My mama has always been one for tradition, superstition, and NEVER one for change.....So this year, like every other, we joined together for our New Year's meal. Cabbage, black eyed peas, Mashed potatoes n gravy, mac n cheese, mexican cornbread and fried chicken. Amber made us some desserts to top it all off. It was delicious!
Neva and Nori walked around gnawing on thier chicken bones half of the day....Can't say I blame them.
I think uncle Bubba enjoyed the meal.....
Mom was holding her back through most of the day. I could tell she wasn't feeling that great.
Before you think it, I am VERY aware of how I look in this picture...What can I say?
She didn't even ALMOST clean her plate, but she FIXED a plate and TRIED, so I am okay with that. Happy to report that she has taken her appetite stimulant SEVERAL days in a row (without being nagged).
Next came sparklers. Or at least, that's what I asked Michael to pick up. When he got out of the truck with a HUGE cardboard box, I knew he had gotten some extras for him and Josh....
Never been a big firework fan....I am a little scared of them...My kids take after their daddy.
Noah takes after his Aunt Nik Nik
So does Brady...
This picture saddened me. Those dark circles under her eyes break my heart. Believe it or not, she had a decent day. I think standing and cooking a big meal wore her out a bit, though I tried to help as much as I could...She couldn't handle the cold weather, so she just peeked out periodically at the kids.
Gammy's bed has become quite the gathering spot these days.
As we were getting ready to leave, Gammy helped me get the kids jackets on. Then she asked me to help her with something....
She needed me to put some soothing cream on her burnt skin. I knew she had some irritation, but until she completely removed her shirt, I had no idea JUST HOW BAD it really was. I show this at the risk of alarming some of you, possibly even offending some of you. That is not my intention. I asked my mom if I could show this picture to prove just how cancer and the treatment that goes along with it can affect the human body. If you think this is bad, the front and side is MUCH worse. Her armpit barely has any skin left. In all honesty, this doesn't even compare to the burns she had from the lung and brain radiation. But it's still really bad. The burns upset me enough, but did you notice the knot on the right side of her body? If you look, it's inside the area of the burnt skin. I was really concerned about this. Mom has had this knot for a while, but it appears much larger to me in size. She assured me it wasn't. Perhaps it is because she has lost so much weight. Perhaps not.
I left just after helping her put some ointment on. Of course, this image was and IS stuck in my mind.
I can't believe a whole year has come and gone. Over 8 months of this passed year were filled with pain, fear and anxiety. As we enter the new year, I make no resolution. Except to live in and handle each moment as it comes.
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