Competition

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Funny Faced Peeps

And now for something even more crazy/happy with a couple photos from our family trip to LEGOLAND California, because one can't get enough of seeing people make funny faces while riding roller coasters:

Time to Get a Grip

Here we are in the aftermath of my grandmother's passing, and life's still a little foggy. To be expected - we trudge on. And now I'm finding all kinds of goodies in our mailbox thanks to relatives sending things Grandma wanted us to have; family photos, letters handwritten to her by the kids and me, dinosaur pictures our son drew while in preschool, rosary/beaded necklaces, etc. Interesting what Grandma treasured while she was alive, and now those treasures belong to us. Simple things can carry such golden memories - I get that now more than ever.

On with parent/teacher conferences and Fall Break over the previous week. Meetings with the kids' teachers involved rave reviews and big high-fives to both hard-working “conscientious” students. So as reward, we allowed extra screen time and kicked in a Wii Sports Resort game with more family togetherness included. There's absolutely nothing like an afternoon of Wii skydiving and water-skiing to celebrate a decent report card, let me tell you. Unfortunately the long weekend ended on a sour note with Hubs falling victim to the latest flu bug circulating the area, which basically goes to show you just can't win 'em all. We're still giving it our best shot anyway.

Now for something uplifting from memory lane:

Sister (left), Me (middle), Santa (right)

In Memory

This week will go down in history as one that carried major milestones for me and the family with the biggest being my Grandmother's passing on Hubs' birthday. The unfortunate part of it all was the fact that Hubs' work sent him out of town, impacting plans for attending Grandma's funeral. But I didn't put funeral attendance out of my mind completely, especially with my parent's willingness to do whatever they could to make sure I made it there in one piece. Mostly, the issue I faced was the sheer lack of last-minute backup support for transporting the kids to/from school, etc. Ugh.

So I missed it. There. But guess what? My folk's Blackberry turned out to be the saving-est grace of all time, as they sent actual PHOTOS of Grandma to me in real-time as the viewing took place, then more images of her estate as family sorted through items that had no designated home. Not only that, but they also sent pictures of distant relatives whom I hadn't laid eyes on in years, making me feel like the fly-on-the-wall that I wanted to be. Technology saves the day, once again.

Yes, I'm forever disheartened about not attending Grandma's funeral. However, despite the physical distance between us over the years, I will always be proud to have actually been present for Grandma while she was alive by remembering her all year long with cards, family photos, clothing, holiday/birthday checks to help supplement her income, etc. The peeps and I visited, not as much as she would've liked, but we made the trip to her apartment in Bradford, Pennsylvania, and spent real-life time with her. So in a basic sense, we'll always be glad for keeping her in our thoughts & prayers, taking the time to remember her properly, making the extra effort before she was called to new life.

Grandma left behind a legacy; and when I focus on describing her as a person and the life she lived, a few words spring into my mind: faith-filled, dignified, gracious, lived a simple life and loved her family. Grandma is in Heaven now, reflecting on memories with Grandpa, enjoying time with Pudgie, the pet dog they owned many years ago, watching the fuss centered around her possessions, smiling and shaking her head at it all and patiently awaiting the day she reunites with the rest of us again.

I will miss Mary Patricia Green, my grandmother.

Grandma, Me, Mom (@1989 in Bradford, PA)