Day 90 of 365 Days of Being Thankful

        Today I am thankful for holidays.

They are the days that we all take the time to spend with family.  It is a time to really sit and chat and catch up.  Life just keeps moving forward and we should cherish the special moments with family.  And of course, there is always special and delicious food for the holidays! I tell Dan that it is about being together but he disagrees.  Dan always says that it is "about the food!" When I think back over the time spent with family and friends, we usually talk about and get to relive some of the special moments from the holidays when we were and are together! Spending the holidays with adult siblings is always fun because only they "get" the memory fully! When we were kids, my dad would always go to Pantry Pride, a local supermarket, on Easter Saturday at 6 pm because they reduced all of the Easter candy then.  We always got the broken chocolate Easter bunnies. I don't think we ever had a fully formed chocolate  Easter Bunny in our baskets but they tasted the same as the non-broken ones. My sister would never eat the eyes of the chocolate rabbits! Her basket would eventually be empty except for the eyes of the rabbit.  I still remember looking at those eyes! We always had to clean the garage on Easter Sunday.  It was a job we all hated but my mother made us do it. Now, as an adult, I realize that my mother was mentally ill and should have been on medication. We have few happy memories from being kids so I am trying to make sure that my kids had and have happy memories. Most holidays are bittersweet for me because Amy isn't here to share them. Amy loved holidays, she loved helping set the table, making the baskets,  and decorating the house. On Easter we will go to church and then go to the cemetery and then come home to cook.  I bought Amy a large,  glass, solar light up colorful tulip.

  I know it will be stolen but I have to live with that. Dan says I shouldn't let that bother me but it does.  I mean, who steals from dead kids? Dan says we'll just buy her another one.  I decided to write her name on every petal,  maybe the thief or thieves will leave it alone.
         I love that my sister adopted Natasha because she and Olivia were in the same orphanage in Ukraine and have lots of memories from living there! She says she adopted Natasha because she thinks Natasha was a gift from Amy. One of the teachers/caretakers at their orphanage in Simferopol, Ukraine had a rubber alligator with a long tail.  Ukraine believes in spanking!  The teacher used the alligator tail to spank the kids.  Olivia got to know that tail well! The alligator was on the top of the tall dresser in their bedroom. They always laugh when they tell the stories from their orphanage. And Olya can add her memories from her orphanage. Olivia and Olya have lots of memories from growing up together here. We have tried to squeeze in as many vacations and special events as we can for them. But the everyday family memories are the most fun! I am thankful that Dan agreed to adopt the girls and I am thankful that Ukraine gave  me two of its most precious gifts.  Forever I will be thankful to Ukraine. Now Renee is married and has to share the holidays with her husband's family. I am really ok with it because there is never anything wrong with having more people to love and to have love you back.  Renee's in-laws really do love her and that makes me happy. Olya is coming home from college and I am thrilled about that.  Olya loves everything about holidays. I made Easter baskets for the girls, a little candy, a little jewelry, and some cash!

       I still have to food shop for Easter. I may have to wait to go until Sat. because of Olivia.  Olivia is getting her dental implants late Fri morning and I hope it isn't too painful for her.  She always gets the worst side effects from anything medical. Thank you to everyone who has sent me emails, comments, and messages about enjoying my blog! I am thankful for the kind words and the "likes." 

        Yesterday afternoon Dan and Olivia and I went to Burlington Coat Factory, Walmart, PetSmart, and Joann Fabrics and Crafts.  Olivia tried to talk me  into getting another cat but I resisted! We went into Joann Crafts and found an Easter Craft to do tomorrow! Most of the Easter items were at least 50% off!  I'll use the crafts to decorate the table! We got a few things in Burlington Coat Factory and Walmart. Olivia loves adult coloring books so I was going to buy her one for Easter, she didn't find any that she liked. When we got home,  I left for Book Club, and Dan and Olivia went to Geno's in Philly for steak sandwiches. We usually don't leave our cat Nittany outside when we leave. He just would not come in when we were leaving for shopping. Then when we got home from shopping he still would not come in.  I didn't get home until about 9 because I stopped at Acme after Book Club.  I could not find the stupid cat anywhere.  I kept calling him every ten minutes and I was thinking, oh no, he ran away or is lost somewhere.  But about thirty minutes later, he came trotting up through the garden and I saw him out back.  I opened the door and he came in. I know he heard me calling him but he just ignores it if he feels like staying outside!