Phew! Been a tough 20 months, but we survived!

Hello again, Blogger friends! It has been a long, rough 20 months for our family. We are back up and running at almost full capacity now. Hoping that the next few years don't come close to all the difficulties each and every one of us has faced since January 2013.

Instead of focusing on all the horrible gory details, I choose instead to list the good events that are changing the course of life for all of us!

Brian is presently living in NJ, going to school. He is in school for nursing and working at Princeton Hospital.

Dennis is dating a wonderful gal, Theresa. They spoke via email, phone calls, skype for several months and are presently on a monthly visiting schedule. The only drawback is that Theresa lives in NJ... I told them that if they can survive a long distance thing now, they can survive anything. Time will tell!

Theresa and Dennis 7.2014

Laura is presently studying at Chamberlain University and working full time at the hospital. She carries a heavy load in both places. She's had some serious health concerns in the past 2 years that had us all on edge. Thankfully, they have all subsided. We are hoping that she continues to do well and successfully accomplishes her dreams of being a nurse. Everyone agrees that she will be fabulous!

 

 Laura 11.2013

Rus, Thank God, is still at AEP. He has been working on a project that seems to be to be never-ending, and that is the good news. He has been working long long hours lately to meet deadlines, but never fails to meet them. Rus is still the "social director!" Our recent trip to Florida was a good escape for him to get away from it all! He scheduled many fun activities for the weekend we were there. He is, as always, my rock!

Rus and I 8.2014

I continue to work with my little one daily. He is such a source of joy for me. He is absolutely obsessed with KISS, playing drums and dinosaurs. This summer he learned how to swim...good thing since there is a built in pool right outside his back door. We spent every Friday in June and July at an enrichment program at the Everal Barn. He went to DisneyWorld in August to see his favorite, Donald Duck and to Myrtle Beach. Things are just better when Brayden is involved. I thank the Heavens every. single. day. for being his Nanny. Nothing is ever bad for very long when I am with him. 

Brayden 7.2014

In April, 2013, the day after the grandchildren were here for a week, our dear sweet Pepper passed away at home after being with us for 14 years. We were ever so sad! We spent the next few months in a very quiet house. It was just too much for me so after Rus and I enjoyed a cruise to Mexico for our 35th wedding anniversary, I went "to look" at dogs at our local shelter. I am not sure how anyone can "just look" at a shelter. Cutting to the chase, we found a little raggedy-haired pooch. They said she was found on the street in February, full of worms and fleas and was probably just under a year old. Long story short, the shelter cured her of her ailments, and she was adopted...then returned 4 months later. She had been in the shelter about another month when Laura and I "found" her. We took her home! Now 13 months later, Sadie is an integral member of our family. She was difficult to house-train in our brutal Ohio winter, but we persevered. The consensus of opinion locally is that she is a Silky, because of her obvious Yorkshire Terrier features and coloring but a bit larger at 10 lbs. We feel lucky to have found each other! 

8.2014

This is all the news that is fit to print in this installment of This Is Our Life here in Ohio. I hope this finds you all well. I am determined to be more diligent about blogging going forward.