GRANDMA HARDING'S FAREWELL DINNER.

Grandma Harding is so cute.  She made all of her kids and spouses go to dinner.  Then she tells me it is her farewell dinner.  She is 99 and 3/4th years old.  She turns 100 on February 12th.  I keep telling her to try to live to be 100 and we will have a huge party and she can say good by to everybody.

Downtime on the river-so I am just playing a little.  Here are a few of my play pictures.

Saying so long to Billy Hill and the Hillbillies  and Tower of Terror at Disneyland.  Billy Hill and the Hillbillies are my favorite show and they are retiring.  Sad!

Trip to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon for Park Service Meetings. Random pictures. Great place for a meeting.

Wanted to post today.  Two years ago I received word that my younger brother Steven had stage 3 rectal cancer.  I couldn't at the time begin to comprehend the battle we would fight for the next year and a half.  His odds of surviving were a little less than 30% but I always thought he would win the battle, I just didn't know how hard it would be and how hard the next couple of years would be.  He did have one complication and that was he is schizophrenic.  Well he fought hard, lived with a stoma for 6 months, had chemo, radiation, two surgeries, a complete breakdown, followed by a month in a psych unit of the hospital. In the midst of all of this our mother is suffering from dementia, our little sister Lorie committed suicide, and we were sharing in the care of my husbands now 99and 1/2 year old mother.  But guess what?  We survived the last two years and do you know what else-Steven had his first colonoscopy  and he is cancer free. He is cancer free and he has also had his rectum reattached and it is all working.  It is a happy day.  We are still caring for our mothers, I miss my little sister Lorie, and life is very busy, but I am so thankful that I have stayed well and strong the last two years, Steven is cancer free, and I have a wonderful family,  the moms (even suffering from dementia) are sweet, and kind, and cute.  I adore my 13 grandchildren.  Hailey and Leighton are well and growing and learning.  There is so much to be thankful and I shouldn't ever complain.  Do I complain?  Yes, sometimes too much, but to get myself out of it I just have to stop for a minute and think and reflect!

Happy 52 and 65th birthday  Steven and Dennis!!!!

THE GRANDMAS:  The last year of my life has been pretty wrapped up with taking care of our two mothers.  Afton Harding is 99 1/2 and mom is now 91.  It has been a crazy year.  Both now have some dementia and Afton fell and broke her knee cap. Mom has the more serious dementia, and Afton is just starting to loose her short term memory. She is here and it is crazy.  Here is pictures of them both.The top picture is Afton.The bottom picture is mom taken last week

   in the Dr.s office waiting and waiting.  She is happy.  She just enjoys getting out.

The top picture is Afton.  This is right before we took her to the dr. to check her knee.  I can't even express what my life is like right now.  Some days getting them both dressed, some nights getting them ready for bed, fixing and feeding mom breakfast everyday and trying with all my might to get Afton to eat. In the middle of it all I have been trying to keep Tour West responsibilities humming along, tending grand kids sometimes, Sunday Dinners, working out, finishing the class I am taking and it is pretty crazy  Would I choose to have it any other way right now.  No.  Would I like more free time yes. What am I grateful for.  My family, that my health has been really good and I have been able to take care of these cute ladies, my job, the good year Tour West has had, my home that is big enough to have two grandma's stay at the same time, my grand kids that come visit and make me happy, my kids that are all amazing (this includes my kids-in-law,) the teachings I have, being blessed with energy,the gospels, the help I receive all the time from a loving Heavenly Father--I could go on and on.