Good Saturday morning my dear blogger family.

I'm sorry I was "gone" all week.  I didn't expect to be.  I thought I would be able to blog & comment every day, despite the grandgirls being here for the week but alas...this Grammie was busy every moment of every day & never got the chance to even turn on my computer.  But I promise that you all were never far from my mind or heart & my prayers continued for those in need. xoxo

When important things in my life are happening and it would be nice not to have pain all over, my doctor has given me an open-ended Rx for Celebrex... 200 mg twice a day... to help me carry on with some semblance of normalcy.  I can take it for roughly two weeks before it starts to bother my stomach (sharp pains) & I have to stop.  I started taking it the day before our 4th of July bash & just kept taking it since the grandgirls were coming for the week a couple days after that.  So I've been on it 9 days now and I feel like a new person.  That stuff is a miracle drug for me, even though it's short lived.  I felt wonderful the whole time the girls were here & for that I am so so grateful.  I'll take it through this weekend and then stop.

The week started off with my girlfriend's daughter's funeral.  The service was meaningful and the funeral dinner was a wonderful time of breaking bread together & circling the family with comforting words and deep hugs.

Tuesday we went to an arcade in the next town over & that night we went to the theatre and saw the movie "Elio".  So cute!!  We went to the 10pm showing as that was the only time we could manage.  The grandgirls (16 & 14) thought it was so cool to be getting out of the movie near midnight! *ha-ha*

Wednesday the girls had to go back home to Michigan for a bit in order to make a doctor appointment & a fundraiser for the soccer club.  By the time they got back here, they were pretty bushed so we finished off the day with some Raising Canes chicken for supper, warm showers, and video games.

Thursday was the big day...we went to an amusement park about 75 miles from here.  It was the coolest day out of the whole week (high of 85*F) so we figured we'd better "make hay while the sun was shining".  We were there about 7 hours, riding rides, eating all sorts of horrible-healthwise but delicious-tastewise food (fried Oreos & Snickers bars?!?!), and having an all around wonderful time.  We try to do this every year but usually we go in June, when it's much cooler, but it didn't work out that way this year.  The heat put a damper on it a bit so we'll HAVE to go in June next year.

I was in a wheelchair all day, at the amusement park, so the primary burden fell on my husband that day....drive us there & back, push me around all day, get out his wallet for this & that, and basically run the show.  He even tried to keep my wheelchair in the shade as much as he could.  God bless that man!

We stopped at Walmart when back in town, to buy lunch meat, a couple tomatoes, sliced cheese, and bread, so that everyone could make their own sandwich for supper (I already had various chips and some cookies at home).  We all had a nice warm shower & slept very well that night.

Yesterday was a sleep-in a bit day.  I made lunch and then the girls wanted to go to Ulta for some make-up shopping.  We had McDonald's for supper and by the time the girls packed up their suitcases & all the other treasures they acquired during the week...and grandgirls played a few games of Mastermind with Grandpa like they wanted to do... it was 7pm and time to head back to Michigan.

They would have stayed through this weekend too but there's a huge art fair up in Michigan this weekend, which son-in-law (grandgirls' dad) exhibits in and sells his pottery.  Our youngest (27) still-at-home goes up to her older sister's house for the weekend each year, for this art fair, so when hubby took the grandgirls home last evening, our youngest daughter was in tow also...with her suitcase *and* her guitar.  Our little Cavalier was packed to the rafters with 3 girls and all their "stuff".  *lol*  But they made it.

The main attraction, when the grandgirls come, is not Grammie & Grandpa and we're fully aware of that.  Although they love to see us too, of course, the main attraction is our daughter still-at-home, their 27 year old Auntie.  She's the cat's meow in their book and they have a lot in common with her:  video games, make-up, jewelry, music, the whole bit.  She's the Aunt that every teenage girl wishes she had.  It's fun to watch them interact together.  Usually it's a sad event when the grandgirls have to go home but Auntie was going home with them this time so it wasn't so bad.

The house is quiet here today and I miss all my girls.  I feel so alive when they're here & we're busy.  I could very easily adopt a 5 year old, even at my age of nearly 69, & start the child rearing process all over again.  Nothing would bring me more joy!  

I'm off now to catch up on newsy happenings on all of your blogs.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Much love, Andrea xoxo 

               Packing up the car to go back home...with Auntie in tow.  :-)