The hospital that I work at has been playing Christmas music 24/7 for the last week or so, and it got me to reminiscing...

I grew up in Virginia Beach (navy brat). My dad was stationed on a carrier for years but when I was about 8 or 9 he was assigned to a helicopter squadron. Man did they know how to throw a kids Christmas party! It was always held in the hanger and they would have some the helicopters out. We could go in and sit in the in cockpit and they would show us what all the buttons and nobs were for, we even got to wear the pilot's helmets. They also unrolled about 20 feet of giant bubble wrap taped it to the floor and let us loose...I dont think my mom was too keen on that part but it wasnt her party. There was a table set up for us to decorate sugar cookies shaped like Scottish Terriers (why terriers, I dont know either but a cookie was a cookie). The cookies never tasted very good so I just gave them to my dad, he would eat anything. About half way through the party Santa would arrive via helicopter, my little sister was confused for the longest time as to how Santa fit all his reindeer in the helicopter. Mrs. Claus would then read us some stories and then we got to sit on Santa's lap and get our picture taken...I think my mom still has some of those pictures...probably for blackmailing purposes later... Once it was dark enough we would drive down to see the ships that were docked and had been decorated for the holidays. Dad said the crew's would spend weeks designing and getting all the lights set up. There was a trophy at stake after all as well as bragging rights for the prettiest decorated ship in the naval yard.

Speaking of ships, usually on the coldest night of the year we would go Norfolk down by the waterfront (cant really remember where exactly) for their parade of boats. People woulddecorate their sailboats, ects with lights, music, people in Santa outfits and sail past a bunch of bleachers that had been set up. There was even a guy with a mic who would describe each boat, who owned how many lights the theme they used as it past him. We never sat by him so I would sometimes get confused as to which boat he was talking about. We usually froze half to death but my sis and I absolutely loved it.

The last year we were in VA my sister and I finally talked our parents into taking us through the Botanical Gardens lighted Christmas Extravaganza. It was beautiful, millions of little colored lights some moving in time with the music that was pumped overhead. I cant remember as much as I wish I could since we only went that one time, but I do remember being in complete awe of how beautiful it was.

I have many fond memories from when I was a kid in VA but these are perhaps some of my favorites and the most vivid.

Thanks for reading and have a very Blessed CHRISTmas season-that's right I said it. Christmas, Christmas, Christmas.

My grandpa's anniversary is next week and I've been thinking about him alot lately so I thought I'd put some of my memories down.

I was thinking of what I remember and missed the most and it was always little things...like fishing, he would always take us fishing every summer at the same place. No matter how little a fish he always made you feel like it was the most impressive fish he'd ever seen.I dont really like fishing but I try to go once a year now. I miss the sound of his stupid mower. Instead of getting the car to drive the eight blocks to our house he'd just hop on his mower (he'd taken the blades off and made it into a spiffy little scooter) and drive down the highway. He was usually coming to pick something up, a tool my mom had "borrowed", or hamburger that was in our freezer form the last time we butchered in our garage. He'd just come in and yell anyone's name and then go get whatever he was after. You could always hear him coming at least four blocks away, and we run out to meet him. I miss that he could fix anything,and it always worked better than it did before, and his stories- he had great stories from when he was growing up and courting grandma. He always had the all the answers, even if he didnt know the right one he would just make something and we never knew the difference or cared. His sense of humor put mine to shame I learned how to be funny form him, listening to his jokes(thought not always appropriate) they were always funny. And Ive never heard anyone who could play the harmonica better than he could, he could play song you wanted. And he used to whistle when he was mad-he said he learned that from his father-in-law, but when he was really mad he'd swear up a storm, course it was all in german and never what the hell he was saying but you knew when he was ticked. It didnt take long though before he was over it and off putzing with his next project. Once when my sister and I went to visit our grandparents grandma was watching the horrid PBS music show-thing and grandpa got up started to dance with us-he never danced. You could almost always find him in is fathers old rocker watching NASCAR and yelling at the TV, he'd have turned up so loud we put his TV in the guest room-he was always "losing" his hearing aides.

The last few days I saw him he was in the hospital for pneumonia-my mom says the last two days were just a blur for her but I remember every minute. I sat there with my grandma in his room, holding his hand when she needed a break, he always was calm if he could hold someone's hand. He didnt say too much but once in a while he'd wink, or smile, or just squeeze my hand-just so that I wouldnt look so worried. I sat there and just watched him breath, listening to the machines, watching his stats, and listening to my grandma read to him from her bible. On that last morning he asked my grandma to lean closer, she has horrible legs so I helped to stand and held her steady while he whispered in her ear that he went walking with God that night and that everything was going to be OK, he was ready to go home and six hours later while the whole family was saying the lords prayer he went like he feel asleep. I sat with my grandma in his room in after everyone left (case she needed help getting up) just like we had done for the past two days except everything was quite.

Right after college I moved to a small town called Martin(it's right between the Rosebud and Pine Ridge Ind. Res) its about 3 hours and 200 miles from home, and he hated that I was out there all by myself. He always wanted to know when I was moving back home, and I'd always say someday. When I came home that last Thanksgiving I visited him in the hospital and he asked me how long I was home for. I told him I was staying until he went home-I should have been more specific.

Thanks for letting me share some of my memories of one the greatest men I ever had the privilege to know. Sorry if this seems messy and not very well thought out, I just typed what came into my head.

As this is the first time Ive ever done this please bear with me, Im not really sure what Im doing yet when it comes to blogging. So here it goes...

I feel the need to be annoyed and to share. Kinda like in Kindergarten, only not.

My best friend in the whole world just got engaged. I was so incredibly happy for her, until...she asked to me to go dress shopping with her!! Gasp! Ive never been WD shopping before, I had no idea what to expect. So like a very good friend I said "sure I'd love to look for Wedding Dresses with you".

So I get to store and shes running a little late as per usual, so I just walk in. Apparently this is wrong,I did not know this. I was not made aware that there was some sort of handbook I had to read, some line I needed to sign on(in blood), or some security check point I needed to clear. But once we got past all that I was allowed to enter and the little infants they have working in the store made me take off my shoes! Its a store not Windsor palace. So anyway there I sat for about 10 mins, with little stick figures, that pass as people, (size 0 isnt a size its a non-number!) Sorry got sidetracked...where was I? Oh yes stick people...they just stood there and didnt say anything, didnt move really, just watched me like I was ready to bolt out the door with one dress in my bag and another under my coat.

So when my friend finally appeared we then got to go through the dresses. If you havent done this before, try to avoid it. It was like being in a forest of satin, sequins and tooling. My eyes still hurt from all the sparkles, thank goodness Im not epileptic. And I swear she tried on every kind of dress they had...took 2 1/2 hours. And she didnt even find one she really liked. It was nuts, not to mention the cost of one these tents...I mean really you only wear it once, or twice but that might just be tacky. They shouldnt cost more than your house payment.

As you can probably tell Im not married, and not likely toany time soon after all this mess. Shes been engaged two weeks, June is looking a long way off. And next week we get to shop for bridesmaids dresses and Im the only one that can make it...Pray for me.