It's Monday

I started off this beautiful day by slipping on mud and landing my sandaled foot in the gutter. Dirty brown water and who knows what else. Monday's are not a fun day for me. I think that's a consensus among all working women and men.

I am sitting in my office at work, trying to get motivated for the week... trying is the key word here. I don't think I've ever shared pictures of this place where I spend most of my "awake" time. Completely raw, no cleaning up, it can get a little messy. I've been with this company for almost 5 years and in this office for over a year and I still have not decorated it properly. I have so many plans, at least to throw some pictures on the wall, but it hasn't happened yet. So my walls are a light beige with nothing but a cork board and whiteboard. Bare and bland which is not me, or so I like to think.

I handle records for legal trials for major companies that everyone in the world knows. So we have a ton of work since everyone wants to sue them. Serious work overload. As you can see by the mess of papers all over the office. I have 10 in-boxes. T-E-N. Why ten? I have to separate everything from important to least important. It really makes no difference because it all because important to whoever is waiting for it. So now you know what I see every.single.day. Now that I've seen these pictures on here, I MUST work on getting this place looking more "comfy" (for lack of a better word). Any ideas?

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This last weekend was packed with wonderful goodness. I will post pictures in the next few days of hilarious kids program (2-5 year olds singing and dancing - stomachache laughter) and my nephews b-day party.

We visited my Gramps grave yesterday, Our first Father's Day without him. We also saw Nicole Brown* Sim*pson's* grave which is a few feet from my Gramps. You'll know her from the famous OJ* Simpson* trial.

We celebrated my dad by having a bbq and I bought him a gift which was NOT a gag gift but apparently everyone seemed to think it was. What do you get someone who has everything? A cushioned toilet seat cover. Why not? I figure you spend some time on there, especially as you get older and the comfier the better. He didn't think so.

My dad is an incredible Dad, even if he didn't like the gift I bought. Things have not always been perfect between us because I'm more of a Mama's girl and my sister is the Daddy's girl, but my Dad is wonderful. Growing up he was the BEST dad there was. He took us on a big vacation every summer, lavish spending on his kids that most people never get to experience. He exposed us to the finer things in life that his own mom and dad exposed him too. But beyond all that, he's always provided and loved us every single day. I knew that I can go to him if I needed help, which in my early adulthood days I really was a thorn in his side. I had a special place for Nord*strom and other stores that he didn't appreciate very much! ha! Which he never really knew where I spending all my hard earned cash, he just knew that I needed help with this or that. Eventually I grew up and realized that Dad couldn't always come to my rescue. I'm sure he's thankful for that! So, one day late, Thank you, Dad for being a great father! I love you.

Thanksgiving Sounds

Just a few hours until we dig into the turkey! Okay, maybe not a few hours, but we eat pretty early around here. Turkey goes in around 3Am and we start picking at it at 11AM. Pretty early considering most people aren't even ready to go by then.

As I type I am listening to my aunt sing Circle in the Sand. She's been dancing and singing all.night.long. My mom and sister came over to spend some time with my Gramms and to help her out with the food and putting the massive turkey in the oven at 3AM. We walked in the door, drenched from abnormal SoCal rain, and heard music blaring. My aunt has a professional like karaoke machine that she brings to family gatherings and lets all the "kids" belt out tunes in tune and some not so in tune. Whooweee!

Top on my list this year and every years to be Thankful for is one sure thing - God's been so faithful to me. Even when I get panicked and forget that He is, indeed, there, He still loves me once I come to my senses. *Sigh* He's incredibly awesome.

Be thankful in everything! Bad times, the best of times, when things are just right and life is smooth sailing, when everything crashes around you - Be Thankful!

Have a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving. Eat lots of turkey, spend time with your family and enjoy this day.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Memorial Service/My Family

We had a viewing on Wednesday and a service on Thursday for my Gramps. My Gramps was a frogman in WWII. He was extremely proud of his country, his favorite holiday was the 4th of July. He loved books about American history and anything that had to do with our Irish family history. Our family is very involved in politics and government. My Gramps cousin is actually a five star general and was the Vice Chief of Staff of the CIA, this was something that he was so proud of and we are today. My Gramps was always involved in something, he loved to give his opinion on things and always pushed his grandkids to be better.

Now that I followed a rabbit trail, back to the services. lol.

During the color guard ceremony, (I believe that's what it's called, but I could be wrong.), the man playing the trumpet had some technical errors. I couldn't figure out what he was fiddling with until later on when my sister told me that he was trying ot get the button to work.... apparently, he doesn't know how to play the trumpet.

Below are some pictures from the service and family get together afterwards. My aunt lives in Laguna and has this incredible view with ocean breezes that come up the hill.

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After the viewing on Wednesday night, All the siblings and my Gramms went out to dinner and left the "kids" at the house. I say "Kids", because we are all in our 20's and 30's, some married with kids, with the exception of the baby of the family who is fourteen. We decided to head out and get some food together after we practiced "Wind Beneath Our Wings" which my Gramps requested. After dinner, we came back to my Grandparents home and found that it was just my Gramms with all her Grandkids. This has never before happened! She loves to hear us sing, so we settled in the family room and sang for her while my brother and cousin played (my fourteen year old cousin plays by ear and is incredible!)... This night was special in a subtle way, all together, singing a song that my Gramps loved. I'll never forget it.

We took a group picture, something that I wish we'd done with my Gramps.

There will be so many changes in the next few months, Thanksgiving, Birthdays, Christmas... but change is good, most of the time. I can't imagine life without God while going through circumstances such as these.

Through it all He's faithful.

Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Psalms 36:5

Wooosh! What a week!

Oh My! It's been an incredibly, crazy, absolutely emotional week. One of the hardest of my life! Losing someone you love so much is never fun, yet that's the plan of God. How blessed to have lived a long life.

I am just ready to go on with living and regular schedules. That sounds harsh, but one can only take so much of ripping emotions. Things just need to settle and the healing needs to begin. Things will never be normal, but life does go on.

I, and my family, are in a changing time of our lives. We've got decisions to pray about and things to discuss, but for now... I'm waiting for the calm from the storm and remembering that God's mercy is renewed everyday.

I need to catch up with everyone's blogs and see what's going on in blogland.

I have some beautiful pictures to post tomorrow or sometimes next week, but for now... I need some sleep. =)

Nighty, night bloggy world.

08.29.08

Gramps,
You'll never read my blog again, I don't know why I am writing to you, but it comforts me in some way.

My life was forever changed on Friday night at 11:15 PM. The impact you had on me will forever be with me.

What will we do without you? I feel at times that I can't breathe or even speak. Something is just not right. I have so many special memories, recent memories of you that are to painful to write here at this moment.

No matter how much I knew that this day would come, it came too soon. I guess I would have never been ready. I have so many questions, yet there are no answers.

I wish we had more time...

Love,
Deb