Crazy Holiday Season...Part One

What a crazy couple of months it has been for Kevin and I...and even Greta, too!

Thanksgiving 

For Thanksgiving, we were able to spend some time at my Mom's house. We cooked more mac-n-cheese than could have possibly been consumed by all of us. And Thanksgiving at Mom's wouldn't be complete without bacon-wrapped shrimp and limpia. When Jeff and I were little, our parents were stationed at Shaw AFB in Sumter and we were very good friends with The Ratcliff family. Lunesa Ratcliff, AKA Mrs. Luney, is Filipino and is an amazing cook! She started our Thanksgiving tradition of eating bacon-wrapped shrimp and limpia. After an early meal, we headed back to Charlotte for a second meal with The Caldwell's. Ken, Hope and Hannah were here this year and stayed all the way through the weekend!

Thanksgiving Day at Mom's house

Fear the Thumb

That weekend we headed back to Columbia to watch USC beat Clemson! Thanks to Buddy and Judy for the tickets!  Brandon Edge stopped by the tailgate and we met up with him during the game too! Thank goodness for the Letterman's Lounge because it was cooold. Although, after we won...it didn't feel quite so cold outside anymore. In fact, half the stadium stayed in the stands and watched the Missouri vs Texas A&M game on the big screen. The only down side...traffic was still awful for hours after the game was over. Hope and I just hung out in the warm car while the guys continued to celebrate...outside...in the cold. 

Yum, Fried Chicken and Shrimp & Grits at half time! 

Ken, Brandon & Kevin celebrating the win

Me and Hope celebrating the win

BBBS Holiday Bash

Big Brother Big Sister hosted a holiday bash the second week of December. Kevin and Isaiah got to spend some QT together playing games and hanging out at the different stations they had set up for the kids. He got a new book, a Christmas toy, made some cookies and even played bingo. Rumor had it that Cam Newton might show up..and sure enough he did at the very end. Unfortunately, Isaiah was too worn out and wanted to head home before Cam showed up. Kevin was definitely disappointed to miss Cam and so was Isaiah's mom once she heard. Maybe next time!

Kevin & Isaiah with his new Christmas present

Dad's Surgery

Me and Dad

That next week is when things really got crazy! On the evening of Saturday, December 14th my dad was admitted to the hospital where they discovered that his right main artery was 99% blocked. He had an angioplasty to clear the blockage and a stent put in. Although he'd already had the heart attack, the good news is that it helped them catch the problem before he had a major heart attack that may have killed him. Dad is recovering well and is allowed to go back to work tomorrow! I wasn't able to go see him that weekend (because I had to give two weeks notice at work on Monday....see below) but Jeff, Kevin and I drove up the next Saturday. He was already home and doing more than his doctors told him he should!

New Job

That Monday, I went into work and officially gave my two weeks notice. I had been with Morgan Stanley basically since I graduated from college and I really did like my job so it was with very mixed emotions that I chose to try something new.  I accepted a job that would get me closer to home and provide a little more opportunity. My new job is with TIAA-CREF as a Client Relationship Consultant in their Wealth Management/Individual Advisory Services department. For those of you making the connection...yes, Kevin also works at TIAA-CREF! They have a large campus here in Charlotte and Kevin and I are on different sides of campus so we won't see much of each other unless it's intentional. Anyway, the days that followed were very long and stressful as I tried to wrap up all my responsibilities at work. I am so thankful for my awesome husband who was extremely supportive and understanding while I worked long hours and was pretty stressed when I WAS home.

Poor Greta

The next night, I found a lump on Greta's chest that had grown from a small skin tag to a 1 inch hard lump in a matter of weeks. Fortunately, Kevin took her took to the vet the next morning where they diagnosed it as skin cancer. She had to come back on Thursday and have the lump removed. Although the lump was little, they took a large area and had to put her under full anesthesia. She had about 5 inches of staples on her chest and was pretty pitiful when she got home. But she eventually got back to her normal self. Her biopsy just came back this week and it has NOT spread so she is in the clear for now!

Greta looking pitiful after her surgery. She conned us into letting her on the bed for a couple nights. 

There's more to post but I think this one is long enough! To be continued.....