Our son Dan just changed duty stations from Lemoore NAS CA to Meridian MS where he will be a Flight Instructor for the next 3 years. We are very grateful to be within driving distance to him for the first time in over 6 years. Daughter Ginny travels the world as Back Stage Manager with Cirque du Soleil's show "Totem". She is currently winding up a show in London and will return stateside for a few months. Our daughter Jessica is married to John, who works as an engineer, and they live in VA with our only grandson Sam. Jess was in the Navy but finished up her commitment and is now a full-time mom, and is also starting up a flute studio in Vienna. Finally, younger son John (aka JH) is married to Bethany. They live in England and both are in the Air Force while raising our first grandchild Isabella.
Those are our kids. My husband John is a Captain with Delta Airlines. I work very part-time for a local financial planner. John's mom lives outside Columbus OH.
Somehow or other we need to find a moment when all of us can be in the same place at the same time. That has not happened since September 2005, just before JH joined the Air Force! However, it appears that our moment may come this June when JH, Bethany and Isabella come to the US for one month. Since they will split their US leave between the Parker Family in FL and the Peck Family in WI, we have a two week window in which we will attempt to get everyone together!
Looking at a calendar, Ginny's show will open in Montreal June 15. She usually gets a few days vacation between tear down in the old location and set up in the new. That may give us the break we need for planning. Jessica, John and Sam are going on a mission trip in July and having a fundraiser at their church for the mission trip in early June. Perhaps we can schedule the reunion on the weekend they are not engaged in fund raising. Dan is starting his new job in Meridian the end of Feb, hopefully he'll be able to get to FL the first half of June. Husband John has annual training for his Captain job, it is in June and in Minneapolis MN. Since that job pays for my lifestyle, we really need to schedule around that! My very part-time job with the financial planner will likely have completed the project I'm working on, so should not be a factor.
John's mom in Ohio last saw Dan in the summer of 2006 when he met us in Texas for JH's graduation from Basic. She saw Ginny in Sept 2010 when she came to FL for a month, in between shows for Ginny. We traveled with her in our motorhome to VA where she saw Jess and met her 11th great grandchild Sam. She last saw JH in Oct 2009 when he, Bethany and Isabella came to the US. We will need to arrange her travel to FL for this reunion.
Then there is the family in Vinton VA. We affectionately call them the Vinton Contingent, ever since they blessed me with their love when I came into the Parker Family in June 1988. John's Aunt Dot is married to Uncle Bobby and they have 3 daughters, John's first cousins, who altogether have 5 kids of their own and numerous grandchildren. John's Aunt Judy was raised more as his cousin than his aunt and Judy and her husband Tom have 2 daughters and grandchildren as well. Many of this branch of the family live in Vinton. Judy is the one who first posed the idea of a reunion with a simple email a couple of months ago. At the time, she hoped to have the gathering in Vinton.
John's brother Mike and his wife Sandra live in NC. They have 4 kids and 9 grandkids. John and I saw all of them when we traveled in our motorhome last Oct with Mom Parker. We celebrated Mike's 60th birthday and Mom's 81st.
After Skyping with JH and Bethany this morning, we now think it will be impractical to get everyone in this branch of the family to VA for a weekend. JH and Bethany will just have traveled from England. Ginny will be en route to Montreal. Dan is in MS at a new job. We want to invite everyone to FLORIDA - in JUNE! Our 4 kids and their families, the Vinton Contingent, brother Mike and his family, and Mom Parker. Ginny's and JH's mom Nancy and stepdad Steve retired to FL last year and live about an hour from us, so naturally Nancy and Steve will want to spend as much time as possible with Ginny and JH's family. Trying to get everyone to VA in that short time frame really looks like we are asking too much, hence we will attempt to change the venue to FL. Hopefully, the people who live in the US, will be able to accommodate the ones who are merely visiting the US.
Day 1 of Planning a Family Reunion in June 2011!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Day 2 Mom on way to VA and NY
We got a later start than we expected when the last several late nights at home and at Mom's
caught up to John and me. We slept unexpectedly late until 0830! Therefore our planned ETD of 0900 was seriously delayed. Mom had her usual breakfast of cottage cheese and fruit and her one cup of coffee. She also had a cranberry orange scone that I'd made Sunday morning. We filled the propane tank and headed off just before 1100.
Mom rested on the couch the entire time. We ate some snacks along the way. The plan was to
reach Roanoke Rapids NC just south of the VA border, and we expected that to take about 8
hours. However, as the day wore on, John suggested we stop about 80 miles short of that
RV park and rest for the night in an RV park called RV Vacation at Exit 98 off I-95 in Selma
/Smithfield. That is where we are tonight.
Things started well - Mom looked at a take out menu from SAMI'S :-) Italian Restaurant and
she wanted some baked ziti and an antipasta salad. John and I got the RV opened up, I poured a glass of wine, we set the table, he walked over by the lake, we waited for the food to arrive. But then Mom got some severe stomach pains, and she finally wound up taking two hydrocodone pills. Up until now, I'd never been with her when she needed two pain pills. By the time the food came, she started to feel the effects of the pills and ate a little dinner, which she promptly didn't hold down a few minutes later. She decided to head to bed right away.
John and I took a short walk around the park, he went over to help a neighbor who was having
trouble with his electric hook up, I came in to clean up dinner, and dropped one entire baked ziti dinner on the floor. Ah well, Mom is asleep, and we are off to bed. Now we expect to have about 270 miles to drive tomorrow, and we want to really leave early so we can see Jess and Sam as soon as possible!
Love to all, you can call and talk to Mom anytime!
caught up to John and me. We slept unexpectedly late until 0830! Therefore our planned ETD of 0900 was seriously delayed. Mom had her usual breakfast of cottage cheese and fruit and her one cup of coffee. She also had a cranberry orange scone that I'd made Sunday morning. We filled the propane tank and headed off just before 1100.
Mom rested on the couch the entire time. We ate some snacks along the way. The plan was to
reach Roanoke Rapids NC just south of the VA border, and we expected that to take about 8
hours. However, as the day wore on, John suggested we stop about 80 miles short of that
RV park and rest for the night in an RV park called RV Vacation at Exit 98 off I-95 in Selma
/Smithfield. That is where we are tonight.
Things started well - Mom looked at a take out menu from SAMI'S :-) Italian Restaurant and
she wanted some baked ziti and an antipasta salad. John and I got the RV opened up, I poured a glass of wine, we set the table, he walked over by the lake, we waited for the food to arrive. But then Mom got some severe stomach pains, and she finally wound up taking two hydrocodone pills. Up until now, I'd never been with her when she needed two pain pills. By the time the food came, she started to feel the effects of the pills and ate a little dinner, which she promptly didn't hold down a few minutes later. She decided to head to bed right away.
John and I took a short walk around the park, he went over to help a neighbor who was having
trouble with his electric hook up, I came in to clean up dinner, and dropped one entire baked ziti dinner on the floor. Ah well, Mom is asleep, and we are off to bed. Now we expect to have about 270 miles to drive tomorrow, and we want to really leave early so we can see Jess and Sam as soon as possible!
Love to all, you can call and talk to Mom anytime!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Taking Mom to visit family
2nd attempt! Mom woke up feeling OK and asked if there was time for her and Anna to eat lunch at the Senior Center before we left. Thought that was a good idea, when Anna came, Mom got washed up, dressed and they left for Winter Springs. John and I finished packing the RV at 1230, ran up to Publix for a few items, and we left at 1335. Not horribly later than our 1200 theoretical goal. Drive was uneventful except for some heavy rainstorms along the way. Made our way through Jacksonville at 1600, thus missing their rush hour, which was John's goal for today! Arrived at Lake Harmony RV Park in GA at 1730. We had a take out menu for a local restaurant and were excited to see a Greek salad w/ anchovies! but when we called.....no driver. Since we are not towing a car this time, and we didn't want to drive the newly hooked up RV over there, we ate in. I enjoyed a glass of wine w/ my meal. :-) Then John walked across the path to the lake and fished for awhile, Mom watched some TV (the Catholic station!), and I took a walk. Bedtime came early. Mom took a pain pill but is now tucked in for the night. John worked on his bid for a bit, and I decided to revisit my blog site.
Mom was in good spirits for the ride, she slept most of the time. We plan to wake up around 7, shower, eat some breakfast, my guess Mom will have cottage cheese and fruit :-), then leave by 0900. Expect to drive 8 hours tomorrow and stay in northern NC.
Mom had a good day, she is fine. All is well.
Mom was in good spirits for the ride, she slept most of the time. We plan to wake up around 7, shower, eat some breakfast, my guess Mom will have cottage cheese and fruit :-), then leave by 0900. Expect to drive 8 hours tomorrow and stay in northern NC.
Mom had a good day, she is fine. All is well.
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