Christmas Eve Today, the excitement continues!

I woke up this am at 5:30am, with a knock at the bottom of my bed. There was Laura up and ready for the Christmas season to begin. I love sharing in all of her excitement, she loves it all the music, baking, shoping, wraping, unwraping is "My best". Every year on Christmas Eve all of my family gathers together at my Mom and Dad's house. We just enjoy each others company, there is no big gift exchange. Some of us make gifts for each other, not everyone and not always. When we stopped all the formal gift giving Christmas became a much more relaxed time for us. Of course my parents still feel they need to gift us and we pitch in and usually give them a gift certificate for a special trip. But for me more than anything I just want to spend the day with my big extended family.

I am going to try to list them here, hope I don't forget anyone.

My parents Marilyn and Emanual Aragosa, the oldest and most important part of the family, because without them none of us would even be here! Six children plus a huge extended family! Thanks Mom and Dad!

My oldest sister Anne Marie her children, spouses, grifriends and grandchildren are daughter Heather, husband Robert, son/stepson Issiah and Baby Miles. Anne's son;  Joshua, wife Stefanie and son Hunter, its his first Christmas. Anne' son; Jacob and his girlfriend Brittany, and last but not least Lucas, still single. There Dad Greg, Anne's husband, died in the 90s at the age of 38 of a sudden heart attack. That was the biggest loss our family ever experienced. My sister has a boyfriend named, Tony but he has only attended 2 family events in the 2 years they have been dating, so will he come, who knows?? I believe he has 4 children of his own, maybe someday they will join this extended family, but we have seen no sign of any interest in us.

 Next is my brother Joseph Emmanuel, his wife Annie, son Zachary, Zach's girlfriend Alexis, and there daughter Alicia. We also lost Joe and Annies daughter Paige at birth, she was born with serious birth defects and died a few hours after she was born, I will always miss her. I wish I could have met her, I am sure she would have been a rare beauty!

Next is us Me, Mary Grace, my husband Tom, "his" dog Chyanne, who is definatly staying home and our daughter, Laura PDiddy.

Then we come to my sister Lynn Marie and her husband Mark. No children and the only pets they have acquired are Mark's chickens. So they will be staying home, the chickens that is.

Now we have my brother Micheal Emanueal, his wife Maggie, son Justin, his girlfriend Brianne, daughters Carli, and Jenna, the dog Mc Duff will also stay home.

Last of all is Theresa Marie, her husband Bill and there son Will, Theresa and Bill have an extended family from Bills first marriage but they are all married now with families of there own. Oh yeah there dog Maggie will also stay home.

 This year Heather, Robert, Issiah and baby Miles plan to stay home, away from all the usuall holiday germs. Baby Miles was born December 5th, he is a beautiful baby and we love him very much, Laura is still waiting to meet him. Heather and Robert are just concerned parents, I do not blame them. It always seems at least one person is sick at our annual Christmas celebration, they lost there first baby just about a year ago from a miscarriage. So this baby is special to all of us, last year gave us a hint of how special life is! And how quickly it can be taken away, something I try to always remember. It's not the breath you take, its the times that life take's your breath away, so true! Anyway it looks like 30 people, not sure I am not wrong. But close enough!

Anyway, unfortunatly I have work to do, because a good celbrations must start with chores. I need to make a fruit platter and an antipasto. Wrap the cinnamon rolls and get out of here. So hope you had or will have a very Merry Christmas! Now you know just a little bit more about my big family, enjoy every breath you take, more later.........

It ended up beimg an awesome weekend!

I started a 4 day weekend in terrible hip pain, it hurt so bad that I would have had a hip replacement right then and there. But in my true style, I did not let it get me down, well not totally down anyway. Thursday I went with my sister in law to pick up my nieces at Oneonta State College. So not too much activity, mostly a ride in the truck. Now of course I had to find a way to get in and out of the truck without doing more damage. I am to short or it is to high, I brought along my folding step stool with a long ribbon tied on. I got in using the stool, pulled it up with the ribbon, getting out was no problem, just slide out. We stoped at a quilt/consignment shop perfect for Dianne and I, she loves quilting and I love consignment shops. I purchased a few gifts and she got some fabric. When we were done there, the girls were ready to go, so we were off to the college. There dorm room is affectionately called a box, 4 girls or boys, they each get three boxes. 1 to sleep in and then two to a bedroom. Looks like claustrophobia to me. It is very obvious they love there new found freedom and have made friends for life quickly. Once we gathered them up we were off to the horse farm to greet the horses they would like to lease next semester. Both girls are animal lovers, the farm was nice and you could see that was where they are meant to be. So I hope they can come up with the money to get there horses. It was cold at the farm and a little difficult to walk out to the field to meet the horses, but I really do not like to give in so I went out to meet Goose and  Annie. Goose got mad that he wasn't getting all the attention and kicked, Annie. I decided then that maybe I should get the hell out of there. OMG, what if the horse got me, all I can say is OUCH or wholly f... Anyway soon after that we were on our way home, I did leave a few details of the day out like stopping in Schoharie to get eggs from Dianne's mom and lunch at The Eggplant?????, I can't remember the name, but the food was good! I was home just before Laura got home from swimming, which always makes her happy, She really does not like when I am not there on her arrival. I had fixed dinner in the am, which Tom popped into the oven we had a quick dinner and a little couch time before it was bed time. I was still struggling with me hip pain, no improvement, so I tried ice.

   Friday I woke up with no change in my level of pain, might have been a little worse. So what was supposed to be a day of Christmas shopping became a day of rest & ice. I called the doctor begging for a hip injection. I had already done this one month ago when it flared up after the big Thanksgiving feast. The doctors assistant never called me back. I waited four hours for a phone call, which I never got. I tried again, finally while I was begging the receptionist to have her call me, the assistant rings thru and says she called me last month and left a message for me to call image care and schedule the injection myself.  So to make a long story short I called to schedule, but I have to wait another week. By then the pain will be gone at least until the next time I over do it, ugh frustrating. Our medical system, just does not work. I would love to really be a person, not just another patient. A patient truly is not treated like a person, when they figure that out the medical system will be in much better shape. So for now more rest and ice.

   Saturday I was a little better, but woke up tired and grumpy. I had no choice but to work thru the pain and go out Christmas shopping. My first stop was Eddie Bauer, Dianne said that is where she shops because they sell tall womens clothing. So I search the store but find no talls, I ask the clerk and she says to me that they are marked with a T after the size, like largeT. So I search the store high and low and find no talls, I ask another clerk who tells me, they only sell womens talls, on line. Why couldn't they tell me that first, they have mens tall in the store no womens tall, ugh! So that was that and I decided to go with the impersonal gift cards. Off to Price Chopper, I got a few things and a pile of gifts cards. Dianne said Matt would like a Five Guys gift card, so I stopped and got that for him, they were giving away free fries with gift cards. Yeah lunch! Next stop Job Lot for Laura and stuff for antipasto for Christmas Eve, a stop at Aldis and Hannaford, a quick haircut and then home to wrap gifts.  While I was on my way home Tom called because our friends Christie and Nate had stopped to drop off the fruit I had bought from the school. So I got home in time for a nice visit, Cheyanne and the dog Carmel, were playing running in our house and having a grand old time. We had a nice visit. Tammy and Scott showed up to take Laura out for there usual Saturday dinner. A few minutes later everyone left and I did the wrapping while Tom ran groceries to Aunt Jo's house. We had enough time to do the chores, eat a quick dinner, make chocolate cream pies for dinner at Karena and Jims and finish the wrapping before Laura was back. I had to change her insulin pod get her ready for bed and watch while she opened her gifts from Mommie and Scott. They do not visit her on holidays and I like it that way we are busy visiting with my family on Christmas Eve and Toms family on Christmas Day. By the time everybody left I was exhausted and hobbling again, more ice and rest! Bed early, but the presents are wrapped and I am ready for Christmas,yeah! Hope they like there gifts!

    Sunday I was up early and feeling better, I walked to the bathroom without hobbling. Showered and got breakfast for Laura and I. I got the newspaper, and unfortunately for Laura there were no coupons. She really was upset, and it took awhile for her to get over it. We finished breakfast and got ready for church,dinner at Karen and Jims and carolling with the church. So we bundled up for the day, before going to Ephratah, we stopped at Aunt Jo's to give her pill to her. Since we have started doing that she has become less confused, so it is worth the trip. During church today was the childrens Christmas show, they did a great job singing songs and using sign language, it was awesome. Most of Karen and Jims family was present, including her daughter Julie who got engaged this week. Karen emailed me very upset friday AM, because there daughter Karena took it hard. Karena is also handicapped, physically and mentally,but none of us are really sure to what degree, Her sisters engagement was hard for her because it was another moment she realized she would always be left behind. Unable to leave her parents home and mature in the normal adult way. Karen was heart broken for Karena and very happy for Julie, what a terrible way to be torn. I am always at home when I am with there extended family. After church we had dinner with everyone except Karena who had a seizure and was resting in her bed. Before we left to carol she was up to join the group, I was very happy to see that. I left her with a piece of chocolate cream pie and we were off to carol. During dinner Laura had broke down into tears because she was scared to go into the wagon caroling. But at the same time she wanted to go. Like we always do we went despite her fear, she broke into tears again as we were getting into the wagon. Once the wagon took off it did not take Laura long before she was laughing and having a good time, We were out for at least an hour and she was till refusing to give in despite the cold. Tom was frozen, but he was not dressed as warm as Laura and I, men never listen. So here we are in Ephratah, being pulled around in an open wagon, about 20 people, mostly little kids. The wagon is being pulled by a farmer who just so happens to be drinking beer while he does this. Imagine this is a church group, not the average group. I can say that wagon was full of love for each other and God. We were singing songs about Christmas and having a grand old time, as the sun began to set, it got mighty cold. Brought back memories of my days on a motorcycle, no way to get warm but a lot of fun. I think the last time I went caroling I was still in school, so maybe I was 15 at the most! It was a great way to celebrate Christmas and will remain a great memory forever! Thanks Karen for including us!

Laura's 25th Birthday

It has been a long busy few weeks, getting ready for Laura's Birthday. The past few weekends we have been busy cleaning and decorating the house for Christmas and her birthday. Friday the whole family played hookie and Laura and I spent the day baking her cake and making potato and macaroni salad for the party. It amazes me how the days at home with Laura sometimes are our best.

Friday she was up by 5am, I found her in her wheelchair at the foot of my bed, waiting impatiently for me to get up and give her, her presents. We did not spend much, I even shopped in a thrift store, she got a new Christmas outfit, a canoe with three stuffed snowmen in it "Us", a Christmas movie, and a book. As always Laura was happy with all of them, she is so easy to please, only because stuff means nothing to her. I only wish I could think like that, she just likes to open gifts and the party is, so everybody sings Happy Birthday to her.

So we cooked and enjoyed the day with each other, until later in the afternoon. When she had to get ready to go out with Mommie and Scott for dinner. The first few years I was with Tom and Laura, we rarely saw her mother. But a few years ago she resurfaced after she met her new boyfriend Scott. He works with handicapped children, so he has proven to be another blessing in Lauras life. Mommie only comes to get Laura when Scott is available, I will never understand how you can be someones mother until they are 18 and then suddenly be unable to care for them alone. Seems bizarre to me, but that is another story. Anyway they went out to dinner, Tom and I snuck out to get a few last minute things and have a qick bite to eat alone.

Thruout the entire day I am always surrounded by people, such a Lauras sitter Becky. By 9am she was here and sat and mostly watched Laura and I cook, sure she did her chores, give her pills, checked her bloodsugars, but for me I wish we could have been alone. The way the system for her care is set up is difficult. If we do not give Becky enough work hours, she will have to go out and get another job and most likely we will lose her as our sitter. So I am always in a position where I need to comprimise my privacy, and it sucks. Becky is good for Laura, she takes her swimming and does most of her care when she is here, but I still would prefer we could be left alone, just imagine having someone in you house 90% of your awake hours during the week, no fun!

Anyway Saturday Laura was at the foot of my bed even earlier, excited about her party. Tom fixed all of us a nice breakfast, I had my coffee and sat and vegged for a few hours but then we hit the floor running. I had to do the usual last minute cleaning, not my preferred job. I have two sisters that are clean freaks, not me. I think life is way to short to spend it cleaning the house, so I only do what I have to do to make the house presentable. Once the cleaning was done then I set up the buffet and put the last minutes touches on the house, while Laura sat anxiuosly awaiting her party! Thats her, waiting for the floor to dry.

Soon after that the party began, in our little 800 square foot house we had about 20 people, all of which  showed up at the same time, even though I tried for an open house. Oh well it worked out fine and she loved all the attention, gifts to open and having every one sing Happy Birthday! She had a special visit from one of her old school aides, Miss Eileen.. It was short but sweet she was all smiles thru out the day! Laura is very easy to please, at the end of the day, I asked her what was the best part of her Birthday weekend, she said, "I liked my party" simple and beautiful, young lady! Love her so much!