Well, things WERE going better

*sigh* You think things are looking up, and then, WHAM. Something you didn't expect throws you for a loop.

Well, the weekend started off well; I had summer hours at work (although I didn't get to leave at noon like usual, since I had work to do, but I still got to leave at 2:30) and then I came home and read Harry Potter as I sunbathed by our pool. Dan and I just hung out that night and watched some TV, and on Saturday we got up, cleaned up a little, ran some errands, and then went to see my grandparents.

They seemed to be doing quite well, which is good. We stayed there for about an hour, then went and got some dinner at Applebees. We then went to see Get Smart, which was HILARIOUS. I was literally laughing out loud through most of the movie. Definitely a must-see!

Then on Sunday, we did some more stuff around the house, and I FINISHED the Harry Potter series! It was amazing; now I want to read the whole series again! (And I can't wait until the movies come out....)

Anyway, so things seemed to be looking up for us. Today, however, I got a call from my mom, and she was (understandably) upset. It turns out that the nursing home where my grandparents are recuperating gave my grandma both her medicine AND my grandpa's! What the hell??? He's on morphine, some heart-regulating medicine, and some other stuff. Stuff she should obviously NOT take, since it's prescribed for my grandpa! I mean, what, just because they have the same last name, they don't check the first name?

Anyway, the first six hours were critical; they kept a very close eye on her, had the ER on standby, etc. Luckily, she seemed to pull through with no ill effects (when we went to visit her and my grandpa tonight, she was weak, but other than that, seemed fine). But what a scary six hours!!! *sigh* So just when you think nothing else could possibly happen, it does. I can't wait until they're recovered and back in their own home!

A (Fairly) Fun Weekend

Aside from the fact that my grandparents are in the hospital (which is obviously a HUGE worry), this weekend was actually quite fun. On Friday, I met some friends for happy hour at Eno Vino's, which is this cool wine and tapas bar on the west side. I'd never been there before, but it had a really cool atmosphere and delicious appetizers. So I'm sure we'll be heading over there again.

Then Dan and I met my Aunt Chris, Matthew, Tracy, Kirsti and Rori for dinner at the Old-Fashioned. The food wasn't as good as it normally is, but it was fun to see everyone :) Then we headed to St. Mary's to visit my grandma.

Saturday Dan and I watched Rori, and we had such a good time. She is such a doll; I hope my kids are even half as good as she is! We went swimming in my complex's pool, which was a lot of fun (although it was super windy, and we honestly thought a deck chair was going to come flying into the water. Luckily, it stayed put). Then we hung out at home, watched movies, and made star-shaped cookies for Flag Day. We headed to Outback that night for dinner, which is always good, although our server was a little on the, um, grouchy side.

Sunday we visited both grandparents at their respective hospitals and then went to Paisans to celebrate Father's Day with the Hines. All in all it was a fun weekend.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, especially my dad, who's done a ton of stuff for both Dan and me. He often used his frequent flier miles to bring us home for Christmas (when we were poor college kids who had no other way to get home), provided me with an awesome college education, and, aside from a few moments that seemed like they belonged in the movie Father of the Bride (I'm just kidding!), had no qualms about giving both Dan and me the wedding of our dreams. Happy Father's Day, Dad!

Some updates!

Well my grandparents are getting better and should be released into a rehab facility tomorrow (or maybe even today!) It's been a long road but I'm glad they're at the end of their hospital stay, and I know we're all wishing them a speedy rehabilitation.

Please continue to keep them in your thoughts! On an unrelated note, when I get home I think I will FINALLY be able to post some pictures from Dan's graduation and our subsequent trip up to Horseshoe Lake :)

A Quick Update

Well, Dan's graduation went really well, and my family had a great time up at the lake. I'll update more later; it's been kind of busy right now since my grandparents (Fred & Juanita) were in a car accident on Tuesday. They're both still in the hospital, so we've been spending a lot of time downtown. :( Keep them in your thoughts; we're all wishing them a complete recovery!

The Big Day Approaches!

Only two more days until my husband's a college grad!!!! I am SO proud of him (and I am SO excited for our families to come visit us)! I will be sure to post pictures of the ceremony, luncheon, etc.

For those of you who will be joining us, we can't wait to see you!!

Happy Mother's Day!

All right; since Mother's Day is May 11th, I thought I'd write 11 things that I absolutely love about my mom (and yes, I shamelessly stole this idea from my sister-in-law Nancy! :) )

1. My mom is without a doubt the most generous person I know. She really epitomizes the saying, "It is better to give than receive."

2. Holidays are SO magical at her house. Seriously, I love Christmas now almost as much as I did as a kid--all because my mom goes out of her way to recreate a feeling of "magic." Christmas is my favorite holiday because of this!

3. She's my best friend; even in high school, she was the one I could tell everything to, and we hardly ever fought. I was always surprised by my friends complaining about their moms; I just sat there thinking, My mom is awesome; I don't have anything to complain about!

4. She went out of her way to give me the fairy-tale wedding of my dreams! I had the most wonderful day that I could ever imagine, and I couldn't have done it without her (and my dad, of course). She and my dad also went out of their way to ensure that I would be able to continue my college education at the university of my choice, even though UW-Madison was super expensive!

5. She is so kind and loving, especially to the "underdogs." If she hears of a child or animal in trouble, she does whatever she can to help.

6. Speaking of animals, even though she's not a "cat person" per se, she is so loving towards our "baby," Maxine. She always makes her feel welcome when we come home for Christmas.

7. She's always available to talk whenever I need her.

8. She's an amazingly talented musician, and I'm so glad I learned to play piano from her, the best of the best!

9. She's so optimistic, even if something in her life doesn't go exactly as planned, she refuses to dwell on the negative and instead focuses on all the good in her life.

10. She's so funny; she has such a good sense of humor.

11. She is still so stylish and full of life, and sometimes I think she has more energy than I do! She is my inspiration for how I want to be when I'm older.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I love my mother more than words can say.

To Gail, my wonderful mother-in-law: Thank you for raising the most wonderful man I've ever met. He's everything I ever hoped my soulmate would be: loving, respectful, intelligent, kind, ambitious, funny, and faithful. If I raise a son only half as well as you did, I will be blessed. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful mother-in-law. I love you.

Happy Mother's Day to all!

Now it's really starting to feel like summer

Yesterday was so nice; I think it was in the low 70s. So I came home from work as soon as possible, poured myself a glass of red wine (Lambrusco, of course) and sat out on our patio reading Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire. It was so relaxing; I think I was out there for a couple hours, and it was so nice to just be outside in the fresh air. I even put Maxine on a leash (which normally she doesn't like) so she could scamper around the patio without me worrying that she'll run off (not that she's ever done this, but I don't want to risk it!) She had a good time exploring all the nooks and crannies of our patio/garden.