The holidays were yet another reason to say my family had an event!

On Christmas morning while my mom, my sister, my nieces, my husband and my son are all driving me crazy at my mom's house my uncle comes in around 9:30 to say that he's got bad news. After hugs and kisses I finally say, "well, what's the news?" He tells us that my Nana has been taken to the hospital because she went to get up out of her chair at the kitchen table and couldn't move. It seems that she had taken a fall the day before while mall walking and she (and of course Pop-pop) finally decided that she needed to see someone, for the most part because she couldn't move. In the fear that she'd had some kind of a stroke (as we had just lost my great-aunt to stroke related complications back in November) they rushed her for tests. So, we're at my mom's deciding if the holiday is cancelled or do we try to keep some form of a festive holiday going on. My uncle needed to run back to the house because well, as in regular Christmas tradition, they were cooking the turkey! The plan at that point was that he would stay at their house until around 10:30 when the turkey needed to be tented at which point he would go to the hospital since Pop-pop was there without a car and we would go over to the house at 12:30 to get the turkey out of the oven (thankfully my mom and grandparents only live around the corner from one another or else this would not have worked out). Another part of the plan was to have someone go with my uncle over to the hospital so that there would be some cars there to get home...

My sister leaves with my uncle and I'm on the hunt for all the stuff that I need to make for the day that my mom has purchased ahead of time for me since I've taken over the cooking for the holidays (minus the turkey which my grandfather will not give up control of). So, we're getting to around 11:30 when the phone rings and we're told my Nana is coming home. It seems that from the preliminary testing that there is nothing they can do and she made a stink and said she wanted to go home...so...to my mom's house she came.

The day was very strange and some of the conversation awkward, but in all it was a good day. We used my van to get my grandmother back to her house because yet again she couldn't move and my aunt (who's a hospital administrator) told us that it's called frozen limb because you're brain is telling a part of your body to do something, but the body just won't react. Anyway, between my hubby, my two uncles, my grandfather and my van...we got her home and into the house on Christmas night.

This leads us to Sunday after the holiday. This was the planned day to go through my above mentioned aunts house. Since she hadn't been in the house since August when the ambulance took her to the hospital, no one was sure just want we would find. I knew the house has gone downhill with her being sick, but I didn't realize it was as bad as it really was! I for some reason got kitchen duty. Food can start to look really gross when it's been sitting for that long...ick. Also, it was clear that little critters had been there and I let my uncles know that once I saw a little furry friend that I was outta there. Joe came over for a little while to help out because we had a huge dumpsters there to empty out the house, he got the joy of helping with the mattresses. He also was helping out move recliners around from my moms and grandparents and aunts houses to make sure everyone had what they needed. Well, I guess we all realized just how bad my aunt had been because it seems she had lost her ever lovin' mind with the strokes. She didn't have the ability to get to the bathroom in time, she also seemed to not care of hygiene anymore and we also have a bad feeling that she may have created a world for herself that included a son or daughter that she never had. It was so sad to be there under such circumstances. This woman was so with it for most of my life and to find out that things had gone so wrong so fast was not what I had been prepared for. It was also hard to see things just being thrown out, I know that we couldn't keep everything that was there, but after spending so much time there as a kid memories seemed to come up with just about anything that was being thrown out. I did take a few things to remember her by and some really cool bowls that I've already used, but it's definitely not the same as going there and spending time with her. I did have to leave the house early because Joe had to come back home for work on Monday and I stayed in NJ until Tuesday. Going in two vehicles was weird but worth it because we got to get done what needed to be done. Plus, we went a new way that was much quicker and definitely a better drive.

After being gone and coming home I remember how great it is to be home. Even the cats and dog are a welcome sight after some time away.

New Years was calm with just our neighbors and their daughter over. While the kids slept we played Rummy and had fun. We didn't even make noise at midnight because their daughter was asleep on one of our sofas and we didn't want to wake her up. I won the game and we all went to sleep not much after midnight. The best part about the night was that we all could drink and they only had to walk two houses down to go home.

Now the new year has begun and I've decided that even though I don't really make resolutions anymore I am doing something for myself that I've needed to do for a long time. I joined up to Weight Watchers online and an doing the flex points plan. I think this is good for me and I'm excited about the experience. I've already gotten back on the treadmill and feel great about it. Joe even wants to do it with me, although I think he's just going to mimic what I do because he's not good at organizing and thinking about his food ahead of time. It's okay though because I can tell he wants to try this with me and hopes for results. I know I need to get healthier and I also know that it's directly related to my being happier.

I wish everyone a healthy and happy New Year!