CLICK HERE FOR BLOGGER TEMPLATES AND MYSPACE LAYOUTS »

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Updates, Updates, Updates

Well, it's been awhile thanks to many things happening around the Koehler household.

Updates from my previous posts..

1. My stepmom is doing pretty good so far with her treatments. She had her 3rd round of chemo this week and the day after she has to get a shot to help offset some of the after effects. She can't taste anything that she eats or drinks any longer due to the chemo and the shot makes her have flu like symptoms on the Saturday after. She started losing her hair a couple weeks ago so she decided to shave it off rather than deal with the mental images of losing it. I don't blame her, I would do the same thing if it were me. Due to the cold weather and the time of year where it seems everyone has a cold or something she's not getting out much which i hate for her. I wish her and Dad could fly to Maui tomorrow to soak up the warm sun. This will be the first year in probably 18 years they havent gone to Maui for a month during the winter and I know it must be wreaking havoc on them. Please keep the prayers going for her so she can beat this thing.

2. Job in Louisville - well the company in Louisville offered me a full time gig but I had to turn it down. It was quite enough money and the thought of trying to sell our house and relocate in this market was pleasant. There hasnt been a house sold in our subdivision since July. The good news is that the company and I are still talking about a partnership. I may go to work for them on a contract basis and work from home here in IL. If things work out well and the economy rebounds, who knows, maybe we will end up in Louisville in the next couple years.

3. Halloween - I hated missing my kids halloween. I had so much fun taking them around our neighborhood last year. Jeanne took them around her mom's neighborhood this year but they didnt get as much candy. I will have to make it up to them next year and really hit the jackpot on the candy front

4. Jeanne's career - Jeanne still isn't sure of her future path. In the meantime she is going back to work full time at the UofI in her dept. It's a good job that pays decent and allows her to continue to take 2 classes per semester as well as get us good health insurance. She still has some DEEP soul searching to do to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up :-).

5. 1/2 marathon training - SUCKS...i havent even started yet and I can't figure out why. I have gained all of my weight back and now feel like complete dogshit. I can't seem to get motivated to eat clean and start working out again and I know I NEED to. I have really even become somewhat depressed about the state of shape I am in. I am going to find a good nutritionist after the first of the year to try and help me eat better and to quit eating out so much. I fear that if I dont get this in check soon I am putting my health and life in risk and I want to make sure to see my kids grow up.

Speaking of growing up. My former stepdad, Jim Frawley, passed away this week at the age of 69. He was married to my mom when I was 6 years old and they divorced when I was 17. He was a police officer who eventually became sheriff of our county while I was growing up and taught me a lot about life. Obviously he was a big part of my life during the impressionable years and did a great job of helping to raise me with the right morals. Even though I had only seen Jim a few times over the past 20 years, the news hit me a little harder than I thought it would. I went to the visitation last night and got to see my ex step brothers and sister which was glad to see. I wish it had been under different circumstances and we had a few moments to chat and catch up with each other. I am grateful to them for sharing their Dad with me for the 11 years. I hope he is looking down upon me and proud of what I have become of myself since he had a lot to do with it.

Unfortunately we lost another very important Jim in our lives recently as well. Jeanne's Uncle Jim passed away the Monday before Thanksgiving. He died suddenly while still sitting in his lay-z-boy chair with the TV on at the age of 64. Jim never married or have any kids so Jeanne, her brother and sister along with her cousins Keith, Bruce and Peggy were like his kids. We flew down to Tampa on Thanksgiving Day with Jeannes mom, brother and sister to attend the service and to also clean out Jim's house and belongings. Man was he a packrat. It tooks us a few days of cleaning out old papers, clothes, etc. and the dumpster was full when we got done. His passing makes me again thank God for everything I have been blessed with and how short life can be sometimes. The trip was enjoyable (so to speak) though since we don't get to hang out as an entire family often and the kids got to play at the beach with their dress clothes on after Jim's service which they thought was so cool of me to let them do. It was the first time for them on the beach and they loved getting the shells and picking up the crabs crawling around. We plan on going back this Spring under better circumstances to really enjoy the area.

It's Christmas time and I just recently finally got in the spirit. I am really looking forward to next week as the kids make this holiday more enjoyable each year. Merry Christmas to everyone reading this and may God bless you for the holidays as well as in the year 2009.