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Nothing like spending time with a happy (though slightly sick) baby to make life look better.

Here are some of my favorite pictures.

Gravity still works. Imagine that.
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Because I know you all want to see ‘em.

Michael says, “SMILE or ELSE!”

“I’m SMILING! I’m SMILING!”

I took a lot of pictures today.

Like 700.

Out of that there were 50 I thought were pretty good that I uploaded to Flickr.

These are some of my favorites of those:

CHICKEN DANCE! (Yes, Jules loves the Chicken Dance.)

Jules and Holly. Holly is an extremely anti-social husky, however, she seems to have completely taken to Jules (notice that Brian still doesn’t trust Holly 100% yet.)

Angry Baby is Angry.

Sorry, seem to have forgotten what I was supposed to be doing here.

In case you were curious, Grandmom is doing well!

Huzzah! New pics!

FINGERS! NOM NOM NOM!

Here are some pictures from Grandmom’s 93rd birthday.

Someone needed to be excited about the cake!

Math, Jana, & Lily with Grandmom

Aunt Chris & Grandmom

Grandmom & her namesake, Lily

Grandmom & Liz

Michael & I with Grandmom

Grandmom and Lily

Grandmom and The Pink Thing

Grandmom with Natalie & Larry

Grandmom turns 93 on Sunday, so in the run up, she’s receiving flowers.

From Janiece

from Brian & Stacie & Jules

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Maybe the best picture all month.

Grandmom & Lily

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Since we could, we got out of town during the football game, with a visit to Brian & Stacie and Jules.

I shot more than 500 pictures, but also spent time talking and relaxing and generally having a nice time.

Gotta start ‘em young. She’s going to be a medical or science officer.
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In addition to spending time with Grandmom this past weekend, we also got to spend some time with Lily.

And really, who would not want to spend time with such a cutie?

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This weekend we spent visiting my grandmother. We also had a family meeting regarding her care, and since it didn’t come up during, after the meeting I sat down and talked with my grandmother.

I told her that it was just not possible for her to come back to Morgantown to live, because I simply cannot provide her with the level of care she deserves.

For the past several months we’ve all been in a sort of limbo: she has been with my aunt while she recovers but it wasn’t clear if she would–or even could–come back to live with us in Morgantown. Physically, she has been incapable of returning here, not just because of the long car drive, but because she is currently using a wheelchair part of the time, which will never fit through the doorways in my house. And as much as she loves my house and how cozy it is, the bathroom is not handicapped accessible and has always been a problem for her.

The talk was very hard for me–I was afraid she would think that I didn’t want her to live with me anymore, but she did understand that she needs a greater level of care than she did before I broke my ankle and she broke her leg, and unfortunately, Michael and I are incapable of giving her the support and care she is receiving at my aunt’s house.

I didn’t want to have that discussion, but it was necessary and important for both her well-being and mine, and it was unfair to everyone to leave the situation unsettled and unclear.

Although I feel a sense of grief that she will not longer be living with us, and I will no longer get to see her every day, and to laugh at her when she lectured Kit, I will be seeing her on a regular basis (once or twice a month) and who knows, we might even take Kit with us during our next visit.

This weekend Lily, my cousin Math and his wife Jana’s daughter, was christened.

Lily was named for my grandmother, Lillian. She also wore my grandmother’s christening gown, which was made by my great-grandmother Sophia.

Math, Grandmom, Lily

Math, Grandmom, Lily, Jana

Jana & Lily

Lily & Jana’s father

Sadly, I was using my PowerShot and not my Rebel, so very few of the pictures turned out, as I was trying not to use the flash. Bah Humbug.

The pictures I took with my phone actually turned out better, which seems extremely wrong.

So serious!

Much better!

Many thanks to everyone who has sent cards and letters to my grandmother, and special thanks to Natalie who recycled a box of books in Grandmom’s direction!

Really lucky! I got to spend time yesterday with Julliene!

Happy birthday Michael!

My most favorite husband EVER!

Really!

Saturday we went to visit Grandmom. She’s been in a rehab facility relearning to stand up and walk and climb stairs again.

The facility where she is getting her rehab is really marvelous. We went to the back, which is like a small park with huge shade trees and even play areas for kids–very beautiful.

Grandmom still has a lot of work ahead of her, but she’s getting better, and she is in good spirits–thanks again to everyone who has sent her cards–you all are wonderful!

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