22 Accomplishments: August Update

Well, this month is over.  In some ways I am very glad because August put us in a whirl.  This is what got accomplished:


-I finished my Christmas Advent Calendar.  (Just have to put a bow on it.)  I am so excited for this little project and CANNOT wait for it to be Christmas!  (I'm almost even looking forward to snow!)


-At the beginning of this month we took a trip to Branson.  We stayed with some family friends whom retired there.  Virgil used to work with my dad when my parents first got married and then again when we lived in Virginia.  It was great to see them and get to spend some time with them--they are like family.


-Finished reading The Beach Club by Elin Hilderbrand.  Very good.  I love how her books have multiple main characters and their lives all are intertwined in one way or another.


-Sent 2 birthday cards out for August.


-Cooked some pulled pork in the crock pot.


-I'm slowly getting back to my goal weight.  Mom and I started our evening walks, but they got interrupted by the death in my family.  Read here, here, and here.  Hopefully we get those started again soon.  However, my eating habits have slowed down greatly as a result of the death.


-My chair in my bedroom got fixed, now I just have to paint it!  Yay for the fun part!


Movies
I watched a lot of movies this month, but not many from my list.  Oops!  I'll have to play catch up soon!
-Ben-Hur.  I had seen this movie many times when I was little, but I didn't remember much.  It is a very good movie, but a little long....3 1/2 hours.  (That counts for 2 movies, right?!)

This is what my list looks like now:

1.  Make dinner for a family who is going through a tough time. (Dinner: January 22, 2011.  Care Package: July 21, 2011)
2.  Get back to my ideal weight.
3.  Finish college.
4.  Get a 'big girl' job.
5.  Go a day without getting on the computer (or getting on the internet via iPhone.) (July 4, 12, 23)
6.  Send birthday cards to all my good friends. (January, February, March, July, August) (No friend birthdays in April, May, or June)
7.  Make a Christmas advent tree like this one.
8.  Fix and paint my desk chair in my room.
9.  Try 5 new foods. (Soy beans, raspberries, Apple dumpling, mango, fried pickle)
10.  Create (and do) a cleaning schedule to keep my room better organized.
11.  Take a family photo each month for a year. (January, February, March, April, May, June, August  (July), August)
12.  Do a 52 week portrait challenge. (Have completed 34 weeks so far)
13.  Feel more comfortable cooking, especially meats. (August)
14.  Plant tulips in mom's garden. 
15.  Make Wrist Key Chains.  Found here.
16.  Clean out my closet.
17.  (Finish the quilt I started 4 or 5 years ago.)  Make a quilt.
18.  Learn to make French Toast.
19.  Reach $2100 PCV  in my Silpada sales for 3 2 months. (February)
20.  Go on a family trip.
21.  Read 20 books.
  Here is the list I've read so far:

1.  Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin

2. Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah

3.  Marrying Daisy Bellamy by Susan Wiggs. 

4.  Borrowed Bride by Susan Wiggs

5.  The Child Called It by David Pelzer.

6.  What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

7.  Dear Cupid by Julie Ortolon

8.  The Island by Elin Hilderbrand
9.  The Beach Club by Elin Hilderbrand

22.  Watch every movie that made 'Best Picture' in the Oscars.
 Here is the list: I've marked off the ones I've already seen.  There are a few that I've already seen, but I need a refresher before I check them off the list.  (Too bad, I could cross off another 6 movies...)

*Note: The ones that are marked out but don't have a date by them are movies I've already seen in the years past.

1928 Wings (April)
1929  The Broadway Melody
1930  All Quiet on the Western Front (June) 

1931  Cimarron (May)
1932  Grand Hotel (May)
1933  Cavalcade (June)

1934  It Happened One Night (April)
1935  Mutiny on the Bounty (April)
1936  The Great Ziegfeld (June) 

1937  The Life of Emile Zola
1938  You Can't Take It With You (July)
1939  Gone With the Wind
1940  Rebecca (May)
1941  How Green Was My Valley
1942  Mrs. Miniver (July)
1943  Casablanca
1944  Going My Way
1945  The Lost Weekend
1946  The Best Years of Our Lives (June)
1947  Gentleman's Agreement (May)
1948  Hamlet
1949  All The King's Men
1950  All About Eve (March)
1951  An American in Paris
1952  The Greatest Show on Earth
1953  From Here to Eternity
1954  On the Waterfront (June) 

1955  Marty
1956  Around the World in 80 Days
1957  The Bridge on the River Kwai
1958  Gigi (March)
1959  Ben-Hur (August)
1960  The Apartment (July)
1961  West Side Story
1962  Lawrence of Arabia
1963  Tom Jones
1964  My Fair Lady (May)
1965  The Sound of Music
1966  A Man for All Seasons
1967  In the Heat of the Night
1968  Oliver
1969  Midnight Cowboy
1970  Patton
1971  The French Connection (March)
1972  The Godfather
1973  The Sting (July)
1974  The Godfather Part II
1975  One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1976  Rocky
1977  Annie Hall
1978  The Deer Hunter
1979  Kramer vs. Kramer
1980  Ordinary People (June) 

1981  Chariots of Fire (June) 

1982  Gandhi
1983  Terms of Endearment
1984  Amadeus
1985  Out of Aftrica
1986  Platoon
1987  The Last Emperor
1988  Rain Man
1989  Driving Miss Daisy
1990  Dances With Wolves
1991  The Silence of the Lambs (February)
1992  Unforgiven
1993  Schindler's List
1994  Forrest Gump
1995  Braveheart
1996  The English Patient
1997  Titanic
1998  Shakespeare in Love (March)
1999  American Beauty (June) 2000  Gladiator
2001  A Beautiful Mind
2002  Chicago

2003  The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

2004  Million Dollar Baby

2005  Crash

2006  The Departed

2007  No Country for Old Men

2008  Slumdog Millionaire

2009  The Hurt Locker

2010  The King's Speech

Uncle Bobby

This last week has been incredibly hard.  This is my last picture with Uncle Bobby.  It has been a week and a day since his death and I still cannot believe he is gone.  It breaks my heart that something this tragic had to happen for my family to become whole again.  But despite the sad loss and I so incredibly grateful to be reunited.   

If you would like to read more, please read Gone and Denial.  I apologize in advance for any grammar mistakes.  Both posts were written between 2 and 4 AM on very little sleep.

Linked up here.

Denial

I feel like I'm in a terrible dream and cannot wake myself up.  Uncle Bobby's death still has not sunk in and I am in complete denial.  I can still hear his voice.  I still expect him to walk through the door to come visit dad. When I see bikers out, I still look for a leg brace wondering if it is him.  I'm still looking for him..wondering when will I wake up from this nightmare.

On Saturday we got a knock at the door and it was friends of Uncle Bobby.  They wanted to see dad.  They looked sad and mom and I couldn't figure out what was going on.  That is whey they told us.  Bobby was in a bicycle accident and died.  He was gone.  Shock took hold and they only thing that we could say was, "What?!"  Just an hour before Bobby and one of the guys that came to our house were out on a leisure ride.  (They are both big bicycle riders.)  They were coming down a hill and were approaching another street.  The friend had suggested they turn right and Bobby said no, go straight.  Bobby caught the back wheel of his friend's bike and went over.  He had died instantly.  There was blood everywhere and it was coming out of his mouth, nose, and ears.  He was pronounced dead at 4:33pm.

Once we heard the story we tried to contact Karen, my aunt (Bobby's ex-wife).  Apparently the police had gone to her house but she wasn't home.  So I called her sister and told her the news, which she then got ahold of Karen.  When the 2 friends left, mom, dad, and I piled into the car and went to see where the accident took place.  You couldn't tell anything had happened except that the road was wet and there was once little bike piece.

After, we went to the hospital.  We met up with Karen and her some of her family.  Once the body was cleaned up, we were able to go see Bobby.  It was one of the worst experiences of my life.  Watching dad's reaction to seeing his dead brother was heartbreaking beyond words.

During this time, Karen had called Nick, my cousin and told him he needed to come home.  He didn't know what had happened, just that his dad was in at the hospital and he needed to get home right away.  We waited 3 hours while he made the ride home.  Karen wanted my dad to be the one who told him.  I wasn't in the room, but I do know that Nick and dad held each other while they grieved.  I was with them when Nick saw his father.  Once again, it was heartbreaking beyond words.


I keep trying to process what happened.  It just doesn't make any sense.

School started Monday and I was in a complete fog.  I have not been sleeping much and with everything going on, I just wanted to be at home with my family.  But no.  (However, I am taking Wednesday and Thursday off.)  Bobby's obituary was in the paper today (or yesterday...it is 4am on Wednesday right now.)  Wednesday we will be having the visitation and Thursday is the funeral.

Gone

The day started off like a normal day.
Mom and I went for a walk and it began to rain.
Came home to watch a movie.
I showered.
Actually cared what I looked like today and curled my hair.
Mom and I went to Wal-Mart and we played around and giggled about stupid little things.
Came home for dinner because I was starving.
Got dinner started cooking.
About ready to sit down for dinner.

KNOCK on the door.

2 people I didn't recognize right away stood at the door.
Then recognition settled in.
They were friends of my uncles.
Why did they have that look on their faces?
Why did they want to talk to dad?

There was an accident. He didn't make it.

Shock took hold.
Asked lots of questions, but didn't get many answers.

He was gone instantly.

Mom, dad and I piled into the car.
We went to the scene.
You couldnt tell there was anything wrong.
That a life had been taken an hour and a half before.
We went to the emergency room.
Saw family and instantly started crying.
Nerves going crazy.
Constantly shaking.
Jaw clenched.

We went back to the room to see him.
First time I have ever seen a dead body.
My first tears where shed when I saw my dad's reaction to seeing his dead younger brother.
Uncontrollable.
Held dad's hand as we walked out.
Tears rolling down cheeks as people watched.
Went back to the waiting room and waited.
It would be 3 hours before his son would arrive.
How would he take loosing his father?
Waiting.
Waiting.

Dad and I left to get his charging phone.
Watched random people as they took evening walks.
Playing.
Laughing.
Life moved on.

Plans were made so my dad, mom, and aunt told my cousin in a private room.
Cousin arrived.
He and dad held each other as he was told the news.

Gone.

We went back to see my uncle again.
Cried while cousin held his father's cold hand.
Uncle looked more peaceful.

Plans are being made for a funeral.
Decisions left in my 20 year old cousins hands.

He is gone.


Prayers for my grieving family are greatly needed and appreciated.
Thank you.

What I've been up to lately...

1. Cleaned the kitchen this morning. It really needed it.
2. Trying to enjoy the last few days of summer. School starts Monday. I have mixed feelings.
3. Watched an incredible lightning storm last night. Tried to get pictures but none turned out very well. I might have one but it needs some serious editing.
4. Found some new make-up hidden in my drawer that I'm in love with!
5. Saw Crazy Stupid Love with some friends and LOVED the movie. Highly recommend. Haven't laughed that hard in a long time.

Happy Friday/weekend!

Branson

The first weekend in August my family took a little weekend trip to Branson, Missouri.  We went there to visit some family friends (who are more like family).  On our 5 hour drive south, we all realized that this trip was greatly needed.  The further south we went the more each of us relaxed and grew closer as a family.

I was the one who decided we were going to go.  I knew that if I didn't push it someone would find a reason not to go.  The fear that dad might not be able to handle daily activities without much rest in between.  In the end it was one of the best things we have done for us this summer.  (See mom, sometimes my crazy crafts and little pushiness can turn into a good thing :)

Here are a few pictures from our wonderful weekend away.  Hope you enjoy!

The view from their house.  It was incredible!  This picture doesn't do it justice.  

Virgil and dad.  Dad got Virgil to join the postal service and Virgil kind of followed in dad's footsteps.  We have all lived in Minnesota, Virginia and Missouri.

SIX.  Every instrument you heard was done by their mouths and voices.  

Add caption

Week 32

Mom and Susie

Family :)

Scavenger Hunt Sunday: August 14, 2011

Against the Light

Clouds at Krug Park.  

Frame Within Frame

It started raining while I took this shot.  Really like how it turned out!

Best Part of Day

This isn't my best part of the day, but it is Abby's.  She LOVES car rides.  Mom and I took her to Krug Park and let her romp around a little.  She had a blast!

Linked up here.

Buttons

Buttons from mom's collection.

Ink

Documenting what I did yesterday in the day planner.

Linked up here.

right now i am

-thinking of all the other many things i should be doing

-wondering how summer could possibly be almost over

-grateful for the getaway trip we took last weekend

-glad for nice weather to take an evening walk

-wishing it were closer to christmas

-wanting the solitude of snow falling

-grateful for wonderful friendships

-anticipating the near future

-loving my little pups personality

-enjoying watching tv with dad

-finding new music that speaks to me

-feeling happy and sad at the same time

-incredibly grateful for my wonderful family

12 of 12 August

I am a nerd :)  I absolutely love the 12 of 12 project.  If I could, I would do this project everyday, but then it would take all the fun out of it.

I have noticed that the day before the 12th I often think of things to do or things I want to take a picture of for the current month.  (Am I the only one that does this?!)  Since I had 'ideas' of what I wanted to include in this month I must say I was very dissatisfied that it was suppose to rain all day long.  It was not going to go along with what I had in mind.  However, some of my favorite photos in this month are a result of the rain so I guess I shouldn't be too disappointed.  Plus, that is what this project is about it.  Finding beauty in the everyday, ordinary, unplanned events of life.

01.  Rain drops hanging on to the kitchen window.

02.  Took mom to her meeting before the school year begins.  There were 21 school busses waiting.  We counted.

03.  Abby came along as well because she LOVES car rides.  She had a blast!

04.  It started raining again on our way home.

05.  Polka-dot umbrella.

06.  Rain drops on the patio.

07.  We have 3 hummingbirds that like our feeder.  At dinner time you will see them fight over it.  (Btw it took me forever to get this shot!)

08.  Me today.

09.  Got my hair trimmed.  

10.  Went to the library to pick up another book.  I'm finishing The Beach Club by Elin Hilderbrand and got The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen.

11.  Flower from the flower pots I planted back in April.

12.  The weather finally cleared up to take an evening walk with mom.

Happy 12th everyone!

Abby vs. Train

Dad loves trains.  He has collected Lionel Trains for years.  In fact, when I was 2 he bought me a train for Christmas because he was tired of doing 'girl things' and wanted us to do something he could enjoy as well.  When I was little we used to put up a train every now and then and used legos to build bridges, tunnels, zoos etc.  Throughout my lifetime we have gone to many Lionel Train conventions.  These trains are dad's biggest hobby.  He had big plans of building a display when he retired, but that has been put on the side since he got sick.  It has been years...I mean years since he got a train out.  Abby is 10 and she has never ever played with a train.

On Monday night mom and I went to KC for a little Silpada meeting.  She came with me to see some of the new jewelry and get a taste of the Silpada atmosphere.  We got home around 10:30ish that night.  A few minutes into our conversation we heard a train horn.  We both looked at each other wondering what was going on...What was dad up to?!  At first we thought dad was blowing into the wooden train horn that we have had for years, but as I walked into the kitchen I could hear a toy train engine running in the basement!

All of a sudden I screamed "MOM!!!" and ran down the stairs.  Abby followed and had to check out this new toy.

I cannot tell you how much joy it brought to me to see dad's grin on his face.  He had that little boy look as if saying "Look what I did!"  It makes me happy to see him getting involved with life again!  (We hit another rough patch the first 2-3 weeks of July.)  Tonight we are going to go play mini-golf with some new friends.  (My friend Jenny and her parents--they have helped us out a lot when dad first became sick.)  And on Friday we leave for Branson to visit one of dad's old work buds.  It will be so nice to get out of town and have a little break from life!  I can't wait!

P.S.  Look how fast Abby's tail is wiggling!!!  She is such a cutie :)

Just Go With It (soundtrack) - Every Car You Chase

This weekend my family and I watched Just Go With It with Jennifer Anison and Adam Sandler.  It.was.hilarious!  In the movie they played this mash up and I fell in love with it.

Hope you enjoy it too!

22 Accomplishments: July Update

I'm changing one of my to-dos.  Instead of doing a painting (what was I thinking?!?  I don't paint!) I want to makes these!  Wrist key chains.  So cool and they look fairly easy.  They will probably become some little Christmas gifts :)


Now on to my list of things I've done this month!


I haven't been on the computer for THREE days this month.  Go me!  July 4th,  July 12th, and July 23rd.  (I did check my e-mail in the morning but it is a habit that I cannot break in case there is something important going on with school, etc.)


I have started my Christmas Tree Advent project.  I know--it is July and I'm already thinking abut Christmas.  I know if I don't get it done now while I'm thinking about it I won't get it done at all.  And even though it is a Christmas thing it needs to be done by November since this project starts on the first of December.  So... I have  found some green envelopes and starting thinking of some things to do.  I'm actually quite excited about this.  I told mom about this project and she was weary of it, but when I showed her what I meant she thought it was a cool idea.  Who-Hoo!  I just hope it might become a tradition!  
(Anyone have any cool holiday traditions you'd like to share?  I still need a few more and I'm seriously stumped!  What is your favorite holiday tradition?)


I didn't make a dinner for someone, but I made a care package for a very good friend.  She is going through a really rough breakup and I wanted to do something to cheer her up!  


I've also picked up my quilting fever.  However, I'm not finishing the quilt I started 4 years ago--I started a new one.  :/  :P  I'm excited about it and I can't wait to finish it!  


I sent a birthday card to one of my friends.  It was sent really, really late, but at least I got it to her!


I was going to have our family picture taken on 4th of July but dad wasn't feeling well so we couldn't.  And then I forgot....going to take it on August 1st.  Oops!

I have completed 31 of the 52 weeks of the year.  Wow!  I love this project and I've been getting a lot of comments and compliments on it.  

Movies:

-Mrs. Miniver.  Cute but nothing extraordinary.

-The Apartment.  I've seen it before but just wanted to re-watch it.  Plus I love Jack Lemmon.  He is one of my favorites.

-You Can't Take It With You.  The best part of this movie is that it is over.  I don't understand how it won Best Picture--or even how it was even nominated.  Don't even bother watching this one!
-The Sting.  Good movie, but I needed a little bit of explaining.  (Dad had already seen the movie and liked it so he helped me understand it a little better.)
-Amadeus-It was kind of funny.  A little long though.  My favorite part was when the characters were describing the music.  It was fascinating.  Especially coming from a musical family.  (My mom was a music major and one of the best in her class.  My grandfather was in a band.  And my grandma taught music in school.  I didn't inherit this--but I definitely appreciate music!)
-Chicago.  I had seen this movie when it first came to DVD and we own it, but my family didn't really care for it.  Since I didn't remember the movie I thought I'd re-watch it.  This time I really liked it.  The interpretation of dance was amazing!  I may even watch it again.

Books:

-Dear Cupid by Julie Ortolon.  It was free in iBooks for my iPod.  And it was really cute.
-The Island by Elin Hilderbrand.  So good.  I'm making my mom read it when she is done with all the books she is currently reading.  Read it!

This is what my list looks like now:

1.  Make dinner for a family who is going through a tough time. (Dinner: January 22, 2011.  Care Package: July 21, 2011)
2.  Get back to my ideal weight.
3.  Finish college.
4.  Get a 'big girl' job.
5.  Go a day without getting on the computer (or getting on the internet via iPhone.) (July 4, 12, 23)
6.  Send birthday cards to all my good friends. (January, February, March, July) (No friend birthdays in April, May, or June)
7.  Make a Christmas advent tree like this one.
8.  Fix and paint my desk chair in my room.
9.  Try 5 new foods. (Soy beans, raspberries, Apple dumpling, mango, fried pickle)
10.  Create (and do) a cleaning schedule to keep my room better organized.
11.  Take a family photo each month for a year. (January, February, March, April, May, June)
12.  Do a 52 week portrait challenge. (Have completed 31 weeks so far--this weeks will be coming tomorrow)
13.  Feel more comfortable cooking, especially meats. 
14.  Plant tulips in mom's garden. 
15.  Make Wrist Key Chains.  Found here.
16.  Clean out my closet.
17.  (Finish the quilt I started 4 or 5 years ago.)  Make a quilt.
18.  Learn to make French Toast.
19.  Reach $2100 PCV  in my Silpada sales for 3 2 months. (February)
20.  Go on a family trip.
21.  Read 20 books.
  Here is the list I've read so far:

1.  Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin

2. Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah

3.  Marrying Daisy Bellamy by Susan Wiggs. 

4.  Borrowed Bride by Susan Wiggs

5.  The Child Called It by David Pelzer.

6.  What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

7.  Dear Cupid by Julie Ortolon
8.  The Island by Elin Hilderbrand

22.  Watch every movie that made 'Best Picture' in the Oscars.
 Here is the list: I've marked off the ones I've already seen.  There are a few that I've already seen, but I need a refresher before I check them off the list.  (Too bad, I could cross off another 6 movies...)

*Note: The ones that are marked out but don't have a date by them are movies I've already seen in the years past.

1928 Wings (April)
1929  The Broadway Melody
1930  All Quiet on the Western Front (June) 
1931  Cimarron (May)
1932  Grand Hotel (May)
1933  Cavalcade (June)

1934  It Happened One Night (April)
1935  Mutiny on the Bounty (April)
1936  The Great Ziegfeld (June) 

1937  The Life of Emile Zola
1938  You Can't Take It With You (July)
1939  Gone With the Wind
1940  Rebecca (May)
1941  How Green Was My Valley
1942  Mrs. Miniver (July)
1943  Casablanca
1944  Going My Way
1945  The Lost Weekend
1946  The Best Years of Our Lives (June)
1947  Gentleman's Agreement (May)
1948  Hamlet
1949  All The King's Men
1950  All About Eve (March)
1951  An American in Paris
1952  The Greatest Show on Earth
1953  From Here to Eternity
1954  On the Waterfront (June) 

1955  Marty
1956  Around the World in 80 Days
1957  The Bridge on the River Kwai
1958  Gigi (March)
1959  Ben-Hur
1960  The Apartment (July)
1961  West Side Story
1962  Lawrence of Arabia
1963  Tom Jones
1964  My Fair Lady (May)
1965  The Sound of Music
1966  A Man for All Seasons
1967  In the Heat of the Night
1968  Oliver
1969  Midnight Cowboy
1970  Patton
1971  The French Connection (March)
1972  The Godfather
1973  The Sting (July)
1974  The Godfather Part II
1975  One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1976  Rocky
1977  Annie Hall
1978  The Deer Hunter
1979  Kramer vs. Kramer
1980  Ordinary People (June) 

1981  Chariots of Fire (June) 

1982  Gandhi
1983  Terms of Endearment
1984  Amadeus (July)
1985  Out of Aftrica
1986  Platoon
1987  The Last Emperor
1988  Rain Man
1989  Driving Miss Daisy
1990  Dances With Wolves
1991  The Silence of the Lambs (February)
1992  Unforgiven
1993  Schindler's List
1994  Forrest Gump
1995  Braveheart
1996  The English Patient
1997  Titanic
1998  Shakespeare in Love (March)
1999  American Beauty (June) 2000  Gladiator
2001  A Beautiful Mind
2002  Chicago (July)

2003  The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

2004  Million Dollar Baby

2005  Crash

2006  The Departed

2007  No Country for Old Men

2008  Slumdog Millionaire

2009  The Hurt Locker

2010  The King's Speech