and a huge-0 happy birthday to...

 Miss Camille Anaya, the baby of the family!  She was the grand prize.  Of course I'm thankful for all of my children, but she was special from the start.  I had thought I lost her, and mourned for weeks before finding out at 15/16 weeks that I was still pregnant!  She has been a blessing all of her days, and now she's eighteen years old!  She had on her light up Sketchers, she loved those things!

Look at how cute!  Cam and Char have always been like twins.  The were asked if they were, by strangers when they were small, and they said YES.

Cam, Jonny, Char

Richard Scarry books, then you blink.  And can we just mention how Suri was the most adorable dog, that face!!!!  I'd take another one of her in one second, that's why I try not to look too hard ha.  How can anyone resist a black Labrador?

Camille knows what it's like to have knee issues.

She is a good travel companion.

Both at the same time!  Whoa, girl.

Twinsies...

With Sonja...

With Char

Charlotte Claire, Cam, me...

I am so very proud of Miss Camille.  She's creative and funny and sweet and smart.  She's in college now, has to take extra time to catch up because of biology and chemistry, but she'll get there.  She's a writer and a baker and she refinished an old vanity, and just repainted a dresser that we had painted gray a few years ago.  She does such a nice job.  She taught herself the violin, and plays like an angel.  

Cam at the Phantom of the Opera party... they are having a small birthday party here tonight.  Chinese food, ice cream pie, maybe a movie, just some of the girls...I'm here in my comfy corner heaving myself up to limp to the bathroom every hour or so, and they're going to just party around me.  I don't mind, they don't seem to.  It certainly takes my mind off of me!  

Yesterday, Sonja came over with baby Kaia for a while, then Kathryn with Achilles, Jamie, and baby Ellis. Here's Char with Kaia...

Is she not adorable?

And baby Ellis, oh such a darling...(Kaia was picking up steam to roll over again!) I enjoyed having the company.  Kathryn did an order pick up and got me a package of chicken.  Camille turned that chicken into chicken parmesan, which was wonderful.  I didn't have to do anything, and the kids were super good about not bumping into me.  (This picture Char took when I said, "Take a picture, take a picture!", and I meant of Sunny and Orange Guy on the dog bed...it was hysterically funny...I thought she was being a jokester when she took my picture, but she thought that's what I meant...)

Anyway.  I'm thankful for the distractions, and for how nice the girls have been to me.  And, I love love love seeing the kids! 

I just want to mention this:  someone very special gave us a gift, out of the blue, and it is super nice, thoughtful, and so helpful.  I find it easier to give gifts than to receive them, honestly, but it's really a blessing.  Thank you, B.!  

I also want to apologize for the disjointed writing, I feel a bit foggy still.  I traded in the oxycodone for Tramadol, which seems better, but dang, I am not good with medications!  I am a side-effects googler, that doesn't help.  :)

Thanksgiving plans are rolling forward, we are having dinner as a family this year.  Most of us will be there.  We made a list of all the dishes, and each family will bring something.  I already bought all the nice plates, and stuff for stuffing, and some of the other stuff.  There is a pie list too, and I will be sure to clue you in on that, because there will be TONS of pies!  I don't know what I'll be capable of yet, but it is so amazing to me that all of these children of mine have grown up, some have married, but they have all gotten so responsible.  They are making dinner!  I will be there.  I never imagined such a thing!  

So I have been sleeping in my comfy chair in the living room, and just an aside:  it starts to get NOT so comfy, my aching rear end!  Anyway.  Last night, the lights were out, I had my leg all straight and propped up, and was trying to get to sleep, when the old kitty jumped up onto the coffee table, took her paw, and actually swung it at a glass of water one of the girls had left there.  She purposefully knocked it over, then crouched there and licked it up so daintily.  

I slept well last night.  Char and Cam put on a movie, The Martian, with Brad Pitt...we watched that, it ended at eleven, I was asleep by 12, and awake only once in the night to use the bathroom!  But, oops, I dropped my foot when I was trying to gingerly lift it from the stool, oh dear.  The nerve block is wearing off...tingles and aches.  But not too terrible.  Although shh, I have to go down the stairs in like an hour!  The physical therapist was having none of my I'll come in next week nonsense.  I did try.  :). Paul is going to bring me, he has been a champ.  He took the week off to go hunting, yet here he is, working and helping me.  And so nicely too.  

Oh well.  I'm going to get up and get ready...wish me luck!  (I am very very hesitant of being able to make it down those stairs!  I'll let you know how it goes!) And have a really nice day, chilly and dreary here in the northeast...snow on Monday!  But you Florida friends, dang...enjoy it!  :)