Our weekend

Okay...first of all, let me just apologize to those of you that I've given a little flack to, for not posting as often as I feel that you should. You know who you are, and I am deeply sorry if my requests for quicker updates and then my not providing my own, has caused you any grief. My bad.......

Now, moving right along!! Saturday was truly a gift from God...it was Andy's last Intra football game!!! WOOOOOHOOOOO!! It was perfect football weather. A little on the chilly side, mostly sunny, and the fall leaves couldn't have been more beautiful. The boys played Fredericktown, and lost, but they played really well. And of course, my son recovered a fumbled, which OH YEAH...I completely missed because I was too busy yacking away with Cheryl!! lol I did get a few good pictures of him in action, that will make nice additions to his albums and what not. I have some shots that I'd like to prints of someday.

Sarah cheered for her brother's teams as well as the JV team, who lost their 1st game of the season. She was so cold when we got home that I thought she was going to curl up on the couch and take a nap, which was what I was hoping to do. LOL She had also started sound a little hoarse when she talked. Now I'll be honest, though wrong on so many levels, I was almost hoping that she'd lose her voice, simply because I get tired of the shrill cries & screams when she and Andy are fighting.

We got home, had a snack, and then Brian said he was going to run to Mt. Vernon, to Lowe's & TSC for a hot water heater and parts for this old Ford tractor of his dad's. I had the task of taking the kids to the park for trick or treat, and then going through the Haunted Trails behind the school. Sarah was a witch, and Andy, well, he went as a football player...imagine that!! lol They had lots of fun, and they got to see some of the friends as well. And they got some candy to boot!! Not bad for a 20 minute walk around the trail, at the park! They both wanted to go through the Haunted Trails, and I wanted to let them...before it got dark!! There was no way this mom was going to be up half the night with frightened kids!! However, when we got over the the trail, I realized that it cost $2 per person. My purse was locked, in the truck, which was parked way over close to the front of the school. I reached in my pocket....I had money in there!!! How much.....would I have enough? Nope!!! Are you ready for this?!?! I had $5.75!! I was a quarter short!! I couldn't believe it!! How could I be a flippin' quarter short?!?! So I looked around for someone we knew!! No one!! We stood there, and I was contemplating walking all the way back to the truck for a quarter, or trying to talk the kids out of going through the trail at all. And then I saw him. Someone I knew. Someone I thought might have a quarter. I saw Troy, Chellsea's dad, and asked him if he had a quarter. Nope, didn't have any change on him at all. I said my thanks anyway, and turned to see Cheryl walking with her kids. She didn't have a quarter either. It was beginning to look like I was going to have some serious negotiating to do with my kids, when out of the blue, Troy came running across the parking lot with a quarter in hand!! Thank You Troy, from the bottom of my heart!! You truly saved the day!!! And thanks to whomever it was that overheard me asking Troy for a quarter, and took pity on this poor mother's soul!! I don't know who you are, but I am eternally grateful!!

Sunday, Brian and Andy had planned on going to his parents house to install a water heater and work on that old tractor. The idea was to wait and see how Brian's dad was feeling as to whether or not Sarah & I would go on down there as well. I told Brian when he left, that I'd put on some homemade potato soup, just in case, and make some cookies or brownies. Around noon, Brian's mom called me asking if I had any tomatoes, as Grandpa was wanting a tomato sandwich. Then she said that he was asking where "little one" was, and if she was coming too. "Little one" is what Grandpa has called Sarah since she was about 3 years old. I told Grandma that I had soup on the stove, and that I'd made some brownies too, and that it would probably be around 1pm before we'd be ready to leave. They live in Johnstown, which is only about 30 minutes from here. I jumped in the shower while the brownies were baking and the soup was simmering. Was dressed in time to get the brownies out of the oven. By 12:58, we were loaded up in the truck, food & drink in tow, along with the kids football & cheer pictures.

I was so not prepared for how weak & frail his dad was really going to look. I mean, Brian had said he wasn't looking good, you could tell he was weak, etc. but honestly, it was worse that I'd anticipated it being. I walked in, I said hello, and made a b-line for the kitchen. I sat the food down and took Sarah in to see him, so she could give him their pictures, and his face just lit up when she walked over to him. While Brian & Andy were working on getting the water heater hooked up, I got to chat with my mother in law. Or rather, I should say she got a vent a little. I think sometimes she just needs someone, other than one of her children, to vent to, and just bounce things off of. She made it perfectly clear, there will be no more chemo at all. Even if he recovers some from his liver problems (which is unlikely). Right now, her only wishes are for him to keep his mind about him, for him to not die in October, and for him to be comfortable, or as comfortable as possible. Over the last 16 years or so, the family has attended 4 funerals in October: Brian's grandpa (dad's dad) died, Brian's grandma (dad's mom), his step-grandpa (mom's step-dad), and then his nephew (his one sister's only child). So October has not been a happy month for his side of the family, so I can't blame her for wishing that he hold on til November.

Anyway, Brian's brother came out with his son and oldest daughter. It was cool, because Andy had his cousin Matthew to play with for awhile, and Sarah got to color and plays games with her cousin Mary (who's 21 now). The kids had a nice visit and got to see their Uncle Jerry too. But the most exciting part was being able to wash the dishes in hot water from the tap, and not from having to heat it up on the stove. My mother in law has been heating water up on the stove, for dishes, baths, and laundry, for 4 1/2 years!! His dad was wanting to put in a gas/propane water heater, but hadn't gotten around to getting a tank delivered and filled, getting the gas lines run to the house, getting the vent/chimney for the water heater put in, etc. Finally, last week, after watching his mom take almost 2 hours to wash the dishes ( a few plates, some silverware, and glasses), Brian had had enough. He told his mom on Saturday that he was going to come and put one in for her, and if dad didn't like it, that was just tough. Well, dad didn't like it, but not because it wasn't what he wanted, it was because he wasn't able to help Brian & Andy install it. So after working on installing the water heater for about 5 hours yesterday, by the time we had eaten supper & our dessert, we had hot water to wash the dishes with. Brian's mom was almost in tears she was so giddy about having hot water. Then as we were leaving, she said she couldn't wait for him to go to sleep so she could go take a long hot soak in the tub!! Said she might stay in there til she was all shriveled up and pruny!!

I'll post more about the tractor later. I got pictures of Brian driving it out of the barn, etc. It was a touching moment...his dad actually came outside to see it coming up the yard.

It was a good weekend, and I'm glad I sucked it up, and took Sarah to see her grandpa. I think it did she & I both a world of good!!