Stuff That Makes Us Hillarys: Who? Huh? What?

...in the beginning...

We are the Hillary family. I can't actually claim all of us to be Hillarys, we've meshed with the Stimpsons, the Doxstaders, the Merrimans, and the Lowreys - but the more you hang around us the more we kind of rub off on you, and poof - you become a Hillary. Which, after reading some of the things that we do might sound like a pretty frightening thing. The disclaimer is that I cannot embarrass any of my children, and I promised. Then I uncrossed my fingers. We love the following people in our family.... Del & Nicole, Matt & Bethany & Drew, Em, and the Noahman Ashley & Mike and Baby Mackadamia and soon to be..., Mandy & Ryan, J-man and Dimples, and Ryan and Katie - yes we own two Ryans! Not pictured: Zoey the German Shephard, Opi the newly adopted puppy, BG & Baby Red the Macaws (the latter two Zoey would eat if put in the same picture). Welcome to our Blog. Don't take us too seriously.... life is meant to have a never ending, bottomless tub of buttered popcorn and laughter.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Who? Huh? What?

Found this beautiful picture of Ashley with Grandma June. My mom has so much love for her family, and it is always evident when she's around them. It's been a tough week with mom, and her challenge to be still be mentally and physically all together. I've hidden some funny post thoughts away for just today (but that means that they will show up very soon because life with Gma is outrageous) because I need to write down a few difficult thoughts on aging parents. I had a meltdown yesterday with my own mom. She can't hear so you have to yell, and then she can't remember so you repeat the yell, and then you repeat it all in 5 minutes, and then you get frustrated and you just yell. I have always tried to be kind to her - and to remember that I'm not very far off from where she is. I'm looking for that book - you know - like the book you were suppose to get when you had children and you had no clue what you were doing? Well, I need the book that helps you finish raising your parents when they are in their 80's and still work in the yard in the middle of the night, talk to imaginary friends, leave with people and not tell you where she's gone, lose their SS checks, again, and decide the Slim Fast is a great thing to have for dinner when you weigh 90 pounds. I love my mom - and my heart aches to know what to do and how to help her. I can't fix this - it's the plan of life - but I know so little about it all. I have been sent an angel though - my Sister in Law Terri - she is the glue of the family and she is there in an instant for my mom when I can't be there. She calms the crazies, finds mom when she's been missing for hours on end, makes sure she's at her appointments, and is mostly dressed before heading outside to get the newspaper. I love this woman so much - she is a gift to all of us - and cannot be thanked enough. I worry that the last thing I say to her - may be the last thing I get to say - so on my 4th phone call tonight to my mom - I told her how proud I was of her - I reminded her of how gracious of a woman she's been in her lifetime and how respected she still is. I told her how much I loved her - and hoped to be a small portion of the woman she is. She pretty much flew off the handle at me, and I, at that moment believed in Eternal Life - because I said - see you in the afterlife mom.... and clicked off the phone. Whew - lost it pretty bad - but after listening to my Jesus tapes (S. Michael Wilcox) I am reminded that Heavenly Father will fill in the gaps where I lack. So I called her back and apologized up and down the street to her - and she simply said - Oh there you are! I've missed talking to you from clear last week..... the after live.... I gotta get me some. Love your parents - honor them.... make sure they have the right size depends, and that the last words you say to them are, "remember me - your daughter?" Because tomorrow, she won't remember, and she'll get all excited again that she has one.