catching up

Wow, I get more comments about what's not on my blog than on what I write! Yes, I did some housekeeping and deleted posts. Why isn't important but I'm sorry that blogger sent out messages that I updated to everyone and there was nothing to read.

This is the first time I've sat down today. I ran errands for four hours this morning and then came home and started cleaning....still have a ways to go though. Mark's mom gets in tomorrow evening, Samantha gets in early afternoon on Wednesday and then my parents should be here later Wednesday afternoon. As the magician in Frosty said "I have to get busy, busy, busy!" But Samantha can now rest easy that I bought a turkey this morning. Hadn't heard about the turkey shortage until she told me this week-end. Maybe it's just a Kansas thing because there were "gobs" of them at the store here still.

Tomorrow morning in addition to cleaning I have to take the van to a Chrysler dealer for repairs. We took it to Midas this week-end to have one thing checked out. A $700+ fix that the mechanic said could wait a few months and that it sounds worse than it actually is BUT our water pump is leaking and that needs fixed soon. He thought since it was under 36 K miles it was still under warranty but according to the dealership it's under 36 K AND under 36 months since it was ORIGINALLY purchased. I don't think we're going to meet that requirement so we'll probably be forking out $400+ for that repair. When it rains it pours is an understatement for us these days. I told Jeanne and Mary both that with everything else going on I started laughing when I heard about the repairs needed. One step closer to a "vacation" in a lovely padded cell!

So since I'm going to be busy, busy, busy the next week I thought I'd post some things I'm thankful for in honor of the holiday.

1. I'm thankful that Samantha is going to be here for Thanksgiving AND Christmas.

2. I'm thankful for all my friends but especially Jeanne and Mary right now who have talked/e-mailed/IM'd me off a few hundred ledges recently. I can't put into words how they've helped me.

3. I'm thankful for those very few and fleeting brief moments since we started down this particular path with Robbie when I get to see signs of the "old Robbie". I'm not sure we'll stay on this path because of the changes going on but those brief moments give me a spark of hope.

4. I'm thankful that even though I'm in a "dark and twisty" (Grey's Anatomy anyone?) place right now I can still, on occassion, find my warped sense of humor.

5. I'm thankful all three of my kids share that warped sense of humor.

6. I'm thankful that Katie seems to have found her identity and her voice and seems to have become stronger over this past year.

7. I'm thankful for Mark even despite the fact that right now we're both stressed out and sometimes bark at each other. Or as I normally say "get all pissy!"

And now I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving.