you, Mom…for everything. I can never thank you enough for being my Mom.
For my children…
Because even on the days when I want to throw in the towel and scream my head off…
YOU are what makes ME a Mom.
Your smiles are my reward.
Your cute giggles a present.
Your intelligence shines in each of you.
Your love in the countless hugs and kisses.
YOU make me love my job – and I know there is no better job out there.
by Sarah | May 6, 2010 | All About Learning
Two and two are four, four and four are eight, eight and eight are sixteen, sixteen and sixteen are thirty-two…
Yesterday the girls and I found a friendly little visitor on our driveway. So we kept him for a while before releasing him back into the wild. May I introduce “Wormy”:
He was great to have around. The girls adored him and still ask about him this morning!!
Of course that just means I have the song in my head…
Inchworm, inchworm, measuring the marigolds. You and your arithmetic you’ll probably go far. Inchworm, inchworm, measuring the marigold. Seems to me you’d stop and see how beautiful they are.
(P.S. I love this time of year. I’m coming out of my funk, writing tons, and playing w/my girls. Of course, my house continues to suffer, more so since we like to get OUT!!)
(P.P.S. All pictures taken w/ Canon Rebel XTi. SOC.)
by Sarah | Apr 7, 2010 | All About Kennedy, All About Molly
In two weeks it’s time for my Irish Twins birthdays. They’ll be five and four.
Riley is trying very hard to read, and Angel is doing her best to follow right behind.
Riley can write her own name (forward and backward, literally), and is figuring out how to write the numbers 1-10.
Angel is curious…about EVERYTHING. We cannot keep her out of anywhere from touching anything. She is the child that as you run through the store runs her fingers along the shelves and tries to touch everything she sees.
Riley is cautiously curious outside of the home and her comfort zones – but around people she knows is talkative and friendly.
They are each others best friends and worst enemies.
Technically I should be signing Riley up for Kindergarten based on her age. That doesn’t seem real. It seems like just yesterday that I was in the hospital watching them decide the new pope on TV while wondering when the pitocin was going to make labor actually hurt (didn’t take more than a few hours). Or just this morning that I walked the four miles to and from Dairy Queen to try to spark labor for Angel, and lamenting the fact that it failed (it didn’t – just took two hours to hit me).
The days of diapers are finally gone (almost – we still wear pullups at night).
The days of learning and growing and wonder at the world around them have arrived. They are curious and thirsting for knowledge – and I can’t wait to keep watching them learn.
I miss my babies. More than I imagined…
But I’m loving the excitement of my big girls and their big personalities.
