Emotional Weekend

Friday night my granddaughter Kristine graduated high school. She is my oldest grand and the first to graduate. Though it was a happy and proud time I cried. I am so very proud of her. Not only did she graduate she graduated with honors (3.0 GPA for all 4 years). She also kept 3.0 all the way through her school years. She will be majoring in Criminal Justice in college. She loves CSI (TV show) and wants to do something along that line. She may change her major but for now that is what she wants. I was so very proud to be there (Newport, TN) in person to see her walk across the stage. It was late when the ceremony was over as it was a HUGE class so we spent the night with daughter Maggie and family. We sat up late talking and going down memory lane. Kristine's school had a senior lock in at school. Each senior and a guest could pay $10 at the door and were locked in at 11PM. They had games, movies, food, etc with teachers chaperones. They gave away money as door prizes and game prizes as well as each senior getting $70 cash as they left the next morning at 6AM. It was to keep seniors from going out partying and ended up drinking. Kristine came home the next morning and we had a nice big breakfast before heading back to NC .

 I had food to get ready for the family reunion on Sunday. That was another emotional day. I have missed the past 3 years so it had been awhile since I had seen my aunts and uncles. I was blessed to have all 3 of my daughters and their families there with me. That hasn't happened in a few years either. This is my mother's side of the family and it is hard being there without her. She never missed a one no matter how bad she felt. My cousin Wanda that was really close to mother kept calling me Bonnie (mother's name) and then apologize. She couldn't understand why she kept calling me Bonnie when she knew my name as well as she knew her own. I told her it was mother's way of letting us know she was there with us. Mother's sister in law Mae (Wanda's mom) has always been the one to take care of everyone. She was there when grandma and grandpa Woody were sick and needed help. She was there when my sister had cancer and helped our family take care of her. She was there when my stepdad was dying with cancer, when my mother was dying with cancer. She was always there to help without being ask and always knowing what needed to be done and just doing it. My heart hurt for her and her family when I saw her Sunday. She has dementia and it really upsets her. She hates not being able to drive. She hates not remembering things and asking who someone is over and over when she knows she really should know who they are. Her family are adjusting to helping her when its always been the other way around. Her husband, my Uncle Elmer has heart problems and is on oxygen all the time. He is weak. My Aunt Elizabeth, mother's sister is very feeble. She can't walk without someone steadying her. This aunt always had so much energy. I spent a lot of summers at her house growing up. She lived on a farm and was always canning or gardening. Mother's sister Judy, brothers Pete and Kelly are still going strong. I enjoyed sitting and catching up with all of them but it was so sad to know that next year some of them will not be able to attend because of their health. I enjoyed talking with all my cousins and their families. We had such fun remembering all the things we got into at grandma's growing up. Most of the kids went tubing down Deep Creek while the rest of us sat around talking. The water is ice cold even in the hottest part of the summer so the kids were the only ones dumb   brave enough. There was so much food there! All of my mother's side of the family can cook so there was all kinds of dishes I had to sample and there was even one whole table full of desserts. I got to spend a little one on one time with my brother Don. I don't get to see him often though we do text and talk on phone. All in all it was a happy yet sad day. I am very blessed to have such a wonderful family and so many wonderful memories with each of them. I have been babysitting Skyler as he has a bad cold and can't go to daycare until he is fever free 24hrs. Tomorrow hopefully he will be able to go as he really loves it and they spoil him rotten.  This Friday will find me attending the graduation of grandson Woody..... I am too old to be crying so much!  May your days be overflowing in blessings!