Friday afternoon as we were all preparing food and travel plans for the family gathering on Saturday, news spread around the family that my uncle had suddenly collapsed and passed away. Everyone froze in shock. He wasn't in the greatest of health but he was still young and this was a hard thing for everyone to hear. Soon it was decided that the family Easter celebration needed to continue as we needed to all be together as a family. I wasn't as close to my uncle in recent years but his loss is great and we will miss his big booming laugh and funny, self-deprecating stories at family gatherings.
Saturday was really wonderful. Smug-Baby and I spent the morning yard sailing with my cousin B and his girlfriend, T. This was really nice because at the large family gatherings everyone is busy making the rounds that you don't get to have any deep and meaningful conversations so this gave me a chance to really get to know my cousin better and I enjoyed that. Smug-Baby bonded with T and would only allow her to help get Smug-Baby into her car seat!
After we hit some sales, I took Smug-Baby home for a nap and while she slept I finished up the food prep (Smug-Hub had gotten a ton of it done for me, so THANK YOU BABY!!) and got showered up and dressed. When Smug-Baby woke up we packed up and headed over to Smug-Sister's house for the party.
The food was amazing! I ate until I could eat no more and then I ate some more!! I had been feeling some cramping in my back and belly for the last few days so I forced myself to let others play with Smug-Baby and I stayed seated most of the day. I moved around to various conversations but always made sure that I had my feet up and was resting. I think that it was exactly the right thing to do because as of this evening (Sunday), the pains are gone and only the occasional Braxton Hicks plague me now.
I should have gotten Smug-Baby a bath at my sister's house and let her fall asleep on the drive home Saturday evening as she had played really hard and was super sleepy, but alas I did not. So, we raced home and raced through a bath and teeth brushing and she was asleep by 8pm! I was asleep by about 8:45!! It had been a long day; lovely with lots of hugs and belly rubs but I was beat!
This morning I awoke and wanted more food! I could hardly believe it after all that I ate on Saturday afternoon, but there you have it! The family met at a local restaurant for breakfast and Smug-Baby decided she was in love with my cousin's son who is 6, he loved the attention and played really well with her. Smug-Niece seems to have fallen in love with Smug-Hub and kept running to him every chance she got. Smug-Sister says that she has been all about the dudes this weekend, but I choose to think that she loves Smug-Hub especially because he is so wonderful!!
After breakfast some family got on the road for home and some trekked back to dad's to visit for a bit before everyone said their good-byes and headed for their respective homes. Smug-Hub, Smug-Baby and I all went home, promptly fell asleep and had nice naps all around.
When everyone was up, we tucked in and got the house back in order, the three days of dishes cleaned and the yard work done. We worked together and buckled down and within 2 hours everything was respectable again. And, of course, I was hungry!!
We packed up and headed to Smug-Sister's place to pilfer leftovers and let the girls play. Smug-Sister and I cleaned up the kitchen but then we left our husband's to play outside with the kids and we put our feet up on the couch and talked and watch golf (of all things, go figure) and it was lovely and relaxing and a perfect way to round out the weekend.
On the way home, we learned that the memorial service for my uncle will be held next Saturday at his church and we will attend. It will be nice to see the family again so soon, but I hate it that we have to keep coming together to morn the loss of someone we love. Our family has already lost too many too young and I am very sad for my cousin's who lost their father and for all of us who lost someone special.
He didn't have any insurance or money set aside so there is concern about how to honor him properly. Everyone in the family is trying to give whatever they can to help his children cover the expenses. I know that he would have hated to have become a burden to his kids, so we are all trying to help out.
It was a weekend mixed with great love and great loss. We, as a family, tried to honor my uncle by being together and I think he would have been pleased.
I however, have to start taking better care of myself. The pain and frequent BH contractions tell me that I have been over-doing and I need to start saying no and letting others do things for me. This is not something I have ever been good at, but I have to do it and its only for a few more weeks until Little-Smug is here and I can go back to being all things to all people... yeah... right!!
Saturday was really wonderful. Smug-Baby and I spent the morning yard sailing with my cousin B and his girlfriend, T. This was really nice because at the large family gatherings everyone is busy making the rounds that you don't get to have any deep and meaningful conversations so this gave me a chance to really get to know my cousin better and I enjoyed that. Smug-Baby bonded with T and would only allow her to help get Smug-Baby into her car seat!
After we hit some sales, I took Smug-Baby home for a nap and while she slept I finished up the food prep (Smug-Hub had gotten a ton of it done for me, so THANK YOU BABY!!) and got showered up and dressed. When Smug-Baby woke up we packed up and headed over to Smug-Sister's house for the party.
The food was amazing! I ate until I could eat no more and then I ate some more!! I had been feeling some cramping in my back and belly for the last few days so I forced myself to let others play with Smug-Baby and I stayed seated most of the day. I moved around to various conversations but always made sure that I had my feet up and was resting. I think that it was exactly the right thing to do because as of this evening (Sunday), the pains are gone and only the occasional Braxton Hicks plague me now.
I should have gotten Smug-Baby a bath at my sister's house and let her fall asleep on the drive home Saturday evening as she had played really hard and was super sleepy, but alas I did not. So, we raced home and raced through a bath and teeth brushing and she was asleep by 8pm! I was asleep by about 8:45!! It had been a long day; lovely with lots of hugs and belly rubs but I was beat!
This morning I awoke and wanted more food! I could hardly believe it after all that I ate on Saturday afternoon, but there you have it! The family met at a local restaurant for breakfast and Smug-Baby decided she was in love with my cousin's son who is 6, he loved the attention and played really well with her. Smug-Niece seems to have fallen in love with Smug-Hub and kept running to him every chance she got. Smug-Sister says that she has been all about the dudes this weekend, but I choose to think that she loves Smug-Hub especially because he is so wonderful!!
After breakfast some family got on the road for home and some trekked back to dad's to visit for a bit before everyone said their good-byes and headed for their respective homes. Smug-Hub, Smug-Baby and I all went home, promptly fell asleep and had nice naps all around.
When everyone was up, we tucked in and got the house back in order, the three days of dishes cleaned and the yard work done. We worked together and buckled down and within 2 hours everything was respectable again. And, of course, I was hungry!!
We packed up and headed to Smug-Sister's place to pilfer leftovers and let the girls play. Smug-Sister and I cleaned up the kitchen but then we left our husband's to play outside with the kids and we put our feet up on the couch and talked and watch golf (of all things, go figure) and it was lovely and relaxing and a perfect way to round out the weekend.
On the way home, we learned that the memorial service for my uncle will be held next Saturday at his church and we will attend. It will be nice to see the family again so soon, but I hate it that we have to keep coming together to morn the loss of someone we love. Our family has already lost too many too young and I am very sad for my cousin's who lost their father and for all of us who lost someone special.
He didn't have any insurance or money set aside so there is concern about how to honor him properly. Everyone in the family is trying to give whatever they can to help his children cover the expenses. I know that he would have hated to have become a burden to his kids, so we are all trying to help out.
It was a weekend mixed with great love and great loss. We, as a family, tried to honor my uncle by being together and I think he would have been pleased.
I however, have to start taking better care of myself. The pain and frequent BH contractions tell me that I have been over-doing and I need to start saying no and letting others do things for me. This is not something I have ever been good at, but I have to do it and its only for a few more weeks until Little-Smug is here and I can go back to being all things to all people... yeah... right!!
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