Being sick sucks

Well, here I sit, can't sleep due to clogged sinuses and continual coughing fits. Started getting a head cold last Tuesday evening. With everyone coming to our house for Christmas I just chose to suck it up and get through the holiday. By the time everyone left our place on Christmas Day I was going down hill fast and went to bed about 8:30pm. Not that it did much good. Have not been able to sleep for more than an hour or so at a time since then. Also, when I lay down my sinuses clog up so bad I can't breath. I've pumped so many medicines down me that my stomach started to revolt last night. Now I just got clogged sinus and a terrible sore throat.

I don't get sick very often and when I do I'm a terrible patient. I think Jo would just as soon go stay with her mom than have to look out for me. Also, during the few times I have been sick with a cold, flu, etc., I've never had them hang on this long. Guess my first thing to do after daylight hits is call the doctor's office and see if I can get in. Being sick really does suck, especially when you are a whiny-ass male who becomes an invalid.

Christmas Day

The gathering of the Stone clan finally arrived. Was up fairly early, at least for me, to help set up. We decided to have everyone eat in the living room instead of splitting folks up between the dining room and the kitchen. This arrangement worked out well.

We wound up with 13 for Christmas dinner. In addition to my parents all three of my older brothers and their wives were there. Of the next generation we only had my oldest son, Alex, and one of his cousins, Jason. All the rest of the "third" generation were at their respective in-laws houses for the day. As has become a tradition since the passing of Jo's dad, her mother also joined us.

We did have several other visitors drop by throughout the day. My Dad's sister came by early to see him and pick up some pictures she was going to take to their brother. Later in the day, after we had eaten, my youngest son, his "girlfriend" and their daughter, Cadence, came over. This way I got to see all three grand daughters over Christmas. We have not had the opportunity to spend as much time with Cadence, who will be two in February, as we have with the other two girls. She is always pretty shy at first but tends to warm up after a while

In the afternoon, about the time most of the family was leaving, Carrie and JJ came by. She wanted to make up for the previous evening and exchange gifts with us and her grandmother. JJ, short for John Jr., is also kind of shy so he and Cadence were fun to watch as they got to know each other.

Everyone seemed to have a good time this Christmas and we look forward to next year, although it will be one of the other brother's turn to have everyone over.

Christmas Eve

Joanne and I spent our first Christmas together 21 years ago. At the time we found it interesting that her family had traditionally celebrated on Christmas Eve while my family usually celebrated on Christmas Day. I took this as a good omen and proposed soon there after. We have now spent 20 married Christmases and this arrangement has worked out well.

This Christmas Eve was a bit quiet and was not what we had planned. Original plan was to have Jo's mom and her niece, Carrie, and her family join us for dinner. At about 5:30pm Carrie calls to say that when she got home from work her two year old, JJ, was ill and they would be unable to come. I hung up the phone about the time Jo was returning from picking up her mom. So we had a very pleasant evening with just the three of us. Dinner and an exchange of gifts. This is also when we open the gifts that had been sent by Jo's brother and sister-in-law from up in Duluth, MN.

Overall an enjoyable evening but less than we expected.

And Christmas Continues

We had our first of the three planned Christmas gatherings. Our middle grand daughter, Aurora, spent the afternoon with us while her mother was at work. In the evening the rest arrived and we had a great lasagna dinner. In addition to Aurora we had her mother, Maegan, our oldest grand daughter, Emma, and her mother Shelley and sister Lily. This is the proud grandpa with Aurora, who will be three in January, and Emma who turned three last July.

My oldest son, Alex, also joined us for dinner and a good visit. Now, we still have two more gatherings/meals at our house this week. It is great when we are able to spread Christmas out over the whole week. This really works well with the young people needing to be able to see all their extended families.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

It appears Christmas is about to arrive. We've got the decorations up and the house ready. We'll have three family Christmas gatherings at our house this year. Tomorrow evening, Sunday, we will have two of my grand daughters and their families plus my oldest son for our annual get together with them. The evening of Christmas Eve, Wednesday, we'll have our traditional time with Joanne's family. With her brother and his family living in Minnesota and her sister not speaking to the rest of the family, it will just be Jo's mom and her niece, Carrie, and her family joining us again this year. On Christmas day the Stone clan will be gathering at our house. Since my parents moved to an assisted living center my brother's and I have elected to pass the Christmas setting around and this year is our turn.

Hopefully this finds all who may read this well and in the holiday spirit. Joanne and I want to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.