Friday, December 31, 2010
My year in review...
2010 was such a full year for the Doody family. Full of family, friends, laughter and love. Road trips to the beach and NY, plane trips to MA and FL. Engagements, weddings, pregnancies and new babies. New jobs and the news that some would be losing their jobs. Dinners out, BBQs and happy hours. Developing new friendships and keeping up with old ones. This year had a little bit of everything, and if you had asked me to sum it up a month ago, I would have said it was one of our best years yet as a family. Then we lost my Nana on 12/11/10, and I can't help but associate her passing with the end of 2010. As I reflect on the year though, I am reflecting on all the good times. The times I spent with my Nana during my visits in February and November. Her laugh watching Ryan perform songs and dances, and pretend to be driving an airplane. The ride she gave him on her wheelchair. These are the memories I will hold close to me. And tonight, as we count down to 2011, I am sure there will be tears - both tears of sadness and loss, and tears of joy and hope for what still lies ahead. I am hoping there will be more tears of joy than sadness, and that is what I wish for all of you in 2011. A full year of family, friends, love and laughter. Trips to the beach and BBQs. Happy hours and Dinner parties. But most of all - may your year be filled with many more tears of joy than sadness. Happy 2011!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
3...going on 18...
For those of you who have not seen Toy Story 3, it continues to follow the story of Andy, the main character from TS1 and TS2, and his favorite toys. In the 3rd installment, Andy is off to college, which means his toys will be left behind. He has to decide which toys to bring to college, which to move to the attic, and which to donate to a local daycare center. I won't bore you with the entire storyline, but at the end of the movie Andy gathers up all of his old favorites and donates them to a little girl, asking her to take good care of them. It's quite a tearjerker! Anyway, we recently watched the movie for the first time on Christmas (after a failed attempt in the theater several months ago that I talk about here). The next day, Ryan was playing with all of his toys - many of which are the same as the characters in the movie due to his obsession with all things Toy Story. He scooped up Buzz, Woody and Jessie, carried them over to me and said "I don't have time to play with my toys anymore because I am going to college. You need to take good care of them for me." Sniff Sniff! I'm sure this will happen soon enough and I will never be ready for it!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas to All
Santa came! For the second year in a row, we decided not to travel for the Christmas holiday, but instead spent it at home as a family of 3. Ryan definitely "got it" this year, he was so excited about Santa coming and was very clear on what he wanted - a Guitar, a Drum and a Piano, and "Toy Story EVERYTHING!" Luckily Santa listened - there was a guitar, drum and piano, along with plenty of Toy story toys and even a fishbowl with 2 fishes - promptly named Thomas and Henry by Ryan. As he came down the stairs, he was very calm, checking out the tree and noting that "Santa left a lot of presents." He started slowly, then getting into it, and as he finished opening each gift he would say "let's see what else. Let's open another one!" We snacked on the traditional Christmas morning breakfast food - my mom's recipe for coffee cake, made by me (Thanks mom!) When the gifts had all been opened, we sat down to breakfast of Gingerbread pancakes and bacon, then drank coffee while we watched Ryan play with his new toys. We stayed in our Pjs until late afternoon, then ate a wonderful dinner of lasagna, garlic bread and broccoli and watched Toy Story 3. We skyped with all the relatives we were not able to see in person, and Ryan showed them each and every gift he received through the webcam :) After the last few weeks have been especially tough and emotional, filling the day with new traditions was just what I needed. I reflected quickly internally on Christmas breakfasts past at my Nana's house, and how much she loved the holiday and having everyone together. Than I raised my mimosa to my Nana and her memory, wiped away my tears and broke into a smile as I watched Ryan strumming on his new guitar. Again, she would be so proud of her little musical great grandson :) 
Christmas Eve!
This year it was all about continuing new traditions we started last year. We kicked off Christmas Eve with drinks and appetizers at our house, and were joined by the Karpewicz, along with a friend of theirs, and our close friends Katie and Frank. The adults chatted and laughed, while Ryan and Ava danced and played. After toasting to Christmas, then saying goodbye to Katie and Frank, we bundled up and walked down to Yellow Dog Tavern for Christmas Eve Dinner. Ryan and Ava kept us entertained by singing Christmas songs like Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer on both the walk to and from dinner, as they were both bursting at the seams with excitement over Santa's impending arrival. Although my spirits had been a little low in the days leading up to Christmas, we had a great time with good friends and do truly feel blessed for all that we do have. 
Friday, December 24, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Miracle on 34th street
On Christmas Eve Eve, we headed about 10 minutes north of the city to Hampden, to check out the famous lights display on 34th street. Every year, one entire block is completely decked out for the season with everything from nativity scenes to Santa to hub cab Christmas trees to...well, I will just let the pictures speak for themselves...Let's just say Ryan absolutely loved it!
Christmas Spirit
Since this has been a rough month for us, I have been having a lot of trouble getting into the Christmas spirit. But then I look at my little guy, sleeping with his little stuffed Max (the dog/reindeer from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas") and how can I not get excited to share all of the magic with him?
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
At a loss for words
It is not often that I am at a loss for words, but right now is one of those times. I have sat down to write this entry about a dozen times in the past week and a half, and don't feel that anything I write can convey my feelings. At 10:45 AM, on 12/11/10, we lost my beloved grandmother, "Nana" as she was referred to by all of her grandchildren, and even some who were not related to her. She was truly the BEST. I am sure everyone says that about their grandmothers, but I can say with certainty that she was :)
I was the first grandchild, and the only one for the first 5 years of my life. After my brother came along when I was 5, it was yet another 6 years before another grandchild was born, so we always had an especially close relationship with Nana. She is part of almost every single childhood memory I have. We got our ears pierced together when I was 10 and she was 60. She attended my school plays, concerts, graduation from every school I attended (including college in New York), and she danced at my wedding. She held my son, her first great-grandchild, in her arms when he was a baby and later gave him a ride on her wheelchair when he was a toddler. We vacationed together, sunbathed together by her pool, celebrated holidays and birthdays together, and she babysat me more times than I can count.
Nana had been living in a nursing home for the past 3.5 years but thrived, and remained in decent health, with all of her wits about her. Mentally, she was all there right up until the very end. She had been in the hospital shortly before Thanksgiving with an infection, and after her release she progressed downhill very fast. She wasn't able to come to my uncle's house for Thanksgiving dinner, but we all thought she would bounce back and we'd see her at the next holiday. I was in town for Thanksgiving and visited her twice. She even offered to give Ryan a ride on her wheelchair again. She didn't look good though, and I left her room knowing in my heart that it was quite possibly the last time I would ever see her. My mother had been keeping me informed that the decline was happening quickly, and she wasn't sure how much longer it would be. That last week of her life I began grieving and preparing myself for the worst. But nothing can ever prepare you, can it?
Two weeks ago, I called my parents on a Saturday morning to check in on Nana. I could tell by my Dad's voice that things were not ok. he told me that my mom and her siblings had been called to the nursing home at 5:30 that morning and that they were around her bedside waiting for her to pass. He told me to stay put until I heard from him again, but as soon as I hung up the phone, I began packing. When he called me back at 11:00 to say she had passed peacefully a little while before, surrounded by those she loved, I told him we were almost packed and ready to go. I had to be there - for my mom, for my family, and for me. We arrived around 8:00 pm, and after a somewhat emotional embrace with parents, and Aunt and Uncle, Ryan entered the room and immediately lightened the mood and put a smile on everyone's faces. Thank goodness for children and the circle of life.
It was a tough week, I won't lie. The wake and funeral were emotionally grueling, but uplifting as well. Hundreds of friends and family came through the funeral home to express their condolences, and we saw just how many lives she had touched. We weren't the only ones who loved her, that's for sure. I wrote and delivered the eulogy, and I know I made her proud. She deserved to have someone stand up there who knew her best, and could talk about all her best qualities, and the wonderful life she lived. And I think I did that. The downtime at my parents house was actually harder than the services. Too much time to think is never a good thing, and we had plenty of time to think. I didn't sleep well all week, and still am not back to my normal sleeping habits.
Although last week was tough, this week feels worse. Reality is setting in, and it is hard to rally any Christmas spirit after feeling such a profound loss. I know that we need to move on and celebrate the blessings we do have, and she would want us to do that. It's not going to be easy though.
Nana, we miss you so much and we will love you forever. You are a part of who we are - your family, your friends, and all those who knew you. As I said in my eulogy, I know that wherever you are, you are smiling down on us, in your beach chair, basking in the sun, toes touching the ocean water, with a margarita in hand.
I was the first grandchild, and the only one for the first 5 years of my life. After my brother came along when I was 5, it was yet another 6 years before another grandchild was born, so we always had an especially close relationship with Nana. She is part of almost every single childhood memory I have. We got our ears pierced together when I was 10 and she was 60. She attended my school plays, concerts, graduation from every school I attended (including college in New York), and she danced at my wedding. She held my son, her first great-grandchild, in her arms when he was a baby and later gave him a ride on her wheelchair when he was a toddler. We vacationed together, sunbathed together by her pool, celebrated holidays and birthdays together, and she babysat me more times than I can count.
Nana had been living in a nursing home for the past 3.5 years but thrived, and remained in decent health, with all of her wits about her. Mentally, she was all there right up until the very end. She had been in the hospital shortly before Thanksgiving with an infection, and after her release she progressed downhill very fast. She wasn't able to come to my uncle's house for Thanksgiving dinner, but we all thought she would bounce back and we'd see her at the next holiday. I was in town for Thanksgiving and visited her twice. She even offered to give Ryan a ride on her wheelchair again. She didn't look good though, and I left her room knowing in my heart that it was quite possibly the last time I would ever see her. My mother had been keeping me informed that the decline was happening quickly, and she wasn't sure how much longer it would be. That last week of her life I began grieving and preparing myself for the worst. But nothing can ever prepare you, can it?
Two weeks ago, I called my parents on a Saturday morning to check in on Nana. I could tell by my Dad's voice that things were not ok. he told me that my mom and her siblings had been called to the nursing home at 5:30 that morning and that they were around her bedside waiting for her to pass. He told me to stay put until I heard from him again, but as soon as I hung up the phone, I began packing. When he called me back at 11:00 to say she had passed peacefully a little while before, surrounded by those she loved, I told him we were almost packed and ready to go. I had to be there - for my mom, for my family, and for me. We arrived around 8:00 pm, and after a somewhat emotional embrace with parents, and Aunt and Uncle, Ryan entered the room and immediately lightened the mood and put a smile on everyone's faces. Thank goodness for children and the circle of life.
It was a tough week, I won't lie. The wake and funeral were emotionally grueling, but uplifting as well. Hundreds of friends and family came through the funeral home to express their condolences, and we saw just how many lives she had touched. We weren't the only ones who loved her, that's for sure. I wrote and delivered the eulogy, and I know I made her proud. She deserved to have someone stand up there who knew her best, and could talk about all her best qualities, and the wonderful life she lived. And I think I did that. The downtime at my parents house was actually harder than the services. Too much time to think is never a good thing, and we had plenty of time to think. I didn't sleep well all week, and still am not back to my normal sleeping habits.
Although last week was tough, this week feels worse. Reality is setting in, and it is hard to rally any Christmas spirit after feeling such a profound loss. I know that we need to move on and celebrate the blessings we do have, and she would want us to do that. It's not going to be easy though.
Nana, we miss you so much and we will love you forever. You are a part of who we are - your family, your friends, and all those who knew you. As I said in my eulogy, I know that wherever you are, you are smiling down on us, in your beach chair, basking in the sun, toes touching the ocean water, with a margarita in hand.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
