I turned 30!

Well, not recently ^.^  I turned thirty back in March of this year -- but according to this blog that was only a couple of posts ago so I am not far behind at all!  (Yes, I know that in real life I am behind by...wow.  Okay, a little over eight months.  Very behind.  Oh well!)  So this is one of two "formal" photos I had taken for my 30th birthday.  I was incredibly blessed by a huge gift from my parents - a short cruise to Mexico! I received a few cards, bought a couple of books, and spent the day in pj's -- except I did go out to dinner and picked two slices of cake for my birthday treat.  I know, I know, such a party animal!  : )  I had the most wonderful relaxing time however, and felt very lucky on my birthday/during my celebrations! I did post it on here, but it was almost an afterthought -- my godson's feast day is my birthday which is great!

There are a couple of photos I found that I wanted to include in my last post which I found and am going to add now because I can -- my best friend lived only a few miles from our house growing up; after she double majored in French and English she traveled to France (with her Bachelor's Degree's under her belt she went to study and to celebrate)...and ended up finding her boyfriend/fiance/husband/father of her children!  Luckily for all of us still in CA, they had a wedding ceremony here in addition to the one in France.  And as I have mentioned time and time again, when they had their rainbow twins (a girl and a boy) - they chose me to be godmother to the little boy! Photos are from this past summer...

"Reading" me his picture book

My godson and his twin sister pushing/playing with swings

My godson climbing the mini rock wall so he could go down the big boy slide

Annual summer visit from "my France family"

Continuing on my catching up, I have to do talk about how thrilled I was to get another few weeks in with my godson, his twin sister, and their parents!! Actually, they had a surprise for us...

Mom was pregnant again! (just one this time - girl!)

So we had a family of FIVE visit this past summer!  I have no clue how the days flew by so fast (okay, I know but I somehow cannot find photos from their visit... somewhere I have at least a couple of my godson climbing up the side of the play structure that was built in the backyard while they were gone, but that will have to wait)... It was absolutely lovely having them visit, and meeting their baby girl.  The twins were so cute too, learning how to touch baby "gentle, soft ... careful!" and being told "shh! baby sleeping!" if we walked by her too loudly for their liking.

Mom S. with new baby girl;
Me holding my godson

 This is the only photo of their visit I can find at the moment, it is from their last night in town before heading to LAX in the wee small hours of the morning.  It took two cars to fit everyone, their checked luggage, and their carry-on items -- I am thankful that I was not one of two parents with three infants/toddlers, although I wanted to travel for a visit so badly!  Plus I am sure an extra set of hands the entire trip back would have been welcome!  Perhaps next summer... Until then all of us in CA will love and miss them -- oh, and the twins start school this year!  (In France you start younger than in the USA).

Safely back in France!
(Mom, twins, and baby girl; photo by Dad!)

Catching up

Hello blog world ::HUGS:: Playing catch up with about eight months since I went *poof* from here...

First, my apologies.  I do not have any reasons that are "good enough" for not posting.  I have, however, been following as many of your blogs as often as I could have. Also there have been several major health issues in my immediate family but shall stick to the top three: both of my grandparents, and my only sibling, my younger (well, 26 to my 30 years) sister.

My grandfather had a major heart attack, was in the hospital for a while, then moved to home hospice care (couple smaller heart attacks at home) -- and now is recovering very well!! So thankful, and hospice care has been stopped because he has improved so much!  Able to go ahead and re-schedule his skin cancer removal surgery (on his cheek, under his eye) -- he now only has a tiny bandage instead of half his face covered in gauze!



While my grandfather was ill, my grandmother somehow hurt her back but did not want to "take attention away from my husband" -- well intentioned of her yet she now has a compressed vertebrae which will take at least three months to recover from.  Luckily my relatives have been able to purchase a zero-gravity chair for her which she is able to sleep in.  Apparently she had not slept in her bed for a while and simply declined to tell anyone until asked point blank.  (Really though, how am I to guess the exact questions?  Multiple family members play this "game" and I dislike having to guess to get answers!)  She too is healing which is lovely!

My younger sister found out that she was expecting, and I know she does not understand how blessed she was (and is!!!) with her pregnancy and new son. I prayed and have bent over backwards getting her doctors appointments (luckily with our parents help) and... just so thankful and grateful she only had one tiny bump in the road during the unexpected pregnancy.

(C going on nine months)

(Baby K at only ten minutes old!)

She and the boyfriend (fiance now) were both using substances they should not have - which only increased my anxiety - but both of them (and his family) seemed to only be familiar with the "pregnant equals healthy baby" story and I could not bear to share the stories I know nor connect her with people who have been/are going through so many struggles to get something so very very precious.  Between my own worries and my concern for others online I have waited until now to be able to say that she has a healthy baby boy who was just baptized last weekend!



Lots to talk about, however there are days to come...Love the holiday season so with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years all coming up hopefully I will post more (my godson and his family visiting, baby K getting baptized, etc, etc) Happy Fall everyone!!

My Godson

 Today, March 19th, is my godsons feast day!
(In case you missed my Pope blog a few days ago, I am Catholic)

LOVE and miss my godson, his twin sister, and their family!

I am so excited and looking forward to their visit this summer!

First Summer Visit 2010

Second Summer Visit 2011

Third Summer Visit 2012

Plus an extra one of him laughing just to hold the place for many future visits and photos!

EDIT: Today is also my 30th birthday -- how lucky I am to have so many wonderful family and friends in my life! Thank God for my parents, my sister, and all of my family and friends! Love from me to you!

Snow in Paris!

(Man using skies passing the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France on January 20, 2013 -- image taken from online search of the first heavy snowfall of the new year!)


Love this photo -- makes me miss my France family!


Love to all :)

My godson met Mickey Mouse!

My godson met Mickey Mouse (as seen above with his dad) but apparently his twin sister fell asleep and so she and mom are both not in this photo : (

I am both very happy and fairly sad that I missed the first Disney trip (okay, by that I really mean missing ANY and all of their "firsts"!) with my godson, his twin sister, and their parents. It would not have been possible for me to fly to France however, and so I shall wait for an email about their adventure and in the meantime just enjoy the photos and fun that went on!

Also I have not been to Disneyland myself this year (yet? technically a few weeks left) and I would never begrudge anyone who had the opportunity to visit a Disney park! :)


Holiday Ornament Exchange Note:
If you did not happen to read my post yesterday "December 1st!" (or the original in November) you should go and take a look at the results of my first ever blog swap/exchange!  My first daisy-chain holiday ornament giving/receiving was a ton of fun, and I am going to try and visit all of the blogs that participated to read their reveals (however nearly 200 of us took part so I am realistically hoping to comment on a third of the reveals -- no offense intended to anyone, just not enough hours in the day!)

10.11.12

Four photos of sunsets taken during some of my walks the past two weeks:

The colors blend so effortlessly -- the sky reminds me of a watercolor

 
Am glad the clouds came out so well in this photo

Got this one in at the end of one walk but was too tired to stay outside and see how the sky kept changing, instead I grabbed more water and sat down!

***********

One of my oldest friends sent me an email yesterday that made me smile and made me sad at the same time -- she is back in France with her family, and my godson and his twin sister apparently miss me and have asked for me by name! (Other family/favorite things from CA also, but I particularly loved and missed the four of them when I read about them asking about me... I am so blessed to have my parents, grandparents, family and friends -- I lost so many when my health turned my life down a different path but being online has brought some friends back into my life yet so many live far away now and there are just some days I feel an absolute need to have my godson/his sister/other young kids give me little kid hugs. Wrapped up in their games and able to see the world through the eyes of a child, even for a few minutes, helps so much. Walking more is hopefully helping "fix" the various health things I have had recently, but my emotional health got such a "high" being able to spend days at a time with them! Miss working with infants/toddlers too...)

Raindrops keep falling on my head

I have those lyrics floating around in my mind now that the weather has finally (knock on wood!) gotten cooler! "Raindrops keep falling on my head"... Have realized that I miss spending time with young kids, and am going to look to volunteer again.  Am also going to continue walking three (or four?) days a week and read two books a week.  Small steps, yet I want to make sure I can achieve the goals I set. Tomorrow I want to be sure to do laundry, perhaps wash my bedding as well... The doctor appt today went alright, I have another on Thursday and then two more next week.  One foot in front of the other, right?  Things will be alright and in the meantime I think I shall go back and look through photos of my godson and his twin sister to remind me of how much fun those munchkins were during their visit this past summer! The night sky has been helping me remember my "France family" although I have not yet made it to the beach nor the mountains -- the moon and some stars have been visible on various nights, very pretty!

Pretty Moon

The moon looked very full, bright, and pretty late last night when I went out into the backyard around 2am.  (Yes, another night of not going to sleep at midnight, but luckily today was not busy so it worked out -- plus I had accidentally fallen asleep for about two hours in the late afternoon!)... The past few days I have been trying to focus more on positive things although I realize there are several people I am missing -- yes, that includes my young godson and his twin sister :)

The photo I put into the post yesterday is really a great one -- I think the combination of nature, the night sky, and how the trail did not end but continued to curve out of sight -- it was a good reminder that enjoying things is alright and at the same time when there does not seem to be an end to a road there is still more road to travel and things to hope for.  Although some days hoping does not bring any type of "happy ending" so I do not know...

Last week I started to really get into television shows again (I am still reading of course!). If I had to pick just two shows that I really love still they would be "BONES" and "Revenge" -- yet I realized there are perhaps six or seven shows a week I try to watch!  I have been slightly better about walking the past couple of weeks and while I still need to do errands and/or walk every day, I do see it as a good thing that I keep trying to improve at least a bit every week.

Oh!  Last note -- went for a massage today! Had not gone in... a very long time - it helped my muscles relax which was needed!

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle twinkle little star

How I wonder what you are

"...Goodnight Moon!"

(This nursery rhyme reminds me of my "France Family" ..feeling content..)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!  I used to make felt woven hearts (the photo above is an example of one made with paper, not felt) and fill them with little notes/chocolates/whatnot and give them out to pretty much anyone.

Wanted to say thanks to all of my friends and family who support me; unfortunately I have not posted anything this month other than the ramblings of the E.R. because I have still been sick which is very frustrating.  Have been to my specialist and the regular doctor plus need to get in sometime this week to have more blood drawn and tested for who-knows-what.

For everyone whose blogs I am actively following thank you for providing distraction on the rare days I have signed into the computer - I have not even been able to play my [two] pointless facebook games to keep me distracted....

Enough of bothersome stuff - today is a day that I like because it reminds me of Christmas time - it is another opportunity to offer thanks for the people I know (or have yet to meet) in my life, and a time to look for the positive things in life!

I have my ten-year high school reunion coming up in March and have been finding old classmates on facebook which has been fun... I have been able to spend time especially with my youngest cousin (over five months old now!)... My best friend and her husband sent tons of photos of my godson and his twin sister showing their antics during this new year (very much appreciated since they live in France - but they will be back in CA this summer!!!)... I am not in the hospital and am able to live through other people's lives when mine is sliding downhill which helps me to dig in and climb back up to health : )

Also - how could I forget to mention this?? - my neighbors had their first child, a baby girl, at 3:33am on February 13th in a home birth and the family of three (five if you include their two dogs) are all happy and healthy, plus they want me to spend a few days a week with the new baby!  Did I mention enough how much I love children?

Alright, wrapping this up because I'm heading out to buy my books for the spring semester (another child development course - turns out I have two left before being able to complete my second degree - and an online women health course for fun) and then am planning to watch tv after a lovely home cooked dinner.

Hope everyone smiles about something today, and thanks again to all of you who help lift my spirits even when you don't know it!