Another Trip Around the Sun - Welcome 2023

 

Look at that FORM?!?!?

Our holiday kick off starts the first weekend of December when we travel to Louisville to see our extended Pogue family.  We were fortunate this year that my Mamaw was able to be there.   She is 91 and up until November, was still getting around and living on her own.  Family live both across the street and next door and check(ed) on her regularly.  One early morning, she fell and broke her hip when they found her curled up on the floor.  She was taken to the hospital, had surgery, and has been in rehab/confined for some time. Since being discharged, she now resides in Lexington to live with my aunt permanently.

 

We don't even bother trying to "dress up" for the gathering because the boys are ready to shoot some hoops upon arrival.  Our event takes place at Okolona church in the gymnasium.

Matt wasn't able to be with us this year due to a conference he had to be at in San Antonio.  Everyone missed him.

~ We eat, we drink, we shoot hoops, we visit, we take pictures, we play Dirty Santa ~

If I haven't mentioned it lately, I work with one of the best groups of people on the planet.  This is the Business and IT Division at Skyctc.  Hands down, some of the finest educators and human beings I am fortunate enough to know.  We had our Christmas dinner/gift exchange at El Mazatlan.  

 

It was insanely cold the week of Christmas.  I'm not sure we've had temperatures that low since 1994.  The house was rather chilly despite keeping it at a comfortable temperature.  We only had a handful of snafu's during the cold (some prior).  You know "they" say household events always happen in sets of three (3).

(1)  The first thing happened the week prior to Christmas.  Miles had been invited to his girlfriends quinceanera.  I was not familiar with the event but knew it was super special.  He had an entry ticket and dressed up nice. I, however, was sporting my University of Louisville attire since they were playing in the NCAA Volleyball finals that night.  Sidenote: they lost.

Matt was home cooking a meal for me, him, Isaac, Adam and Karson (since Adam was in town for a quick visit for the holidays) before heading over to the Maglinger's to watch the game.  

The party was at Jaycee's Pavilion.  After arriving and walking Miles in, I quickly noticed how out of place I looked with my attire.  Everyone was super dressed up and looked fabulous.  They were so inviting and wanted me to stay and eat and put us up at one of the tables in the front.  I couldn't pass that up although I wanted to crawl under a rock and change.  The food was super delicious, and the place was packed.  It was my first time meeting Emely and her family.  Thankful Miles has such a special young lady in his life who we adore.

 

While I was at the event, Matt messaged me and let me know that our microwave completely blew.  Ugh.  He was hoping it was a breaker, but it made a weird sound while he was cooking potatoes.  Appliances are the WORST to replace especially this one since it was built in to our cabinets and had a trim kit.  I knew it was going to be a challenge to replace or even find.

We set out on a mission the next morning after removing all the hardware from the trim kit and getting a closer look at what we needed for a replacement.  Of course our model did not exist - shocking since it was 14 years old.  There's always hope.  Matt measured every angle, dimension depth, etc. hopeful to find exactly what we needed.  

I grabbed the actual trim piece because I figured if something would open and close and was the right depth, heck, it might work even if it isn't completely the same.  We traveled to Lowe's.  Lo and behold there was a Samsung on display that was almost identical to what we had.  A Christmas miracle, y'all!  Better yet, it was ON SALE for cheaper than we had assumed we'd have to pay.  The only problem was that this one was a display and not in stock.  However, there was one in Franklin, KY - but only one!

We headed back to the house to cook breakfast for the kids.  Afterwards, Matt took off for the Franklin Lowe's and snagged the microwave.  When he got it back home, the box looked rough.  The microwave was beat up too and didn't work - the door hinge was off and there was a dent in the back of it.  Maybe that's why it was the only one left on the shelf?  Ugh!  Isn't this the way things go???  We opted to order one online from Walmart which was priced even cheaper than Lowe's.  

A few days later, the new microwave arrived and after some finagling, we got it to work.  It's not perfect, but it works and looks good.  Whew!  

(2)  the second thing happened right before Christmas day I believe.  The temperature was crazy cold.  Karson has two attics off of her bedroom.  One attic holds all of our junk priceless treasures.  The other auxiliary attic has our furnace, paint, and our lovely tankless water heater in it.  About two years ago, we had to replace our tankless heater and in the process, they took out all the insulation that was built around the previous one.  We were told it wouldn't be necessary (but should've known better).  On occasion, we've had to take the hair dryer up there and blow it on the pipes to make the hot water work which happened once during the bitter cold spell.  However, because it got SO cold this go around, our drain pipe that exits the house and is built into the floor flash froze.  We didn't know until Miles was taking a shower and water started coming through our bucket light above our staircase (where the heater is located).  B-E-A-utiful.  There was no solution for this sadly.  We cleaned up what we could and laid down towels and added a bucket for the water release.  Fortunately it wasn't LOTS of water but enough that it needed something until that pipe could thaw out.  

The warmer temperatures helped with that.  It was a freak thing but still a wet (late night) surprise.  Fortunately, nothing major was damaged.

Christmas Eve is spent at Pops and Meme's house.

Christmas Day is spent at Pap and Nana's house.

We're fortunate to have such wonderful families who spoil us with love and thoughtful gifts.  It also nice to have two solid weeks off of work - PAID!  

(3)  the third thing happened in our garage with an electrical outlet which turned out not to be a big deal.  None of our outlets were working.  The only reason we noticed was because Matt had purchased an Apple watch with some Christmas money and was looking at our Q-garage door app. which wasn't working.  After replacing one of the plug outlets, the problem was still not solved but magically started working the next day.  We're going to blame that one on the weird weather too.

Speaking of great Christmas gifts, my sweet mother-in-law got me a Sam's Club membership.  I'd let mine expire back in May and hadn't renewed it.  With grocery inflation, I'm trying to be more mindful of how I plan meals and spend money.  I decided to buy this gigantic meat log, cut it up into 1lb proportions and freeze it.  We got close to 9.5 lbs. for $34.  I have noticed that even though it is 80/20 ground chuck, it's still a little greasier than I would like.  With the exception of hamburgers (which caught on fire), this works for most of what I cook with crumbled ground chuck.

 

New Years Eve shenanigan's at Paul and Shannon's!

 

For me, work started back on January 2.  Matt had gone into the office some that week as well, but Isaac and Miles didn't have their first day back until January 4 which was also the day Karson planned to leave to go back to Louisville.

A few days prior, she had her final ortho visit with Dr. Dierckman who cleared her for everything.  Outside of working soft tissues and muscles, she is completely healed from her surgery last summer.  She does plan to have her screws removed this summer although it's not necessary.  They give her some pain, but fortunately, it is outpatient and fairly quick from our understanding.  Dr. Dierckman told her to call him when her semester is over and get it scheduled when time permits.  He also told her he expects her to get straight A's again this semester.  We love him!

The day Karson planned to take off back to the 'ville' I was going to cook a nice dinner after work for her send off.  She needed to get back and prepare for the semester, tie up some things she needed to get done that week which included training for UL tutoring, picking up her scrubs, and scheduling her last few PT sessions.

As I was leaving work at KATI and sitting at the stoplight on Morgantown Road waiting for my light to turn green, two vehicles smashed right in front of me with one colliding with me.  Long story short, I called Matt and asked him to come out in case Karson needed to leave because I wasn't sure how long I'd be there.  I've got minor damage compared to the two other vehicles which are totaled completely.  The damage on my car is enough to be annoying.  I'm simply waiting on the police report to have an adjuster come look at my car.  Fortunately, no one was severely injured, but it was a bad wreck and not the way I wanted to end that particular day (or any day for that matter).

I got home about an hour+ later than planned, cooked our girl a tasty dinner before she took off for school.  We miss her terribly already but glad that she is moving forward with her goals and starting her nursing chapter.

Karson's post from Instagram (yesterday)

I am very blessed to be starting nursing school this semester. For those of you who don’t know, in summer 2022 I was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and a labrum tear and had a major surgery called a periacetabular osteotomy. My phenomenal doctor repositioned my pelvis around my femur in order to stabilize my joint and fixed my labrum through arthroscopy. Therefore, I have been in physical therapy for months in order to restore strength in my left leg and eliminate the pain my hip had been causing. While my journey is not over yet, during these past few months I have very much improved my physical quality of life and also learned some important lessons, number one being don’t take anything for granted. With this, I am happy to say I have recovered enough to participate fully in nursing school. I am proud of myself for working so hard, and I am ready to continue that in both my recovery and educational career. 

Go me and go cards! ❤️🩺

Glad to still be stuck with these two goofballs at home for a while.  They make life fun!

We desperately needed an updated family car even though our youngest will be driving soon.  

We've had our Highlander since 2010, and it has served us well on many trips.  After looking at a variety of cars/SUV/styles - we decided to stick with the familiar and get an updated Highlander on Saturday.  The beauty of the internet is that you can find exactly what you're wanting, for around the price you're wanting and most of the time - relatively close.  We found our new ride in Gallatin and took a little road trip.  Not sure if we'll keep this one indefinitely, but it's a nice upgrade that should last a little while longer.

CHEERS to 2023 - prayers for a healthy and happy New Year!

Gobble Gobble Goo and Gobble Gobble Giggle

 

Nothing costs a nickel these days.  Gee whiz groceries have gotten pricey, but we still had a nice Thanksgiving feast at mom and dads complete with Family Feud and Pickle Ball.  Like usual, we tell ourselves not to eat too much, and like usual, none of us listen.  

Holidays are becoming more of a treat as we get older and empty spots are open at a once full table.  With three high school Seniors this year and Karson away at college, it feels a bit more emotional.  

We know our time is fleeting, and our kids are growing up fast.

Look at these kids, now grown, three official adults with Isaac turning 18 next month and Miles driving.  

 

I tried to pay attention to how I standing and not make our family picture awkward.  I feel like I look a little better this time.

We also got to spend time with Matt's family at the Warehouse at Mt. Victor.  It always a treat seeing all the extended family and yet again, stuffing our faces.

Miles landed his first job with our friends, the Vernon's who own and operate a tree farm (Bare Creek) this time of the year.  Thanksgiving week/weekend was pleasant, and Miles truly enjoyed being outside and part of the team.  We're thankful that he has been given this short term opportunity to gain some valuable work experience.  A little extra spending money is also nice around the holidays.

Because Miles had to be at work bright and early on Friday morning, I woke Karson up and asked if she wanted to brave Black Friday shopping with me.  I haven't done that in years, and COVID shut down a lot of in-person happenings (or people were simply concerned about getting out).  We found all kinds of great deals, mainly for her, but I loved it.  Felt good to get some shopping out of the way.  I still have quite a bit more to do, but it was start at least.

 

Debbie had invited us over for a birthday brunch/lunch on Saturday.  She and Matt round out the rest of the November celebrations.

Isaac and Matt enjoyed the extra chilly Titans vs. Bengals game on the 27th.

 

We celebrated Matt's actual birthday on Wednesday at El Mazatlan.  November is a major EATING-fest for our family with all the celebrating.

This is the second holiday puzzle I've worked.  We love us some puzzles, especially this time of the year.

 

Sure am loving Isaac's Senior pictures from the talented Erin Denny.  I'm hoping to have a few extra done - maybe some formal shots and some shots in the spring to round out the seasons.

 

We had the annual Pogue family Christmas yesterday with my dads side of the family.  We're so thankful Mamaw was able to join us and is currently recovering from hip surgery and her fall late last month.  She has been in a rehab facility fairly close to her house.  Please keep praying for her to be comfortable and recover quickly.

All clear for November - winter has arrived!

The cold weather definitely showed up this week, but overall it's been a fairly pleasant month outdoors. November has brought some happy moments but also some sad ones. Losing Poppy was hard this year especially during the month of October (with the birthday bunch - Poppy, Miles, Mike and Karson).  The sting was there.  Mom and I wanted to celebrate this month when Karson was able to be home for the weekend (Nov 5).  

We didn't get to see Karson on her actual birthday because of the golf banquet for Miles.  However, her friends spoiled her which made us happy!  One of her high school besties, Sydney Clayton, came to Louisville for a visit!

    

Her nursing checklist is quite long, and she has had a lot of things to complete before beginning her clinical rotations which will start in the spring.  She also got some news last week which was disappointing.  Her place of work - Cardinal Health - decided to shut down the office that she is currently employed at.  She was already sort of on the fence about her work schedule next semester while in nursing school.  In a way, it's sort of a blessing that the decision was made for her.  However, she was upset because Cardinal has been such a good place to work, very flexible, and she made some close friends there.  She's since made the decision to become a tutor for the school.  They'd reached out to her last semester about it, but she simply didn't have the time.  It's good pay and flexible as well.  I also think it looks good on a resume.  Her old boss and one of her professors wrote a letter of recommendation for her, and she will start soon.  She's a special young lady!

*Sidenote:  Karson is still going to see her orthopedic doctor almost monthly since her hip surgery in July which is a trek from Louisville to Brentwood, TN.  The appointments are usually during the week as well which makes it extra tough with work and school.  She was excited to learn that she would only have one more appointment in December before being cleared.  Her bone has completed fused back together.  She has done really well with her recovery and has been diligent with her physical therapy.  It's hard to believe how far she has come in four months.*

We celebrated the three-pack with a fiesta - a TACO BAR party for #16, #20, and #68. Our house was full along with our hearts and stomachs.  Too bad I didn't take many pictures, but we were having too much fun!!!

I got some of those cute straw balloons from Amazon - the kit included a two tacos, a sombrero, an avocado, some cacti and the letters that spelled Taco Bout a Party! 

 

I have decided that the older I get, the weirder my poses have become in pictures. Something is "off" about how I am standing in this picture or maybe it's just my scrunched up shirt.  I have no idea, but I need to work on my posing.

Miles's 16th birthday was not a happy one.  Those close to Miles know him + school + tests = a lot of stress.  More than anything, I wanted him to pass his permit test on his actual birthday.  He and Matt went downtown early afternoon on the 17th (a Monday).  He'd studied apps friends had suggested, and we had done some online tests to prepare.  I think he panicked.  He ended up missing two more than allowed and was crushed (and we were too for him).  The person at the DMV said he could come take the test again any day he wanted since all the paperwork was already done.  We convinced him to pick a place to eat and Cane's seemed to help. He and I committed to studying even harder.  We'd planned to go on Friday, but when he woke up on Thursday, I said come to work with me, and let's get it over with.  He agreed, and we made the trip back to the DMV.  I'm not sure who was more nervous me or him?!?!?  We went to the courthouse, and as I was sitting outside the testing center, with good eyes on him, one of the proctors asked me to move to the other side of the wall where he would come out.  I think it confuses them when someone is waiting outside the door since "waiting" testers sit there.  My heart sunk because I knew by looking at Miles's body language, I could tell how he was doing.  I reluctantly moved.  It felt like an eternity before he emerged from the testing room and was BEAMING.  He'd passed and only had missed two questions this time.  He said the test was way easier. 

 

Hooray!  We were both super excited and went over to the permit center.  He's been driving for about a month and doing well.  It helps our nerves a little that we've already been through the driving stages with the other two.

The boys were excited to have Karson home to carve pumpkins.  I told them we didn't have to carve pumpkins for Halloween and could do it when she came home.  They were pumped and all decided to go with the Goosebumps theme.  They're so goofy!  

 

 Our neighborhood is packed with trick or treaters which I LOVE.  It's such a treat seeing all the little ones dressed up and excited about the candy.  Matt and Isaac joined in the fun by dressing up.  They'd sometimes break out in dance when they felt the urge.

Miles closed his golf chapter for the year with his team.  The banquet was held at South in the courtyard between the schools.  After a nice meal, we congregate in the auditorium for recognitions and the end of the season video.  

 

We're proud of Miles and all of his accomplishments this season.  We learned the teams (both girls and boys golf) are getting a simulation room that is being built alongside the indoor batting cages and weight room on South's athletic complex.  Since the season ended, Miles has been working out again and hanging out with friends.  He's also picked up the guitar this year and purchased a nice Fender Stratocaster that should be arriving any day now.  We plan to redo his room at some point - fresh paint, mount his TV and get some music posters hung up.

Ever wonder how big Squishmallows can get?  This narwhal whopper is currently at Kroger.  

Isaac is continuing to look at colleges and has been working on applications and scholarships.  Not long after fall break, he did a tour of Louisville. Their business school is pretty cool and very appealing to him.  I wasn't able to go on the tour when Karson was considering UL due to Covid restrictions and my hurt achilles.  It was nice getting a real college-tour experience with Isaac.  He and Matt went the business colleges presentation which was super informational.  We might have another Card in our future.

Paul and Shannon got UL season basketball tickets - the crew enjoyed a game and night out eating the at the Old Louisville Tavern.

South Warren recently hosted a Seniors with Seniors luncheon; again, another first for our family since Covid took away many of the normal Senior events K would've gotten to experience.  We're thankful for loving, wonderful, supportive grandparents!

Speaking of grandparents, say a little extra prayer for my only living grandparent - Mamaw Pogue.  She took a spill two nights ago and broke her hip.  She's recovering in the hospital and has a long road ahead especially with the cooler weather.  Is it me or does everything simply hurt more in the winter?

She's the sweetest little human!  Hurts my heart to see her in pain!