A Special Lady...

This isn't an Eric post. On Monday my parents, Eric and I drove across town in a snow storm to say goodbye to one of my most favorite ladies... Aunt Mickey. She passed away February 11, a month shy of her 84th birthday. Like many of those who knew her, we were all blessed to have had her in our lives.

For those of you who don't who she is, Mickey was my mom's oldest brother Carl's wife. They have four children, who each have four children, plus seven great-grand children. After Mickey remarried, she gained ten step-children and many step-grandchildren. So, she had a large family! Mickey was a very active lady before cancer slowed her down. Besides her family, she was active with the senior center, bus trips, hospital thrift store and her favorite, bowling.

Mickey gave me a place to live for eight months when I left New York and my parents, to come to Cincinnati while I looked for a new job. I was her "cellar dweller." While she made us dinner, I became her personal secretary. She received lots of phone calls! I'm very thankful for her hospitality and the love she gave me while I started a new life.

I'm very thankful that I was able to see Mickey before she passed away. When I heard she wasn't doing well I was afraid I wouldn't get the chance to see her again. My parents and I were able to visit with her three weeks ago, and I am so grateful that we were able spend those few hours with her. When I hugged her goodbye, she whispered "I love you" in my ear. I think she knew it would be the last time we'd see each other. I'm not sure if she heard my "I love you too" because I was choked up trying not to cry. When I told this to Mom, she told me we'd see her again, but I knew in my heart it I wouldn't. I'll forever hold on to that sweet memory.


Aunt Mickey will be buried in Arlington Nation Cemetery, with Uncle Carl, next week. Uncle Carl said that he wanted her to go first so he wouldn't be looking up at her a.. backside for eternity. (They stack the coffins of spouses to save room.)

So, here are a few pictures, taken in the past few years, of "Our Wild Irish Rose"...

Eunice "Mickey" Forney

March 15, 1926 - February 11, 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Yeah, I know, I know! I have been terrible! No updates in like... forever. No excuses, besides just plain lazy. So, I'll just start with a few pictures from my parent's 50th Wedding Anniversary, November 7, 2009. My brothers and I had an open house for them at their house. It was very nice to have all of us together (parents, three brothers, two sister-in-laws, hubby and son) for the first time since my wedding (minus the kid). Many of my parent's family, friends and neighbors stopped by to congratulate them on on such an awesome feat. Dad's aunt and cousin flew up from Mississippi, another aunt and uncle drove down from Michigan and his cousin and his wife came down from Toledo. And we had others from Louisville, Sidney, Kettering and Springboro bring their well wishes. Besides my parents, there were two other anniversaries celebrated that day. My brother Mike and his wife Kate celebrated 12 years. And friends from my dad's Yorktown, VA Navy days, the Sellati's celebrated 39 years. Congrats to all!

A good old German lunch

Jr. bar tender

Mark helping out the little ones on Eric's tire swing at Nana's and Baba's Hope, Eric and Avery

Just like this picture... Dad, Uncle Phil and Aunt Pam

Anniversary cakes

Cake cuttingAfter we left, small child needed to go to bed...
Kate, Mike, Dianna, Mom, Rick, David, Paul and Karen Sellati

Family picture
Dianna, Rick, Mom, Dad, Maria, Paul, Eric, David, Kate and Mike

Mom and Dad

More fall pictures

Eric and Uncle David had some fun playing in the leaves at Grandma and Grandpa's...

Today, Eric and I were hanging out and watching TV on the sofa. He pulled off a first, a good one, and something a long time in coming, for me. He stuck his face and front of mine, then leaned in and put his lips to mine, his "kiss." That's the first time he gave me kiss with out me asking for one. Ahhh, love that boy!

Halloween

I said I was going to post older pictures... well I did get started on downloading some, then I got sidetracked. So, I figured I would at least try and keep up with the recent pictures. Here are a few from the other night. We didn't get a chance to go out to any fall/Halloween fun activities like corn mazes and pumpkin festivals. Too much rain and mud. We took Eric out back and let him play in the leaves and then to the front porch in an attempt to get him to sit for some pictures... HA!

The rest are from today. Eric got into my purse and found my cell phone. Then he was playing in a box, with my car keys.

Getting ready for Trick-or Treating. He was the Chick-fil-A cow... "Eat Mor Chikin" We went there for lunch today and had him in costume. One of the managers liked it so much the three of us got a free lunch. I thought maybe Eric might get a free meal, not all of us. Sometimes it pays to take your child out in a cow costume! He also got a ton of comments, some said that his was their favorite of the night.

Getting ready to head out.

Eric with our neighbor's daughter, Rachel.

At grandma and grandpa's

Trick-or-treating at grandma and grandpa's neighbor's

And finally...potty training is going well. Eric has had no accidents for the past three days. The third day this week he had a dry "pull up" after his nap. Woo hoo!

Wild child

Needless to say, the surgery didn't slow Eric down at all! It took a lot to keep him from climbing and over doing it for a few weeks. We finally gave up, sooner than what the surgeon, I'm sure, would have liked. But she didn't RX any sedatives for me... I mean Eric. So, he's back to his wild child self. He saw the surgeon last week and is doing fine. He'll go back in a year for a follow up. Next up for him is seeing the cardiologist November 11 for an annual check up.

We starting potty training Eric last week. He's doing OK. I keep him in just underwear and a shirt when we're at home. Can't get him to tell us he needs to "tinkle." So, we end up with a puddle on the floor just about every day. He's good with telling us he needs to "poop." We try to take him to the bathroom every hour from the last time he went. Oh, how I wish he would tell us when he has to go! But, it's not the 10 pair of underwear he went through the first couple of days. He's down to about 3.

Looking forward to celebrating my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary on November 7th. My brothers and I are having an open house for them. Mom didn't want to make it anything big, so she came up with the open house. We're up to 40 people as of now. Just hope they spread it out! My oldest brother is in charge of the food. He has an Italian menu planned, yummy! I'm so happy that all of my immediate family will be there. We haven't all been together since my wedding 7 years ago. I will definitely need a picture of the ten of us.

My next post will more pictures, going waaaaay back.