Happy, Monday! What a wonderful weekend! We had a 3-day weekend and it was much needed.
Friday I slept until 9:45 and the girls slept until 10:30! Parent/teacher conferences and playing with cousins all day had us wiped out!
Friday I spent most of the morning in the kitchen. I made meatballs and a Heath Bar cake to take over to my sister’s house that evening. It took me longer than normal to make my meatballs, because I had to count the carbs with every ingredient I used. This was so we knew how many carbs were in each meatball for my nephew’s insulin count and juvenile diabetes. My eyes have been opened with this disease! There is so much involved with counting carbs. I am thankful I am a math teacher! LOL The girls played school and then volleyball outside while I was cooking.
After I was done in the kitchen, I went through the girl’s clothes and cleaned their closets. With it getting colder, we have been struggling to find things to wear. Emily got all the hand me downs from big sister, Elizabeth, and she is all set for fall/winter. Poor Liz ended up with only a few shirts that fit her after we cleaned out closets. We knew a shopping trip was a must.
Friday when Chris got home from Teen Challenge we headed to Doniphan. It would’ve been my dad’s 58th birthday on that day. Instead of grieving and crying all day, we decided to celebrate his life and enjoy his favorite things. My sister made his favorite supper (chicken strips and french fries) and we enjoyed each other’s company. We told stories about dad and remembered our great memories together.
The kids painted pumpkins after supper and then we lit lanterns in memory of dad. It was a wonderful evening together. I know dad would want us to celebrate together exactly how we did. Still miss him so much and all of these “firsts” are extra hard for some reason.
We didn’t get home Friday night until about 11:00, so we slept in again on Saturday morning. Chris went to work at Teen Challenge, but the girls and I had a lazy morning together.
Around brunch, Emily had a fairy garden birthday party that she attended. She had a great time and it was the sweetest party! She made the cutest little fairy garden that we put outside that she is so proud of.
We picked her up from her party and headed straight to Cape. We wanted to see Nana and then we went shopping for new clothes.
We met Papa Bolin at Academy Sports and he bought the girls a few new hoodies for us. (So thankful for grandparents that spoil my girls rotten.) After that, he took Elizabeth with him for a little while and I took Emily with me. Emily and I went to a few stores and then met up with Chris and he took her out to the farm while I shopped for an hour ALL BY MYSELF! It was glorious!
I met my father in-law at the mall and got Liz from him. Shopping sometimes requires us to divide and conquer so the girls don’t fight over picking out the same clothes. LOL Liz needed the bulk of the clothes so we headed to Target and TJ Maxx while daddy and sissy shot guns and got her ready for youth season next weekend.
Liz and I had a very successful day of shopping and it was a great time together!
Chris came into town and met us for supper at Cracker Barrel. Emily didn’t want to eat at Cracker Barrel so she stayed at Nana and Papa’s house with them.
After supper we went back out to Chris’s parents house and visited with them for the rest of the evening. Lequeeta (my MIL) is doing well and just waiting to get an appointment at MD Anderson in Houston to know what the game plan is going to be.
Sunday was a lazy, cool, rainy day. Chris had to drive to Van Buren to meet his cousin and pick his grandma up from her. Then he drove her all the way to Cape so she can stay the week at Chris’s mom and dad’s house. Needless to say, Chris didn’t have a lazy day. He was on the road for about 8 hours and was exhausted by the time he got home.
The girls and I were lazy enough for him. Liz worked on her Veteran’s Day poster for school, Emily watched YouTube, and I did loads and loads of laundry.
Leaving you with our #selfieSunday. I pray you have a blessed week!
~Jen
Love how you celebrated your dad’s birthday and your sweet daughter with her cousin, helping him with his shots – bless! I am so glad you had a 3 day weekend, I know its been a wild and emotional couple of weeks/year for you. xoxo ERIN
The cousins are all eager to help Zach with his shots and watch him. He’s doing so good!
I love the lantern idea. What a sweet evening that must have been celebrating your dad! The kiddos pumpkins turned it perfect, too! Happy Monday, friend!
Thanks! It was such a great evening.
Those lanterns are P-R-E-C-I-O-U-S!!! Juvenile diabetes is such a difficult disease. Stephen has a friend who also has it, and I couldn’t imagine having that constant worry. We had a JD scare with Nataleigh when she was 2. Her sugar levels were crazy, but it was from the steroids with her oxygen levels. The amount of testing we endured doesn’t compare to what the brave kids with JD endure. Praying!
Yes, it’s such a sad disease. So overwhelming. Thanks for prayers 😊