Saturday, August 20, 2011
Abbsetta.....
For the 3rd time in 4 years, Julie and I have loaded up the RAV and moved a child to college. This time it's our youngest, Abbey. She is a member of the Universaity of Dayton's class of 2015. Julie is heading up with her as I type and I'll be joining them early this afternoon. Something tells me it is going to be very difficult to leave her behind when we head for home later today.
Abbey is a great kid. She did very well in high school and I'm confident she will continue to do well in college. She plans to study engineering while thinking about possibly going on to med school to become a Dermotologist. I don't worry about her making friends, she was senior class president and voted 'Miss Outgoing' by her high school peers. The last couple years at home have been a lot of fun as her brothers were off at school so we had the opportunity to do many, many fun things with her. (She may disagree with this statement but deep down I know a small part of her has enjoyed being an 'only child' even if it was only for a couple of years.) She had the extra car to herself, we'd go out to dinner a lot, we never missed any of her games or school events - we were able to be there for her for all her activities.
In 2005 when I was first diagnosed with lymphoma, we spent a great deal of time together. Our boys were in high school and had a lot of things going on so they were not home as often, Julie was running her own business and spent many nights in our upstairs office working on projects. Abbey was in the 7th grade so she really couldn't escape sitting in the family with me watching television night after night. We would watch Survivor, American Idol, The Office; every night it was a different show. The toughest part about my situation was I hated being alone and since every other person in our family kept pretty busy, by process of elimination Abbey was usually the one who got to keep dad company. I told her earlier this year how much those moments meant to me - I know at that time I needed her more than she needed me. She helped me get through a very difficult time more than she will ever know.
It's going to be a tough day, today. Unfortunately, when we drive home she won't be there to keep us company, she won't be there to cheer me up. I remember the day we brough her home from the hospital - Judd was 2 months shy of turning 4, Aaron was only 16 months old. They were quite a handful at the time but I distinctly recall thinking that I dreaded the day they would all be gone. Today marks the true beginning of that end. Sure, she'll be home for holidays and the summer. Judd graduated from college in May and has moved back home but he's all over the place working, hanging with friends. Aaron has two years of college left but he's going to Madrid for the semester so we won't see him for 4 months. Even though we officially aren't empty nesters we're getting pretty close to those days becoming a reality. I don't like it. I still don't want to be alone.
I've already shed a few tears this morning and I know there will be more later this afternoon. I saw some sadness in Abbey's eyes this morning, as well. I know she's excited about her college years but she's going to miss the comfort and safety of our happy, little home. All I know is I've watched an adorable little girl grow into a beautiful young lady in the bedroom next door and tonight she's not going to be there anymore - that is a hard reality to accept. She hasn't been gone an hour and i'm already looking forward to her first visit home. And I know one thing is certain, she will continue to make us proud. She is a wonderful person. Good luck in college, Abbsetta...WE LOVE YOU!!!
Abbey is a great kid. She did very well in high school and I'm confident she will continue to do well in college. She plans to study engineering while thinking about possibly going on to med school to become a Dermotologist. I don't worry about her making friends, she was senior class president and voted 'Miss Outgoing' by her high school peers. The last couple years at home have been a lot of fun as her brothers were off at school so we had the opportunity to do many, many fun things with her. (She may disagree with this statement but deep down I know a small part of her has enjoyed being an 'only child' even if it was only for a couple of years.) She had the extra car to herself, we'd go out to dinner a lot, we never missed any of her games or school events - we were able to be there for her for all her activities.
In 2005 when I was first diagnosed with lymphoma, we spent a great deal of time together. Our boys were in high school and had a lot of things going on so they were not home as often, Julie was running her own business and spent many nights in our upstairs office working on projects. Abbey was in the 7th grade so she really couldn't escape sitting in the family with me watching television night after night. We would watch Survivor, American Idol, The Office; every night it was a different show. The toughest part about my situation was I hated being alone and since every other person in our family kept pretty busy, by process of elimination Abbey was usually the one who got to keep dad company. I told her earlier this year how much those moments meant to me - I know at that time I needed her more than she needed me. She helped me get through a very difficult time more than she will ever know.
It's going to be a tough day, today. Unfortunately, when we drive home she won't be there to keep us company, she won't be there to cheer me up. I remember the day we brough her home from the hospital - Judd was 2 months shy of turning 4, Aaron was only 16 months old. They were quite a handful at the time but I distinctly recall thinking that I dreaded the day they would all be gone. Today marks the true beginning of that end. Sure, she'll be home for holidays and the summer. Judd graduated from college in May and has moved back home but he's all over the place working, hanging with friends. Aaron has two years of college left but he's going to Madrid for the semester so we won't see him for 4 months. Even though we officially aren't empty nesters we're getting pretty close to those days becoming a reality. I don't like it. I still don't want to be alone.
I've already shed a few tears this morning and I know there will be more later this afternoon. I saw some sadness in Abbey's eyes this morning, as well. I know she's excited about her college years but she's going to miss the comfort and safety of our happy, little home. All I know is I've watched an adorable little girl grow into a beautiful young lady in the bedroom next door and tonight she's not going to be there anymore - that is a hard reality to accept. She hasn't been gone an hour and i'm already looking forward to her first visit home. And I know one thing is certain, she will continue to make us proud. She is a wonderful person. Good luck in college, Abbsetta...WE LOVE YOU!!!
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
Time to end the silence....
Needless to say the month of July flew by! I attended a conference in Seattle, we took a vacation to Michigan and Julie's Aunt Sharon passed away so we also traveled to Peoria for her funeral. Now I find it hsrd to believe we are in the second week of August. Anyway, there is a lot to tell you about so lets get started...
As mentioned above, sadly Julie's Aunt Sharon passed away on July 22 following a brave battle with cancer. Sharon had traveled to Ohio two weeks earlier and we spent the weekend in Hocking Hills with her and her husband, Bruce. You could obviously tell she was sick but she was able to see everyone and spend some time playing games, etc. She did wear down and wound up needing a blood transfusion before retuning to Denver. once she got back home she really took a turn for the worst and by the following Monday (July 18) they had contacted Hospice to help keep her comfortable. we were on our way to Michigan at the time for vacation so on the way Julie and her sister Jeanne were making tavel arrangements to go and visit at the end of our vacation. We dropped them off at the Dayton airport on Friday, July 22 and they made it to her home shortly before she died.
Sharon was Julie's fathers' sister (that's a mouthful!) and she was very instrumental in making sure the Judd kids stayed connected to their dad's side of the family. They fondly remember trips to Peoria from their childhood and out to Denver for ski trips when they were older. Sharon loved to have Julie and her siblings visit, she was more like a big sister than an aunt. They loved being together and Sharon was a friend to everyone. She was very welcoming and when Sharon would talk with you, you had her undivided attention and focus. She was a free spirit who lived by the motto - live, love, laugh which she did quite well. I know Sharon will be missed but her memory and stories will live on within Julie, Jeanne, Jenny, Jerry and Jimmy for many, many years.
As I mentioned, we were on vacation just before Sharon passed away. We went to a little town in Michigan along the Lake Michigan shoreline called Saugatuck. It was a cute little town with nice shops and restaurants and unlike some vacations where you never seem to relax, that's exactly what we did on this vacation. There wasn't a whole lot to do, the weather was pretty hot and sticky, so we just relaxed and had a nice time. I also read the book, The Help, in anticipation of the movie coming out later this month. If the book is any indication, the movie should be pretty good. Anyway, it was nice to get away and take it easy and it was a bit different from previous vacations because some ofthe kids couldn't go because of work. Mayber that's why it was a bit more relaxing!
As I also said, I took a trip out to Seattle for a work conference. I had never been to the Pacific northwest and I really enjoyed my stay in Seattle. I made it to most of the tourist places but unfortunately it was pretty cloudy the entire time so you couldn't get a good view of Mt. Ranier. (We did get to see Mts. Ranier, Hood and Baker as we were flying out and they were quite spectacular. The weather in Seattly was also spectacular in terms of the temperature - while everyone was baking back her in Cincinnati with temps in the high 90's, it barely made it above 70 degrees in Seattle. I could get used to those temperatures!!
So now I'm busy coaching football for the 15th year at St. Susanna. This year I have a 4th grade team and I'm slowly getting to know all the kids and their parents. For the first time I actually have a girl on my team - I guess cheerleading isn't for her. I give her a lot of credit; she's the only girl on a team of 28 and she definitley doesn't shy away from contact. We've only had a couple days of contact in practices but right now I think she'll be able to hold her own when she gets on the field.
We're also getting ready for Abbey and Aaron to head off to school. abbey will permanently move in at UD on August 19 and Aaron heads for Madrid on August 28. Then we'll be back to the days of just Judd and us - funny how things go full circle. At least now we don't have to change diapers! Judd is enjoying his job, he bought the car we were leasing and he's settling into a routine. We still need to finalize Aaron's travel plans but hopefully we'll have that all set by the end of the week. It's a little scary sending your kid to a foreign country for 4 months but it should be a wonderful experience for him and the other students from SLU heading over to study abroad - I just hope he does 'study' from time to time!
I do want to provide an update on our little neighbor, Maya Collins, who is battling leukemia. She has been struggling with her counts but the good news (make that GREAT NEWS!) is her last scans revealed no signs of the cancer. The plan is for her to have a bone marrow transplant within the next three weeks provided her counts rebound to where they need to be. This little girl has been through more than you can imagine, she has been in the hospital since early April and she still has a tough road ahead. Please keep her and her family in your prayers as they move closer to the bone marrow procedure. Go Maya Go!!!!!!!
Finally, the highlight of the summer! Last Thursday we attended the Paul McCartney concert at Great American Ball Park. There was a crowd of 42,000 in attendance and my guess is 41,999 had a wonderful time singing along with Sir Paul and reliving those days when The Beatles were literally the biggest music act that had ever been and probably ever will be. McCartney looked great, he sounded great and he moved around the stage with a relative ease considering he's 69 years old. For me it was a chance to relive those days when I knew every Beatles song by heart (still do) and I can honestly remember many of the moments when I first heard a majority of their albums. I can still 'smell' the LP's playing on the stereo. McCartney is music royalty, he's one of the biggest icons of pop culture and it was a thrill to see him enjoying himself on stage last Thursday night. We saw him in 1990 but I thought this show was much better. It was also the final show of the tour, who knows, maybe it was the last time he'll ever perform in the United States. He certainly doesn't need the money. And if it was, he sure went out on a high note. He nailed every song. It was indeed, a great night.
Time to sign off - as always thanks for checking in. Enjoy the rest of the summer.
Vince
PS - I didn't event mention my health - things appear to be going very well...my next chec-up is in October, hopefully I'll blog again before then!
As mentioned above, sadly Julie's Aunt Sharon passed away on July 22 following a brave battle with cancer. Sharon had traveled to Ohio two weeks earlier and we spent the weekend in Hocking Hills with her and her husband, Bruce. You could obviously tell she was sick but she was able to see everyone and spend some time playing games, etc. She did wear down and wound up needing a blood transfusion before retuning to Denver. once she got back home she really took a turn for the worst and by the following Monday (July 18) they had contacted Hospice to help keep her comfortable. we were on our way to Michigan at the time for vacation so on the way Julie and her sister Jeanne were making tavel arrangements to go and visit at the end of our vacation. We dropped them off at the Dayton airport on Friday, July 22 and they made it to her home shortly before she died.
Sharon was Julie's fathers' sister (that's a mouthful!) and she was very instrumental in making sure the Judd kids stayed connected to their dad's side of the family. They fondly remember trips to Peoria from their childhood and out to Denver for ski trips when they were older. Sharon loved to have Julie and her siblings visit, she was more like a big sister than an aunt. They loved being together and Sharon was a friend to everyone. She was very welcoming and when Sharon would talk with you, you had her undivided attention and focus. She was a free spirit who lived by the motto - live, love, laugh which she did quite well. I know Sharon will be missed but her memory and stories will live on within Julie, Jeanne, Jenny, Jerry and Jimmy for many, many years.
As I mentioned, we were on vacation just before Sharon passed away. We went to a little town in Michigan along the Lake Michigan shoreline called Saugatuck. It was a cute little town with nice shops and restaurants and unlike some vacations where you never seem to relax, that's exactly what we did on this vacation. There wasn't a whole lot to do, the weather was pretty hot and sticky, so we just relaxed and had a nice time. I also read the book, The Help, in anticipation of the movie coming out later this month. If the book is any indication, the movie should be pretty good. Anyway, it was nice to get away and take it easy and it was a bit different from previous vacations because some ofthe kids couldn't go because of work. Mayber that's why it was a bit more relaxing!
As I also said, I took a trip out to Seattle for a work conference. I had never been to the Pacific northwest and I really enjoyed my stay in Seattle. I made it to most of the tourist places but unfortunately it was pretty cloudy the entire time so you couldn't get a good view of Mt. Ranier. (We did get to see Mts. Ranier, Hood and Baker as we were flying out and they were quite spectacular. The weather in Seattly was also spectacular in terms of the temperature - while everyone was baking back her in Cincinnati with temps in the high 90's, it barely made it above 70 degrees in Seattle. I could get used to those temperatures!!
So now I'm busy coaching football for the 15th year at St. Susanna. This year I have a 4th grade team and I'm slowly getting to know all the kids and their parents. For the first time I actually have a girl on my team - I guess cheerleading isn't for her. I give her a lot of credit; she's the only girl on a team of 28 and she definitley doesn't shy away from contact. We've only had a couple days of contact in practices but right now I think she'll be able to hold her own when she gets on the field.
We're also getting ready for Abbey and Aaron to head off to school. abbey will permanently move in at UD on August 19 and Aaron heads for Madrid on August 28. Then we'll be back to the days of just Judd and us - funny how things go full circle. At least now we don't have to change diapers! Judd is enjoying his job, he bought the car we were leasing and he's settling into a routine. We still need to finalize Aaron's travel plans but hopefully we'll have that all set by the end of the week. It's a little scary sending your kid to a foreign country for 4 months but it should be a wonderful experience for him and the other students from SLU heading over to study abroad - I just hope he does 'study' from time to time!
I do want to provide an update on our little neighbor, Maya Collins, who is battling leukemia. She has been struggling with her counts but the good news (make that GREAT NEWS!) is her last scans revealed no signs of the cancer. The plan is for her to have a bone marrow transplant within the next three weeks provided her counts rebound to where they need to be. This little girl has been through more than you can imagine, she has been in the hospital since early April and she still has a tough road ahead. Please keep her and her family in your prayers as they move closer to the bone marrow procedure. Go Maya Go!!!!!!!
Finally, the highlight of the summer! Last Thursday we attended the Paul McCartney concert at Great American Ball Park. There was a crowd of 42,000 in attendance and my guess is 41,999 had a wonderful time singing along with Sir Paul and reliving those days when The Beatles were literally the biggest music act that had ever been and probably ever will be. McCartney looked great, he sounded great and he moved around the stage with a relative ease considering he's 69 years old. For me it was a chance to relive those days when I knew every Beatles song by heart (still do) and I can honestly remember many of the moments when I first heard a majority of their albums. I can still 'smell' the LP's playing on the stereo. McCartney is music royalty, he's one of the biggest icons of pop culture and it was a thrill to see him enjoying himself on stage last Thursday night. We saw him in 1990 but I thought this show was much better. It was also the final show of the tour, who knows, maybe it was the last time he'll ever perform in the United States. He certainly doesn't need the money. And if it was, he sure went out on a high note. He nailed every song. It was indeed, a great night.
Time to sign off - as always thanks for checking in. Enjoy the rest of the summer.
Vince
PS - I didn't event mention my health - things appear to be going very well...my next chec-up is in October, hopefully I'll blog again before then!
