A year not to be forgot

It has been almost a whole year since I sat down here to write. I was doing so well and posting on my blog almost daily if not weekly. I still keep a journal using pen and paper at home but this sometimes is a great way to release those ideas and thoughts instantly.

In 3 weeks it will be the closing of a year without Ron. April 15th or TAX DAY will never go without me thinking of the day God needed him more than me. I play back that night over and over in my head wanting to find a sign that somehow he knew. I often ask why? and I can't seem to get an answer to that question. Kylie and I have moved on and are doing well with the support of family and friends. WE have made it through the first of everything with heads held high but a tear or two in our eyes. We will be fine because he will make that come true for us.

Its been a year of new friendships, and revisiting old ones as well. As I currently am writing this blog spot I am in sunny and warm Arizona visiting my folks. A new friend of mine took the time to start his first blog the other day and I logged in to read my past posts....they seem to make me smile more than anything. I was lucky to have him in my life for 13 years and I look back and smile knowing I was blessed for those years.

Kylie has done so wonderful through all of this. She continues to be an excellent student and athlete. I know Ron sees it all too and that makes me happy. We raised a good girl so far and with help of my family and friends I will continue to keep her on the right path.

Just had to take a moment this morning to write and reflect

WOW!!

Amazing that 7 months have flown by so quickly since the last time I logged onto this blog to post anything. It has been one heck of a year so far. I spent some time looking back at all these past blogs I have wrote and now they seem so much more important to me. As a teenager I had a diary, as a young woman I kept a journal and now I have some of the last few years with my husband right here for me to revisit. It was fun to look at all the fun we had together, memories shared, adventures visited. So as 2010 enters the half way point do yourself a favor and reflect on what is really important....FAMILY. Take the time to do something daily with them even if it sitting down at the dinner table and talking. Someday you will hold those memories dear.

Goodbye 2009.....Hello 2010

It sure has been a crazy year!! I lost track of time and haven't even blogged on here since Mother's Day weekend. We had a wonderful family gathering at Christmas time as we were able to share it with Dad and Mom who flew in from Arizona and as I type they are on a plane back to the warmer climate of Arizona. My cousin's from Florida Bret and Ursula came up north to celebrate both Thanksgiving and Christmas with us this year. It is amazing to stay connected to family. Brian and Jeannie hosted Christmas at their house once again with Jeannie's family and our family together. I love those times together.


Our year started out horrible as Ron lost his job due to economic downfall at Ecolab. We were very fortunate to have him find a job as a manager of a call center at AT&T and so far he loves the slower pace and less work hours, however the downside is that he is on 2nd shift and has missed a lot of family time due to the hours he works. Again we feel blessed to be employed when so many of our friends are not.


Ron and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary with a trip to Riverside Casino and Golf Resort only to be sequestered in a tornado shelter for 2 hours with 300 of our closest friends!! It will be something we will forever remember. Kylie also celebrated her 10th Birthday this year.

My stepson Scott graduated from High School in 2009 and is now working full time in Quincy. He turned 19 in the summer and is hopefully coming up soon to visit us.

Kylie is in 5th Grade and keeps us very busy. She played softball this year and came home with some hardware as they won tournament and league play. She is on a traveling Lady Rocks team in Basketball and our newest adventure is Volleyball for the RI Destroyers...she loves it. She continues to amaze us with her grades and her brain power. She has been selected again to attend IMSA (Illinois Math and Science Academy) in the fall and pursue her love of Math and Science. She recently won second place in her school at the Spelling Bee as well. She is my heart and I find that every day spent with her is my gift from God.

My newest gift is my nephew Bryce. He is now 18 months old and is a very active little boy who has killer eyes. He was featured on a cover of magazine for the Chicago land area so he is now a COVERBOY!! I am lucky that my Brother and sister in law open up their home to me almost once every month for me to come up and get my Bryce fix. He sure can make a person laugh and smile.

My parents are well. They continue to split their time between the QCA and Phoenix and enjoy the warmer climate. They just got done spending a week in the cold and snow of Illinois and are looking forward to their return to the HEAT! Health wise they have both had their problems but they keep a young at heart attitude. My mom will be celebrating her 72nd Birthday in January and my father 73 in September.

It has now been a year without my grandmother Leona Jordan and there isn't a day that goes by without me thinking of her and wishing for that ONE MORE DAY with her. I was lucky to spend so much time with her growing up and enjoyed spending time with her when I grew older as well. I have missed her terribly but have fond memories of her that make me strong and keeps me going. So if you are out and about at a casino this year sometime drop a dollar in a slot machine and think of her for me...you might just win.

Ron and I are both on the road to losing weight and becoming a bit more healthy. We have both lost a considerable amount and continue to work on it. The holidays have been a challenge but we vow to be strong in 2010. In September I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and now must work hard in eliminating this from my life. I can beat it and I do intend to do so....how can anyone afford to have it as our insurance doesn't cover supplies...YIKES!!

I am still working for Dr. Simmer on a part time basis and am very active at Kylie's school and in the community. I did, however, in 2009 step down from a few of my commitments. I am no longer the PTA President and no longer Active in Jr. Board. I do however, still serve on both areas but in a role that does not require many hours. I did this for Kylie and for myself.

I hope you all had a wonderful 2009 but look forward to a better 2010. Take time to make memories, reconnect with a lost friend, say "I LOVE YOU" to people who mean the most to you and never stop discovering something new. We all need a little of all of that in our lives. GOOD LUCK in 2010!!

Lisa

Happy Mother's Day

Today was a blessing. I spent the day in bed till 8:03am and most of you that know me know that I don't sleep in like that at all. I am usually up by 6am daily. So for me to sleep in was a pure gift. Kylie got up shortly after I did and came out of her room with a homemade card ran up to me hugged me and said "Happy Mother's Day". I love the simple handmade by her cards. I think I have kept them all. Inside her card today said " Hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day! You Rock because you are always there for me" What mother could ask for anything more than to be recognized for always being there?

We went to lunch with my mom and dad as well as Maggie and Len King. We had a simple lunch at Hy-Vee in Milan because we all could get what we wanted. It was nice. I know you are wondering why I am telling you all these details but I had the salad bar and the featured soup on todays salad bar was GOULASH. Yes goulash is a german soup that my grandmother would make on special occassions. I lost my grandmother in December and it was totally ironic that today GOULASH SOUP was on the salad bar. I had to have a bowl and think of her. It was the sign I needed today. I miss her horribly.

Ron, Kylie and I went for a walk at Black Hawk State Park before coming home. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful weekend. The only down side of it all is that Grandma wasn't with us this year and that my sister in law celebrated her 1st Mother's day in Chicago with her family and we weren't there for her. She knows we are thinking of her and love her and we hope her 1st Mother's Day with Bryce was special. My brother had better been good to her. I know he was he is a good guy.

I hope all of you had a wonderful day and enjoyed it with your family. What a beautiful day.

Our 10 year Anniversary

The Wymer family has been going strong for 10 years as of today. Ron and I are celebrating our 10 year anniversary. Wow how time goes by so quickly. I must admit I married a good guy and we have had our share of ups and downs but he continues to make me laugh every single day and has brought so much joy into my life.

Tulips were our flowers during the wedding. Purple and white to be exact my favorite flower. So to my surprise these were waiting for me on my table this morning and they make me believe Spring is here. I LOVE THEM.

He is full of surprises. We will be celebrating together at a later date as we will be spending a weekend together somewhere. We never had a honeymoon so we want to get away for a weekend after all my fundraising is done and since my parents are back we are hoping Kylie will get to stay with them.

So today for us take a moment to tell each other why you love one another. Take time to make you stronger as a couple. My favorite saying is that we can love and spend so much time together as a family but if we don't work on our relationship a family we might not have to cherish. Ron and I take time for one another, we talk things out and there isn't a day we don't say we love one another and show it. I am spoiled and I know it, but he also knows how much I love him.

Spring Break 09

My mother surprised Kylie and I with tickets for 2 weeks in Arizona. She used some of the money my grandmother left her and she wanted to fly us out to see them. It has been 5 years since we have been down here to visit. Dad took Kylie and I to a Cubs game on Wednesday and then he took his favorite person in the whole world back on Friday...it wasn't me for those keeping tabs. Kylie is enjoying the whole experience and is creating lifetime memories with her grandparents. Somehow my grandmother is smiling down knowing that her money was spent well and the memories I have with her are not being created between her great grandchild and her daughter. Ron had to stay home as he has started his new job and that will be very valuable to us in the future. Although we miss him we are having a great time. WE have another week here to create more memories. Hope everyone else is having a great spring break.

A sigh of relief!!

Thank you to all our friends and family who have been concerned for us these past few weeks. Ron found a job and will be starting on March 2nd. It has been driving him crazy to be home and not have a gig. Although this job is quite a bit less than what he was making at Ecolab we will do what it takes to get it done. The only other bad thing about it is that it is second shift and that he will miss a lot of our family time..he will however, be home on the weekends. We are very thankful and feel blessed there was something out there for him. I know that it has been very hard for so many and we have seen other people close to us lose their job as well. Tomorrow night is our annual Mardi Gras gala and we have a reason to celebrate. Hope all is well with out friends and family members.