Starting a New Tradition For the Holidays, and Trip to Jerome, Haynes, and Sedona, AZ

This year was a new beginning to a Thanksgiving tradition, since our former holiday traditions have become a thing of the past. With my grandparents and my dad long gone, my mom in a nursing home, and the distance of my sisters, holidays are not the same as they once were.  That's the thing about life, things change, traditions change, and we start new ones. It's not supposed to be a sad thing, but a happy, new beginning. The past holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas will forever be etched in my memory, but now, going forward, I am starting a new tradition. We have decided that every other year we will get together at my house for either Christmas or Thanksgiving. Since this was the year for Thanksgiving, we celebrated Christmas too. My kids will be with their significant other's families for Christmas this year. Next year our family will be together for Christmas instead of Thanksgiving. I think we got it all worked out where everyone knows the schedule and can plan accordingly. 

There's so much going on right now and my mind is usually in a state of worry about my mom's health.  So it was so nice having all of my kids come here for the holiday and we could spend some good quality time together.  It offered me a nice distraction, and we had a really fun time. They always make me laugh!  I love being with all of them.  I didn't get to be with my mom, but I plan to see her just as soon as I can get back to Chicago.

My son and his family flew in from San Francisco and my youngest daughter and her boyfriend flew in from Chicago.  My oldest daughter lives here in Phoenix, near me. My house isn't that big so we had to divide the family between my house and my daughter's house for sleeping arrangements. It's ok though, because we spent most of our waking hours together.  I had all of my kids and grandkids here, and I went to bed at night, peacefully, knowing they were all safe and sound. All moms know that feeling!  Even though my kids are grown, we moms still worry about them.

I usually have my Christmas tree up early so it wasn't that big of a deal putting it up when I did.  It did feel kind of strange getting all of my Christmas shopping done so early.  I was listening to Christmas music and wrapping presents when other people were just starting their Christmas lists. I don't know what it's going to feel like when Christmas is actually here, because right now I feel like it's over, except when I go to the stores and am reminded that Christmas is still coming.  It's everywhere.  I love this time of year.

When my youngest daughter and her boyfriend arrived last Wednesday, we headed out for a mountain hike shortly after returning from the airport.  By the time we got to the mountain, we stopped for a jump shot picture, which is something my daughter and I always do.  She can jump higher than I can, but I say it's because she's so much younger, AND, she is more athletic than me with all those years of dance, cheerleading, and other sports.   Anyway, it's a fun thing for us to do.

Here's my daughter and her boyfriend...

After our pictures, we set out on the mountain trail.  The rocks were really loose and I warned everyone to be careful.  So what do I do?  I guess I wasn't careful enough, because I ended up slipping on the rocks and I fell and landed on a hard rock that jabbed me in the upper part of my leg.  Thankfully, I didn't get hurt badly and was able to walk ok.  Shortly after that we turned around and headed back to the house.  Soon after, a bruise appeared, and my leg was sore.  But about 5 days later, after all the kids left, that's when it started to bother me.  I got some Arnicare from the drugstore and I applied heat to the bruise (which was the worst bruise I have ever seen).  Both of those things helped because it felt so much better and looked so much better within just two days.  Anyway, enough of that.

Later that day I picked up my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson from the airport.  I just saw them earlier in the month, but of course it was so sweet to see them again.  I fixed lasagne and baked spaghetti and french bread for supper that night, and all the kids and their spouses and my grandkids were at my house.  The grandkids played really well together.  They are 3, almost 2, and just turned 2 years old.

This was taken at my daughter's house...

We had Thanksgiving dinner at my daughter's house the next morning.  She has a bigger dining room table than me so we agreed to have it there this year, and we both shared the preparation of the food.  I baked the turkey at my house, so I got the most important job!  I think it turned out really good.

Here's a picture of my kids on Thanksgiving.

The day after Thanksgiving we packed the family in two cars and drove to Jerome, Arizona, which is an historical ghost town.  It is considered the most vertical city in America.  The views from the vistas were beautiful.  You could see Sedona and the San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff from the town.
This is Jerome...

 

We left Jerome and drove a short distance to the town of Haynes, Arizona, which is an old mining town, and a completely deserted ghost town.  A mine was constructed to mine for copper but gold was found instead.  It was interesting walking through the town and going inside the old buildings, and seeing all the old cars and trucks and equipment.

After walking around Haynes, we drove about 20 miles to Sedona. I've been there before but my younger two have not been there.  It is such a beautiful place and it would be such a neat place to live.  Not only the beauty, but the energy some people feel from the vortexes is what draws spectators to the area. This first picture is the Chapel of the Holy Cross, which was built in 1956...the same year that I was born.

 A couple of pictures of me and my kids. 

 Here's a picture of our whole gang.

 The beautiful Sedona sunset. 

When we got home after our trip we went to my daughter's house and ate some left-over food.

The next day we prepared a big breakfast at my house.  My daughter and her husband made pumpkin, walnut pancakes and my daughter-in-law made an egg and hashbrown casserole.  I made some bacon and cinnamon rolls and we had some fresh fruit and juice.  After breakfast we turned on some Christmas music and opened our presents.  I just loved the kids' expressions and obvious signs of happiness and excitement when they opened their gifts.  That is what makes Christmas so special.  Seeing that. 

Here's my grandkids again.  My daughter curled the girls' hair for a photo shoot later on...

 I love this picture of them...

Here's the rest of the family...

 After our Christmas, the kids took naps and then we went to Scorpion Gulch at South Mountain for a photo shoot.  My daughter is an aspiring photographer and she wanted to take pictures of the family.  We really appreciated it, and she got some awesome shots.  Here's some of them...

I took this one.

 Later that night we hung out at the house and ordered pizza.  My son and my daughter's boyfriend put some cool apps on my iphone and showed me some of the features of my new phone that I didn't  know about.  My daughter's boyfriend made a Lady Gaga CD for me (I love her songs) and next time I go to Chicago he is going to download her songs to my ipod.  We talked about a family vacation next year, and decided a Disney cruise next fall/winter would be a great thing for the young ones and the adults.  We've got some planning to do!  That will be a blast, and more than anything, it will be a great memory for all of us.

Elmo Birthday Party

I recently went to California to celebrate my grandson's 2nd birthday.  It had been a few months since I've seen my son and his family and it was a long anticipated trip.  When my daughter-in-law picked me up at the airport, my grandson was looking at me from the back seat of the car and said, "Nana".  It sure made me smile. :)  I got in the car and gave him a big hug and a kiss, and a present, and couldn't take my eyes off him the whole way home.

Here is my grandson watching Elmo on his daddy's phone. 

I was there to see my grandson get his first haircut.  Needless to say, it was not a pleasant experience for him! 

After the haircut, we went out for dinner and my grandson got to ride the train at the mall.

My son's a video game producer and one day soon, his son will be playing this game with him. We went to my son's work one day and my grandson loves to ride the elevator when he gets there.  As soon as he stepped off the elevator he started calling...daddy...daddy...daddy!  He got everyone's attention as they looked out of their offices and said 'Hi' to him.  Every corner he turned and down every hall, he called for his daddy. It was so cute.  My son said he heard him as soon as we got off the elevator.  

Party time!  You should have seen his face when my daughter-in-law came home with the Elmo birthday cake and balloons.  He was bursting with excitement!

He loves Elmo!

I love this little guy!  He's such a happy, good-natured little boy. 

We went for a hike up Mt. Burdell.  There were some incredible views up there.

Can't wait til the next time!

More of Chicago

I don't always post about my trips back to Chicago, and since my last trip was pretty much the same as the others, I will not say too much, and just leave you with a few select pictures.  I did get to see my awesome friend from high school, who lives in CA now, and was also visiting her daughter in Chicago.  Other than that, I was spending a lot of time with my daughter and my mom, which is what brings me back to Chicago so often.

I love looking out the window when I fly.  I will never be one of those people who choose the aisle seat.  How boring!  There's so much beauty to see, and every time it's just as amazing to me.  I always think of things while I'm looking down at the cities and small towns below.  I think of all the people living their lives in what is such a big world down there, and how miniscule they all seem from up in the sky. 

We went out one night and saw Vince Vaughn at the Hubbard Inn.  He was so close we actually made eye contact.  I could have had an awesome photo of him but my daughter wouldn't let me get out my camera.  She said, "Waaaiiittt, you can get one later".  Then in a split second his whole clan was gone!  I did manage to sneak this picture when no one was looking.

My practice plank, before I do the real thing (and I will, too!).

Trump Tower

I got up early the next day to watch the Chicago Marathon.  My daughter didn't run this year, but I still wanted to see it.  I am always amazed and inspired to see the perseverance of these athletes.

While I was watching the runners, I looked to my left and saw this advertisement.  They are all over Chicago.  It always brings a HUGE smile to my face because my son produces this video game, and I am SO proud of him!

Mom and I went out for a drive and I stopped in the road to take this picture.  Oh, I was careful to make sure no one was coming behind us!  Mom and I were engulfed in falling leaves and it brought us a moment of sheer delight.

Who can resist taking yet another picture of Lake Michigan?  I can't! 

My daughter and I had a nice evening walk along the lake.  The weather the whole time I was there was gorgeous.  I couldn't have asked for anything better.  

Since I didn't get this picture in my previous Halloween post, I wanted to post it now, because I think my daughter did an excellent job of putting together this Black Swan costume.  She looked great!

Have You Ever Been Touched By a Homeless Person?

I went to Walmart the other day, looking for toys for my grandchildren for Christmas.  I walked out of the store empty-handed.  I couldn’t find what I was looking for, and I was upset with myself for wasting my time going there.  I don't like this particular Walmart (even though I love Walmart stores in general), and I normally avoid it at all costs.  When I left the store, my daughter called out to me from the parking lot.  She had just gotten there to pick up a few things after work.  I was surprised to see her there and I walked over to her car where we talked for a few minutes.  Then I went back to my car and drove off. 

As I was leaving the parking lot I noticed a homeless woman walking along the edge of the lot, pushing a grocery cart filled about half way up with her belongings.  She was dirty. and everything in her cart was dirty.  She had on pants and a coat and a hood over her head, even though the temperature was in the 70’s.  I could see her eyes and they looked so sad. I don’t believe she made eye contact with me.  It was as if she was in her own little world, a desolate world, where nobody paid any attention to her, or her to them. 

My heart went out to this woman.  There was something about her that touched me.  My heart sank, and I knew I had to do something.  I couldn't just drive off and ignore her.  She looked like she was around my mom’s age.  But I could've been totally wrong.  She may have only been my age, but her hard life aged her.  I watched her walk in my rear view mirror and she walked so wobbly and weak.  Her knees were turning inward.  I turned my car around and drove up a little bit and parked so I could observe her, wanting so bad to help her.  She reached down and picked up something and then picked up something else.  I don’t know if it was a can or what it was.  Then she sat down on the curb and put her head in her lap.  That did it for me.  Seeing her do that brought tears to my eyes...it just broke my heart. 

I reached into my purse and pulled out three dollars, and I slowly drove up to her, thinking about what I was going to say.  I rolled the passenger window down and I called out to her and said, “Ma am, do you need any help?”  She stood up and approached my car and I could see her face well, with dirt between the wrinkles of her weathered skin.  I once again saw those sad looking eyes.  She said, “Where are we going?”  It looked like she was going to open my car door.  I said, "We aren’t going anywhere, I was just wondering if you needed anything.”  She said, “Do you know where the races are?  Are we going to the races?”  I knew she had some mental issues when she went on to say, “Is this a race car?  Are you a race car driver?”  I said no.  I asked her again if she needed any help and she backed away and started to sit on the curb again, almost like she was defeated in that I wasn't going to take her to the races, and then she said, “I could use a dollar.”  I said here, and I held out the 3 dollars, as she stood up and approached my car and reached her right hand in to take the money. 

I could swear it looked like she wanted to touch my hand.  I noticed her old, wrinkled hand was filthy, with dirt between her long fingernails.  I almost thought she was going to grab my hand.  I don’t know why, but I got scared for a split second.  She took the money and slowly sat down again.  I don’t think she thanked me, but I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was very grateful.  I said, “God bless you!” 

As I drove off, I prayed for this woman while choking back tears.  There was something about her.  I realized that there was a reason I went to Walmart after all, and she was the reason why.  I didn't do much at all for this poor woman, but she did something to me.  She has been on my mind ever since.  I see that image of her head in her lap, and her long skinny fingers reaching for the money, I just can't shake it.  After I drove down the street I almost turned back around because I forgot to ask her name.  It didn’t really matter I guess, but I wanted to know her name.  I bet it’s been awhile since anyone has asked her that. 

Today I drove through the Walmart parking lot looking for her. She wasn't there.  I drove through the lot next to it and down another street nearby, and still no homeless woman.  I'm sure she pretty much sticks to that area since she didn't look like she could walk very far.  I talked to my daughter today and she said she saw the woman that day that she saw me.  She said she saw me drive past her, but she didn't know I turned around to approach her.  She said she's seen her several times in that area because her kids go to daycare just down the street.  I told her to text me the next time she sees her.  I will go to her again, and maybe I can do something more for her.  I looked up some agencies and phone numbers for outreach programs for the homeless and I will try to get someone to come talk to her about their services.  I do know from working at a homeless agency in the past that sometimes people who live on the streets don’t want to participate in the services that are available.  They don't want any help.  But maybe this woman will welcome the help. Just maybe she can be saved from the streets and given shelter, food and medical attention.  I hope so, she is a human being and she deserves to be loved and cared for.

It All Started in Eighth Grade

I can't believe I am 55 years old! The past 43 years have flown by, just like my 8th grade social studies teacher told us would happen on our first day back to school after summer break.  He asked us if we thought summer vacation went by fast.  Pretty much everyone nodded their heads in agreement.  He then went on to tell us something that would stick with me for the rest of my life.  He said that the next two years of junior high school are going to go by very quickly, and we will suddenly find ourselves a half foot taller and sitting in a high school classroom.  Then before we know it, we will be walking across the stage at graduation, wondering where the years went.  When he said those words, I remember feeling kind of sad.  I thought, well, this is just HIS opinion.  I vowed that I will be different...I won't let that happen to me, I will make time go by slowly.  I didn't want to grow up and graduate already.  I was still just a kid!  My social studies teacher was a middle aged man, obviously a smart man in my eyes, and he had experience in this matter because of his age.  He went on to say that as we get older, life will seem to go by even faster with each passing year.  Boy, was he right.  I walked out of the classroom that day with the intention of proving him wrong.  Unfortunately, before I knew it, I was standing on stage at graduation waiting for my name to be called, and I realized my social studies teacher was right on.  And here I am now, just a few short years later, and I'm already 55.

First year of high school.

Halloween and Other Stuff

I packed up the leftovers from my yard sale last Saturday and called Big Brother's Big Sisters because they are scheduled to drive through our neighborhood this week. I made a little cash, and donated the rest. Saturday night I went to a Halloween party and I'll post a few pictures of that, along with some pictures of my grandkids in their costumes. I went trick-or-treating with my granddaughters on Monday night. The weather here is great now, and I love it! I got my new 4S iphone in the mail and got that going the other day. It has a cool feature, called Siri, which is like a personal assistant. I've been experimenting with what Siri can do the past couple of days. You just press a button on your phone and give voice commands.  Siri will even type a message or text for you, and send it. I'm not really into the newest gadgets and apps, etc., but this IS pretty cool. I haven't taken any video with my phone yet, which I'm sure I will be doing this upcoming weekend for my grandson's 2nd birthday. Tonight I went to a polical fundraising event at my neighbor's house. His friend is mayoral candidate, Greg Stanton. There were lots of people there, and lots of food, and lots of wine! My kind of party! Tomorrow I have an early morning flight to California to see my son and daughter-in-law and grandson. As I mentioned earlier, my grandson is having a birthday, and I wouldn't miss it for the world!