Our First 1 1/2 Weeks in Florida 2020!

As I mentioned in the previous post, Ken and I had loaded everything in our CRV that we wanted to take to Florida on Sunday, January 6th, leaving Monday morning at 8:30 to meet my mother at her check-up Dr. appointment in Lancaster.  She had been transported there by a van from Masonic.  I went with her to hear what the Dr. had to say, knowing that 4 ears are better than 2.  He was impressed with her recovery, gave her a clean slate, and told her she could start adding regular food to her diet.  She had been eating only liquids and pureed foods since leaving the hospital.  What great news!

After the appointment, Ken and I said our good-byes, and with her blessing, we were on our way south.  It was a perfect travel day and after some debate, we decided to take I-95 around Baltimore and DC.  We usually leave very early in the morning when we take that route, so we didn't know what to expect, but to our amazement, we had less traffic than ever in both of those areas.  The whole travel day went extremely well, arriving at a hotel in Sumter, SC around 7:30, tired but excited.  We were back on the road the next morning by 6:45 and arrived at our condo in Port Charlotte, FL at 3:15 - hallelujah!  By 8 that evening everything was unloaded and in its proper place, which took a bit of maneuvering.  (I had to proof to Ken that I had room for everything we had brought and it worked!)

Well, we have been here for 10 days and are having such a great time sharing life with our friends in Florida!  I have also been in regular contact with my mother who returned to her room the day after we left and keeps getting stronger each and everyday!  

We have enjoyed being back to the church and helping with the Food Pantry on Thursday and Friday.  We have spent special times with Rick and Joyce, Ernie and Noela, Burt and Pat, and Doloris, which included a bike ride, shuffleboard, card playing, and just catching up on life!  Yesterday we went to the Manasota Beach for the 1st time this year where we met Ernie and Noela, Rick and Joyce, and Doloris - what a fun reunion!  Ken and I are still trying to get into some kind of "routine", but it isn't easy.  The weather has been positively fabulous with lots of sunshine and temperatures in the 80's during the day and the 70's at night, above average by at least 10 degrees and we love it!  We are looking forward to a fun weekend including a craft show and some card playing!  We are so blessed!

Some photos from our bike ride with Ernie and Noela -

We really enjoy this trail!

Ernie thought this snake was beautiful, but I don't find
any of them attractive!

Majestic Osprey!

The trail takes you to Oyster Point, where there are plenty
of oyster beds and shells!

This is one of the many lights at an athletic field at a local
high school.  They had to put the spikes on top, because the
osprey used to build their nests on top of them and then swope
down on the students when they felt it was necessary to
protect their babies.  It became a real problem!

We always see an eagle nest along this trail and the eaglet
was willing to pose!

Pictures from our beach trip yesterday -

There were actually more people there than it appears!

What a special group of friends!

We are definitely in tropical Florida!!

Today, Thursday, Ken went to the church to help set up for tomorrow's Food Pantry after trying to do some Yoga following a video online.  Wow, we must be old and surely have some "stiffness"!  We have now entered into the 21st Century and have Xfinity high speed internet and You Tube TV - wow!  After having a mifi card for all our traveling years and basic cable, it is quite a change!  Now we have to get the same thing set-up at home!  We are starting to be like "normal people"!  We spent the day catching up on things like this blog!  We needed a day for that!!!!

November and December at home in PA!

Well, I haven't posted anything since my mother's 90th birthday party the very beginning of November.   Thought it might be time to do a brief summary of Ken and my November and December, which seemed to be extremely busy.

November included attending some swim meets for Bria and Cali, a horseback riding lesson with Samantha, a soccer match with Katelyn, and a Pinochle match every Thursday with my mother and father.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving day at Jamie and Dane's with his brother and parents also joining us.  Always the gracious hostess and host, this year was no exception.  Lanie and her family always spend Thanksgiving with Bob's sister's family in Michigan and we miss when they aren't able to join us, but we do understand.  We also hosted couples card club at our house, had some special evenings with friends, and did some deliveries with Meals on Wheels.  Ken continue to attend Celebrate Recovery every week as well!

November was also a time for those annual Dr. appointments including my dermatologist because I had treated my lip for 2 weeks with some kind of chemotherapy ointment to remove some pre-cancerous cells and she wanted to check that plus include my yearly body check.  Boy, did my lips ever get sore during those 2 weeks but all was well - hallelujah.  I also had a consultation with a new urologist, because Dr. Del Terzo, which I had been seeing for 10 years, was diagnosed with ALS last November and is no longer practicing - so sad, because he was an amazing Dr. who became a friend.  My new Dr. is very good and personable and my yearly cystoscope was clear - another hallelujah!  Dr. appointments also included the dentist!  Enough already!  We also stayed overnight at Jamie and Dane's to watch the girls while they were in Pittsburgh, which was a fun time!

Like it is for everyone, December was hectic also!  A few more Dr. appointments including Ken's annual check-up with his cardiologist (very pleased!) and I went to Pain Management for a injection in my back to help some hip and shin pain!  Through our church, we volunteered at several agencies in our area to learn more about them, and it was a very rewarding experience.  As part of their Christmas gift, we took Jamie's family to Sight and Sound in Lancaster County, that has an amazing Christmas Show about the life of Jesus.  It is so well done, very similar to shows you see in New York.  The stage settings are unbelievable!  We also had Samantha and Katelyn stay with us for 2 nights so their parents could have a weekend alone and we took the girls to a very fun and entertaining Magic and Illusion Show.  

For my mother's annual Christmas gift, Cindy and I took her to the American Music Theater for their musical Christmas Show, which is always well done and so entertaining.  Afterwards, we went to Miller's Smorgasbord for a late lunch.  Cindy drove mother back to Masonic Village, and unfortunately, on the way there mother got very sick - severe indigestion.  Well, that was the beginning of quite an adventure!  She continued being extremely sick for the next several days and was not able to eat or drink anything!  By Friday she was taken to the hospital and that evening they did an emergency procedure to untwist her stomach which was blocking her ability to eat or drink.  All of this problem was due to her hiatal hernia, which she has had as long as Cindy and I can remember.  Unfortunately, her stomach had moved from below her bustline to up in her rib cage and was upside down.  It may have been like that for a long time, but now they told us that the problem could return soon or maybe not for years.  The surgeon everyone recommended for repositioning her stomach was retiring the end of the year and they thought unavailable, but he came to her room Monday morning, said she was a great candidate for the surgery and he could do it the next morning at 9:30.  You can't argue with a "God wink"!  Long story short, she had the surgery which went extremely well, and was only in the hospital 6 more days.  He also repaired an umbilical hernia while he was "in the vicinity".  I must tell you that I was so proud and impressed at the quick recovery of my 90 year old mother.  She was amazing.  She went to the transitional unit at Masonic Village for 2 weeks and then returned to her private room where she is able to do everything for herself.  During that time it was constant trips to the hospital and Masonic, which Ken and I were happy to do.  We were supposed to leave for Florida the day after Christmas, but we stayed home until her follow-up Dr. appointment on Jan. 6th, and after an excellent report with no limitations, we were on our way at 10 AM that morning.

In between all of this, we did have a wonderful Christmas Eve day at Jamie and Dane's with our entire family there.  Ken and I got to play a lot of Hause with our daughters, which is something all 4 of us really enjoy!  We are so blessed to have such an amazing family!

We had plans for a New Year's Eve card party in Florida but because we were home, we had a fun evening at our house with Gary and Marcia.  We ordered pizza and then had a great time playing Pinochle.  We really enjoyed welcoming in the New Year with them!

Mom's 90th Birthday Party - What a Blessing!

After attending church and going to breakfast with Lloyd and Deb, Ken and I drove to Masonic Village to spend the afternoon playing cards with Mom, Dad, Cindy and John.  It was the 1st time Mom and Dad saw John and Cindy since they had left for Florida the end of September.  We had a fun time playing Up the River, a good card game for 6 people.  

I had arranged for Mom and Dad to be taken to a local restaurant in a special van and Mom thought just the 6 of us were having dinner together to celebrate her birthday.  Dad knew our secret that our entire family would be there as a surprise for her 90th Birthday Celebration.  I think she was really surprised!  Including them, there were 27 of us there and it was hard to imagine but it fit into everyone's schedule! 

Mom's arrival!

We had a private area for all our family!

Katelyn chatting with my dad!

Then it was Bria's turn!

My parents with Samantha and Bria!

Samantha loves her MaMaw!

Our family!

Our son-in-laws!

This table was my sister's family!

Dane and Samantha!

Katelyn!

I don't know what is going on with Lanie and Jamie, but
they seem to be enjoying their moment!

Our daughter, Lanie!

Mom and Dad with my sister, Cindy, and her husband, John!

It was a fun time for Jamie!

After dinner we had a delicious birthday cake from Costco that the restaurant allowed us to bring in!  We had a very nice time from about 4:45 to 6:30, but it was extremely noisy!  My parents were so grateful for the family together time, but I think it was a bit overwhelming.

Happy 90th, Mom!

My parents with our granddaughters!

Mom and Dad with their grandchildren and great
grandchildren!

The Althouse clan!

It is hard to imagine that both of my parents are still here to have these special family times and their minds are so "sharp".  It is something to be treasured and thankful for!  

50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration!!!

Well, today was the big day we have been anticipating since about May and it was finally here!  Obviously we spent the morning finishing up last minute preparations and loading the car.  By 11:15 we were on our way to the Eicher Arts Center, stopping to pick up several bags of ice.

When we arrived they were ready for us (they were finishing cleaning from a wedding reception that was there last evening!).  Jamie, Dane, Lanie, Bob, Samantha, and Katelyn got there about the same time.  After unloading the cars it was time to start setting up tables and decorating.  Lanie and Jamie did a fantastic job of pre-planning and had several surprises for us which I shall show post in this blog!  Our close friends, Dan and Jackie, also arrived early to help us with set-up, bring food items they had stored in their refrigerator, and we certainly appreciated all that they did.  

We did NOT have this party catered, so there was plenty to do including how to arrange the food, drink, and cake table.  It also required some time in the kitchen heating a few items like chicken nuggets, buffalo dip, shrimp, and the meatballs.  Everyone worked so well together, but it still required using all the time until guests started arriving at 2.  Everything looked amazing and Ken and I were so proud of all the girls had done to make this a very special and memorable day for us!

Outside the Eicher Arts Center, a very old building with
lots of history!

Katelyn, Cali, and Samantha are ready for the party to begin!

The girls were there to greet the guests!

Love these girls!

The girls surprised us by having this large picture made from
 a photo that Ken took this summer when our family was
 on our vacation
at Watkins Glen!

Great place to have a party!

Place for guests to put their cards and  write how they know
Ken and I and any special memories they may have!

I found some of our past photos and Lanie
brought the frame and easel to display them!

2 additional pictures Lanie and Jamie had made from Ken's photos
taken on our family vacation!  What a surprise!

More photos from our past!

Lanie and Jamie had blown up all the balloons and
created this masterpiece!  It was beautiful!

The drink tables!

The deck area of the Eicher Center was also available.
for our guests!

We had a chocolate and vanilla cake from Costco and they
were so delicious!

2 photos from the balcony!

Our biggest surprise was the arrival of our 1st guests - Rick and Joyce from Florida!  They wanted to surprise us, so only Lanie and Jamie knew they were coming.  I can't believe they never left the secret "slip" when we were in Florida for September and 1/2 of October!  Ken and I were both in "shock" when we saw them, but what an amazing thing for them to do!   Throughout the next 4 hours we were blessed by so many family members and special friends attending our party.  Another wonderful couple, who live in Maine, but we met in Florida, also arranged there vacation at Myrtle Beach to coincide with our party, and they came.  We were so grateful.  

The arrival of Rick and Joyce!

Sharing stories with Rick and Joyce and Ken's mentor, Pete!

Rick, Joyce, Lori and Eddie, whom we know from our small
group at LCBC Church!

Our friends, Burt and Pat from Maine (on the right) and
Bob and Brenda from Ephrata!

One other amazing thing, was that my parents were able to attend their daughter and son-in-law's 50 wedding anniversary.  I don't know the statistic for that possibility, but I find it amazing!  Ken and I did research how many people actually celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary and we were so surprised by the number!  What would you think the percentage would be?  It is only 6%!  Wow, we are part of an "elite" group!

So excited that my parents could be a part of our day!
They look fantastic for 95 and 90 and 71 years of marriage!

It was a bit noisy for my dad to hear what people were saying!
Eventually they moved to the porch area!

Mom greeted by Lanie....

....Jamie....

and their great granddaughters!

Rick and Joyce got to meet them too!

Our friends, Dan and Jackie, go to visit my parents
when we are in Florida to play Pinochle with them!

Another long life friend and fellow camper over the years, Kathy!

We had such a wonderful time and each and everyone who attended made it so special.  We will treasure this day forever!

Here are some additional photos from our celebration -

Lanie and Jamie look like they are being mischievous!

Love these girls to the moon and back!  They made our
party so amazing!

So much history with these dear friends with whom we
have shared so many adventures and made so many family
memories!  They took us to a Casting Crown concert that
was wonderful!

Sam and Kathy - friends now and during our child raising years!
We did some memorable camping adventures together too!

The original Ken Hosler Real Estate Team!

Ken's partner, Kevin, and his wife, Traci.  Traci is actually
my Doctor too!

Former neighbors and fellow campers, Russ and Darlene!

Neighbor, Marty, when our girls were little!  Now she gets
to meet our granddaughters.  Marty was such an influence
during my young parenting years!

Another special couple, Gary and Marcia, whom we have
shared many memorable times together from our girls younger
years to present day.  We did lots of camping together
and many games of cards!

3 of the ladies who live in our apartment building!

Friends from LCBC and Deb is also part of my Curvette
exercise group!  She and Lloyd  have a home in Florida and
Ephrata, so we get to spend time together both places!

Dane, our son-in-law, with his daughters and parents, Sue and Dan!

This is my Curvette group of ladies...

...and this one too!

Here our photos of our families -

Our girls with Ken's nephew's wife and daughter!

This is Eric, the father and husband!

Ken's brother, Paul!

Ken's younger brother, Phil, and his daughter and her friend!

Ken's brother Phil's youngest son, Lance!

This is Bryant and Bridgett with their daughter.  Bryant is
Ken's nephew!

This is Bryant's mom and dad, Phil (brother) and his wife,
Sherry!

Ken's sister, Priscilla and her husband, Dwane!

Dane talking to Jamie's cousins!

My parents with their great grandchildren!

My sister's daughter, Michele, and her
friend, Lawn!

When Ken and I got home and had everything unloaded (we had so much extra food!), we sat down and read all the wonderful cards and messages our friends and family had written to us.  It was amazing and so humbling!

Ken and I are so blessed and grateful!  This party was way beyond what we hoped for or imagined thanks to Lanie, Jamie, Dane, our granddaughters, and our son-in-law photographer, Bob!  You guys are the best!