Weekend Fun

(She sent a blue one up yesterday)

Well, Sat night my bro dropped my niece back off & we went to one of her favorite restaurants since she was a baby...Old Country Buffet. Well, with kids they can pick & choose & you get them to eat. Good deal for them too. My niece started this thing when she was just a baby of when she gets a free balloon of letting it lose outside and watching it. Since my folks live in AZ in the winters the last two winters she releases it to go to them. They have even "brought it back" a few times for her. ;-) They will call & say it is in their tree in their backyard etc. :-)

Well, my niced didn't eat much. Probably because she wasn't feeling great. She is having Asthma problems the last year with cats. She has a small dog at home but about  a year ago she came to my place & picked up Dusty, who she has loved since she was a baby, and she got all red & itchy. Over time now she is getting worse & worse with her breathing. She says "I'm fine" but you can see her struggling to breathe.

She was only in my place 15 min this time. She did sleep at her dad's so she was there less than 12 hrs & they have 2 cats & a new puppy. They had the cleaning woman Vac. the furniture & they live in a new Condo but she just has problems. I wish her mom would take her to someone & maybe she an get on some meds. I then took her to Barnes & Noble & we read for like 2 hours. She loved all the pirate books with maps & little pockets with treasure clues...Nancy Drew had one too. I think it is from her love of the movie "National Treasure". Then we head up north to my folks house for her to sleep away from the cats and we had a graduation party up north Sun. She had difficulty all evening breathing. My bro had given her med & actually stopped by B&N to give me more just in case. As she was sleeping she was still struggling. I had her get up & we went into the bathroom & ran the shower with hot water for steam...figured maybe that would help. Seemed to be a bit better? I was up until 3am watching her on & off. I slept in my other nieces bed to be near her & during the night I heard her gasp or something? All I know is a bolted out of bed to her without even thinking of my 2 herniated disks! Ugh! Didn't seem to be worse though. She was ok & in the morning she seemed much better. Her tonsils did too. She had run 99.7 so I gave her some Children's Motrin & that worked. In the morning I gave her some Rubutussin & that helped. Her uncle has a sore throat now for a week to so maybe something nasty also going around?

(This is one of the presents I gave her!)

Sun she got up early & seemed good so I got her to take a hot bath to relax. Then I did! :-) We headed to my folks town Carnival we noticed on the way up there. Spent about an hour. She got to ride the carousel which is her favorite. Almost did the wall but I suggested with a skirt on that may not be the best idea. :-) Then we got ready for my cousin's college graduation party. We had fun. My cousin's bro was in from CA. He is out there trying to be an actor. He is on CSI every week but he is an extra! You see him sometimes in crowds etc but all the parts of bodies is his! :-) My niece has a crush on him & then one of her other cousin's who is a year older. Man all the kids got so much older. The boys all shot up in height & all their faces look older....man. It was cold & rainy but we still had fun. This one friend of the family is always a hoot...has us in tears. She is very much overweight & when she was taking pictures she was telling my cousin "Now Look Hot!" Then she turned sideways & asked my cousin's bro who was taking the pictures "Do I look fat?" Then her mom was doing video & she had this pant suit with a jacket on...top underneath...& she pulls her jacket up & yells "Girls Gone Wild". I'm still cracking up. She is just sooo much fun. She has an incredible voice too. If I ever got married I'd want her to sing at mine! Family dynamics are always fun...and so predictable too which makes it so funny sometimes. My uncle is also a riot...he always has the jokes and he got up on this chair & I'm like what is he doing? He got up to hug my sister's boyfriend goodbye. HA! The man is in his 70s but geez! Two people, separately in less than 5 min where saying how beautiful my niece is. They had not seen her in such a long time. Oh & I found out my cousin...lets see cousin's who party it was sister...she is pregnant. Due Jan 3rd. This will be her 2nd. She has a girl just over 2 yrs. She made this t-shirt for her daughter that said on the front "I've got a secret" and on the back it said "I'm going to be a Big Sister". That is such a great idea.

I got her a funny card but also this one that says:

"If I could give you anything as you graduate from College, I would give you a candle that burns as brightly as the light within you, the light you are...I would tell you to keep it burning no matter what. I would say don't let the well-intentioned extinquish it. Don't let the Mean-Spirited blow it out. Don't let your light flicker and fade because of everyday challenges & concerns. The world is large & no one can illuminate it alone, but it is amazing how a single candle, burned brightly, can light so many others.

(Inside) The world needs your light. Hold your Candle High"

I loved it! I really do believe that & I even got one for me to put on my bulletin board in my office. I'll have to take a picture & post it so you can see how colorful my bulletin board is. My students love it. I love it as well. This card really is speaking to how I say there are some people who smile with their eyes. They just have this glow, like my niece, and they walk into a room & they just make it so much better, they raise the consciousness & light up the room. This is what I mean when people "Wow Me". I wish I had more of that. I feel more like that when I'm with my niece. I think it is down a bit for me due to all my injuries & not being able to be myself lately, but it is burning a bit brighter with each day. Not there yet but plugging away at it.

I got my cousin these first two. I had bought them for my 2nd bedroom a few weeks ago which has bright orange, yellow etc colors in it.



This one I couldn't find for her. I got it for my office.

I also got her a journal book, book of cool quotes, the courage willow tree angel, Chelsea picked out some cool hot colored roses & a small butterfly balloon (the one on sticks) & one a star with congrats on it. Actually, the gifts were from my bro, my nieces & I. Oh & then I had this bronsing brush from Victoria Secret so I gave her that...just a bunch of fun stuff.

Well more later...