2013 ! A lucky Year?

I am not ever going into Times Square for New Year's Eve. I get better shots from my camera just pointing it at the tv screen!

Doug outside, continuing the Rex tradition of banging pots at midnight!

Samantha Noel and Patrice Noel at the South Bound Brook Firehouse Annual New Year's Day Open House! January 1, 2013!

Happy New Year's Eve!!!!!

Woke up relatively early and was the second customer at Great Clips to get my hair cut. Then ran a couple of errands and went home. Got there and Doug asked me to call my father, said he had called twice but that he didn't pick up. Called Pop....He was out of food and needed a ride to Shop Rite. Got home about 2pm, took a half hour nap. Called in a take out order to Houilihans for Pop and I and then headed out to get food and to have dinner with Pop. (Doug was fending for himself).

I was following Pop with his walker with the seat because the last time he went shopping he had to sit down in the pharmacy section and I finished shopping for him.

Later, around 6pm, I arrived with hats, blowers and dinner from Houlihans. He had Jumbalya and I had seared scallops.

We played 8 games of Kismet (a dice, poker game) and we were both tied, 4 to 4! We played our 9th game as the tie breaker and,,,,,,,,wait for it......... I won! Time for me to go home Pop. I know when to leave, when I am winning! I was home by 10:30pm, in enough time to celebrate New Years with Doug.

Happy Belated New Year to everyone!

Merry Christmas?

I had Christmas Eve Dinner which I kept very simple. Cold cuts, potato salad, cole slaw, macaroni salad, hard rolls (hot dogs, mac and cheese, and corn for the kidlets) and Angel food cake. I did not bake cookies this year therefore I was not eating them for days afterward!!! Emilie had to work until 6pm so she joined us later.

This year Kellen was old enough to help pass out presents. He took his job very seriously.

The girls entertained themselves on GP's lift chair. They raise it to it's highest level and then hold on for dear life. Too funny!

Best presents are the handmade ones especially made for Grandma!

Big Kisses from Samantha for her Great-Grandpa, Pop-Pop (90 years old).

Caroline has already moved into her own home with Diego but still celebrated Christmas Eve with us. Diego spent the evening with his parents.

The stockings were the last things the kids opened. I guess my Mouse in the House thought that each child was just a little bit naughty and told Santa to leave them each one piece  of coal in their stocking! You should have seen the kids faces.

If you look carefully inside the large jar in the center, you will find my Mouse in the House who visited us all during Christmas. His job was to report back to Santa who was Naughty or Nice! 2012 was his debut and we loved having him! See you next year Christmas Mouse in the House!

Saying Goodbye To The Old

Haven't posted in forever and of course when I try to, my pictures won't upload. VERY FRUSTRATING! And I don't need any more frustration in my life. Emilie told me to load Firefox.com and that fixed whatever problem I was having. Soooo, here we go!

Friday, December 21, 2012

Kellen's Holiday Party at his YMCA Daycare.

Mommy arrives! Yeah!

Kellen and his big sister Kamryn enjoying the party.

Babysitting Kamryn and Kellen Friday Night, December 21, 2012

Gp provided the majority of the entertainment!

Holding on tight

And embracing the important things this holiday season!
Kellen Adam Rex-21 months; Kamryn Alexis Rex-4years9months; Samantha Noel Tomaro-5years5months.

A Bump in the road

When I was diagnosed, My good friend Barbara Base gave me this patch. I then scrapbooked it and put it into my 365 album.It represents my philosophy in life: If you are stuck in traffic  make a turn. It doesn't matter where you go as long as you keep moving. You will get to where you are going eventually. I am doing exceptionally well after my surgery. My discomfort is about the same as when I had my biopsy, maybe a three out of 10. I am only taking tylenol when needed. The only major decision that I have made is to sign up online for a scrapbooking class starting January 1st. I did not try to sell my house! I am so glad the waiting is over. We are doing something about the cancer.

I can do this!

Yes I can!

See you all on a day called Friday!

Just get me through this!

Surgery is scheduled for this Friday. The hospital will call Thursday evening to tell me what time to be at the hospital. No food or drink after midnight.
They will do a lumpectomy and send it to be tested. I will get those results in a week. If the margins around the cancer are clear, I heal for five weeks then start radiation. If the margins are not clear then another lumpectomy occurs. Repeat testing, clear-radiation, not clear-a lumpectomy or mastectomy.
The stage can be changed and then I might need chemo also. It is all definately out of my control. Even if all goes smoothly I am sure that down the road I will have scares - sure that the cancer has returned. I assume I will be monitored very closely for the next five years, but actually I want to be closely monitored for the rest of my life! I can see that I will be getting through this for the rest of my life.

Trains and Tea

 

TRAINS

 

THEN TEA!

The important things to teach your son!

Perseverence

My man has it. He completed the JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute Computer Applications Training program and was recognized at their graduation ceremony. He also gave the only student speech and did it well. Caroline and I attended and we were very proud of him. It was obvious that he was well liked and respected by the students and the instructors.

 

 

Warrior

Doug called me upstairs. I went and he handed me this pinkish bundle of fabric. "This should have arrived yesterday, I wanted you to have it to wear to breakfast today with Mary Ogiba. But it came today." I opened it up and it was a beautiful scarf and I realized that it was for breast cancer. Doug made a donation to Warriors In Pink powered by Ford (fordcares.com). I love it. I appreciate his effort and his actions were the words that he could not speak.

My surgery is scheduled for Friday, November 30,2012. It was delayed two weeks because of the damage and power outage left by Hurricane Sandy.

I wore my new scarf to Doug's graduation from The JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute Computer Applications Training program this evening.

Wine-ing



Everybody deserves a little wine sometime! Doing it with good friends - all the better.

Pat Rex, Angela Cooper and Barbara Base. We just bought our nifty wine glass holders.

We wined all day. Last year I froze and ended up buying countless cups of hot chocolate.  This year we walked around without coats. It was a cloudless, blue sky day.

We paid for the special safari tour where we would sample the best of the best wines and feed the giraffes, but due to Hurricane Sandy and the following snowstorm, it was too dangerous for the giraffes to walk. Instead, they refunded the safari fee and we went for the birds.