A smiling blogging come back……

This is my first post of this year. Actually I thought I’d stopped blogging for good…. even though I think about my blogging friends often and wish you well. I am starting to feel better which is a good thing but it means that I am up getting some work done and not sitting at the computer as much.  However, I’ve decided I will post from time to time…. and tonight is one of those times. I just have to share my smiles with you tonight because I am bursting with them.

#1 …Healthy Smiles

It was a year ago today that I was rushed to emergency and then spent over 3 weeks in the hospital with severe sepsis, acute renal failure, 7 strep abscesses on my liver, organ dysfunction and then developed a 17-inch blood clot.

I’ve been told by several doctors that any one of those ailments could have…and should have…. killed me. They’ve said it is amazing that I am alive.

Here I am last Saturday, doing well and enjoying life with my sweet hubby. WHAT A DIFFERENCED A YEAR MAKES! I still have the blood clot & I don’t have a lot of energy but all in all I am doing great.  Of course we know that this is not because I was “lucky”….. I am alive because I was blessed and prayers for healing have been answered.  I am so thankful.

# 2….. Valentine’s Smiles

Last year I could hardly function in February and didn’t even have the energy to send my annual Valentine love boxes to my sweet grandchildren. This year I did. I had a great time writing  each one a poem, a letter and making them a Valentine….all 14 of my grands and each of their parents got some “love” from me.  What fun.

I’ve also enjoyed having sweet Valentine meals with dear friends…. and I’m having a belated Valentine Tea luncheon with more friends this coming week. I can’t wait.

My Sweetheart sent me these pretty flowers and I tried to make his day special too. This is our 50th year of being Valentines. That is such a blessing.

Johnny and his dad, Dathan arrived late Fri. night and spent the weekend with us.

They were here for a gymnastic meet but I got to share Valentine love with them. It was so nice having them with us. That brings me to the last reason I’m bursting with smiles…

#3…. Smiles for Johnny

If you were reading my blog in August, you know how sad we were when our grandson, Johnny tore his rotator cuff and ligament and could not continue on the national team…

…because…. he had to have shoulder surgery. He was devastated to have to take off  5 months from training for painful therapy and to let his shoulder heal. …..well….

Johnny is back and doing well.

Actually…. he is doing GREAT.  I’m so proud of this sweet boy.

This picture is blurry but it makes me smile to see how excited he was after doing great on p-bars.

He competed in all 6 events Sat. night and came in 1st in some of them. Actually…. we thought he was the first place overall champion because up until the last rotation he was ranked in 1st place. WE WERE THRILLED!!!

Then the judges realized that another gymnast’s scores had been entered into the computer wrong. When they corrected the error the other boy squeezed into 1st place and bumped Johnny down to 2nd place. We were disappointed but he still came home with some 1st place medals…. and 2nd place overall is very good….and…

His USA Gymnastic team came in 1st place in the team competition.

I felt so blessed that we could be there to watch Johnny compete Sat. night. I missed it last year because I was in the hospital.

Johnny will be going back to the Olympic training center in Colorado to train soon. He got an email from them in Dec. inviting him to come back and train with the National team. He was so happy to be invited back.

He also has signed to attend Illinois University after he graduates from high school this June. They offered him a full- ride scholarship… tuition, books, housing…food and a tutor. We are smiling about that too.

With all these things to smile about you can see why I just had to post a “smiles” blog tonight. I was afraid that I might burst with so many smiles inside me if I didn’t let some out!

Thanks for sharing my smiles with me. I hope that you have much to smile about too.

I probably won’t post very often but I will be thinking of you with hugs.

Random smiles and updates

I thought I would post some smiles I’ve had recently.

Twenty six years ago today ,Jordan, made me a grandmother. I thought being a mother was great but being a grandmother is even better.  Happy Birthday dear Jordan. We love you lots.  Thank you for being such a hard worker and so loving and sweet to me. That makes me smile.

 

Our 12 year old Claire attended opera camp and got to be in another LA Opera production.

I was not allowed to take any pictures of Claire on stage but you will just have to take this proud Grammy’s word for it that Claire was radiant.

Claire not only sings like an angel……  she glows when she is on stage and stands out in the group even when she is not in the spot light.  This is not just my imagination…. she really does.

She recently sang at the Hollywood Bowl with the LA Children’s choir and the camera man kept focusing on Claire. Her beautiful face filled the big screens around the bowl. One of the other girl’s mom made a comment to Mindy about how much “screen time” Claire got. She said “the camera sure seemed to love Claire”….. of course we agreed.  Hearing Claire sing makes my heart smile.

Claire’s 14 year old brother, EJ, brings us musical smiles too. He is officially a member of his dad’s high school band now. He has been playing with the band unofficially off and on for years but now he is a legitimate member and he is an outstanding trumpet player. He got to play the Star Spangled Banner solo at the first football game.  He also just auditioned and made it into the top orchestra of the Claremont Young Musicians. EJ brings us smiles.

Flood update: (This does not make me smile!)  Our house and patios are still a total disaster after our flood. The drywall has been cut out and a big dehumidifier continues to run in the room to dry it out.  I still do not have any hot water in the kitchen. The hot water heater broke and flooded the room on Sept. 1st. I think it is high time something gets done to fix the room and clean up this mess. I guess one good thing is it is forcing us to sort through our emergency food supply and get rid of the out dated cans…. but what a mess.

Health update: I’m not feeling too good but I saw a vascular surgeon Friday who told me that it is most likely the blood thinner I am taking that is making me feel so tired and worn out.  My blood clots have gotten a little smaller and  are only blocking 2 veins now instead of 3.  He wants me to stay on the Warfarin until December when I will have another ultrasound. At that time  he will  take another look at the clots and determine if I can stop taking the stuff that is making me feel so exhausted.  Maybe there is a light at the end of this year long tunnel. I hope so.

I had skin testing done on Friday too. I am allergic to some trees, grasses and weeds.  As you can see from this picture, our home is surrounded by these things… so… I guess I’m out of luck….. unless we move to the desert…. but I hate the desert….. however it would be one way to get away from our flood mess…. hummmm…… maybe I will have to give that some thought.

Meanwhile I am sending you all hugs and hoping that you have lots to smile about.

Have a great week. Hugs, Grammy Lura

August Birthday Smiles…. Part one and Part 2

Thanks to those of you who left me supportive and uplifting comments on my last post.  There has been too many deaths and a lot of illness around us this month….and the sadness  hasn’t let up. Five  of our friends are battling cancer. Just yesterday we found out that in one of them the cancer has spread to her lymph nodes.   Another dear friend has been in the hospital with pneumonia and congestive heart failure…and another fell and broke her shoulder in 4 places and at 85 had to have painful surgery. A fellow temple worker friend had a bike accident and is in the hospital with broken bones.    A friend from church just lost her son- in- law in a terrible car accident in which her daughter was critically injured and is now fighting for her life. Another sweet friend lost her father today.  I guess I’ve reached an age where I am going to see more and more friends facing illness and loss.  You can see that  there have been good reasons for lots of tears this month … but there have been smiles too.  Today I want to be more positive and share my 70th birthday smiles with you.

Part 1….. Pre-birthday Party

The last night we were in Utah, Lynell and Erin gave me a week and a half early party.

We all got together at Lynell’s house for a delicious dinner.

The b-b-q pineapple was to die for… so yummy!  Nancy, the kids other Grandma came too and we had a great visit.

I knew that none of our 3 Utah kids could come to CA for my actual birthday so this pre-party was greatly appreciated.

Since Ellie and I share the same birthday, it was an early party for her too. She loved her new dress and the beaded socks and bracelet I made for her.

I was surrounded by sweet family….

… and felt loved.

Part 2…. Birthday week Celebrations

Our dear friends, Sil and Ron came from out of town on Aug. 5th and took us out to a one- day- early birthday dinner with nice gifts (Even though we had a no-gift agreement.) Sil and I have been friends for 58 years.   She lives 80 miles away and with both of us having heath issues this year we haven’t had as much time to be together as we would like.  I appreciated Ron bringing her  to celebrate with me. I treasure time spent with Sil.

August 6th, my actual birthday, started out great with my sweet John bringing me this delicious breakfast in bed and this precious “Golden Friendship” figurine that had been sent to me all the way from a dear friend in England.

Then our doorbell rang and, as I told you in my last post, we learned that our neighbor and long time friend, Bill,  had just died.  We ended up spending the day with his widow and family. I was suppose to go to birthday lunch with my friend, Louann and out to birthday dinner with John and my daughter’s family but the mortuary didn’t get there to take Bill away until that afternoon.  By that time,  I just wasn’t up to going out.   My stomach was hurting and with the sad events of the day it just seemed a light hearted celebration was out of place.

However,  the next day,  Kris and Jan treated me to a nice lunch with precious gifts….

including among other things, a hand painted card, a hand made bracelet and a darling bag.

Then…two days later, Ernie and I went out with family to celebrate both of our birthdays.

With all of this celebrating, I thought my 70th birthday was well taken care of and we were done with all the festivities…. but I was wrong.

Mindy, Louann and John had other plans and a lovely belated party was coming my way.

I will share my Part 3 … Post birthday bash smiles with you next time.