School, Teeth, and Hardware!

Tomorrow is the last day of school - the girls and I both can no wait.  Cassie leaves Thursday morning to go to Kids Kamp at Twin Lakes in Florence, MS.  Thankfully it is only 20 minutes away - I am definitely not comfortable letting her go far to camp yet and her Daddy is even worse.  She got her expanders in her mouth today.  No pain so far but she dutifully ate small bites and slowly at supper.  Maybe that's what I need to aid with weight loss:-) This is a quick blog - just to say Hi!

Wanda

Good Friends & Good Memories

It is with great sadness that I am posting that Dot passed away this morning. I had tried to reach her since she returned to Kansas and finally left a voicemail telling Steve, her son, to please call me because I was worried. He and I played phone tag for a few days (he'd been at the hospital).

He called today to tell me she had passed away. Per her request, her body will be donated to science and he will coordinate a memorial service here in MS later. He seemed to be doing well considering. She had a great last week before becoming sicker. She visited friends & family in Mississippi, went to Jazz Fest in New Orleans and had a blast and spent some quality time with her son. She did not want to suffer and she always wanted the end to be peaceful and easy and, bless her, she got her wish thankfully.

I am very sad - she was a great and wonderful lady. Full of tenacity, loved her friends, loyal, honest, hardworking, single mother, never down or negative, etc. Heaven has gained an angel & I have another guardian angel I hope looking down on me as I continue on through life. During our friendship, Dot and I endured two bank buyouts / mergers, getting severance from the third merger, divorce, remarriage, two births (Cassie & Bailee), a lung disease that blindsided her, and then, finally melanoma (The BEAST she called it). She was always there for me and me for her. The girls & Jeff loved her too and we will miss "Miss Dot & her cats" as the girls always said. "We wanna go see Miss Dot and her cats". "Have you talked to Miss Dot and her cats?" "Daddy, did you see Miss Dot & her cats when you cut her grass?", etc.

Those of us who saw her exactly two weeks ago tonight would NEVER believe that she would be gone now. She looked wonderful and you would have never known something was wrong except for the pretty pink bald head under her cap.

Please remember Steve in your prayers - and selfishly, me too. I am very sad but I know that I will see her again one day:-)

Wanda

Second May 3 entry

I forgot to say that my friend Dot, who is fighting melanoma cancer was in town briefly this week to take care of some personal business. Her spirit is amazing as she fights this deadly disease. Several of us old DGNB (Deposit Guaranty) folks met her and ate at Primos. It was fun to visit for a while. The manager ran us out of the restaurant 15 minutes after they closed but he took a picture first. Here is the group photo:



Everyone who worked together at DGNB is still very close - it's like seeing old family. Dot - if you read this - we all love you dearly and we're praying for you daily!!

Wanda

Sleepovers and Such

We've had lots of changes with Bailee lately - my baby is growing up! She lost her first tooth a week ago and last night, she had her first friend spend the night with her. They were so cute and so precocious. They ate pizza and watched a movie. After their bath, they watched another movie until I told them lights out at 10:30. Bailee was so excited she talked and talked until I went and laid on the bed with them. I intended to only lay there until they fall asleep but Jeff never came and got me so I woke up at 6:30 and moved to my bed with two numb arms:-)

Here's a picture of them on the couch in their gowns ready for their movie:



Here is Bailee with her lost bottom tooth - the tooth fairy brought her money.



Well - I've gotta to pick up big sister Cassie at her friend's house. Last time I talked to them, they were singing to Hannah Montana.

See ya,
Wanda