A sucky Monday...

Today -is not a good day. Yes, it's Monday - but I'm not one of those that hates Mondays. I actually kind of like the "fresh" start feeling of it ... starting a new week. Or maybe it is that by the end of the weekend I'm exhausted from my Mommy and Housekeeper jobs, and ready for the adult challenges of my day job instead. Either way...

Today is yuck.

Today, my mom is flying back to North Dakota to finalize my Grandma's move into the nursing care facility. Hmmm, why do I call it that? I mean, that is the name, but everyone knows it's a Nursing Home. I guess there is just part of me that thinks a Nursing Home is a place you go to die, and a Nursing Care Facility is a place you go to live, but you get care and help you can't give yourself anymore. Regardless, my mom is heading up there to do all the final things to get her settled. Hard week for mom, but it is the right thing to ensure the best care for my Grandma in her late years plagued by Dementia and Diabetes. It is the right thing for my Grandpa to have the help the new place will provide for his wife, so he can take care of himself properly as he battles Alzheimers. So that instead of having to help her shower and change soild sheets and clothes, he can just love on her in his visits (in his own Stoic Sweed Farmer way).

Today, my cousin Jenn is hugging her 4 yr old and 1 yr old (and husband) goodbye. She has to picture them in her head, and hug them through the computer and telephone for the next 6.5 months. Today, she deploys to United Arab Emirates. Today, her husband Traver takes over as the primary caregiver to those adorable, spirited kids. I'm sure they are both scared and sad, and I hope they both know how proud and grateful we all are of them and their sacrifice.

Today, my mother-in-law will be having double by-pass surgery. It's a LONG surgery - and that will be hard not knowing how it is going for hours. She is SO strong, she's been through so much. Cancer, Chemo, 2 mini-strokes, aneurysm's, brain surgery...and through it all she battled, won, and moved on. We pray and we KNOW she will come through this the same. But today still is yuck, and until we know it all went perfectly and she is on her way to the hard 6 week recovery - we simply will hold our breath, and continue to pray.

Today, I am moved by how lucky I am to have such wonderful family around me. Today, I am struck by how sweet and loving my children can be, even at such a young age as they have been praying so hard for their family! Today, I am hopeful my children fully understand how lucky they are to have such amazing family loving them and being role models for life.

Today, I am reminded from so many directions, how important it is to Live Life Fully and focus on what's real, and what matters, and not waste time.