The Notebook

From the moment I read the book The Notebook, I knew i would never read a more romantic story in my life. When it became a movie I HAD to see it although I hoped it would reach my expectations since i loved the book so much. it did. It passed them actually. I thought the movie was even more romantic and wonderful than the book and I didn't think that was possible. There was something about this book/movie that made it different than just your average "love story". It's the fact that it shows the sacrament of marriage at its best which makes this story so romantic. The story starts out with an elderly man and an elderly woman in an assisted living home. The woman suffers from Alzheimer's although i have personally realized it was probably the husband who suffered more. And his memory was intact. He sat with her every day reading her the story of their life even when she couldn't remember who he was. THAT IS LOVE! That is what marriage is all about! In sickness and health, til death do us part. He was actually living it.

So let me pause a minute. Let me fill you in on what I have been doing these days. I have been taking care of an elderly gentlemen who was in a very prestigious position most of his life. He is retired now. He is also an old family friend. He has spent most holidays with my family growing up, even traveling to St Louis when we celebrated holidays there. The past couple of years have been hard on him. Dementia has set in and some days he gets very confused while other days he knows exactly what is going on. He recently moved into the memory loss section of the Assisted living facility. There are probably 10-12 other people who live in that area. First of all, I never knew how much i would enjoy taking care of the elderly. Seriously. I surprised myself. My day is usually very routine. Routine is good for those with Dementia because it helps them remember what is coming next, much like a child. I am so lucky that my days consists of attending the daily rosary in the chapel, Mass, and then we head out to lunch to a nearby restaurant. After lunch we go back to his room and usually he takes a nap while I wonder out to the main area where the other people who live in the Memory Loss area gather. This part could be one of my favorite times of day.

With the exception of one other gentleman, all the residents in this area are women. One of the ladies, Ann, always sits with me at Mass. She holds my hand and always lights up when she sees me. I love that she recognizes me when i see her. Mrs Dawson is a character. She has quite the attitude and her mind is set back in time when her husband was alive. She is convinced he is still alive and that at any minute he will be walking through the door. He has been dead for many years. Betsy was a music teacher and her mind mixes up nouns with musical sounds. no kidding. A sentence usually sounds like this: "Meghan, are you going to the ching ching cha boom today? We will be late for the bing ba ting". You just go with it. Answer her as if you totally understand what she is saying. All with a smile of course. Janice breaks my heart. I don't know what happened in her past life but Janice has a VERY nasty angry disposition. When something happens that she doesn't like she starts trying to hit whoever is around her. She hit me across the face the other day and let me say for a lady who walks with a walker, she has a hard right cross. not kidding. I didn't know it would hurt or i would have blocked it. There is Queen Elizabeth. We (the nurses and I) call her that because her name is Elizabeth and she was married to George. Therefore, she is Queen Elizabeth. That and she is the sweetest lady ever. She doesn't say much and she requires 24 hour care to help her with simple things such as eating and getting dressed. Then there is Jeanie. Jeanie is married to Jean. They have been married 58 years and still going strong. Jean doesn't live in the memory care area, he lives in the Independent Living area attached to the Assisted Living which is attached to the memory loss area. But Jeannie lives in the memory care area. Are you following me?? So Jean and Jeanie are my Notebook couple. Seriously. Jean comes every day to be with his wife. She doesn't always know who he is but she lights up like a firecracker when he enters her view! It is the most amazing thing ever!! Jean comes and gets his bride every day and they go on walks around the building and hit golf balls on the front lawn when the weather is nice. They go to Mass together everyday and eat meals together. He introduces her to everyone walking in the halls and tells them that he is the luckiest guy in the world to be married to her for 58 years. It really is beautiful. It is why I love that movie so much only this is better cause it is REAL!!! It is TRUE LOVE. Love that every person desires in their heart. A Love that really lasts in sickness and health, in good times, and bad. Jean made a decision to love and he does. Every day! Even when he doesn't get love in return. He still loves. THAT is what marriage is all about.

I am so blessed to be able to be surrounded by all these people every day. I didn't know I could love these people so much. I was asked to help out taking care of one gentleman and have the privilege of taking care of many people. Although I promise you I leave that facility everyday learning something about myself. These elderly people who have literally lost their minds teach me more about love and life every day than i could ever learn from anywhere else. Jean has taught me more about truly living my vocation as a wife (and mother) than anyone else. Everyday when I leave the facility, I am reminded how short life is and that I am in this journey with my amazing husband and child. I hope and pray that one day when I am old and grey and someone has to take care of me that I can bring half as much joy as these people bring to me.

Happy New Year!

St Nick's Feast Day

Monday we celebrated the feast of St Nicholas and the night before Noah put his shoes out. Monday morning there was a little present waiting...did you know Noah likes Star Wars????

Weekend in the Mountains

Allen's Confirmation retreat was this past weekend and Noah and I went with him. The retreat center is so awesome, they always give Noah and I a house to stay in and we love it. As always we stopped through Helen, GA on our way and took a look at all the Christmas decorations. It was so pretty and so cold!


We stopped at our favorite candy shop for some caramel apples. We were going to wait and eat them when we got back to the retreat center but we had to take a break when walking to warm up! It seriously was that cold out! So we went in a shop for some hot chocolate and decided to eat our apples there...they were so yummy!!!



Despite the rain all day on Saturday, we had a blast up in the mountains!!! Can't wait to head back in the spring!!!

More bday fun

My mom came over Wednesday night to celebrate my birthday and she cooked me dinner. Awesome! Noah liked helping me open my presents and I LOVE my new umbrella...just what i needed...another Eiffle Tower thing!! :)

Birthday Fun

My birthday fell on a Wednesday this year and since every Wednesday I help in Noah's classroom, I decided to make a day of it. I went extra early and had lunch with Noah. I even brought him McDonalds. We aren't allowed to sit with the kids but we sit up on the stage in the cafeteria with our kid. I still don't totally understand this since really the whole reason to go have lunch with your child is to see them in THEIR environment with THEIR friends but whatever. I'll take any extra time spent with Noah. They get to invite one friend up on stage to eat with them and Noah chose his buddy, Alex. So Noah, Alex, and I had lunch together...



I LOVE helping in Noah's classroom!! And I LOVE eating lunch with him!! I can't think of any better way to spend my birthday!

out of the mouths of babes...

so I love to remind Allen how I am 10 years younger than him...ALL THE TIME!!! I even taught Noah that Allen's age is "a million". seriously. Ask Noah how old his dad is and he will laugh and say "A million". so that being said, Noah asked me tonight why he always has to go to bed earlier than us....

Noah: "Mom, why do I have to go to bed earlier than everyone"
Me: " Because you are a growing boy who needs lots of sleep so you can grow to be big and strong and super smart"
Noah: "When will I get to stay up as late as you?"
Me: Well, every year you get to stay up a little later and over Thanksgiving break, summer break, Christmas break when you don't have school the next day you always stay up later"
Noah: (realizing tomorrow is my bday) "so tomorrow you get to stay up a little later than tonight?"
Me: "yep, I get to stay up later"
Noah: (thinking really hard for a minute) "I guess dad just gets to stay up all night since he is so old. He ever has to go to bed"

hahahahahahahahahahahaha. I am training him well!!!

Saturday

I forgot my camera AGAIN but Saturday I got to hang out with Barrett and Aimee! They were in town and we had lunch together (along with my mom, Noah, and Aimee's mom) and then all the Van Rooyen's joined us for dinner at my dad and Diane's house. It was so great to see them!!!


Sunday we are having Father Flanagan over for lunch and then headed to Mass, thus ending our amazing week of fun!!!!!

Thanksgiving 2010

on Wednesday we drove to a small town in Georgia to meet up with Allen's family for a few days. They rented a house and we were able to spend a few days with them. The house was right on a lake although every couple of years they drain the lake to make repairs so there was not a lot of water where we were. We did enjoy spending time with everyone.

Karen and Steve out on the dock..
Papa, Allen, and Noah getting ready to fish...

Fishing...
Noah was showing off for the camera...
My niece, Stephanie, brought her Guinea Pigs and Noah LOVED holding them...
We played lots of games over the week...
and we all enjoyed the great big backyard!
i caught the goofballs running around the tree...
Papa and Granny...
dinner was so yummy!! and the weather was perfect!
Noah and Steph wore off some energy outside catching leaves while i sat in the yard watching...

Allen sat too....we were so full!





Noah loved catching all the falling leaves...



Papa's siblings came over for the day and we all played a game together. Here's the winning team....
Aunt Katie and her husband..
Aunt Beverly and Aunt Mary...
Allen and his sister, Karen...these 2 were trouble all night!!
and Granny and I...
Noah liked having the video games in our room (we all slept in a very small room together) and it kept Noah occupied in the morning before we were ready to get up...
and on the way home, Allen, Noah and I stopped at Waffle House for lunch...
What a great Thanksgiving!!!

lunch with Grandpa...

Part of our week of fun was lunch with grandpa but alas, i forgot my camera that day. Bummer.

playdate

in continuing our week of fun, Noah and I had a play date with our friends... We went to Monkey Joe's with Beth, Keith, and Bruce for some jumping!!
Noah and Keith love playing together...
and so do Beth and I. And I enjoyed holding Bruce all day. He is such a chubby baby and i love it!!

After some jump time, we headed to our favorite pizza place for lunch...

what a fun day!!!

homecoming

our dear friends Tish and Curt came home for Thanksgiving and we threw a party so they could see everyone from STA at one place instead of trying to get to everyone's houses.

and as usual...Tish organized my cabinet.
It was so great to see them. We miss them since they moved across the country!!!