Memorial Day Weekend 2008

I was thinking about how last year, this weekend was HELL. I lost Carol Bock. And my Dad had his massive heart attack the next day. Whew. So, whatever happens this year would pale in comparison - I was hoping for an uneventful weekend. I guess I got my wish - in a strange way. :)

My last day of work was Wednesday. What a BLESSING. I was so looking forward to a long memorial day weekend on the new deck (pictures included below) and going to Mom's on Saturday for the annual Pool Party (where no one swims because it's too cold) and the Lakeside Memorial Day Parade......

So on Thursday, I began my mini-vaca with a trip to Tappahannock, VA to visit my Mimi's 2 sisters and families... It was Barbara's birthday and we all had the traditional lunch at Lowery's and then back to Barbara's to visit.

Here is Mimi and Stella walking into Lowery's.




It was so nice!! And Stella loved her ice cream, as usual.




Lowery's has a tradition where the kids "go fishing" after they eat. They get a little fishing pole and go back to the well in the back of the restaurant and catch these plastic fish and take their fish to the front and get a prize. I used to fish when I was Stella's age. So, Stella went fishing and got a prize of a little red ducky.





My cousin Amy got her a twirly thing that she loved...




Stella was great all day - She played with Aaron and Emaline's toys at their Memaw Barbara's house.... You can see in the video below. You can also hear my Mimi, Barbara, and Jean singing "like Marilyn Monroe." They are all nuts. In a wonderful way. And they did not know I was recording.


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

But when I pulled her out of the car after the 45 minute ride home, she was BURNING up! Then at 1am, she woke up crying - which she never does. I went in to get her and she was a million degrees and was shaking... It was pitiful!!! She slept with us the rest of the night and I took her to the doc the next morning.

She was acting totally normal and happy. She made friends with a little boy in the waiting room. "Hey boy!"

But when the doc looked at her throat, she actually gasped. "Her throat is awful!" I was shocked... The doc even said "You'd never know her throat looks like that, she is in such good spirits." She took a swab - and of course, it was Strep Throat. She said she is very contagious and will be until she has not had a fever for 24 hours - and that the fever could last for 3 days. Poor baby. And poor me! All I could think about was how this weekend was going to a be a repeat of Christmas!

We have been confined to the house - but sometimes that's not so bad. And we do have the new deck to sit on. We watched Mom and Dad's party from our deck yesterday...waved back and forth. A few family members came over in spurts and watched Stella dance from the yard - careful not to get too close. So, it wasn't a total bummer like Christmas.

I have been rather productive with being confined. All chores are done - laundry that had piled up, grocery shopping, and today I plan to organize some scrapbooking stuff... Toby has been SUPER productive this past week while he has been on vacation. Not only has he built a magical deck, but he has cleaned the gutters, cut all the grass, run power out to my shed so I can have a light in there, he removed a baseboard heating unit from the living room (that was inactive and Stella liked to stand on it and scare us..) and replaced it with a wood baseboard that looks great, he has totally gutted his garage and cleaned it.... on and on! I swear, if I could afford for HIM to stay home, I would! Things get done!!!!

And here is the BEFORE pic of "huck finn" - the old "dock."




And the AFTERS. I am so thankful!!



















So it's not the Memorial Day of my dreams...but it's been pretty darn good.

And please say a prayer for Cece and John Bock. John (her Dad) flew out to LA to be with her this weekend. I am SO happy neither one of them is alone... And I am so incredibly thankful that my Dad is here to celebrate Memorial Day - even if I just get to wave back and forth from deck to deck.