2015 Life In Review

When Ken was dying, I kept a journal that I would share with family and friends to keep them updated on our journey. It was healing for me to share my feelings and write them down. And it allowed me to tell our story once rather than over and over. I also think it made it less awkward to keep Ken’s health issues open to family and friends without having to feel like they were being nosy or invasive.

So today marks four years that Ken left this earthly realm. And for me I feel that this is a perfect time to be reflective and review this past year.

Keely is still serving her mission in Orlando Fl. She has been in a total of 3 areas- Cocoa Beach/Rockledge, Minneola and currently Lake Nona. Although I miss her dearly, I am amazed by her spiritual and emotional growth. She has blossomed while serving. This is a dream she has had since I joined the LDS church in 2001, when Keely was 5. I know she is where she is supposed to be and wants to be. We are only allowed to talk twice per year- on Mother’s Day and Christmas. I am looking forward to Christmas for the gift of seeing my Keely. We have Skyped the last 2 times. This time we will try Facetime. I am excited.

Jack is a senior in high school. He is quite social at school but prefers being hermitlike at home. He is taking journalism which he loves so maybe there is a career budding here. Driving is not his favorite thing so back and forth to school is about his tolerance level behind the wheel. He is coaching a basketball team of 3^rd and 4^th graders along with my brother, John. Jack has learned that kids often don’t listen, challenge your patience and learn at very different rates. He remains a loyal fan of FSU football. He also enjoys listening to music from hip hop to ballads. His sense of humor is his trademark, both in school and at home.

We gained some family members this year which has been great. My brother and great niece are sharing the living space with us. John has been a treasure sharing cooking and cleaning chores. (Okay maybe he does most of it and I help a little bit.) He has been an asset adding light, joy and safety to our home. His warped humor and quick wit always keep us smiling .

The soon to be 9 year old is a thriving 3^rd grader. When not on her i-Pad, she plays with Breyer horses, crafting and some homework/reading. She took swim lessons and patiently attends the basketball games. (She is not a fan.) There is new enthusiasm in our house for the cats and for all things dessert. Birthdays and holidays have taken on new meaning again through the eyes of a child.

I still work in a desk job. While still not a calling like I felt bedside nursing had always been, this is easy and pays the bills. The hours are flexible and all weekends and holidays are off. I am the secretary in the women’s organization at church. I love that both for the women I work with and the duties that I have. I became a hospice volunteer this year. This involves being given a patient that has a terminal illness to befriend.  The commitment is 1 visit weekly just sitting at the bedside and talking. Or sometimes just sitting and being there. I love it. I spent the first half of the year losing weight, eating healthy and increasing my physical activity. I have resumed old habits the last several months and have gained most of the weight back. I am discouraged and disappointed in myself but I have not given up on myself. I am continually trying to improve and revert to positive life changes. I am a work in progress.

We have 4 cats and 4 dogs. The house is often noisy and messy. I would not trade them (or at least not most of the time) for a clean and quiet home.

Ken’s mom, Sue passed away this year. She had a stroke around Mother’s Day and never regained her strength. Her youngest son did his best to find excellent care for her and was a great advocate for her those trying months. Today would have been her birthday. She suffered the loss of two of her children in her lifetime which took a horrible toll on her. And her twin sister also passed away just weeks before Sue’s stroke. It’s been a hard year for that side of the family.

Some milestones for the year: Jack and I attended WWE Wrestlemania in Santa Clara CA. I think this was a once in a lifetime event for me. We also attended a General Conference session for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Salt Lake City Utah. I got a new car, well new to me, in the late summer. It is a black Nissan Altima so now my car looks like just about every other car in a parking lot. It gets great mileage and is much more comfortable than my Juke so I am pleased with this change. We had a sibling reunion on the Oregon coast to celebrate my sister, Cathy’s birthday. I think this was the first time we had been together, just the 4 of us since adulthood.(And that’s been a while.) We had gorgeous weather and easy beach access.

So from my perspective that is a quick synopsis of our family in review. I am grateful for our blessings, tolerant of our challenges, and blessed to be surrounded by so many good and loving people. We are fortunate and give daily thanks for the lives that we are allowed to live and enjoy. We are truly blessed.