Being a Mom

Being a Mom is a lifelong journey. The love a Mom had for a child does not decrease when that child reached adulthood or gets married or has children of their own. The love a mother has for a child is complete and never ceases. Jennifer is sick and I wish I could be there to hold her and hug her and tell her that Mom will make her feel better. No matter how old you are, Moms make a lot of things better in life if you have her there with you. I hope my children, Jennifer and Michael, know how much I love and care for them even though they are now adults, the will always be my beautiful children and there is nothing I wouldn't do for them. I pray that Jennifef starts to feel better soon. And that Michael is safe on his trip to Nashville for work this week. Although they are grown up, the will always be my little girl and my little boy.

Thankfulness

I am getting ready to turn 61 in a few weeks.  When I think back on all of my  life, I feel fortunate to have had such a great childhood with wonderful parents and great brothers and sister.  I have had so many blessings over my lifetime, but the ones that I am most grateful for are my children and granddaughter. I am so proud of Michael and Jennifer.  They have both grown up to be remarkable adults and I thank God daily for them.  It makes my heart swell with pride to see them doing well, getting married and starting a family.  To help me in my old age, it was nice for Jennifer to marry Mike Kelly and for Michael to find a Jennifer to marry!! And they both have animals named Milo; one a cat, the other a dog.  So much easier on the old brain to have to remember fewer names!  My first grandchild is Anna Elizabeth Kelly.  She is named after my Mom, Jennifer's NaNa and Mike's maternal grandmother.  My Mom would be so happy to know that Jennifer named her first born after her.  Anna is such a joyful baby and her smile melts my heart.  She is the light of my life! When I look at all of the things in life that are important, God and family are at the top of the list.  I am so thankful that God has given me these wonderful gifts to love and enjoy.  I am truly blessed. 

Trying to keep on track

It is late friday afternoon and I am trying to get as much done as I can for next week.  Without Jill here, I am trying to get everything ready that she normally does every semester.  I am sure I am not doing something that has to be done, but I am doing all that I know to do.  I won't know everything until something comes up and I find out after the fact that I should have done something that I didn't know to do.  I think and pray for her every day,as I know she would much rather be doing all of this than be where she is.  I miss her immensely.  She is the buffer for me in a lot of situations.  I have worked with her and known her for 38 years and she is the kind of friend that always has your back, no matter what.  I am so praying for her to totally beat this horrible cancer. 

On another note, I have been on track so far with my food intake since January 1.  I don't want to call it a 'diet' because I want to try and make this a permanent change in my food intake.  My scales are so off that I can't tell how I am doing.  I can weigh and be one weight and then weigh a second later and have gained or lost 10 pounds! Ha!  I would like the 10 pounds lost weight if it was correct!! I go to the oncologist next week so I can see my real weight.  Hoping that I can continue to stay the course and keep my food intake where it needs to be.  My next goal is to start my exercise program.  I wanted to get it started this week, but I decided that too much change together might be a difficult course.  So I am going to develop a schedule that I can stick to starting next week.  Hoping that everything goes smooth starting the semester next week. 

Ready for a new semester

One of the things that I like about teaching is that is a beginning and end.  I am always excited to start a new semester and just as excited to end the semester.  This semester is the last semester for the second year students.  The nice thing about teaching in this field is that the graduates of our program become our colleagues upon graduation.  I am fortunate to work with many of them at CB and see many of them in our clinic sites after they graduate. Many of them become lifelong friends.  It always makes me feel good to see them grow and mature and become such a wonderful addition to the profession.  It is also great to continue to see their changes and their growth in life.  Facebook has been a great way to keep connected to former students and to see where there lives are taking them.  I guess one the best feelings in life is feeling like you have helped someone achieve a goal.  That is how I feel about teaching.  I am proud to have been a part of the education of these students and to see them reach their goals.  In an even broader view, I feel good that they are also helping others in their roles as technologists. 

Back to Work

I am back at work at the college and my goal for this year is to not let the little frustrations get to me.  Easier said than done, but if I keep repeating the phrase- it's not what life gives you, it's how you deal with it- then I will be better prepared to deal with the inevitable bumps in the road that are part of life.  So far, it has been a struggle with advising and all of the things necessary to get a new semester started, but I have a great group of faculty in my program that are willing to help.  That says a lot! Classes start next week so I am trying to get everything ready.  Since I am doing Jill's job, I really know how much work she did for the program and I have even more admiration for her. 

My first blog message

I am attempting to develop a blog for myself and my family.  Not sure how this will work, but I love reading my daughter Jennifer's blog and decided that I might want to start one.  I am starting a new weight loss journey in preparation for my son Michael's wedding on May 19, 2012.  So far I have done well, of course it is only January 3rd.  I have not gotten to the gym but I did a lot of work around the house, like taking down thew Christmas tree and decorations and cleaning out the garage, so this should count for some type of exercise.