Happy Birthday Bryan!

Happy Birthday to my brother-in-law, Bryan!

This is a re-post from last year.

But the wishes for a great year ahead are all new!

I love you, Bryan.

Always have. Always will.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Happy Birthday Bryan! Rob's Photographic Memories

Rob was the first born child to his parents.

He was the oldest of 3 sons.

Rob's middle brother, Eric, was 5 years younger than him.

(Eric died when he was just shy of 21 years old).

Rob's youngest brother, Bryan, was born almost exactly 10 years after Rob.

Bryan was born just 3 days shy of Rob's 10th birthday. 

I heard many stories from Rob about his "baby" brother.  

The stories always made Rob smile.  

Today is Bryan's birthday.

And just for that occasion, I thought I'd post Rob's first photographic memories of his baby brother that Rob took with his very own camera

- along with Rob's handwritten descriptions of some of the photos.

 I have many, many, many photos of Bryan from the last 21 years of knowing him and 20 years of being his sister-in-law.  I have much photo documentation of him as he grew from being a 24 year old single young man to becoming the "grown-up" he is now with a family of his own.  A lot of them are my favorites and I can so easily see them in my mind, especially the photos from when he proudly introduced us to his girlfriend, Jenny; when he proudly married Jenny (who became his wife at the wedding his oldest brother officiated and Anna was the flower girl); when he proudly introduced us to their daughter and our niece, Cassidy Jill; and when he proudly introduced us to their son and our nephew, Carter Ming.  And if I could find those photos, I would post them but they're all in that bunch that seems to have disappeared in this last move.  

But I do have a couple of favorite photos of Bryan and Jenny that I took last Christmas (2012) as they left to take a walk in my back pasture.  In fact, I loved the photos so much that I put them on 16 x 20 canvasses and gave them that for Christmas this year.  

Happy Birthday Bryan Scott!

Hope you've enjoyed your brother's memories that he captured of you.

Since Rob died, I have tried very hard not to speak for him but I can certainly say this for him because he told me so many times - as I know he told you.

And that is simply that he loved you - from your birth to his death.  

He told me that he loved taking care of you when you were little.

He loved playing "cauhs, cauhs, cauhs" (the way he said you pronounced cars, cars, cars) with you.  

And even though he did not like living in Ohio at all for the 4 years he lived there and always longed for North Carolina, he was proud of your loyalty to your buckeyes.  

And, since you were only 8 years old when he left for college back in North Carolina, he always said he wished he had had more time with both of his brothers.      

He loved you so much.

And so do I.

It Could Have Been Worse But I'm Blessed That It Wasn't

Hi to all of my readers,

Not sure how many there are of you out there but I’ve had some emails from a few of you wanting to know where I’ve been.  It’s been 14 days since I’ve posted.

Well, the short story is that I’ve been exactly nowhere.

My parents have both been sick so it has been around the clock care for both of them.

My mom got sick on Christmas day (ended up being bronchitis).

My dad got sick the day after Christmas (ended up testing positive for the flu).

It has been a long and tiring 20 days.

Except for 2 nights, I haven’t slept more than 4 hours in a row since 2 days before Christmas.

Last night, I actually slept a little over 6 consecutive hours with no interruptions.

It was glorious.

When Rob died, I didn't sleep an entire night for 2 weeks.

But during those agonizing nights, my mind only had to focus on me 

and how I could keep breathing until the next morning,

not do caretaking and medicine giving for 2 sick elderly parents.

And it has been 12 years since I’ve had a newborn 

and experienced those sleep deprived days.

I had forgotten what sleep deprived life looks like.

It’s really gray.

And this is even more gloomy because, at least with a newborn, 

you have that new baby feeling that is exhilarating.

My sister has come twice to give me a break.  She came on New Year’s Eve so I could hold my annual New Year’s Eve party and she stayed until the next day (which would have been my 21^st wedding anniversary).  During this time, I still had to help some because we were literally having to lift my dad from the chair to the portable commode.  He was too weak to stand on his own.  By the next day, though, the kids and I were able to leave to see a movie.

Mama and Daddy were doing some better by the second time she came so the kids and I went to a see another movie they had been wanting to see.

(Thank you, Joan, for coming and helping me keep my sanity)!

I could have never taken care of my parents throughout their illnesses without my children.

 They are well-versed in elder care.

Now they are also well-versed in SICK elder care.

I know I’m biased, but they really are the best children in the world.

None of them read my blog (unless I specifically tell them to) but just in case they do,

THANK YOU ANNA, WESLEY, AND LUKE for helping take care of your grandparents and for doing things no one your age should have to do.

Thank you for caring about your grandparents so much.

Thank you for loving them.

Mama is totally healed and back to normal.

Daddy is walking on his own now, only needing someone to be beside him to balance him. 

He is still FAR from his normal.

BUT he didn’t have to be hospitalized

(we were close to it for dehydration).

AND he is finally eating 3 meals a day.

He even knows what day of the week it is 1 out of 3 times asked.

He does not remember how sick he’s been unless we remind him.

So now that we’re on the upswing of things, 

I thought I would take the time answer those who have asked.

We are okay.

It has been rough.

And it certainly was not the way I had planned on spending my Christmas break.

I am very tired.

But I am also very blessed that healing is taking place.

It could have been worse.

21 Years

21 years ago today, at our 2 p.m. wedding, I became Mrs. Robert Edward Shelton.

Even though our marriage ended with Rob’s death in Sept. 2011,

I will always be thankful that I was blessed

to know how it feels to have loved well

and to have been loved well. 

Link to 2014 post about our anniversary.

Link to 2013 post about our anniversary.

Merry Christmas!

Our Christmas was merry!

Hope yours was!

Certainly Not Ready But Certainly Grateful

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

I need another week to really be ready!  

Christmas cards didn't make it to the mail 

(although since they're already printed they will be mailed - 

just after Christmas). 

Haven't wrapped the first present for my kids. 

Just got off the phone discussing a package that was supposed to be here last week. 

They promised tomorrow. 

My house is still a mess. 

But in the midst of it all, my boys and I have had a great day 

(Anna was at a friend's house). 

I am blessed to have healthy children to buy for 

and much laughter sprinkled throughout the day!

It's been a great Christmas Eve Eve!

Our Christmas Tree

Our Christmas tree is up.

I love it.

I always do.

The kids love it.

They always do.

Someone once told me that our tree 

looks like a tree that The Waltons would have

(I took that as a compliment).

Our Christmas tree is simply a family tree.

One that 

holds pieces of

our past;

our present;

and still has some room 

for pieces to come in our future.

We have been
and
continue to be
blessed!

Anna made this Christmas ornament for me when she was very young.

It still has a place on our tree!

This is Wesley's 1st year ornament - 

that, 14 years later, still doesn't have a photo of him in it.

That's right - it's still the baby photo that came in the frame!

It's a running joke by now.

And, every year, we put up the stock photo baby in the stork ornament.

Maybe this will be the year that I actually get around to 

putting a photo of baby Wesley in it!

Father Christmas was a gift from one of my students.

Santa with the green bag was chosen by my Caleb.

The deer belonged to Rob's grandparents and they have been ours since 1997.

It's been Luke's job for as long as he can remember to put them together.

And the singing snowmen family is a tradition started by Jacqueline C., 

a very dear friend from one of my father's churches.

Until her death, she bought one every year for my children.

We have continued the tradition in her memory.

Hope you all enjoy the countdown! 

At Least We're Starting

FINALLY starting to put up our Christmas tree.

We've never been this late before.

My 2 trusty elves are helping.

Luke even put on his Christmas socks.

We will get the tree put up tonight 

and I will add the lights

and string the beads.

Then, after her last class of the semester 

tomorrow afternoon,

Anna will join in as we hang all of the ornaments on the tree.

So, even though we will not get it 

completed all in one night like we usually do, 

at least we're getting started.

(And that may or may not be the clean but unfolded 

laundry that lives on our couch).