December 2nd Avian marched in the Davidson Christmas parade for the last time. The weather was cool and the forecast showed rain right up to the parade time. But... they were able to march. I, unfortunately, was stuck in bed because I had pushed too hard and my bronchitis got worse, not better. In fact, it turned into a sinus infection and the cough got worse (which is hard to believe). I could hardly talk without coughing. I was sad to miss the parade, but grateful for people who sent me updates and pictures.
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| The clarinet section |
December 4th, we got a package from Mark and Laura. Back in March, Mark entered a contest on his fly tying forum to have a fly named after Dad Weenig. It won and Mark learned how to tie it and made one for each daughter and grand and great grand. The fishing line is line that Mark used to catch a fish from Dad's favorite spot with the first fly he made (Mom has the original). It is such a special ornament for each of us to have. Laura also made fish out of Dad's shirts and sent one to each of us.
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| Dave's Irish Clover |
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Dave's Irish Clover and the fish Laura made with Dad's shirts. Our 2023 addition to the Christmas tree.
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Jeremy came back from school a little lighter. He said that he thinks he resolved things with his professor and another group let him sit with them because they thought Jeremy's group was being petty. He was feeling more optimistic about the whole situation.
December 5th, I pulled a muscle in my back from coughing so hard. It was the worst pain I have every had. I couldn't blow my nose without 8+ pain, which doesn't work well when you have a sinus infection. Coughing was a 10+ pain. I was at home on December 6th and 7th because I couldn't move without help. Jeremy was such a sweetheart. He came home from school during his break to drive me to the doctor's office. I was in so much pain I couldn't drive myself and Steve was in meetings. When I got to the doctor's office, they took me right back. The physician's assistant didn't even make me try to get up on the table. She could see how much pain I was in and that I couldn't breathe very well. She confirmed that the bronchitis was getting better and that I did have a sinus infection. She prescribed another antibiotic for the sinus infection and a steroid and muscle relaxant for the back pain. She said I should be feeling much better in a couple of days. Thank goodness the 6th and 7th were the Branching Minds Summit days and I could watch the sessions from home.
December 8th I was feeling better enough to go to school for a half day. I needed to get some things done that could only be done at school AND I got to work with some of the cute middle school kids to create flowers for the senior luncheon. Avian came over to help me since I did not have a talking voice (without coughing). They didn't miss any class since they had study hall and Knight Time. They got back to the high school right before lunch started. It was great to have Avian's helps. They were able to show the kids how to be creative in making the flowers.
That night Steve and I got to go watch Nick run the Huntersville 5K. He did it in 21 minutes and 45 seconds and came in first in his age group. While he was running we got to know some fellow Highland Creek residents who run a physical therapy office nearby - Jason and Kendall Creek. They were very nice and gave Steve some pointers on how to make his plantar fasciitis feel better.
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| Before the race - in the chute. |
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| After the race with the beenie he won. |
December 9th was an early morning start. Nick was running in the Huntersville Half Marathon. We got there in enough time for him to get in a good warm-up before the race started.
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| Two minutes before the race started. |
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| On your marks, get set... |
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| ...GO!! |
Steve and I hurried across the parking lot to get to the perfect spot to cheer Nick on one last time before he heads into the neighborhoods and we won't see him until the end of the race.
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| Hi, Nick!! |
Since we had about an hour and a half to kill before we would see Nick again we did a little bit of exploring. Steve was hungry for some breakfast so we found this cute little restaurant. People kept looking at me when I coughed so I went outside to wait for Steve to order. I had my thermos full of hot tea which was perfect for my cough. I still didn't feel great, but I was vertical and out supporting my family - which made me very happy!!
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| I found this sign on one of the bathrooms while I was waiting for Steve. I love it!! |
After breakfast, we wandered down to the finish line and didn't have to wait long before Nick came running up the final stretch to the finish line.
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| He is still smiling |
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| and has enough energy to give me a good flex. |
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| He beat his goal by ten minutes and ran the half in 1 hour, 43 minutes and 45 seconds. |
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| Here he is with two of his medals. The one from the 5k is at home. He got another one for finishing the half and one for running both the 5k and the half. |
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| Nick with all his winnings. He came in second in his age group and first in the Core Hill Climb. He got some socks and another hat. He is a happy boy. |
We went back home so Nick could eat some breakfast and I could rest up before the Kannapolis night parade. I missed the Davidson Parade and so I WAS NOT going to miss this one. We reported to the school at 3:30 to get everyone in their parade uniforms and then loaded the bus to head for Kannapolis. We were in place in our line at 5:45 and the parade started at 7.
December 10th we woke up and headed up to Rocky Mount to go to the Bob Ross exhibit. It was worth the long drive. Usually when you go to an art exhibit they tell you not to touch anything and not to take pictures. This was the complete opposite. They wanted you to take pictures and touching the paintings was encouraged. He used a lot of texture. It was really fun to see the paintings up close. A lot of them we remembered from watching "The Joy of Painting". I probably went overboard with the pictures, but this is a rare opportunity and I wasn't going to waste it.
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| Avian is fascinated with aurora borealis. They found their favorite painting. |
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| I remember watching him create this cabin with a pallet knife. I was completely amazed!!! |
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| The detail in the wave is amazing. |
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| Watching Bob paint while surrounded by his paintings. |
One of the most interesting things I learned was that he served as an officer in the armed forces. It is because of all his years yelling in the military that he chose to never yell again and used the calm and comforting voice we all know and love.
Driving home was a little bit dicey. It was raining SOOOOO hard it was hard to see. You could easily classify it as a torrential rain. There were two tornado warnings on our path home. Watching the news later we discovered that an area we had driven through not 5 minutes earlier was hit with a tornado that went across the road we were traveling on. Whoa! Thank goodness we made it home safe and sound. We told Jeremy all about the day when we got home. He had stayed back to get some things done for finals.
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| This is what I walked into in Monday. My coworkers had decorated my office and we had a yummy Chinese lunch. |
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| Couldn't resist |
December 12th I was well enough to have the post implant portion of the new tooth process done. Thank goodness. I need to stop wearing this flipper so I can talk normally again and not live in fear that he tooth is going to fall off - which it did that afternoon. Dr. Rass had to shave it down in back so it wouldn't bump the implant post. I superglued it back on and hoped for the best. When I went to my return appointment and told him what I had done, he examined the flipper thoroughly and was impressed that I got the tooth back on as straight as I did. It is off slightly because it doesn't go in and out as easily, but it works once it is in place. He sternly reminded me that my fake tooth is for smiling only. Got it!!
I had taken the day off for the implant because I didn't know what to expect pain-wise. I used the rest of the day to work on the decorations for the senior lunch.
That night we went to Avian's winter concert. They sounded amazing. I am trying to enjoy all these "lasts". It is bitter sweet.
December 17th was the one-year anniversary of my dad's passing. It was a day filled with remembering. I miss him!! He loved Snoopy and I see Snoopy everywhere. It is like getting a hug from him.
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| Snoopy on a bike!!! An extra hug from him. |
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| I finished the letters for the senior lunch. It was a lot of work, but I think it turned out really well. I will be vacuuming glitter for months. |
December 19th was the senior half-way there lunch. I was on the decorating committee so I showed up bright and early to put on the finishing touches. (We had decorated the previous evening form 3-7 p.m.).
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| I was in charge of the photo wall. I think it turned out okay - once we got it to stick to the silly wall. Gravity was not my friend during this process. |
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| The food tables and senior photos wall |
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| The crew blowing up balloons and helping decorate. |
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| The student tables were very festive. |
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| A close-up of the senior pictures. Ms. Spencer and Ms. King spent hours putting these together. They looked amazing. |
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| AVIAN!!! |
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| We made the whole area feel festively decorated. That is not easy in such a large room. |
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| The graduating class of 2024 |
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| Avian and friends hanging out. (starting on the left and going clockwise: Riley, Autumn, Avian, Keegan, Joey, Lea, Anthony, Sam, Oliver and Tim) |
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| The cactus balloons turned out! I had a moment of doubt when the balloons kept popping, but we got it to work. |
The lunch was so much fun. The kids ate tacos and had dessert and took pictures and won raffle prizes! It was a fun day. Jeremy came over at the end to help take everything down and pack it up in the truck. We went to lunch at a hot dog place called "Crave". They have the most amazing hot dogs. This time I go the Memphis dog (pulled pork and coleslaw). We had a great talk and then went home and cleaned his room so he wouldn't feel so claustrophobic.
December 20th, Steve went to the foot doctor to get some answers about his plantar fasciitis. The doctor gave him a steroid shot to help with the swelling and a boot to wear at night. I met Nick at the Northlake Mall after he got off work to help him find a gift for a friend. We had fun looking around in some fun stores and found the perfect gift for his friend. I also found some fun stocking stuffers for the kids.
That night was Barbie night. Jeremy and I rented the Barbie movie and watched it together. We popped popcorn and had pizza. It was fun!
December 21st - I braved the crowds and went Christmas shopping. I finally felt well enough to venture out and my cough was under control so I wouldn't get nasty glares. It was super crowded, but fun. I found the perfect gift for Steve (a lined denim jacket) only to get home and find that he already had one. I ended up giving it to Nick. He needed a nice coat. I went back out and braved the crowds at Birkdale to find another perfect gift for Steve. Finding parking was tricky with the big truck, but it all worked out. I survived!
That night was the new Trolls movie night. I love hanging out with the kids. They are fun.
December 23rd Avian worked all day and earned their red vest. Nick worked and then went shopping for some last minute gifts. Steve and I got everything ready for Christmas. We wrapped and baked and cleaned. Jeremy was really upset because he got a 75% in his presentation class. He had a 95% before the presentation and the teacher really gave him a bad grade which brought him down. He was upset because he thought a 75% was a D, but I talked him down by showing him the 10-point grading scale. A 75% was a solid C. He felt much better after we talked. After Avian got off work, they went to a friend's party for the evening. Steve and I got to go spend some time with Kevin and Jo. We don't get to see them very often, but we always enjoy the time we spend with them. This time Steve and Jo got talking about wood working and house projects. Kev and I jokingly talked about playing gin rummy and other odd things since wood working is not our thing. See, fun!
December 24th Nick and Jeremy came to church with us. Avian was working and couldn't come. I was playing my violin in sacrament meeting. I didn't get to play last year as I was in Utah with my family, so we thought we would try it again this year. I was really nervous because I hadn't really played my violin all year. I was too sad because my violin reminds me of my dad, but I had practiced a bit and felt ready - UNTIL I knocked my violin getting it out of the case and it went totally out of tune and wouldn't stay tuned when I tried. Major panic!!!!!! I went out in the hall while they started the song (I didn't come in until the second verse) and got my violin in tune, but I was so nervous by this point that I was really shaky and it did NOT sound the way I wanted it to. Thank goodness I was a descant in the background of "Silent Night" and you could barely hear me. Steve taped it and when I heard it back you could definitely tell I was nervous. You could hear me shaking. They may never ask me to play the violin again. Oh well! I will practice for myself.
That night we had a quiet Christmas Eve with our traditional Christmas Cradles dinner.
December 25th the kids were up and ready to have cinnamon roll waffles for breakfast and then open presents. The one thing they all wanted this year was stockings. I had a great time getting presents to put in their stockings. I found a mini Tonka backhoe for Jeremy and a mini Optimus Prime figurine for Nick. They LOVED them. We got Avian a refill mug from their favorite drink place (Sipco). They also had a really good time with their sock-em Santas. I love that they still love the fun things in life.
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| A new take on sibling rivalry |
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| All Avian wanted was new shoes and headphones. |
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| Jeremy got teched up - new keyboard (with changeable keys), a soldering iron and lots of cash. I folded all the bills in fun origami shapes to make it interesting. |
For some reason I don't have a picture of Nick with his stuff. We got all the things he will need for his new kitchen when he moves out. He was excited to use the pans and rice cooker.
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| The aftermath |
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| Steve opened the package from Mom and everyone thought it was just a pretty ornament until I started crying and told them what it was. Mom had flowers from Dad's casket spray made into ornaments. The above picture is a tribute to my Dad. The ornament is now part of my Dad shrine on the mantel. |
That night I called and talked to a friend who had lost her dad unexpectedly a few days earlier. She was not doing well at all. Between the shock of losing her dad and her favorite dog being sick she was struggling. Steve and I went over and Steve gave her a blessing of comfort.
December 26th I spent the morning putting things back in order and cleaning the floors downstairs. Avian and Jeremy wanted to go to the mall and look around. Avian also had a book to return as she got two copies. We had a blast exploring the mall and watching the crowds.
Steve spent the day at the O'Briens helping them put shelves in their garage. He was a happy boy spending time with friends and power tools.
December 28th I took a friend to the doctor. She had a broken leg which had required extensive surgery and she was just starting to heal after several months when she fell on it in the bathroom. It was a good thing she went in to see the doctor because he was pleased with her progress and the x-ray looked good. He wanted her to start putting weight on it, using crutched and seeing a physical therapist. She was back on the road to independence!
Back at home, Avian and I tried to get into FAFSA AGAIN!! Steve played with his chisel sharpening kit I got him for Christmas. Avian's friend, Anthony, called and said he had an extra ticket to Beetlejuice and would Avian want to go with him and his brother. YES!!!! Bucket list item for Avian. They had a great time!
December 29th Steve put a new lock on the front door. It was getting to the point where it wouldn't let you get out of the house. That is a problem. I cleaned the house in preparation for our New Year's Eve party with the Arias family.
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| This mysteriously showed up on our front doorstep and no one is claiming they dropped it off. I called everyone that I could think of that might have left it. So, if you dropped it off and are reading this THANK YOU!!!! |
December 30th Steve and Jeremy went to Delks in the morning. I got the upstairs cleaned up. Avian went to work and then hung out with Max before he had to go back up to Chapel Hill. Nick was furniture shopping with Seth, his new roomie. Once everyone was home, we headed to the Giving Machine to buy some chickens and pairs of shoes for people in need. I love the Giving Machine because it is always a festive atmosphere with stuff going on AND we get to buy things for people who really need the help. Nick was not feeling well at all, so we cut the night short and came straight home so he could sleep.
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The Spanish ward was providing the entertainment for the night with dancing and music. So much fun.
January 31st, Nick woke up feeling really cruddy. We got a COVID test and the results were negative. He was just going to stay in bed and try to get feeling better. Steve and I went to church and then came home to fix Chinese food with the Arias family. They wanted to learn how to make all the dishes we had taken to them the year before. Avian, Carmen and Arthur figured out how to make the puffy dumplings (our new addition this year). Carmen is the champion of fluffy dumpling folding. It was a fun night. You can tell because I don't have a single picture. I was having too much fun.
The kids and I wanted the ball drop in Times Square at midnight and then headed to bed.
Goodbye 2023. Welcome 2024. |
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