Jesmyluk

Made it through another Christmas.  No, we did not get a white Christmas.  On Christmas Eve we enjoyed flurries off & on all day but no measurable snow.  And frankly, we were glad.  Kier left for Florida on the 26th & so we were praying hard for clear, dry roads & good weather for his long drive.  He is now happy & safe in Florida so now we are happily awaiting a nice big snowfall.  Especially with us all ensconced safely in the house due to the pandemic. Captain Awesome is working from home & the kids are schooling virtually so I'm good with some yucky winter weather.   Leading up to the big day found McKenna & I enjoying some time together getting crafty. The finished product: She is so amazingly talented my daughter! I am so proud of her.  While she worked on the new Christmas card display I was working on wreaths for the back door & bows for the Christmas tree.   Luna wasn't that impressed with our cr...

  It took me a week before I was able to do this post...  Last Thursday at 3pm we had to put our 15+-year-old cocker spaniel, Nikki, to sleep.  Needless to say, it was an incredibly emotional day.   It wasn't a shock to us as she was 15 years old, had severe cataracts, & was deaf.  This summer she started getting really picky about food.  Then she started going to the bathroom in the house fairly regularly so we had to sequester her inside the laundry room, where there is no carpeting.  This fall getting her to eat was becoming more and more difficult, I just knew we were going to lose her.  I kept hoping she would turn around because it's already been a really bad year for loss in this house & honestly I just didn't want to face losing another furry family member. But last week we noticed her left eye was beginning to ooze mucous & we could clean it off but it would crust back over within half an hour. And then she officially sto...

Is it just me or does it feel like this year went by both incredibly slowly, almost painfully, and at the same time, looking back, incredibly quickly? It's a weird dichotomy that has me flummoxed at the inconsistency.  I have been enjoying decorating our home for Christmas & am happy to report that it is all done & ready for the holiday.  Now we just need to finish our shopping for presents, all online.  This will be the first year in 25+ years that I will not be making a tremendous amount of Christmas baked goods to be wrapped & delivered to family, friends, neighbors, teachers, front office staff, & CA's co-workers. There is a minuscule part of me that is relieved at this thought and yet, a much grander part of me that stumbles at this concept.  Again I find myself confused at the contradictory emotions of the past year. I can't possibly be the only one experiencing this juxtaposition. I don't know maybe it is just me.   Anyway, on to less...

Full disclosure, I am sitting in my Christmas jammies, watching Hallmark Christmas movies in bed, while I type.  It is 8pm on Thanksgiving day.  And our Thanksgiving was low key but lovely.  It started with an 18lb bird & the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade & ended with bellies full of an abundance of food.  And of course, I took pictures of the day.  I even had Nolan take a couple pictures of me making *"rotten" eggs.  Generally speaking, I am not a fan of having my picture taken.  But I don't want my kids to look back at photo books after I am gone & never be able to see me in them.   Like I said our day started w/ putting the turkey in the oven & the parade.   Like our barricade?   The barricade has to be erected every time there is major cooking taking place in the kitchen because our Great Dane, Loki, laying on his pillow in the picture below, can reach the countertops w/ ease.  And last year while...

How about I do a post about the family for a change?  I could use a break from the venting & instead do a post about us.  All those in favor say, "Aye!".  Oh, that's right I do this for me...silly Jes.  This year has been a roller coaster for more reasons than the pandemic & the election.  Those were just the icing on the cake.  January was pretty basic. Recovery from the holidays was a welcome relief.  In February, Liam went through a bunch of testing because his platelet count was getting higher & higher.  As was his red blood cell count. We were told to go to a hematologist/oncologist at the beginning of the month.  Because A-T kids are 1000 times more likely to develop leukemia or lymphoma than the general population, we were understandably worried.  Just as we were waiting for test results to come back, I received a phone call from my stepmom that my dad, who had been battling post-polio syndrome for the last 5 years, h...