Monday Dog Blog: Always Ready to Help!

G Is Ready to Help!

Our much adored cleaning person is here today, and the puppies are very happy about this.

Gershwin even offered to help Aunt Sue with a little cleaning! 

Wow, That Was Hard Work!

He got worn out pretty quickly though.

Sue is always losing her cans of Pledge. So, we got her a gag gift--a box filled with six cans of Pledge so she will never go without again and will always have a can 'just in case.' :)

A Bed Full of Toys

Before Sue arrived, Tovah and Gershwin thought it would be a great idea to empty all of the toys out of the baskets.

Making a Mess is EXHAUSTING!

This also turned out to be an exhausting task for Tovah Rose. 

Seriously Mommy, Hurry Up and Snuggle...

As soon as I walked into the living room and turned on the light by the sofa, Gershwin sensed that an opportunity to cuddle might be coming any minute. He dutifully waited by the ottoman for me to HURRY UP and sit down.

Working Hard

He and Tovah Rose are always very helpful.

My Buddy

It can be kinda hard to get any work done with these two around.

Blissed Out

I mean, who wouldn't rather pet this guy than get stuff done?

Just Like Big Brother

Asher always used to sleep underneath the table. Now Gershwin does the exact same thing. I'm not sure how exactly (or why) this is comfortable, but it's so endearing and reminds me how much Gershwin always wanted to be like his big brother. He keeps Asher's memory alive.

Blessings and Happy Monday!

Emily

Monday Dog Blog: Tic Tac Twirl

At This Moment, We Like Each Other

To be honest, it's kinda been a slow week here. On Sunday we rejoiced when we saw that the sun had come out because we have been a little bored and a little tired of this dreary rainy weather. Mom took us for a wonderful long walk.

Hanging Out With Mom

We rest as much as we can around here.

 Jeannine's Lap Is Great! (Tovah Rose)

Really, any lap will do.

G Takes Over Mommy's Favorite PJs...

And if Mommy leaves her pajamas lying around, we're gonna think they are there for us...

G: When Will It Stop Raining!?

So, yeah, it's been pretty uneventful around here.

This Game Makes Us Feel SO Smart!

But Mom went to PetCo and bought us Tic Tac Twirl which makes us feel really, really smart when we get it right!

Go Gershwin!

I LOVE This Toy!

Until I can go outside, this little squeaky duck is gonna have to do...

Happy Monday from Us!

Blessings,

Tovah Rose and Gershwin

One More Thanksgiving Pic, One More Thankful Thought...

Riley, Me, Reese

My step-sister sent me this pic after I had already published my Thanksgiving post about our meal at Dad and Abbie's, but this pic was too cute not too share. Meredith was determined to get the boys to pose for a picture with Aunt Emily.

One of the best things about feeling better these days? Being able to engage so much more fully with the children in my life: holding them, lifting them, reading to them, talking to them, playing with them. 

Blessings,

Emily

Marjie's 30th Birthday Party: An All New Kinda Outing

Me and The Birthday Girl!

Marjie's been a little busy lately with formalizing Adele's adoption, a new job, her NIH study for Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS), and training for a half-marathon to celebrate being alive and celebrate LIFE for her 30th. 

So, I'm probably ahead of her in getting out a blog post on her 30th surprise birthday party that her husband, Sean, threw for on Sunday at the end of Thanksgiving weekend.

Melissa, Lauren, Nicole, Me, Kiernan
Heather, Ted, Elaine, Marjie, Gigi

It was such a new and fun experience to be able to go to her birthday party! Another victory, another triumph, another 'look what I can do now!' moment. 

I'm having so many of these moments lately, that sometimes I have to take a little break to recuperate from it all and figure out how to adjust to this new life. And, as Dr. ANS says, not be too greedy about my new freedoms.

Gigi, Kiernan, Nicole, Lauren
Me, Marjie

Marjie knew it took a lot for me to make it to a brunch--since that time of day is hard for me--but she is so appreciative and understanding that it made it all worth it. Plus, she was so surprised when she showed up for what she thought was just going to be brunch at her favorite restaurant with Sean and Adele. 

She kept saying: "What's going on?! I don't understand! I should have dressed nicer!" :)

Marjie, Brandon, and Melissa
Brandon Looks Drunk Because He Had A Mimosa :)

I admit, I wasn't sure how I'd do with a big group of people I didn't know, sitting at big tables, making  small talk. I'm more of a small, intimate group kinda girl. I dread the "What do you DO?" question by lots of people I don't know.

 But you know what? It was great. I saw people I've already met and really like, I met all of Marjie and Sean's families, got to learn a lot from her stepdad and Mom, and met several lovely new people that I am now connected with. 

That's what I would call a good day!

Marjie and Sean With Their Families

It used to be that if we were at a cafeteria or buffet (which we avoided if at all possible), I would need Mom to go get food for me. Not this time! 

All of these little freedoms. All of these little things that most people do every day without a thought. I am cherishing every single moment.

Adele and Brandon Have a Date

Am I wiped out afterwards? Do I need to rest the rest of the day? Do I not feel very well the next day? 

Yes. 

I have to make choices about which things are worth doing and which aren't, about which things are going to fill my soul and be worth the price my body will pay.

22 Pounds of Cuteness
And I Can LIFT Her! :)

This outing was worth it for a so many reasons: the people I met, the freedoms I felt, the good food, and most of all the celebration of Marjie's LIFE.

Happy (Early) 30th Marjie! May this year be filled with joy, peace, love and most of all, HEALTH.

Blessings,

Emily

Monday Dog Blog: Keeping It Real

Post-Thanksgiving Crash Out

These days there are lots of photos of me dressed in my new favorite clothes, wearing my new boots, my make-up and hair done and a big smile on my face.

Tovah Settles In For Snuggles

I'm close friends with lots of other chronically ill folks, and we all remind each other that it's important to 'keep it real'. 

These Guys Are Ready To Comfort Mommy

This is me crashed out the day after Thanksgiving.

Thankfully, I had nowhere to be. And I let myself let go of getting our holiday card done. The hardest part of these days is being gentle on myself, letting myself rest and not beating myself up for not being 'productive.'

So, here I am 'Keeping it Real'.

Gershwin Needed a Nap Anyways...

I'm never really sure what is going to lead to a setback and what isn't, what's overdoing and what's not. I can't predict. Sometimes I don't feel well during an event. Sometimes I feel fine during it. And that's not necessarily a predictor of how I am going to feel later that day, the next day or the next few days.

It doesn't change the decisions I make about the activities I choose to do. It's just part of the reality of this illness. 

Snuggling After PT

But this isn't a sad post. It's just a post that says: while my health is improving, I'm still sick. And when I need to rest, I have two puppies who can't wait to snuggle and snuggle and snuggle. All. Day. Long. 

They are the best medicine.

Happy Monday!

Blessings,

Emily

Thanksgiving With Mom

Waiting For The Turkey

Because I have a busy weekend planned--with Thanksgiving Day at Dad and Abbie's and a party on Sunday, Mom and I decided to keep Thanksgiving as a quiet holiday just the two of us.

We just wanted some quiet time together to eat a Thanksgiving meal and enjoy a little TV with the puppies.

We love having people over, but we also like time just to be together.

Queen of the Kitchen

While I spent the whole day resting, Mom cooked up a lovely meal.

Ready For The Oven

We had roasted butternut squash and spinach, all from local farmers.

Gluten-Free Stuffing

We tested out some gluten-free stuffing.

Butternut Squash and Spinach

And where did all of that spinach go?!

Beautiful!

We had a local free-range turkey breast. With gravy, or course. And cranberry relish.

And some pumpkin bars for dessert.

We even let Tovah Rose and Gershwin have a bite of turkey (which they were CRAZY about).

Our Meal

It was perfect. 

In the evening we settled in to watch a Kristin Chenoweth special on PBS.

Before the season gets busier and busier with Hanukkah parties, gift giving, and other holiday festivities, this was just the way we wanted to spend the day.

We hope your Thanksgiving was a blessed one.

Blessings,

Emily

Thanksgiving at D and A's

Monica, Bill, Me, Tovah Rose, Jon, Meredith, Riley,
Reese, Abbie and Dad

As has become Thanksgiving tradition now, I joined D and A at their house for Turkey Day.

The Mountains Surrounding D and A's

It was still a winter wonderland out where they live.

Reese Reads!

Reese, who is only in kindergarden can read books all by himself. And I mean, like, chapter books. Like the Magic Treehouse!

Dad and Riley

Dad likes to play with the boys. He's a big kid at heart and fits right in. Here he is hanging out with Riley.

Riley and Reese

A moment with the brothers together. Reese is too absorbed in his book to take time for a silly photograph from Aunt Emily.

Bill and Monica Strike a Pose

A great pic of my stepsister, Monica, and her husband, Bill.

Sisters and Twinkies

Meredith and Monica claim that they did not plan to dress as twinkles today, but aren't they cute together? 

Dad, Tovah Rose, and Me

Daddy and Daughter (and Tovah Rose too).

Francine and Abbie

Abbie with her longtime friend, Francine, who joins us every year for Thanksgiving.

The View

Abbie asked us each to go around the table and say what we were thankful for this year. She spoke first, saying that she was so happy to have all of her family together and healthy...and healthier. :) The light in her eyes when she looked at me as she said 'healthier' melted my heart. 

Gorgeous!

It was wonderful to be able to participate in the holiday fully--easily sitting at the dinner table, helping to clear the dishes, reading a book to Riley, carrying him to the dinner table, taking photos, chatting with Meredith and Monica, and interacting with the boys. And did you notice who is standing in the family photo?! Tovah Rose joined us this year, since Mr. G had gotten to go last year. 

She came home just as pooped out from all of the activity as I did! :) According to Mom, Gershwin wandered around the house while we were gone acting lost and confused. My poor little guy.

No Complaints From Me About The Snow!

Mom and I topped off the day with a light dinner of soup and salad, and settled in for the first half of Forrest Gump, which I have somehow managed not to see since it was in the theaters 20 years ago!

Thank you, Abbie, for the huge spread and warm loving embrace of all of us.

Blessings,

Emily