A Bit Derailed

I know this blog has been a bit neglected lately. In an effort to try and make as many Christmas presents as possible this year (to save some $$), I've had to be on a pretty rigorous 'production' schedule...one which I can't claim success. There are a few things still to be finished up and hopefully I will be able to do that while my office is closed this week.

I owe several weeks worth of Photo Project photos that are in various stages of being ready to upload and post, so those will be coming shortly as well as *hopefully* a recap from the holidays...and by holidays I mean beginning back at Thanksgiving. I feel that I don't want to let Elliott's first Thanksgiving and Christmas go by without some sort of commemoration, but unfortunately thanks to my craptastic camera, I don't have many - scrap that - any decent photos to share.

I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately. There seems like an infinite list of things to do and no time to do them in. Fortunately, one of our Christmas presents this year is a new vacuum, so (theoretically) keeping our place clean in the new year will be a bit easier. (PS - you know you are truly a grown up when you get a vacuum for Christmas and you are STOKED.) We are also in line to drop some major cash this week to get both cars (over $500 a pop) and Jenny (*hopefully* only $500 for a teeth cleaning) fixed up for the new year...add to that tuition ($300), books ($200), and car registration renewal ($230) and our savings account is taking a pummeling this (and next) month. Ugh. Sometimes I really hate money.

However, none of these things are really all that important...what I think is really is coloring these days is what is going on with my grandmother. There really isn't any other way to say it except that she is dying. I've been able to visit her a couple of times in the last week or so, for which I am very thankful. Given that she is 94, this is an eventuality we all knew was on approach, but it is here. It is so difficult to see someone's body slowly giving out. She's still there, but it is almost impossible for her to communicate with us and even eating has become a daily challenge. Fortunately, she is surrounded by people who love her. Even the staff at her private board and care home truly love her and are as saddened by this turn of events as her own family. I will of course post here as things progress and in the meantime we would gladly accept your positive thoughts and prayers.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas (if you celebrate it) and are anticipating a positive beginning to a new year.