Easter 2024

Easter was early this year, March 31. Sean left on the 30th to go to Arizona with his girlfriend, Meadow, and her family. We had a family lunch on the 30th with some of the family and the grandkids. On Easter Sunday, we took Carter to lunch at Rodizio Grill. 

It was cool and rainy outside, so I poured all the eggs into the bounce house and let the kids find them. They were amused, and after they found them all, Khloe and Vally hid them again and again in the living room so that Connor and Birdie could find them again and again. They were cute.

 

Easter eggs and cousins

Khloe and Valley have been "babysitting" for Birdie. They take their work very seriously and come with books and toys!

Sugar eggs 2024

 

Jennie moved to Texas!

 

 Letter I wrote to Jennie.

Dear Jennie,

It has been seventeen years since our worlds collided. Never in a million years could I have imagined the twists and turns of our relationship. We have had some tough years, and your life has been incredibly challenging. Neither you nor Ryan were given the love and support you deserved in childhood, and I am so sorry for that.

After that night we met in the ER, I wanted so desperately to help you as you struggled to take care of three little kids. I seriously believed I could swoop in and be a grandmother figure to your kids, and your life would magically improve. I did my thesis to understand what it takes for people to overcome childhoods like yours and Ryan's. I was incredibly naive in my thought that I could fix anything. I had no idea what a roller coaster our relationship would become.

Here we are seventeen years later, and I am so unbelievably proud of you and Ryan, the life you have created, and the parents you’ve become. You two had the answers to how to overcome your obstacles.  While you didn’t have the opportunity to raise all your kids in your home, you have remained a constant in their lives and are wonderful parents to Jack. You are parents that your adult and almost adult children want to have relationships with you.

I am so proud of all you’ve overcome, and I love you like a daughter. I hope you are happy and have continued success in Texas, and we will see you again soon.

Jennie and Ryan bought a house in Lubbock Texas and moved! I'm happy they got a house but it's weird that they have moved so far away.

Sean and his sisters flew to Texas last week to see the new house and spend some time with Jennie, Ryan and Jack. They met a bunch of new Texas relatives.

 

Alex came for a visit

 

Alex had a work meeting in SLC so he stopped by for lunch. It was good to see him!

Bonnie

Right across the street from the care center Bonnie lives at was a K&W cafeteria. I hadn't been to one in 35 years. It was so funny because it hadn't changed a bit. Mediocrity and it's best!

The last few times I've met for lunch with my SLRMC nurse friends, someone has invariably asked, "Anyone heard from Bonnie." To which we all say no. Someone once said, "I heard she was in NC. I put that in the back of my brain and forgot it. On Monday, I was sitting on the couch at my Marjie's house, and I thought, hmm, I wonder if Bonnie is really in NC. I found her daughter's name on FB, found her email, and asked her where Bonnie was. Within a short time, she responded and told me Bonnie was in Burlington. I looked up the address; she was only 32 minutes away from my sisters and an hour away from Char and Art's new house in Creedmore.

Wed, Char picked us up, and we went off in pursuit of Bonnie. We found her at an assisted living facility. Bonnie's breast cancer has metastasized to her bones. She moved to NC because her daughter is here.

When Char, Jori, and I walked into her room, she was so shocked. Literally blown away. She kept asking, "How did you find me?" I said I don't really know; we just did. Someone told me you were in NC," Bonnie said, "I thought I was invisible; I felt like I had disappeared and no longer existed."

Today, Char, Jori Thomas, and I returned to Burlington to break her out of the facility for the day and feed her NC BBQ. When we took her home this afternoon, Bonnie stood tall and looked completely different. She smiled and said, "Look; I'm me again, not invisible." When I went to tell the nurse she was back, she said, "I saw her get out of the car, and I had to look again because I didn't recognize her because she was walking so tall.

This was part of our day out on the town with Bonnie.

 

NC

When I arrived at the RDU airport. Marian was at the gate getting ready to board the plane I had just left and go to NC! Funny.

We didn't get BBQ on the first day, but we did get to see Art and Char. We went to a Mexican restaurant. Char said it's been nearly five years since we had seen each other. Crazy how fast time flies.

 

COVID strikes again

Is this picture is me or my mother! On Sat and Sun, I taught in the classroom, and Sean and I did one-on-one vital signs with students. On Monday I went for a diagnostic mammogram.  On Tuesday, I felt a little scratchy throat, but it didn't feel bad. Tuesday I watched Birdie. Wed, I had to do a clinical at a nursing home and spent 8 hours in a care center, feeding and talking to residents. On Thursday, I watched Biride, and on Friday, I went to lunch with Karen, who hugged me three times; I also went to the Inn Between, where I was hugged several times. On Friday, Khloe, Valley, and Connor came over and we got in the bounce house. On Saturday, I felt really fluish, so I took a COVID test, and it was positive. So, I have now officially exposed a ton of people to COVID. I'm guessing I got it from a student. Yesterday, I had a fever and was really achy. Today, I've had a slight fever but mainly was just tired. It feels like a crappy cold/flu.