MJC's Journal

Page 125
Sunday - June 28, 2009

It has been busy since my last entry. Norm retired as planned - his last day of work was August 29. But he only had a couple weeks before he flew to Washington state to stay with Gabriel and Naomi (our grandkids) while Mommy (Beth our daughter) was out to sea for two months. Because of a family crisis Daddy (Ray our son-in-law at that time) moved out and was unable to watch both the kids so Grandpa stayed with the kids until Mommy's ship came back into port.

Grandpa and the kids had a full schedule during the two months he was with them. Besides going to day care during the week, they went on short field trips with Grandpa, visited the Point Defiance Aquarium with friends, and went out to a horse ranch with friends, and went Trick or Treating for Halloween. When Mommy came home the kids went for haircuts. The photo below was taken by Grandpa after they came home with their new "looks." Naomi wanted her hair cut like Mommy's and Gabriel went for the spike or punk look - whatever it was called. :O)


Norm came home the week after Thanksgiving and went to work on getting the Christmas decorations up outside in the yard and lights on the house. We were looking forward to Beth and the kids coming for Christmas. But that didn't happen as Ray filed papers so Beth was stopped from taking Naomi out of state for any reason. After a day in court in January the judge decided that Naomi would stay with her father in Washington state and not come to Iowa along with Gabriel to stay during Beth's WESTPAC (6 mo. cruise on the USS John C Stennis). For those that don't know our daughter is in the Navy and has been since December 1996.

Gabriel has been vacationing with us during Mommy's cruise and enjoying everything except getting his flu shot and booster shots needed now so he can get into kindergarten in the fall. When he leaves next month to go home when Beth comes to get him our home will be quiet. Not sure I will be able to handle it when he leaves. I know Grandpa isn't going to have his side-kick around to help him do things. Until mid-May Gabriel was in preschool 3 mornings a week and really enjoyed it. Grandpa took him in and stayed in town and had tea (doesn't like coffee) with his friends until Gabriel was done for the morning at preschool. But since then Gabriel has had to depend on Grandpa and Grandma to keep him occupied.

I will go into more detail of what our family crisis was as soon as the crisis is over. We are hoping that by the end of August the crisis will be over and the decision handed down is the one I am hoping for.

When you are celebrating the glorious fourth of July - our Independence Day - and you see a veteran or someone currently serving in the military just say Thank You. In return you will literally feel the warmth from the smile that he or she gives you in return for your thank you.

Back to work I go. Tootles!


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