It is what it is

Amanda was asked on Valentine's day. i flew in for my winter break on Monday (was suppose to be Sunday but my flight from DTW to Chicago was late so I would have missed my connection to LA. Last flight home so, Otto picked me up and I flew out on Monday. They met me at LAX. I totally missed "the ring". Turns out Bryce asked her on the beach at Santa Babara. Her ring is made up of a center stone Bryce chose and side stones from my mother's ring and my grandmother's ring!!! On Tuesday we went to "look" at dresses as no date was set but they wanted October this or next year. She found a dress with the 3rd one she tried on. She then picked her colors (fall) of green and brown and picked the perfect complementary dress in green,they decided on October 17, I called the church and the hall and booked both from California. We both flew to Chicago for the weekend for Hannah's Christening and she surprised the rest of her fa...

I don't know whether to think we were lucky or blessed.  After a random guy told us on the highway (as usual, LA traffic was stop and go),  we had no tail lights, we drove to a Ford dealership.  The check-in person said it was 100.00 to look at it, but the electrician was leaving.  We looked pathetic so he said he would check.  Turns out, it was a switch, they had the part and an hour later (and another 150.00) we were on our way.  Missed our afternoon plans but he said they almost never have parts in stock and 5 minutes later the electrician would have left for the day.  We didn't get a ticket, no one rear-ended the car and I think we had guardian angels today on this first day of Lent.  It is what it is!!!  

Only three short days to enjoy the sand, sun, and surf and this morning we don't have any of these!  It is rather hazy and in the 60's but will warm to 70 later today. What an ordeal to get here.  After sitting at the airport for 2 hours on Sunday, I learned my flight to Chicago would be so late I would miss the connection to LA and it was the last one of the night going out through American connections.  After a few well chosen words of anger, they offered to put me on a plane to Charlotte, NC in the morning and then to LA by about 4:30.  (Turns out there was a major weather issue along the east coast yesterday!)  Being the calm person I am I said "you can do better than that".  They sent me to the ticket counter where the agent did.  She got me a seat thru Dallas and I was in LA by 1:30 Monday afternoon.  What a pain to have to return home (close but still) and unpack for the night.  Anyway, just a couple snags here and there put me in LA ...

Interesting comment from Amy Dickinson who writes a column called "Ask Amy".  "Family is not a status confined to those who share your DNA.  "Family are also the people who pick up your call on the first ring, put on a pot of coffee when you drop in, easily forgive your transgressions, laugh with you, cry alongside you, and importantly, love your kids along with you.  She continues saying that many readers have honorary "aunts, uncles and cousins", who are not actual family members but long-standing family friends.  These relationships are a gift".  She put to print what I have said all along about my family.  Those family members have been "Family" for so many years, we have all forgotten they are not related! As to the laugh part, there are times when I have not been able to breathe, I have laughed so hard with my "sister".  It is what it is and I will be ready to write about losing another brother soon.  What a week this has b...

Adjusting to all the quiet time. Andrew and Bryce left Friday.  Amanda is here a couple more days but everyone is probably ready to wind down and get back to normal.  Whatever that is in the Dobos household!  Enjoying our time playing Scrabble, watching Modern Family, movies (I think we have watched 4 now) and mostly yakking!   The list of to-dos when she is home is long and we never get it all done!  Lucy has enjoyed our down time on our laps...smelly beagle! My brother is still in the hospital but headed to a nursing facility for some re-hab and continued improvement.  He has a long way to go but with a team of doctors and the right medications, he should improve.  Going to see him Tuesday.  Will stop and see my other brother and his family.  Hopefully the weather improves. Quiet a Christmas.  Andrew fell down the stairs (all the stupid stuffed animals on the stairs are not conducive to travel up and down them I guess!), broke a cha...

Dark dreary Christmas Eve morning.  Rain, dismal but the lights look great.  Otto is at work, Brian in LA, Bryce, Andrew & Amanda are taking a long winter's nap (not up yet) and Matt, Dana & Hannah never made it from Chicago.  Traffic was so bad last Friday, they turned around and went home!  We opened our Secret Elf gifts via Face Time.  Our Christmas gift exchange is over except for stockings in the morning.  (What Lucy didn't eat of the summer sausage that was wrapped for Otto).  Just ornament exchange and silly candy etc.  Looking forward to Christmas Eve service tonight.  We will re-do another Christmas meal, much like Sundays before Brian left.  What a mixed up holiday!  Grandma even went to Vermont!   Very fun though.  It is nice not to have to be spending this time running crazy and frantic wrapping (we did all that Friday and ALL day Saturday, cooking on Sunday).  It has been a little slower pace. ...

Spent the day doing decorating inside and some outside because it was over 50 degrees.  Feel like it is the calm before the storm!!!  Schoolwork, grades for progress reports are DONE!   Lucy had a bath in the basement and I had to change my clothes!   Haircut, manicure, shopping, decorating, church, cleaning....scheduling, hosting, Christmas is EXHAUSTING!!!!   It is what it is!