I was able to completely ‘unplug’ and take 3 1/2 days off and head 3 1/2 hours North. I soaked up some much needed family time plus I also got to be there for my step brother R’s open house which was nice too.

I honestly can’t believe that it’s been just over 3 months since I’ve last been up North. That’s just crazy!!!!

Lots of randmom thoughts about the weekend.

I was a little paranoid about the whole being unplugged for 3 1/2 days. My mom & step dad have internet but because they are out in the middle of nowhere they have the ancient ole dial-up so forget trying to do anything on that! I did attempt to check my email but even that was too challenging because of how long it was taking the page to load so I gave up trying! But I knew that whatever VA work I had wasn’t a rush and I’d be ok working on it when I got back home. Besides I ended up being way too busy to work anyways.

My Very First Time Playing a Wii:

I fell in love with my brother & my sis-in-laws Wii! I was amazed at how much of a workout I got playing it too! I did Tennis, Baseball, Bowling and an Olympic one. My arms were actually sore from playing the baseball one (it was some sort of speed one where the pitcher threw 30 balls one right after the other & you had to see how many you could hit). I was amazed that I actually worked up a sweat playing the Wii! Now I so badly want one!!!! LOL

My Grandma & Grandpa:

I hate to say it but I honestly was dreading visiting them. I’ve shared before about my grandma and Alzheimer’s and how it’s hard to even attempt to talk to her. I knew seeing her in person was going to be even harder. And it was. I broke out in tears and had to hide in the bathroom for awhile until I could pull myself together. She couldn’t even say my name because she just didn’t know. My son she thought was someone else and it was sad hearing her say the same thing over and over because she simply didn’t know she had already said it. I knew it was bad. Seeing her in person put that reality into a whole new perspective. Just writing this brings me to tears and thinking back to listening to my dad and aunt talk at my step brother’s open house about putting her in a home makes me sick to my stomach but at the same time I know it’s probably what’s best. But I’m worried what that will do to my grandpa. He’s so used to be withing her and taking care of her. And then thinking about how ‘out of it’ she was at the open house makes the tears fall even harder – she just honestly had no clue what was going on. It’s so so sad and I hate that this Alzheimer’s is depriving her of the remaining life she has left.

My Step Brother’s Open House:

I’m glad that I was able to spend a couple hours at R’s open house. I find myself wondering what my dad and step mom are going to do now that her youngest is graduated and will be heading off to college in a few months. They used to go to all his sporting events and those tied up lots of their time. Now they are going to have not only a huge house to themselves but all this extra time on their hands.

This is a little off note here but I’m in love with their house! It sits on top of a huge hill (the driveway is a killer to walk up! LOL) where you can see two lakes – Torch Lake and Lake Michigan. It’s absolutely gorgeous! And the house is just huge. And it’s got that log cabin look to it on the inside. Oh words can’t even describe it. When I go up later this summer to spend some time there I’ll make sure to get some pics to share!

My ‘Little’ Sister’s Birthday:

The same day as my step brother’s open house was my little sister N’s birthday. My mom had everyone over for a cookout and it was nice being able to visit with everyone as well as celebrate her birthday. I’m so mad that I totally forgot to get my camera out and get pics of my beautiful niece Adrian! I can’t believe how HUGE she is since I’ve last seen her! She is crawling all over the place, jabbering up a storm, pulling herself up and just as sweet and cuddly as ever!

Anyways – I can’t even begin to tell you how refreshed, focused and GREAT I feel since taking those 3 1/2 days off! Spending time with my family and being away from my computer & work are exactly what I needed

Here’s some pics I took over the weekend: