Birthday Blues.....

June 22, 2012

First, let me just say "mucho gracious" to all my Facebook friends who wished this quickly-aging chick a Happy Birthday online.  It made the day a bunch more tolerable.....

That being said, I was a little bummed going into this birthday........I think for a lot of reasons.  

First, I miss my Mom......terribly.  

I wish Chuck could walk.......

and stop being a bone-head and trying to do stuff he can't do YET....  

I'm now 52 years old which, up until yesterday, seemed really, really old.......

Tomorrow I'll be fine.....over my pitty-party......and all will be well in Liz's universe once again.

But there were BRIGHT moments to this bizarre day......The candles on the cake my friend Becky made me, literally lit the entire room up......

Especially after we dropped my cell phone in the middle of the lit cake taking the above picture.....

And the flowers (thanks Deb, Brady, Jacque and Matt) I received from my family brightened up my day and the house.....

Along with the beautiful set of lamps (thanks Chuck!) I've had my eye on for a ZILLION years.....

And the massage, manicure and pedicure (thanks Sue, Becky and Kathy!!) I'm IMpatiently waiting for tomorrow.....well.....lets just say, I have my purse in hand and sitting by the door.........

I'm so blessed.......even if I do whine!!

I Love You, Sissie.....

June 19, 2012

Today.......Is A New Beginning

(wink wink)

I

Love

You,

Sissie

This Is My Pappo.....

June 15, 2012

"A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms 

when his hands are empty." ~Author Unknown

This Is My Pappo.....

Rumor has it in our family that Dad always wanted to stop having children after the first 2......pretty tough position if you're 3....

Fortunately for me (#3), Mom never listened to Pappo and decided to have that third child anyway.

At birth, he always insisted each of us kids have a nickname, specially named by him.   Debbie, the oldest, got the coolest name "Princess".......James got "Eddie" which he has been trying to shed ever since....and Liz....well, Liz got "Softie", largely due to the fact that I was a rolly-polly fat kid with really soft excessive skin.  And here at the ripe age of 50+, I am still "Softie" to Pappo.

During our teen years, he insisted each of us kids have our own car.  Mine just happened to be a used brown, aluminum engine, station wagon Chevy Vega.  It had cool bucket seats......and required a quart of oil to make it to school and a quart to get home.  But I loved that car.......

In my 20's, I remember the day I told my Pappo I was getting married for the first time.....he told me I was being rebellious.  

He was right.

In my 30's, I remember the day I told my Pappo I was getting married for the second time.....this time he clasped both hands together and placed them in the air as if he was cheering for me.....

He was right.

I've watched my Pappo go from a tough, work-a-holic disciplinarian, to a man whose eyes moist up at the mere mention of his family and the wife he dearly loved.  He's now MY Softie.  

Happy Pappo's Day, Dad

Best Advice My Dad Ever Gave Me:  "Learn to drive a stick-shift"

Red Sea Rule #10

RED SEA RULE #10

"Don't Forget To Praise Him"

Friends and Neighbors Welcoming Chuck Home....

WHOOOOO HOOOOOO.......the boy is HOME!!!

Praise Him for incredible friends who were waiting at the gate for Charlie when he came home from the hospital......

Tom and Mary Lee were the 1st to bring food

Praise Him for a church family that lovingly and energetically are keeping us FED.....

Nurse Katie

Praise Him for Nurse Katie who took extra good care of Charlie (wink-wink).....

Praise Him for his Rehab Crew who beat and tortured him into submission......

Praising Him that Charlie is HOME and HAPPY!!!

CHARLIE IS PAROLED TODAY!!!

Friday, June 8, 2012

Today......Charlie is paroled from the hospital.  

And I think he's ready.....BEYOND READY......his exact words were, "Just drive the van up to the front door of the hospital; don't even come to a complete stop, and let me jump in......and then floor it!"

I doubt he'll be doing any "jumping" for awhile......but today is a special day for us.  It's a day 3 1/2 weeks ago we wondered would ever come......and here we are; "Going Home" day.  It's been a journey for sure; a journey of intense pain, bed alarms, fear of the future; hard work, good attitudes, loving friends and M&M's.  Lots and lots of M&M's!

What's helped me through the last month is a little book called  "The Red Sea Rules"  that someone gave me awhile back.  Its 10 God given strategies for difficult times and although I feel like I've been through all 10 in the last 30 days alone, I thought I'd share with you  Rule 1, "Realize that God means for you to be where you are."

Yep, that's right; He means for us to be going down this road of broken hips, wheelchairs and pain.  Doesn't mean He made it happen; it simply means there is a reason why we're walking down this road. Maybe its to teach us patience; maybe its to teach us to rely on Him and not ourselves.....just maybe..........

The future for Chuck will always include a wheelchair......at least in this world.  But we have a promise; a wonderful, incredible, mind-blowing promise that someday......just someday......that old chair won't be part of it.

We are  SOOOOOOOOOO  blessed!!

Never A Dull Chuck-Day.......

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Today.......Chuck got the last of his staples out.

He also got in trouble by his nurse......

Cause he tried to escape yet again when the nurses weren't looking.......

And now has an alarm on his wheelchair.......especially after he had to be rescued out of the hospital fountain last weekend...

Never a dull moment.......