100 Days without 4 year olds:

How strange is that? I have to say that I am so ready for an entire summer laid out before me. The only plans we have are for our 2 night Disney stay (Shades of Green & going to EPCOT I think) and our 4 night Bahamas cruise (CoCo Cay & Nassau) which all starts on June 10th with my parents. This will be only the 2nd (we think we were together the first) anniversary that Andy & I have spent actually together. He's usually traveling on June 12. So, we're looking forward to that!! It's the parents first cruise and they are so excited. Typically, my Mother is totally and completely packed!! (It's still almost 3 weeks away)

We hope to make it to the mountains for a long weekend this summer, not sure if that will work out or not. My Mom and I don't have our girl trip to the beach on the books yet. If we miss it (again) I will be very upset. Last year we didn't go b/c my Granddad was still so sick. We had been going every year for the past 12 or so up until then. We'll see I guess.

I will keep the wee one this summer some. I imagine it'll be like last summer and only work out to a couple of days a week, which is great. I'm sure there will be lots of lunch get togethers, swimming, pottery painting, movies, putt putt and board games involved in our days togehter~ I plan to fill the other days with way too many books, movies,over extended periods in front of the laptop and meaningless TV! I'm also going to work on scrapbooks and cross stitching too!!

Wooo Whooo Let the laziness begin~

Funerals: I hate them! What brought this on you ask? Last weekend my great aunt died. She was 91 and had a fantastic life! She wasn't sick until just a month ago when she started having mini strokes. It was making her not herself, she fell and broke a hip, in the hospital had another mini stroke and passed away. I HAD to go to the funeral home last Saturday evening and then the funeral on Sunday. I am afterall, the only grandchild. This was my Grandmother's sister, I was expected to be there.

Here's the deal... My Grand daddy is a southern baptist preacher, I grew up going to weddings & funerals. Each of my Grandparents on both sides had HUGE families and were super duper tight, I went to funerals through them too, all my life. I would have nightmares about it and my parents couldn't figure out why. Well, think about it.... all these people....gawking at a dead body.....a funeral with some people having howling breakdowns... What do you expect? I have had an intense fear of funeral homes my entire life!

Some people (namely my immediate family members) think I am a bit cold hearted and rude. It's not that, I feel a deep loss for people who have gone to heaven! The closest losses to me being my 2 Grandparents and Andy's Mom (He'd lost his Dad before I knew him). I feel great loss. The thing is, I believe in heaven. I know that these family members were saved by a loving God who promised them that once they'd accepted him, they would spent eternity in Heaven with him. What could be better?

I have meltdowns, I'm not "in human". Seeing old blue & white trucks like my PawPaws send me into a tizzy, smelling green beans cooking makes me miss MawMaw and I almost can't take it, thinking of all the things that I can't share with my Mother in law make me so very sad. The thing is, I don't mind having my meltdowns in my own time.

I made the decision a few years ago to stop going into the room with "the dearly departed". I can't get the image out of my head once it's there. The last time I saw my MawMaw I had been there to visit on a Friday night with a great friend of mine. (Jeff Collins, God love ya!) We said goodbye on the side porch like always and I hugged her. There she stands, in her little mumu style house coat. That's the vision I have and I treasure it so closely!!! The last time I saw PawPaw was in the funeral home laying in a casket looking pasty. It's terrible and I have to concentrate to think back to before that time. It's not like the person lying there is going to say their goodbye, they're gone. I believe your last breath on this earth is your very first in Heaven. (If you've taken care of all that with God before hand!)

So here's my deal.... when I'm gone..... throw a BBQ. (Ribs if you will!) Invite all my friends and family there. Have a great time. Play upbeat music really loud! (a mix of contemporary christian, 80's, southern rock, country and a few oldies thrown in) Talk about that dork Monica and stupid things she did every now and then. Enjoy yourselves, that's what I'll be doing~

Kitty Witty:

Might as well wrap up the furry critter talk with Kitty Witty. Kitty Witty came to live with us in.... oh gosh....we've had him for.... um......4 or 5 years, I forget. Andy had just rescued another dog (that we had for 3 years before he died of old age) recently and knew that my policy was "No room in the Inn"... So he comes home from a class in Atlanta one day with a lump under his jacket. I knew then we were in trouble. Kitty had lost his Mom and had been squished in an automatic door of the building Andy was in. (Or this is the story I hear) He was only a few weeks old and TINY!! He had to be fed milk with an eye dropper. It was a long road and we weren't sure he'd ever make it. He did though, boy he did!!! He was the most frisky, wild, playful and MEAN thing you've ever seen. For years.... he would pounce on your head in a heart beat!! (I know this from experience!! Seriously, pounced on my head several times) He would love on you and purr...then....when you least expected it....he'd slap ya silly. Thank the Lord he grew outta this naughty stage and is now a loving loving loving cat!!! He spends all day asleep in various places, eats and cuddles all evening... then goes out for the night. We're pretty convinced he has another family that he stays with all night where he also sleeps, eats and cuddles. (He was gone for 11 days once and returned looking none the worse for wear!) He's demanding and knows where food & treats are. He will put his paw in the cabinet and bang the door if he wants something from you...he WILL NOT...stop until you comply!! He & Gizmo have a love / hate relationship. They can be peaceful or fight, it goes both ways. We love Kitty Witty, he runs our house sometimes... and we're often known to cuss at him... but he's a big ole part of our big happy family!!!!

Gizmo!

Don't want to leave Gizmo out. Where do I start. He is a shih tzu, very big for his breed though at about 14 pounds. He was a gift from my best friend Amy, another fantastic friend Scott and Amy's parents as my graduation present from the University of Georgia. I got him a few months before graduation and he lived with us in the apartment in Athens. He is now 9 years old, hard to believe. He's my baby without a doubt! He' s very very very rotten and it's not just because of me! My Mom calls herself "Granny" to this dog!! Often when we travel she comes to stay at our house with him so that he wont have to be boarded. He has more toys than some kids I know! He acts like he's wild and full of energy when you first meet him. He loves to be petted, play fetch and have "running fits". WHEN HE'S IN THE MOOD! Otherwise, he's a furry lump who sleeps!! Currently as I am sitting here online and have been watching TV in the living room.... he's already in our bed snoring! Yep, he snores!! And yep, he sleeps in our bed. (Right in the middle of Andy's pillows when he's gone! Shhhh... don't tell him that!) He has health issues too, wouldn't be ours if he didn't. He has major allergies and has to have allergy shots every 6-8 weeks. Without them he scratches non stop, makes his hair come out and makes himself bleed...not pretty!! He's also a grouch with me & Andy when he wants to be. The old saying that the dog wont bite the hand that feeds him, HA! He's bit us both!! (Never guests, don't worry...just us!) He's stubborn as all get out and pretends that he's deaf when he's doing what he wants!! He's also the most loving thing to me, a loyal companion, hates to see me cry and loves to snuggle! God love him though and his quirks.... we do!!!!!