12/13/14 and other memorable days

This might be my longest post ever and that's because I'm once again 2 weeks behind.  As you know, I didn't get last weeks' done because we got home after midnight on Sunday night, with work bright (?) and early Monday morning.  We had a fun trip to Dallas with a weekend of just chillaxin' and laughs.  Didn't do a lot, but saw (Aunt)Virginia twice at her new place in Dallas. She looked good and recognized us even with her severe dementia.  We also saw Cheribeth and her family of two cute little girls and a nice husband.  The baby (Jordan) is only 6 months old and crawling everywhere!

 

 Busy, busy week and especially leading up to Christmas.  It'd be awesome if only I had all of that stuff planned, purchased and wrapped.  Lucky me! I still have another week to get organized.
Earlier this week we met with the neuropsych Dr. who gave us the lowdown on Brad's memory issues. Nothing new to report, just verification that he has pretty severe issues in some parts of that gray matter.  He suggested we see an OT, but have not located one who takes our insurance yet. That same day, Brad was taking Gramma to bridge in his not-exactly-handicap-accessible truck, when she fell and smacked her head on the pavement. I asked him what he did and he said that he cleaned up the blood, then took her to bridge!  When I got home from work that evening, I asked how she was doing and her reply was "fine."  Not sure that was the appropriate answer with a 6" circle of blood on the back of her recliner!  "Did you ice it?" I foolishly asked.  "No, never thought about it."  Curious, as she was in a restaurant for her bridge game and with the back of her head turning burgundy, one would've thought that someone might have suggested the ice.  Anyway, she is fine other that some sore spots from the fall.
Extremely busy weekend with miles and miles of driving.
Carrie graduated this Saturday with her Masters degree.  I'm SO proud of her!  We went to her "hooding" ceremony at Regis on Friday, then drove back home, changed clothes and drove to Ft Collins for our staff Christmas party.

getting ready for the hooding

officially "hooded"

Co-workers (with Baby Cure coming 3/15)

Saturday was graduation day at the Denver Convention Center, so our car made it's way back to Denver with Meredith and Emma and Corbin and Gabi.  The graduation ceremony was really nice and not inundated with those tedious speeches so often heard at graduations. The downside was that I couldn't take many decent photos (Wahhhh) !

 

Afterwards we drove out near DIA as Sarah and Emmi were en route for the weekend and we had dinner near the airport at a nice Italian restaurant where Gabi ordered mussels (yeah, what 8 year doesn't want THAT?)

 Toward the end of our meal, a live band  began playing and Gabi asked Brad to
dance.  Unbelievably!!! he got right up from the table and took her out to the dance floor.  It was one of the most touching moments....

 We got back home and I took the kids home and stayed so Sarah could get a jump-start on her salon day and had her color and cut mine...Thanks, again, Sarah!

The weekend culminated with the graduation party at our house.  Spencer ordered some scrumptious Mexican food, which turned out to be enough for about a 100 people, and which we will be eating the rest of this week.  We had lots of alcoholic drinks as well, which again, I'm set for leftovers this week!

 

 

Brad announced to Sarah that she had made his "Favorite People" list, and although we were unaware that such list existed, she SHOULD be on it.  (He also introduced Pam as his cousin....oh well.....) Sarah organized a tongue twisting alphabetical drinking game so the evening ended with lots of laughs!