Every once in a while I find myself exhausted from my work life. My job is to provide psychotherapy to numerous veterans that have experienced trauma while in the military. The specific therapies are trauma focused and oftentimes, very intense. I love what I do but it seems that I am the only one providing the therapy. Of course, that is not true at all. So, am I falling apart and are no longer the strong person I have been throughout my life. I enjoy work. I find myself seeing more people than other clinicians. Thinking about the capacity of individuals and groups that I take care of everyday vs. what other are doing. I have lots of other life stressors, like my mother being in the nursing home and no one else (siblings) helping with visiting and/or just checking on her from time to time. O'Neal lives with us and has been some help but lately, he's not doing what he needs to do. I am worried about everything. This is not healthy for me and I realize that I am only one person and can only do what I can...
My work is important but it is NOT my life. My wonderful husband, children, and their families are my life. God has me where I'm supposed to be in this moment. Therefore, I am right on track!
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Life of a Mamaw - 2016
Today is the last day of 2015! What happened to this year! I blinked and it was GONE! I had every intention of sharing my jeweled days and not so jeweled days on this blog! Busy gets in the way of my intentions sometimes. Rusty and I have had a very interesting 2015. This time last year we were making plans to move my mother into our home. She's been in our home almost a year now. She has had a pretty significant change in her mental and physical health over the past few years! It has been sad to see how fast she went from living completely independent to needing almost around the clock care. I have bore witness to a severe decline in her health the last 6 months or so. Most days she has difficulty with remembering and/or keeping up with dates and planned events. Not remembering if she's eaten, etc. She has fallen multiple times over this past year and ended up with only a fractured wrist. We were fortunate in that respect. She forgets how she got to our home and oftentimes, just wants "to go home." It is incredibly sad to see her in this position. I am grateful that I can continue to care for her. However, it's a blessing! ...and a curse.
The curse comes because we are often called upon to face the fears of our childhood past. It is difficult to do right; even though, right may have not been done to you. It is with God's Grace that I am able...
Our children, Chad, Kym and grandchildren continue to give me great energy as I try to participate in their lives. Our family continues to be blessed with our sweet "love in laws," Amanda and Bart. What a difference they have made to our life!
Update on the GRANDs... Haylie, Hannah, Jesse, Mary Kaitlyn, and Brynlee.
Spring baseball (our little ones, Jesse and Mary Kaitlyn, played T-ball this year) and Softball. Haylie, our oldest granddaughter, ROCKED the mound in rec ball. Hannah played travel ball and we had a blast going with her to the tournaments.
T-ball was so fun! Watching Jesse and MK playing and getting to be together on the same team was the FUNNEST (most fun) we've had since, well, Haylie and Hannah played T-ball. LOL!! :) It was a blast, but a little challenging as we had 4 grands on the field almost everyday of the week. Life is beautiful when you're hanging with your family.
Both Jesse and MK had their 4th birthdays in the spring! Jesse had a night out with the family bowling and Mary Kaitlyn had a pajama and pancakes birthday party.
Haylie gave us a great scare in early February; when after a bout with the most horrible flu, she had a seizure at school. Even writing about this event gives me great anxiety for her. She was in the hospital for a couple of days. Our family was so grateful for her sweet teacher and principal of the school for their being there with her and taking such good care of our precious Haylie. Good news is that she has only had one other seizure since her initial hospitalization and recently had a wonderful check up with the doctor and if all goes well (we absolutely claim that everything will) she will begin being weaned off of the meds in another year. All tests came back normal thus far! God is so Good! Amen!!
Now back to my year in a year! So Haylie did such a great job on the mound and she made the ALLSTAR team. I was able to be her ball buddy and we had a blast! They ended up 3rd place in the state. Now days, she's playing basketball. She is enjoying herself and that's all that matters.
As I mentioned earlier in the post, Hannah is playing travel ball. She played last fall with Wicked Fast Pitch and then in the spring with the TWISTERS! Now we're back with WICKED! It's a great time for us ALL. Hannah is very talented and seems to be enjoying herself immensely!
Rusty spent the summer in Watertown, SD again. He fell right before he was scheduled to go and really messed up his right shoulder and arm. He had two torn rotator cuffs, two tendons torn, and his bicep torn off his arm. The surgery went well but he still doesn't have any strength in his arm. He continues to do physical rehab at the VA. He got a new puppy (Scout) while in SD and seems to be pleased with his progress thus far...
I spent most of the summer traveling with Hannah's ball team on weekends and hanging out with some very cool folks. The parents of these sweet girls on the team are amazing and full of fun!! I like to know who is also influencing my grands.
Of course, we were supposed to play in the World Series down at the beach. So we booked the condo for 2 weeks and the sunshine was plentiful! The beach is absolutely one of my most favorite places. Hannah had her birthday on the beach!! Hopefully, we'll be right back again next year! That's the plan anyway!
Jesse and MK were selected to attend Pre K this fall. Now all but Brynlee are in full time school.
Sweet Brynlee turned 3yo this past October and the "tea party" was a great success! I am rejoicing in her finally starting to talk; as we were beginning to get really nervous that she might have some problems in that area. Now we know...she just didn't have much to say! At this time...She is full of words! I think she might take after her Mamaw...she's also a little sassy! It is always something!
Haylie just celebrated her 11th birthday in November! I'm not sure when that happened but she's turning into the most precious and beautiful young lady! She has such a kind soul and shares it with everyone in her path.
So after all...it's now back to the end of the year! Rusty and I celebrated our 32nd anniversary the 3rd of December. Kym and Bart celebrated 7 years on the 5th. Lots and lots of wonderful things were shared in our family. Nothing more important than LOVE and GRACE from our Heavenly Father.
I'm not sure whether anyone cares about the words on this blog...If by chance you happen to find it and read it...I hope that you can see that LIFE is important to me!
My FAMILY is my life...
The curse comes because we are often called upon to face the fears of our childhood past. It is difficult to do right; even though, right may have not been done to you. It is with God's Grace that I am able...
Our children, Chad, Kym and grandchildren continue to give me great energy as I try to participate in their lives. Our family continues to be blessed with our sweet "love in laws," Amanda and Bart. What a difference they have made to our life!
Update on the GRANDs... Haylie, Hannah, Jesse, Mary Kaitlyn, and Brynlee.
Spring baseball (our little ones, Jesse and Mary Kaitlyn, played T-ball this year) and Softball. Haylie, our oldest granddaughter, ROCKED the mound in rec ball. Hannah played travel ball and we had a blast going with her to the tournaments.
T-ball was so fun! Watching Jesse and MK playing and getting to be together on the same team was the FUNNEST (most fun) we've had since, well, Haylie and Hannah played T-ball. LOL!! :) It was a blast, but a little challenging as we had 4 grands on the field almost everyday of the week. Life is beautiful when you're hanging with your family.
Both Jesse and MK had their 4th birthdays in the spring! Jesse had a night out with the family bowling and Mary Kaitlyn had a pajama and pancakes birthday party.
Haylie gave us a great scare in early February; when after a bout with the most horrible flu, she had a seizure at school. Even writing about this event gives me great anxiety for her. She was in the hospital for a couple of days. Our family was so grateful for her sweet teacher and principal of the school for their being there with her and taking such good care of our precious Haylie. Good news is that she has only had one other seizure since her initial hospitalization and recently had a wonderful check up with the doctor and if all goes well (we absolutely claim that everything will) she will begin being weaned off of the meds in another year. All tests came back normal thus far! God is so Good! Amen!!
Now back to my year in a year! So Haylie did such a great job on the mound and she made the ALLSTAR team. I was able to be her ball buddy and we had a blast! They ended up 3rd place in the state. Now days, she's playing basketball. She is enjoying herself and that's all that matters.
As I mentioned earlier in the post, Hannah is playing travel ball. She played last fall with Wicked Fast Pitch and then in the spring with the TWISTERS! Now we're back with WICKED! It's a great time for us ALL. Hannah is very talented and seems to be enjoying herself immensely!
Rusty spent the summer in Watertown, SD again. He fell right before he was scheduled to go and really messed up his right shoulder and arm. He had two torn rotator cuffs, two tendons torn, and his bicep torn off his arm. The surgery went well but he still doesn't have any strength in his arm. He continues to do physical rehab at the VA. He got a new puppy (Scout) while in SD and seems to be pleased with his progress thus far...
I spent most of the summer traveling with Hannah's ball team on weekends and hanging out with some very cool folks. The parents of these sweet girls on the team are amazing and full of fun!! I like to know who is also influencing my grands.
Of course, we were supposed to play in the World Series down at the beach. So we booked the condo for 2 weeks and the sunshine was plentiful! The beach is absolutely one of my most favorite places. Hannah had her birthday on the beach!! Hopefully, we'll be right back again next year! That's the plan anyway!
Jesse and MK were selected to attend Pre K this fall. Now all but Brynlee are in full time school.
Sweet Brynlee turned 3yo this past October and the "tea party" was a great success! I am rejoicing in her finally starting to talk; as we were beginning to get really nervous that she might have some problems in that area. Now we know...she just didn't have much to say! At this time...She is full of words! I think she might take after her Mamaw...she's also a little sassy! It is always something!
Haylie just celebrated her 11th birthday in November! I'm not sure when that happened but she's turning into the most precious and beautiful young lady! She has such a kind soul and shares it with everyone in her path.
So after all...it's now back to the end of the year! Rusty and I celebrated our 32nd anniversary the 3rd of December. Kym and Bart celebrated 7 years on the 5th. Lots and lots of wonderful things were shared in our family. Nothing more important than LOVE and GRACE from our Heavenly Father.
I'm not sure whether anyone cares about the words on this blog...If by chance you happen to find it and read it...I hope that you can see that LIFE is important to me!
My FAMILY is my life...
Monday, January 5, 2015
2014 ...For Real!
January: Here comes 2014! Whether we're ready or not! Rusty and I spent a quiet evening at home babysitting Mary Kaitlyn and Brynlee! Our New Year's celebration usually includes a house full of family and friends, which brings us great joy, but after our anniversary party just a few weeks ago we decided we would spend time with each other and our sweet baby grand girls! We have been so blessed this past year that it's hard to believe that we're worthy enough to receive anything further!
I'm not big on making resolutions so I try not to make claims on things I don't follow through on like...I'm going to lose weight, etc! Over the past few years we have been through some difficult health issues! Rusty had a cancerous tumor in 2011 which scared me beyond my imagination! Once we traveled that journey with some success I tend to be so grateful for everyday I wake up! Making a resolution seems silly! So now...I rely on God to lead me in whatever direction he chooses for me! It has worked just fine thus far...
I took the first week of December off to decorate the house for Christmas I may need another week to put it all up again! The house is always so beautiful! I love putting all the decorations up and having our family and friends visit with us through the holidays! Now to get busy with this year!
Pray it's a good year!
I'm not big on making resolutions so I try not to make claims on things I don't follow through on like...I'm going to lose weight, etc! Over the past few years we have been through some difficult health issues! Rusty had a cancerous tumor in 2011 which scared me beyond my imagination! Once we traveled that journey with some success I tend to be so grateful for everyday I wake up! Making a resolution seems silly! So now...I rely on God to lead me in whatever direction he chooses for me! It has worked just fine thus far...
I took the first week of December off to decorate the house for Christmas I may need another week to put it all up again! The house is always so beautiful! I love putting all the decorations up and having our family and friends visit with us through the holidays! Now to get busy with this year!
Pray it's a good year!
Saturday, April 5, 2014
2013...Excitement
Our 30th Wedding Anniversary! Yep, Rusty and I celebrated our 30th anniversary on December 3rd, 2013. It was so much fun! We rented the Robinson's Barn and had the event completely catered. The band, "Flashback Oldies'" played all evening and we danced. Just like we did when we first met! We met on the dance floor in 1983 and Rusty made the request that he wanted to spend the evening dancing "like we did back then." I have to say...although, we're a little older now, we still got it on the dance floor!! :)
We were so happy that our family and friends were there to help us celebrate! Rusty and I was so appreciative of all the LOVE and JOY from our guests!
It was a perfect ending to 2013!
We were so happy that our family and friends were there to help us celebrate! Rusty and I was so appreciative of all the LOVE and JOY from our guests!
It was a perfect ending to 2013!
The Rest of 2013...
It's been a while since I've gotten to blog about our family life. Geeze...I feel as if our life has just flown by without telling me! It is so true that "time flies" and that's even when you're not having FUN!
So to pick up from the last post...Chad broke his leg about two weeks before our family vacation! He was in a lot of pain during our trip but handled it "like a trooper." Of course, he's fine now but it was scary from the beginning! The girls played Fall Ball and we continued to spend our evenings at a ballpark some where. My thoughts are "where else would we be?"
Chad and Amanda moved into their new house! It's beautiful and just right for their family! Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas came and went and now 2013 has ended. Although, not without some excitement!
So to pick up from the last post...Chad broke his leg about two weeks before our family vacation! He was in a lot of pain during our trip but handled it "like a trooper." Of course, he's fine now but it was scary from the beginning! The girls played Fall Ball and we continued to spend our evenings at a ballpark some where. My thoughts are "where else would we be?"
Chad and Amanda moved into their new house! It's beautiful and just right for their family! Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas came and went and now 2013 has ended. Although, not without some excitement!
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Summer....FUN!!!
When the girls started playing softball this spring our family got busy! We were at the ballpark almost everyday! Then our sweet Haylie was picked "all-stars" and we played on through June! So a quick trip to the beach for state tournaments was the highlight of the season! Watching these grands grow is my most amazing journey to date! Raising your children is fun and sometimes a little crazy but grandchildren are priceless!
Work has evolved and now I'm the "acting" coordinator for our PCT Clinic. Thus, I see patients all day, continue to provide CPT training, and do all the admin stuff! ...and I love it! My job gives me the opportunity to give back to the soldiers and I am so grateful! The traumas that some of our men and women have experienced is outside of anything we can image! It is definitely true..."WAR IS HELL!"
Rusty has been gone to South Dakota now for a month and a half...he will join us in early August for the family vacation and then return back home in September. I miss him dearly but am so glad that he has the opportunity to participate in this trip every year! He has truly paid the price to deserve being able to go.. :)
Currently, the kids and I are hanging out and trying to get the house ready for Chad, Amanda, and their little ones, to come live with me for a few weeks! Yep, that's right! They have sold their house and have found another, "larger," home that will take a little while to be ready! It's crazy around here! In a good way!! Kym and Bart have started thinking about selling their house now...so maybe next time I think to blog it might be them moving in... :)
Until then...I and my family are doing well, despite LIFE trying to get in the way!
Work has evolved and now I'm the "acting" coordinator for our PCT Clinic. Thus, I see patients all day, continue to provide CPT training, and do all the admin stuff! ...and I love it! My job gives me the opportunity to give back to the soldiers and I am so grateful! The traumas that some of our men and women have experienced is outside of anything we can image! It is definitely true..."WAR IS HELL!"
Rusty has been gone to South Dakota now for a month and a half...he will join us in early August for the family vacation and then return back home in September. I miss him dearly but am so glad that he has the opportunity to participate in this trip every year! He has truly paid the price to deserve being able to go.. :)
Currently, the kids and I are hanging out and trying to get the house ready for Chad, Amanda, and their little ones, to come live with me for a few weeks! Yep, that's right! They have sold their house and have found another, "larger," home that will take a little while to be ready! It's crazy around here! In a good way!! Kym and Bart have started thinking about selling their house now...so maybe next time I think to blog it might be them moving in... :)
Until then...I and my family are doing well, despite LIFE trying to get in the way!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
