Is that progress? Ha. I don't know that we can call it much progress.
This year has been busy. We purchased a travel trailer and have taken it out a few times. It's fun and we have enjoyed it they times we have been able to get away. A couple weeks ago we had Alison's birthday party. We had it at our house (1st kid bday party at the house) it was a luau and it turned out really cute. Becky came down and helped for a week and did most of the party stuff for us. I'm super thankful she was here because I wasn't up to hosting a party. Ivy, Jeff & the kiddos made it down for the party as well. It's really so perfect when I get all besties and their kiddos to come from near and far.
A couple weeks prior to Alison's birthday my Aunt Margaret passed away. She had been suffering from dementia for a while and wasn't well. I'm at ease that she is no longer suffering and is back with her husband. I'll hold tight to the memories that I have from my childhood - she was always just so sweet. I was lucky enough to get a photo of her and both my kiddos last year when we were up there visiting. I'm very glad we took a second to take a photo.
Unfortunately, Sharon fell and broke her hip in February. We could no longer care for her in our home and she is not recovering well. We had to place her in long term care so she is up in St George. She's not doing very well. But she is being taken care of and we go up and visit once a week. Alison looks forward to going to see Grandma at the doctors. Chad's family friend goes to visit her as well which is nice too. My parents visit her when they are up there for Dr appointments as well.
Jadon is finishing up summer school. He has learned so much in these few weeks! Mr Abbott is his teacher for summer school which is super cool. He has really come so far and is able to read the little books he brings home. It's really cool to see him learning and growing every day. Alison is finally potty trained so we have enrolled her in pre-school it starts in the fall and is only an hour and a half twice a week. But, she is really excited about it. Jadon has taught her a lot. She's a smart little shit.
Chad has been awesome as always as keeping up with everything and keeping our household going. I haven't felt well in a few months. I've gone to the Dr a few times and have a couple more appointments coming up. I just don't know what to do anymore. It's really tiring to feel like crap all the time. I felt pretty good for a couple days - which was awesome, but also pretty depressing. It opened my eyes to how far my life has slipped. I don't interact with the kids as much, I don't participate in our marriage as much. Chad feels so distant and I seem to be a burden rather than a partner. I hate it. Our house is pretty much a mess all the time. I can't keep it up. Hell, I can't keep myself up. One of the days I felt well I looked at myself in the mirror and I can literally see the toll my body is taking. I haven't worked out in a long, long time. I don't have energy for that. It's hard to even make it through work. Last week was the first week in I dont even know how long that I came in every day and didnt leave early (and it was only 4 day week cuz of the holiday). Chad pointed out I drive differently now, something I had noticed a couple months ago and was just kind of hoping he wouldn't take notice to. Being sick really sucks. I miss being healthy, I miss my life. I feel like my family is getting ripped off by having to deal with me instead of having a healthy, happy me.
Ok... that's enough blah blah for now...
Love you all!
D
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Thursday, December 31, 2015
2015
Wow - it's been over a year since I have updated this blog. 2015 has been an interesting year.
It started off with the loss of our friend and coworker Jason. It's crazy to sit here and think it's been nearly a year. It seems like he's been gone for so long. His wife and son are super amazing and I feel really fortunate that we have become closer.
Most of the year is kind of a blur. I'm sad I haven't kept up with this blog - it would be nice to have some of our memories written so we can go back and be reminded of them.
I started doing yoga and stuck with it for a while but then I wasn't feeling well and slacked of. But, Jadon goes to yoga and he really loves it. Makes me so happy! Speaking of Jadon, he is 5 now and started Kindergarten in September. He's doing really well, it's amazing to see how much he learns. Last year Jadon was in preschool and he had the best teacher, Mrs Debby. She is amazing and I still keep in touch with her. At his preschool graduation when she asked him what he wants to be when he grows up he said "my daddy" - how amazing is that? Chad is really a great father to our children and I think that really validates that. This year Jadon started with Mrs. Billingsly but she is retiring so when school starts back up next week Mr Abbott will be taking over. We went to school with Ren so it's pretty cool that he will be teaching our son... I just came back to add that this year Jadon wanted a Mario party so we did that at the bowling alley and he was super happy
Alison is 2 and a half now. She is beautiful and smart and a pain in that ass that we all love so much. Anyone who meets her falls in love with her. She, thankfully, is usually on good behavior when we are around others so that's good. She looks up to Jadon so much and tries to do everything he does. It's really sweet. Oh, we decided to stick with the places theme for her birthday. This year it was New York. I think it was super cute, and we made it a joint birthday for her and my mom.
We have been so lucky to have Becky and Ivy and her family come down a couple times. I really miss those two sisters of mine. She was down for Thanksgiving and brought the kiddos Christmas gifts, she spoiled these kiddos so much! But it was really fun and I'm glad she was able to enjoy the presents with them. Ivy and Jeff were able to adopt Jeff's nephews. I was so lucky to be able to attend the court hearing. It was so cool. They are amazing parents and I'm so thankful the boys ended up with them.
Chad has been wonderful to me and the kids as always. He was offered a job up in Reno but the timing just didn't work out so we're still here in Mesquite. But, we did move to a new house. I love it and it feels like home. Becky was here while we were getting the new house ready and she helped me paint and it was such a fun memory. Chad's mom isn't doing too well and will probably be moving to Denver in the spring. It will be pretty nice to have the whole house to ourselves.
My parents are doing ok. Mom had to have some stints put in her heart but she seems to be doing pretty good now. Watching my parents age and knowing they are mortal is a bit hard some days. I'm so thankful to have them around still. They watch the kiddos a lot which is awesome, I'm so happy they will always have fun memories of their grandparents.
OHHH! My niece Nicole had a baby girl, Isabel. She's super cute. Danielle is pregnant now and are expecting a boy who they've named him Derrick. I'm so excited :)
Well... I think that's our year in a nutshell. I'm sure I've missed some things, but at least we've got this much written now lol.
Cheers to a wonderful new year!
D
It started off with the loss of our friend and coworker Jason. It's crazy to sit here and think it's been nearly a year. It seems like he's been gone for so long. His wife and son are super amazing and I feel really fortunate that we have become closer.
Most of the year is kind of a blur. I'm sad I haven't kept up with this blog - it would be nice to have some of our memories written so we can go back and be reminded of them.
I started doing yoga and stuck with it for a while but then I wasn't feeling well and slacked of. But, Jadon goes to yoga and he really loves it. Makes me so happy! Speaking of Jadon, he is 5 now and started Kindergarten in September. He's doing really well, it's amazing to see how much he learns. Last year Jadon was in preschool and he had the best teacher, Mrs Debby. She is amazing and I still keep in touch with her. At his preschool graduation when she asked him what he wants to be when he grows up he said "my daddy" - how amazing is that? Chad is really a great father to our children and I think that really validates that. This year Jadon started with Mrs. Billingsly but she is retiring so when school starts back up next week Mr Abbott will be taking over. We went to school with Ren so it's pretty cool that he will be teaching our son... I just came back to add that this year Jadon wanted a Mario party so we did that at the bowling alley and he was super happy
Alison is 2 and a half now. She is beautiful and smart and a pain in that ass that we all love so much. Anyone who meets her falls in love with her. She, thankfully, is usually on good behavior when we are around others so that's good. She looks up to Jadon so much and tries to do everything he does. It's really sweet. Oh, we decided to stick with the places theme for her birthday. This year it was New York. I think it was super cute, and we made it a joint birthday for her and my mom.
We have been so lucky to have Becky and Ivy and her family come down a couple times. I really miss those two sisters of mine. She was down for Thanksgiving and brought the kiddos Christmas gifts, she spoiled these kiddos so much! But it was really fun and I'm glad she was able to enjoy the presents with them. Ivy and Jeff were able to adopt Jeff's nephews. I was so lucky to be able to attend the court hearing. It was so cool. They are amazing parents and I'm so thankful the boys ended up with them.
Chad has been wonderful to me and the kids as always. He was offered a job up in Reno but the timing just didn't work out so we're still here in Mesquite. But, we did move to a new house. I love it and it feels like home. Becky was here while we were getting the new house ready and she helped me paint and it was such a fun memory. Chad's mom isn't doing too well and will probably be moving to Denver in the spring. It will be pretty nice to have the whole house to ourselves.
My parents are doing ok. Mom had to have some stints put in her heart but she seems to be doing pretty good now. Watching my parents age and knowing they are mortal is a bit hard some days. I'm so thankful to have them around still. They watch the kiddos a lot which is awesome, I'm so happy they will always have fun memories of their grandparents.
OHHH! My niece Nicole had a baby girl, Isabel. She's super cute. Danielle is pregnant now and are expecting a boy who they've named him Derrick. I'm so excited :)
Well... I think that's our year in a nutshell. I'm sure I've missed some things, but at least we've got this much written now lol.
Cheers to a wonderful new year!
D
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
September!
September is generally a busy month for us. But, this year we added a new item to the calendar. 1st day of school.
Our little dude starts preschool today. I've got a bunch of mixed feelings. I'm excited for him to meet new people, learn new things and to grow more independent (if that's even possible for this little guy). But, damn, it's hard. I've always known, trusted and loved whoever he was being watched by. I know who he hangs out with. The people also know me, they know our house runs a bit differently than most and they don't judge us, try to change us, or punish my kids for being themselves. That is what I'm struggling with. I believe children must have manners and show respect and not be little asshats throwing fits. We also embrace our kids personalities, and enjoy the funny things they say and do. I'm certain some of these things will not go over well in school, and it's just something we'll learn to adapt to. We don't lie to our children, and we are ourselves all the time. We do not believe in hiding that we enjoy having wine and beer, and we don't censor our language. This is the way we are, I want my children knowing me, not an uptight, hidden version of me. So, sending him somewhere that's generally not acceptable will be interesting to say the least. We've met his teacher Miss Debbie, she seems pretty cool and loves her job. I'm going to keep an optimistic outlook and hope she can see the beauty in my child the way we do.
Happy 1st day of school my awesome little guy. Don't let anyone ever dull your light, you're a beautiful person inside and out and I wouldn't change anything about you!
Shit, I hope there's a bottle of vino chilling in the fridge!!!
Our little dude starts preschool today. I've got a bunch of mixed feelings. I'm excited for him to meet new people, learn new things and to grow more independent (if that's even possible for this little guy). But, damn, it's hard. I've always known, trusted and loved whoever he was being watched by. I know who he hangs out with. The people also know me, they know our house runs a bit differently than most and they don't judge us, try to change us, or punish my kids for being themselves. That is what I'm struggling with. I believe children must have manners and show respect and not be little asshats throwing fits. We also embrace our kids personalities, and enjoy the funny things they say and do. I'm certain some of these things will not go over well in school, and it's just something we'll learn to adapt to. We don't lie to our children, and we are ourselves all the time. We do not believe in hiding that we enjoy having wine and beer, and we don't censor our language. This is the way we are, I want my children knowing me, not an uptight, hidden version of me. So, sending him somewhere that's generally not acceptable will be interesting to say the least. We've met his teacher Miss Debbie, she seems pretty cool and loves her job. I'm going to keep an optimistic outlook and hope she can see the beauty in my child the way we do.
Happy 1st day of school my awesome little guy. Don't let anyone ever dull your light, you're a beautiful person inside and out and I wouldn't change anything about you!
Shit, I hope there's a bottle of vino chilling in the fridge!!!
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALISON!!!
Ok, ok... So, it's almost Rex's birthday and I'm now just getting around to writing about Alison's birthday.
Starting to wish I was better at the scrapbooking stuff so at least you kids would have something to look back on. But, it is what it is!
I knew Alison was going to have a great 1st birthday. I also knew that this party was more for me than it was for her, since she wont remember it! We threw a nice party for Rex's first as well and knew this had to be just as good! And it was. Her birthday way AMAZING! All the important people in her life were able to attend, she was happy and of course spoiled!
I had gotten a dress while in SLC when I was still pregnant. I had decided that would be her 1st birthday dress. So, then I needed a theme. The dress has a Parisian scene on the bottom so Paris was chosen as the theme. I started shopping and planning early. Like usual! And as usual, I probably went a little overboard. But Daddy was so nice just letting be do whatever. Rex helped a lot and was excited when packages were delivered for "My baby girls birthday" (that is what he calls her now, it's so sweet)
We are so thankful to have our little "Chuggy" she's so full of personality! She's very smart, stubborn, LOUD, silly and of course loving. She babbles a lot, but is able to stay a few words. She still only had 2 teeth! Which sort of sucks, because she wants to eat whatever we are having and it's not always an option with only 2 little teeth. Her brother is her favorite person. I think he always will be, they have a heartwarming bond that makes me thankful and happy every single day.
Love my babies so much. What a great life!
Here's a few photos of the party Becky took before the party started!
Starting to wish I was better at the scrapbooking stuff so at least you kids would have something to look back on. But, it is what it is!
I knew Alison was going to have a great 1st birthday. I also knew that this party was more for me than it was for her, since she wont remember it! We threw a nice party for Rex's first as well and knew this had to be just as good! And it was. Her birthday way AMAZING! All the important people in her life were able to attend, she was happy and of course spoiled!
I had gotten a dress while in SLC when I was still pregnant. I had decided that would be her 1st birthday dress. So, then I needed a theme. The dress has a Parisian scene on the bottom so Paris was chosen as the theme. I started shopping and planning early. Like usual! And as usual, I probably went a little overboard. But Daddy was so nice just letting be do whatever. Rex helped a lot and was excited when packages were delivered for "My baby girls birthday" (that is what he calls her now, it's so sweet)
We are so thankful to have our little "Chuggy" she's so full of personality! She's very smart, stubborn, LOUD, silly and of course loving. She babbles a lot, but is able to stay a few words. She still only had 2 teeth! Which sort of sucks, because she wants to eat whatever we are having and it's not always an option with only 2 little teeth. Her brother is her favorite person. I think he always will be, they have a heartwarming bond that makes me thankful and happy every single day.
Love my babies so much. What a great life!
Here's a few photos of the party Becky took before the party started!
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Testing... Testing... Is this still on??
Ok. So before when I said I was really slacking, yeah, now I reallllly have missed a bunch of time. It's been 6 months since Grandpa Don passed away and this is the first time in 2014 that I'm blogging. Wow. Sorry about that kiddos.
I really do feel bad I haven't kept up with this as much as I want to. Jadon's first year is much better documented than Alison's. I feel guilty for that. I don't know if this will make sense to anyone besides me, and that's ok....with Jadon, we didn't think we'd ever have a child and held strongly to every 1st and waited anxiously for each new milestone. With Alison, my cheery on top, again, we thought we'd never have another child and here we are with another beautiful person. How truly blessed are we?!? This time, I know she is my last child and I KNOW how fast everything goes and just how fast babies grow, learn, and gain independence. I love watching my kids grow and learn, it's really amazing. But, I know it all goes so damn fast. And I just wanna keep her little, a little longer. With Rex we always encouraged him to crawl, walk, do whatever as soon as possible. And now we know, they will grow, they will learn, they will crawl, they will walk, they will talk all in their own time and there's no reason to rush it along. It already goes by way too damn fast. It makes me a little sad. Sad that I rushed my boy along to all of his 1st's as an infant and sad that I haven't documented Alison's because I am in some sort of denial that she's no longer a tiny baby that needs her mommy constantly.
Our baby Alison will be 1 next month. This past year has been one of the most challenging in some aspects, but also the happiest. Seeing my babies smile, love and interact warms my heart and soothes my soul of whatever ails it. My favorite thing right now is to say to Rex "I love you!" because I know right after he will say in a voice of love and sincerity that I hope to always remember "I love you too Mom" When his baby Alison cries he is right there to sooth her, or offer ideas as to what he thinks she wants or needs "I think Alison needs her baba" Alison loves her brother so much. She calls for him, she can actually almost say "brother" so if he or her daddy are not within eyesight of her you'll be hearing her call out for them. And as soon as she see's them her little face lights up with joy. It's simply amazing.
I don't want to get into any of the not so awesome parts of the year, not that I don't acknowledge them, but I do not feel like writing about it right now. Right now I'm counting my blessings and I know the trials have made me appreciate them.
If you haven't gathered, I am a little sad my baby's first year is almost here. She will no longer be considered a "baby" (well, that is to anyone except me, my children will always be my babies). So, to take the sting away we will be having an awesome Parisian themed party for her. I love my children's birthday's. I really do. I like to plan them and make invitations and enjoy the friends and family who get to celebrate with us. So much fun. That's what I'm getting to do now. I have already started planning, the invitations have been made and are in the process of being delivered. The location has been selected and booked. Her outfit is chosen, Carrie has even made her a custom bow to match. Now, it'll be time to put all the plans in action. Only 1 month left until the party!!
Hope everyone is doing well! Love you all!
D
I really do feel bad I haven't kept up with this as much as I want to. Jadon's first year is much better documented than Alison's. I feel guilty for that. I don't know if this will make sense to anyone besides me, and that's ok....with Jadon, we didn't think we'd ever have a child and held strongly to every 1st and waited anxiously for each new milestone. With Alison, my cheery on top, again, we thought we'd never have another child and here we are with another beautiful person. How truly blessed are we?!? This time, I know she is my last child and I KNOW how fast everything goes and just how fast babies grow, learn, and gain independence. I love watching my kids grow and learn, it's really amazing. But, I know it all goes so damn fast. And I just wanna keep her little, a little longer. With Rex we always encouraged him to crawl, walk, do whatever as soon as possible. And now we know, they will grow, they will learn, they will crawl, they will walk, they will talk all in their own time and there's no reason to rush it along. It already goes by way too damn fast. It makes me a little sad. Sad that I rushed my boy along to all of his 1st's as an infant and sad that I haven't documented Alison's because I am in some sort of denial that she's no longer a tiny baby that needs her mommy constantly.
Our baby Alison will be 1 next month. This past year has been one of the most challenging in some aspects, but also the happiest. Seeing my babies smile, love and interact warms my heart and soothes my soul of whatever ails it. My favorite thing right now is to say to Rex "I love you!" because I know right after he will say in a voice of love and sincerity that I hope to always remember "I love you too Mom" When his baby Alison cries he is right there to sooth her, or offer ideas as to what he thinks she wants or needs "I think Alison needs her baba" Alison loves her brother so much. She calls for him, she can actually almost say "brother" so if he or her daddy are not within eyesight of her you'll be hearing her call out for them. And as soon as she see's them her little face lights up with joy. It's simply amazing.
I don't want to get into any of the not so awesome parts of the year, not that I don't acknowledge them, but I do not feel like writing about it right now. Right now I'm counting my blessings and I know the trials have made me appreciate them.
If you haven't gathered, I am a little sad my baby's first year is almost here. She will no longer be considered a "baby" (well, that is to anyone except me, my children will always be my babies). So, to take the sting away we will be having an awesome Parisian themed party for her. I love my children's birthday's. I really do. I like to plan them and make invitations and enjoy the friends and family who get to celebrate with us. So much fun. That's what I'm getting to do now. I have already started planning, the invitations have been made and are in the process of being delivered. The location has been selected and booked. Her outfit is chosen, Carrie has even made her a custom bow to match. Now, it'll be time to put all the plans in action. Only 1 month left until the party!!
Hope everyone is doing well! Love you all!
D
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Grandpa Don
So, I have been putting off writing on here for a couple months. I've thought about it several times, but hadn't been able to bring myself to actually do it.
Grandma and Grandpa Survis moved in with us about a year ago. Shortly after Grandpa had a heart attack. It was getting harder for Grandma to take care of him and since neither of them drove Dad had been taking them everywhere they needed to go anyhow and we were bringing them dinners on a somewhat regular basis. Also, we didn't know how much time Grandpa had left and Grandma Sharon didn't ever want to live alone. So we decided it was time that we all just live together. That was October 2012 - a couple weeks before we found out I was pregnant with Alison.
It's really made things work out a lot better. I'm not gonna lie, sometimes it's been a little rough. But all in all it's one of the best decisions we've ever made. Rex loved to go downstairs and visit Grandpa. He called him Ox-y Man because he was on oxygen. Rex would go down in the morning and help grandpa eat his cinnamon toast with peanut butter on it.He'd help grandpa all the time by making sure he had his oxygen on and would carry the line around for him and help him up and down the stairs. It's really heartwarming to see such kindness in a child. Grandpa loved baby Alison too, he would always talk to her and say she's so beautiful and such a good baby.
Grandpa did really well for the first about 10 months. But the last couple months his mind was really slipping and he wasn't able to get around as much and just was having a hard time in general. Around the 1st part of November he had some back pain and wasn't feeling well so Dad took him to the hospital. They said he had a kidney infection and sent him home with meds but also on hospice since it was increasingly harder for grandma to care for him. So they nurses would come over a few times a day to help him shower and give him meds and make sure he was doing ok.
On November 18th we came home from work and grandma said that grandpa had a small stroke so he wasn't really able to talk or to get out of bed. We had dinner and then daddy went and checked on him and he was peacefully sleeping. The next morning grandma came upstairs and asked dad to come check on grandpa again. He was still peaceful, but no longer with us. He had passed away sometime during the night. The days after are so much of a blur. Trying to tell our 3 year old that his grandpa ox-y man wasn't with us anymore was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It took a few days for Rex to really "get" it. We were all able to say goodbye & Rex told him he loved him lots. We had a really nice party to celebrate his life and for people to talk and share stories about was a great guy he was. I hope Rex, being so young, will have a few memories of his Grandpa Ox-y Man.
This is what daddy had to say about his dad...
"Yesterday, I lost someone in my life that I greatly respected and loved. While we may have never done what many would consider normal father/son activities, he was one of the greatest influences of my life, and am grateful for everything that he has done for me and taught me. His personality was magnetic, I have never met another person that people gravitated towards more so than my father. He had a charm about him that people loved, and would genuinely be happy to see and talk to. I know many of my friends growing up considered him a second father and I know he will be missed by them a great deal. I'm very glad that he was able spend time laughing and playing with my son and daughter over this past year and I know they will miss him very much. One of the most important things instilled in me while growing up was the importance of a family sitting around the dinner table sharing a meal together. I will truly miss sitting around the dinner table laughing, joking and discussing how the day had went. I love you and will miss you so very much you will always be in my thoughts and heart." - Chad
Also here is the obituary...
Donald William Survis 8/6/26 - 11/19/2013
Don Survis, 87, passed away Tuesday, November 19 comfortably in his sleep at his residence. He was the first of seven children born to Charles and Mildred Survis of West Bend, WI.
Don joined the Air Force and became a pilot in World War II. He loved planes and told great stories about his time in the service. After he was honorably discharged, he married Darlene and together they had six children; Bruce, Cynthia, Karen, Trudy, Michelle, and Mary.
In May of 1979, he married the love of his life Sharon in Las Vegas, NV. They have two sons; Cody and Chad. He enjoyed his family, painting, watching football, and spending time at the casinos.
He is survived by his loving wife Sharon, sons; Cody and Chad, and grandchildren; Jordyn, Jadon, Aspyn, and Alison. He is preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, one sister, and one daughter.
Grandma and Grandpa Survis moved in with us about a year ago. Shortly after Grandpa had a heart attack. It was getting harder for Grandma to take care of him and since neither of them drove Dad had been taking them everywhere they needed to go anyhow and we were bringing them dinners on a somewhat regular basis. Also, we didn't know how much time Grandpa had left and Grandma Sharon didn't ever want to live alone. So we decided it was time that we all just live together. That was October 2012 - a couple weeks before we found out I was pregnant with Alison.
It's really made things work out a lot better. I'm not gonna lie, sometimes it's been a little rough. But all in all it's one of the best decisions we've ever made. Rex loved to go downstairs and visit Grandpa. He called him Ox-y Man because he was on oxygen. Rex would go down in the morning and help grandpa eat his cinnamon toast with peanut butter on it.He'd help grandpa all the time by making sure he had his oxygen on and would carry the line around for him and help him up and down the stairs. It's really heartwarming to see such kindness in a child. Grandpa loved baby Alison too, he would always talk to her and say she's so beautiful and such a good baby.
Grandpa did really well for the first about 10 months. But the last couple months his mind was really slipping and he wasn't able to get around as much and just was having a hard time in general. Around the 1st part of November he had some back pain and wasn't feeling well so Dad took him to the hospital. They said he had a kidney infection and sent him home with meds but also on hospice since it was increasingly harder for grandma to care for him. So they nurses would come over a few times a day to help him shower and give him meds and make sure he was doing ok.
On November 18th we came home from work and grandma said that grandpa had a small stroke so he wasn't really able to talk or to get out of bed. We had dinner and then daddy went and checked on him and he was peacefully sleeping. The next morning grandma came upstairs and asked dad to come check on grandpa again. He was still peaceful, but no longer with us. He had passed away sometime during the night. The days after are so much of a blur. Trying to tell our 3 year old that his grandpa ox-y man wasn't with us anymore was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It took a few days for Rex to really "get" it. We were all able to say goodbye & Rex told him he loved him lots. We had a really nice party to celebrate his life and for people to talk and share stories about was a great guy he was. I hope Rex, being so young, will have a few memories of his Grandpa Ox-y Man.
This is what daddy had to say about his dad...
"Yesterday, I lost someone in my life that I greatly respected and loved. While we may have never done what many would consider normal father/son activities, he was one of the greatest influences of my life, and am grateful for everything that he has done for me and taught me. His personality was magnetic, I have never met another person that people gravitated towards more so than my father. He had a charm about him that people loved, and would genuinely be happy to see and talk to. I know many of my friends growing up considered him a second father and I know he will be missed by them a great deal. I'm very glad that he was able spend time laughing and playing with my son and daughter over this past year and I know they will miss him very much. One of the most important things instilled in me while growing up was the importance of a family sitting around the dinner table sharing a meal together. I will truly miss sitting around the dinner table laughing, joking and discussing how the day had went. I love you and will miss you so very much you will always be in my thoughts and heart." - Chad
Also here is the obituary...
Donald William Survis 8/6/26 - 11/19/2013
Don Survis, 87, passed away Tuesday, November 19 comfortably in his sleep at his residence. He was the first of seven children born to Charles and Mildred Survis of West Bend, WI.
Don joined the Air Force and became a pilot in World War II. He loved planes and told great stories about his time in the service. After he was honorably discharged, he married Darlene and together they had six children; Bruce, Cynthia, Karen, Trudy, Michelle, and Mary.
In May of 1979, he married the love of his life Sharon in Las Vegas, NV. They have two sons; Cody and Chad. He enjoyed his family, painting, watching football, and spending time at the casinos.
He is survived by his loving wife Sharon, sons; Cody and Chad, and grandchildren; Jordyn, Jadon, Aspyn, and Alison. He is preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, one sister, and one daughter.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
My thoughts...
First of all I need to say we have a new member of the family!! Michael and Simi's daughter Mersadie was born Oct 25th! She's adorable and we're so excited for them and I can't wait to get my hands on her and give her lots of love. It's fun that she and Alison are only 4 month apart! I'm happy with the decisions we've made, life isn't easy. Being able to be a part of Simi & Mersadie's lives confirms that and I'm glad I followed my heart by sticking by Simi when she choose to follow her own heart. I love Simi very much, and Michael and his whole family have been nothing but wonderful to us. I wish them all a lifetime of happiness.
This brings me to my next point. It's Halloween today, which means it's the start of the holiday season. It's such a conflicting time for me. There is so much about this time of year that I love but other parts of it just don't feel right to me. I love the weather changing, the smell and feel of a brisk morning. The fresh smell of rain on a winter day. Wearing comfy, warm sweaters. Cuddling close with loved ones. Spending lots of time and making memories with family and friends. Eating amazing meals and treats thoughtfully made by people close to us. Enjoying drinks, fun and laughter with everyone! It really is fun! Thanksgiving is my favorite, we all know that! After that it gets a bit tricky for me...
I do not look forward to the materialistic part of the holidays. I hate thinking we don't have enough money to buy things for everyone or that we can't buy enough "stuff" and really, why is it so damn materialistic?!? Also we are not religious so my views on Jesus and whatnot are totally different than the way Christmas is celebrated. I don't think Jesus would want us all pretending there is a Santa who gives all the rich kids everything they want but the poor children get very little or get whatever is donated. Such bullshit. And now there's this elf of the shelf who watches your kids and tells Santa if you're being good? Umm no... I can't bring myself to participate in it. I place a very high value on telling my children the truth, even if it's hard sometimes. So, we will not be having Santa or the stupid Elf thing either. My mom finds this appalling, she says we're taking the fun out of it. I say we're just going to celebrate in our own way. But we haven't came up with exactly how yet. I want our children to know the value of helping others in need. For several years we have participated in the Angel Tree program as a way to give to those in need. So I think if we explain to our kids that Christmas is about a really cool guy named Jesus who always wanted to do good things for people they will be ok with that. Maybe they can pick a tag off the tree and pick out things for the kids who don't have warm jackets or toys. And to be grateful for whatever anyone has given them no matter what the cost. I hug and a smile is a wonderful gift and doesn't cost anything. I want them to celebrate family, friends, happiness and love. Not an Xbox or whatever fancy new overpriced toy is out. I don't think this will screw them up or take the fun out of the holidays. At least I hope not. I hope my children will respect the choice we made and know it wasn't the easy way. By the way, this goes for the Easter bunny too... but that's for a different time!
Those are my thoughts! :-) I have a lot to catch up on, like our vacation! Woohoo!! And how fast my babies are growing baby chugalug is 4 months old already!! Ahh... ok maybe I can post that all soon with some Halloween photos!
Lots of love
D
This brings me to my next point. It's Halloween today, which means it's the start of the holiday season. It's such a conflicting time for me. There is so much about this time of year that I love but other parts of it just don't feel right to me. I love the weather changing, the smell and feel of a brisk morning. The fresh smell of rain on a winter day. Wearing comfy, warm sweaters. Cuddling close with loved ones. Spending lots of time and making memories with family and friends. Eating amazing meals and treats thoughtfully made by people close to us. Enjoying drinks, fun and laughter with everyone! It really is fun! Thanksgiving is my favorite, we all know that! After that it gets a bit tricky for me...
I do not look forward to the materialistic part of the holidays. I hate thinking we don't have enough money to buy things for everyone or that we can't buy enough "stuff" and really, why is it so damn materialistic?!? Also we are not religious so my views on Jesus and whatnot are totally different than the way Christmas is celebrated. I don't think Jesus would want us all pretending there is a Santa who gives all the rich kids everything they want but the poor children get very little or get whatever is donated. Such bullshit. And now there's this elf of the shelf who watches your kids and tells Santa if you're being good? Umm no... I can't bring myself to participate in it. I place a very high value on telling my children the truth, even if it's hard sometimes. So, we will not be having Santa or the stupid Elf thing either. My mom finds this appalling, she says we're taking the fun out of it. I say we're just going to celebrate in our own way. But we haven't came up with exactly how yet. I want our children to know the value of helping others in need. For several years we have participated in the Angel Tree program as a way to give to those in need. So I think if we explain to our kids that Christmas is about a really cool guy named Jesus who always wanted to do good things for people they will be ok with that. Maybe they can pick a tag off the tree and pick out things for the kids who don't have warm jackets or toys. And to be grateful for whatever anyone has given them no matter what the cost. I hug and a smile is a wonderful gift and doesn't cost anything. I want them to celebrate family, friends, happiness and love. Not an Xbox or whatever fancy new overpriced toy is out. I don't think this will screw them up or take the fun out of the holidays. At least I hope not. I hope my children will respect the choice we made and know it wasn't the easy way. By the way, this goes for the Easter bunny too... but that's for a different time!
Those are my thoughts! :-) I have a lot to catch up on, like our vacation! Woohoo!! And how fast my babies are growing baby chugalug is 4 months old already!! Ahh... ok maybe I can post that all soon with some Halloween photos!
Lots of love
D
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