A reminder!

Tonight Mike and I tried to watch the movie "My week with Marilyn". I was so excited to see the movie that I could hardly contain myself. However..........we could not get the movie in time since the phone company did not properly hook up our TV to our cable so we missed it. I was very disappointed. So we settled on the movie, "Extremely loud and Incredibly close" with Tom Hanks. I knew the movie was based around the events of 9/11 so I was sure it was going to be a cry fest. However, I had NO clue the movie also centered around a brilliant boy with a few phobias. We started watching the movie and about 30 minutes in I said, " that sweet boy is so brilliant and I bet he has Aspergers". In the movie he states his test was undetermined. 
We watched the tale unfold. I wished Em was with us to watch the movie, but she was with her dad. So at the end of the show with my eyes swelling shut from tears of understanding, and more........Em texted. "Mommy........I love you once I love you twice I love you more than beans and rice". I texted back, "I love you to the moon and back,.......... and then to the sun and back". She then said "how was your day". She is a sweet kid!!

Sometimes I think certain movies should be required for everyone to see. So people can understand loss, grief, being grateful, tragedy, triumph, special needs, sympathy, patience.........and more. I just think.........on the very rare occasion..... Hollywood gets it right.

Now I am going to ice the bags under my eyes...........tonight I think fate picked the right movie. It reminded me to appreciate those around me. You should take the time and muster the strength to truly watch this movie..........and everything it encompasses.

A Southern Funeral and more

After my aunt died this week it started a discussion within my family of "what I want if I die?"...morbid, but normal. Some wanted a party, some wanted a big funeral, and one wanted to be fed to fish. God Bless my Aunt Docia who always provides great entertainment. She even followed her comment up with, "I know I know... the fish won't want me". So when someone dies and we mourn their loss does this also give us the opportunity to question our own mortality? If we are truthful.........it won't matter what we want when we die.......because we are not around anymore. However, a celebration of life helps relieve the pain in those that have lost someone they loved. When my mother suddenly passed away at only 27 my family had no warning or rules to go by. They pretty much shut down because it was such a shock. My family recalls being angry that people could carry on with their normal lives............man do I know that feeling!!! I was sure MAD at the women waiting on their perfect sonograms when Jude was diagnosed.

So what do I want if I die?  I want people to say......Jenn made a difference in the world. I truly want to have the opportunity to hear people say "She was kind, she was fair, she was honest, and she loved others". That.......would make me happy....I would hope people would say that. We never know when our last minutes will be held out in front of us so we should truly live for the moment. So what arrangements would you want? I would want whatever makes my family and friends happy. I didn't get to view my mother after her death and I think it would have helped me heal. So if someone needs to see me then........allow them to. However, in the end .........take me to Maui........along with whoever can go. I want everyone to take some time off work......not for me......but for themselves. I never can seem to slow down because of work or other issues so I want everyone to stop for a few minutes. Rehabilitate yourself while taking me to the most peaceful place I have ever been in my life. I always love family and friends together for extended periods of time. So take me to a beautiful waterfall with sun and happiness and say "she would love this". Have faith that I am finally resting and play a very cool song with a soulful twist and smell the beauty of the flowers only Hawaii can provide..........and just relax. That's what I would want. I would want everyone to be happy! So let's hope that I have many many years left on Earth and decades from now someone will read my blog and say........that's what she wanted ... so let's DO it!
My aunt's funeral was amazing and my cousins speech about her was right on. She always wore something ironed, she was unavailable during Cowboy games, and her kitchen was heaven. We take a little of each person we meet with us through our lives and I was honored I was a part of her life. She kept a picture of Jude and Em near her in her nursing home. I didn't see her near the end of her life because well ............. I wanted to remember her as her spunky feisty Southern Belle self....and I do. 

We are all going to pass......I guess it's just a question of how people will feel when you are gone. I don't think we can ever really prepare ourselves for anyone passing. However in today's electronic abilities maybe we can tell people.........this is what I want, or what I don't want...........or to just .... r e l a x and it will all be okay. Now let's make sure no one gossips or reads to much into a thoughtful piece of writing. I am just expressing my feelings :)

Good night Jude!

Jude's hard work. He doesn't say the full sentence, but you can tell he is trying.........and listening.

Conversations heard in my house

Bark bark bark bark bark

Me: Your dogs are about to foghorn in the backyard
Mike: (looks at me) D- OOOOOO - GEEEEE - EEES
Me: Yep (turning down TV to hear the relentless howling of the "terrorists")
Mike: opens door

BARK BARK YELP YELP

Me: rolling my eyes
Mike: Spot is just running back and forth in front of the fence barking.........there isn't even anyone walking by.
Me: Because he is C R A Z Y
Mike: and Lady is crazy too?
Me: Nooooooooo Lady is senial......Spot is just bipolar
Mike: and Jack? (the small one)
Me: SCARED he is just laying low so neither one of them kill him
Mike (laughs) so he just gets like two bites of kibble and runs for his life?
Emily: (pretty much falls off the chair laughing)

It's true...........ever wonder about the terrorists? Please share my video from so long ago.

With that story let me share another old video. Watch how hard Jude works at getting his head up to look at his sister. So great.

My big boy!

Jude is doing better and just look how big he is! He looks happy and generally interested in his toy! Charlotte sent these pictures to me at work and I was so happy to see them this morning.

A singer, some medicine, and a naughty nurse

As I mentioned yesterday I have been hit with the crud. So I decided to hit Minute Clinic off N Tarrant Pkwy last night. I won't even mention how incredibly rude the nurse practitioner was..........okay I guess I will mention it. Seriously she must just HATE her job because she hated her clinic, me, and everyone working there.  I seriously say one employee duck and cover. So I left that facility and traveled up the road to Care Now in Keller. They were super nice and super quick. I was diagnosed with a sinus infection and prescribed antibiotics. I don't like to take antibiotics unless I am just miserable. I am still pretty stuffy, but the nectar of the Gods medicine is doing it's job. WHEW!  

I have to brag on my husband because he really helped me out. He was also a little devil for a bit, but I will go into that later. First the guy drove out to my job yesterday to take me to get my car inspected, take me to lunch, and then take me back to get my car. Then after work I knew I had to have Emily at her open house because she was performing with her advanced theater group by 6:15. Her group was to be the entertainment while the parents were going through the building. I got stuck in traffic and I felt like the bottom of an old shoe. So Mike packed Jude up ........ feeding pump and all to get Emily dropped off at her school in time. So he calls me and this is where he turned into a little devil.

Mike: Don't worry I am on my way to drop Em off.
Me: Well it's her open house we shouldn't just drop her off
Mike: Dude, it's like a bunch of little kids I don't know performing and singing ... not just her. She said her part is only 15 minutes long.
Me: really?
Mike: she isn't 7 she is 13........it's not like artwork hung on the windows and stuff
Me: well if she was wanting us to attend you sure aren't making her feel like we want to go right now
Mike: She said she thought you were going to drop her off anyway
Me: that's strange..........really?
Mike: she gets it.........(talking to Em now) hey Em you get it right. I mean we are pulling in the parking lot...see that dad......he is thinking he really doesn't want to be here. Look at that one....all stinkin from working in his garage shop all day he just wants a dang shower......and that one....well his look says it all doesn't it?
Me: really....... you are not saying this to her
Em: giggling
Mike: see she gets it

Sigh! So anyway. Emily went to her open house and after I finished with the doctor I ran to pick her up. She said everything went well. So then we get home and start talking about her open house.

Me: Casen said you sang your song
Mike: HOLD UP a minute YOU sang a song???
Me: Yes a solo in her play..........Adam Lamberts version of "Mad World"
Mike: SHUT up you didn't tell me you had to sing. I so would have been there!
Em: Hence the reason I wanted to be dropped off
Mike: You had this planned out didn't you??
Em: Yup
Me: She got one up on you didn't she?

So then she sang it for us and she did pretty well. I was surprised.

Jude is feeling much better and loved his Goodnight Gorilla story again last night. He is beginning to anticipate the parts of the story. His favorite part is, "and the Gorilla said Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!"

Have a good weekend!

Ps. If anyone knows of any businesses that like to donate to 501c non-profits please let me know.

Jude's diagnosis and it got me!

We took Jude to the doctor last night and they let us know that Jude had a double ear infection. I felt just terrible for the little guy. He cannot tell us where he is hurting so we have to figure it out. Charlotte said she had a feeling it might be his ears because when you held his head close to your body he would get quiet. So he is on a nice round of antibiotics now.
Once we got home I began to feel like the grim reaper might be approaching my front porch soon. So therefore I started downing Emergen-C in hopes that the vitamin C would ward off the plaque. Alas I was to late and the kids sickness got me. I am currently at work miserable as I try to make it through the day. I sound like Darth Vader and feel like the grim reaper's sickle has already sliced through me, blah!!!

On a positive note I posted on facebook that my car passed inspection. I only had to change the battery and the thermostat so I am a happy girl. However, I am not so happy that some jerk face in France decided to steal my debit card number! Yes, they got almost $500 in charges before they go caught. My husband just said "man if we don't have the luck". I am sure the bank will get it worked out. I wonder how much banks lose each year due to fraud?

So I am now fighting my illness. I was going to go to the doctor today, but they proclaimed they don't have anything open until Monday afternoon. I am not sure what part of "I won't make it until Monday" they didn't get. So I am going to try to battle this without anything. If my huge lymph node is an indication of the aggressiveness of this thing I may be in Minute Clinic by tomorrow.

Oh well! You just have to laugh.