I am going to put it all out there because all of this affected me on a daily basis while trying to keep everything going with forward momentum and trying to keep a positive upbeat attitude. Some days just SUPER SUCKED!! I am grateful for Jennifer for so many things, but mostly for getting me through all of this even on the worst of days and letting me feel whatever it was that I needed to at that moment!! (moment to moment)

After our anniversary weekend, we immediately started ripping out all of the paneling and everything behind it to go down to the studs. SO we could insulate and hang drywall.

A few weeks into this project, my Aunt Dot passed away. I have alot of happy “family” memories that included her and Uncle John. Aunt Dot was my grandmother’s sister and Uncle John was my grandfather’s brother…they were the first generation of sisters marrying brothers. grandaughters of Aunt Dot and Uncle John, Kelly and Dawn married John and George..so it skips a generation.

But anyway, when we came back from the funeral, Scott let us know that Magic had passed…she was different that day but we didnt think much of it. She was 16 with a liver shunt and in Jen’s care for MOST of her life..so I would say she had a long happy life!

5 weeks later, Holly started having a real hard time standing or walking, but it seemed like she was just weak, not in pain. When we took her to the vet, they prescribed Rymadil, which I believe that this should not EVER be prescribed to any dog!! We spent the next 2 days at the vet ER because 3 doses of that shit almost killed her! We brought her home, she was a very unhappy dog, but she did recover from it and she stayed with us another 4+ months until Oct! She was 14 years old and had a great life!

Right before Thanksgiving, Aunt San (mom’s sister) left us! She was one of my most favorite people on this planet and I will miss her every day!  The Parkinson’s finally took it’s toll! I felt the need to be strong for my only first-cousin Sue, but that day when I went to let my mom know, I found out that she wasnt getting up out of the bed…she told me her ankle hurt. On Thanksgiving, I took her dinner and hung out with her while she ate. Tried to talk to her daily, by phone (which she hated) and over facebook messenger. The day after she stopped talking on FB, Shelly came home and let me know that she was taking her to the hospital in the morning. That was Dec 8, 2015. Over the next few months, we spent most of the time visiting her in the hospital, hospice and nursing homes, dealing with dr’s, insurance, where she was going next, etc. The skin cancer was everywhere…tumor the size of a football on her thigh, lungs, thyroid and in the brain. We lost her in the beginning of April, 2016.  There are days/moments that I still can’t believe that this is real! No matter where life took me, I always knew that my mom loved me…even when I didn’t feel so lovable….miss you MOM!!