Having Big Fun

Mom is doing better and better every day. January 18th was her 80th birthday! Since she was still recovering from surgery, we did not have a big bash but a small quiet gathering with my brother's family. But she's looking good, huh?!

Bill and Mom

My brother demonstrating his skills to his children. Yes, he can balance a can of whipped cream on his bald head. Very talented.

Alex, Becca and Billy

Abby

Patty made an angel food cake, which we all promptly demolished. Happy birthday, Mom!

We've had several visitors since Mom started feeling better. My cousin Pat stopped by and had us laughing in no time. We are close to the same age and hung out together when we saw each other as kids. She grew up here in Jersey while I was traveling around as an AF brat. But during vacations and the two years we lived at McGuire AFB, she and I were good friends. It's funny how we all have different perspectives. When we were kids, I was always a little envious that she and her four sisters lived right here and had our grandparents "all to themselves." She says they were a little envious of us because we'd breeze in for a vacation and "get all the attention." LOL Anyway, when the girls' dad and I lived here for a couple of years while I was in grad school, we hung out with Pat and her husband Jack and always had a lot of fun. I don't know what it is about my family but many on both sides are just hilarious. They are all very smart, witty, and clever.

This is my cousin Ruth Ann,who is also hilarious. Pat is my cousin on my mom's side and Ruth Ann is on my dad's side. Ruth Ann is a little older so I did not hang out with her much growing up (they were cool teenagers when I was a wanna be). But during the time that we lived in NJ as adults, we also did a lot with Ruth Ann and her husband Rick. They and their four kids loved to babysit Sarah when she was an infant and toddler. We had lots of fun times eating dinner at their house and sitting around talking about life. I love going back to NJ and seeing family!

We've been pretty busy all week! Mom's visiting nurse, Ed, came by on Monday and "couldn't believe" she was the patient. She had fourteen staples in her abdomen and something got us started on that old Burl Ives song that goes "16 tons and what do you get? Another year older and deeper in debt..." On the spot, we made up a song that went like this:

14 staples and what do you get?

80 years old and deeper in debt

St. Peter, don't you call me cuz I might be shy

I owe my soul to the colon-rectal guy

You would have thought Ed was going to bust a gut. He said he would be singing that song in his head all day long. Of course, we thought we were pretty clever and funny but not as funny as he was making it out to be. He told us we should sing it for Mom's surgeon when we went in on Wednesday. Which we did. We have no shame. He laughed, but not nearly as hard as Ed. Maybe we offended him with the "owe my soul" line.

The surgeon removed the 14 staples and pronounced Mom in good shape. She's been craving a salad for weeks so he told her she could finally have one. She was feeling so great that she wanted to go to Olive Garden and have soup and salad, so off we went.

Today my nephew Billy was at preschool and his sisters at school so we took my sister in law Patty out to lunch to thank her for all she does for Mom. It was a nice girls' lunch and Mom did great on her second day out of the house. When we got home, some of the women in her Red Hat group stopped by to wish her a happy birthday and a speedy recovery since she missed their monthly luncheon.

Yes, they made me put on a hat! Mom and her sister, my Aunt Jeannette (my cousin Pat's mom)

Fun friends in funny hats :)

The 18th was also my 6th wedding anniversary. You know I have a great husband when I can miss two anniversaries in a row (last year I was in Houston with Emery) and he is a sweetheart about it. He's the best! Happy anniversary, Rich!

So my days are winding down here and I am feeling better about leaving Mom. I'm heading for Newark on Sunday and will be home on Monday evening. Oh yeah, I'd better priceline that room in Seattle!