2010-2011: We're going to be Grandparents!
The Big News
In spring, Lauren and Tony announced that we were going to be grandparents. We were so excited! Most of 2011 was spent preparing for this bundle of joy. We converted the guest room beside our bedroom into a nursery. You paid extra to find out early whether it was going to be a girl or boy. I as always so thrilled/proud that you loved being a Dad, and you were just as excited about being a Grandpa. When we found it was a girl, we "dolled" up the room in pink curtains and girly things. We bought all the things for both houses and enough clothes for several children. I loved how over the top in love you were with this child already.
School
Lauren graduated from UK with her degree in elementary education in May 2010. You were so proud that she completed in three years.
Travel
David's 23rd birthday took us to King's Island with the Rardon crew (Nana, Grand-Dad, Jason, Rachel and Ethan).
Our annual trips migrated from Gatlinburg to Madeira Beach im 2010. The Keeton crew (Nana's side of the family) had been going there since I was five. Nana and Grand-Dad resumed the tradition when Jason was in high school, but we had began our family and were traveling other places. We finally had enough money to do the Florida thing and other vacations as well. We were always so proud of our journey together. We joined them the week of Grand-Dad's birthday, July 15-July 25, 2010. We traveled down on Thursday, July 15 and spent the first day in Orlando at Disney World's Magic Kingdom. Then, we drove down to the beach that night and spent Saturday to Saturday at the Collwood Condos on the beach. We traveled back Saturday and Sunday.
We returned to Disney and Madiera in Summer 2011 from Friday, June 17 to Sunday, June 26. Lauren and I flew down, because Lauren was pregnant. You wanted her to be as comfortable as possible. You all drove us down to Lexington so that we could have a non-stop flight, then began the drive down. Lauren and I got a hotel in Orlando, and you all joined us in the middle of the night. We shopped and ate in Downtown Disney, then traveled over to Madeira. On Sunday, the guys (Grand-Dad, you, David and Tony, went to the Flea Market, while the girls stayed on the beach. On Monday, we all stayed at the beach. On Tuesday, the guys played golf at the Madiera Beach Country Club. On Wednesday, we went to Universal Studios, then met the Rardons at Downtown Disney, where we had dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe. On Thursday, we all went to the Magic Kingdom. On Friday, David, Lauren and Tony went to the Big Cat Rescue in the afternoon, while the rest of us enjoyed the beach. On Saturday, the guys (Tony, David, and you) began traveling back to Lexington. On Saturday, the Rardons took Lauren and I to the airport for our flight back. Once Lauren and I arrived in Lexington, David, you and I drove back to Louisville.
I am a school counselor turned counselor educator, professor, and author helping educators and parents to build social, emotional, and academic growth in ALL kids! The school counseling blog delivers both advocacy as well as strategies to help you deliver your best school counseling program.
I'm a mother, grandmother, professor, author, and wife (I'll always be his). Until October 20, 2020, I lived with my husband, Robert (Bob) Rose, in Louisville, Ky. On that awful day of October 20,2020, my life profoundly changed, when this amazing man went on to Heaven. After Bob moved to Heaven, I embraced my love of writing as an outlet for grief. Hence, the Grief Blog is my attempt to share what I learned as a Counselor in education with what I am learning through this experience of walking this earth without him. My mission is to help those in grief move forward to see joy beyond this most painful time.
