Hello, my angel friends!
Linking-up with Shaunacey at Simply Shaunacey for another go-round of her “Monday Moments of Gratitude” that I refer to as my little miracles. Someday I will get my post together on Sunday so that it can go out first thing Monday morning. But don’t hold your breath til that happens – you most definitely will be blue in the face and might even keel over waiting!
In the last my little miracles post, here, I shared pics and special moments from my end of April visit to Ft. Worth. I had such a great time with Brennyn and Cady. From there, I flew to Houston to see my sister, present at the Texas Library Association annual conference with her and then to visit my daughter Lauren and new baby Lucia.
Even though Valerie lives in Houston, we decided to get a hotel room for Tuesday and Wednesday nights of the conference. We stayed in a rather inexpensive=slightly dumpy hotel downtown called The Athens, which was just a few blocks from the convention center. This turned out to be a huge blessing because that week was the one that Houston received record-breaking rainfall. I was thankful we had a room so close and thankful that my BFF Sharon had slipped an umbrella into the pocket of the suitcase she gave me when I retired.
Here we are leaving the hotel to head out for our presentation on Wednesday.
You can tell this is an upscale establishment…they rolled out the red carpet for us.
And notice the luxurious lobby.
Do you think my sister and I look alike?
I am thankful that our presentation went well. We were in a bit of a panic when we learned the night before that we were presenting in a room set to accommodate 500!
This was taken as our audience was just beginning to file in. I am thankful that we didn’t have 500 in attendance. Possibly due to the terrible weather!
These are the kinds of library activities my sister and I shared.
I am so glad that my sister is also a librarian. We have become even closer because we have that aspect of our lives to share. The day of our presentation, I was grateful that Valerie maintained her sense of humor while I stood with a deer in the headlights look on my face, too scared to say much at first.
Here are some of the great books we had to giveaway as door prizes, thanks to Capstone Publishing.
Valerie and I have created a webpage entitled Library Lovin’ Sisters. You can visit us, here. I am in hopes that we will be able to start selling some of our library lesson plan ideas on Etsy or Teachers Pay Teachers starting this summer.
TLA isn’t just about the presentations but it is also an opportunity for publishers and vendors to share their wares. I felt like I was back among old friends as we walked up and down the aisles checking out all of the gorgeous books.
Check out these little beauties.
And look who I ran into.
Yup, children’s author Jackie Mims Hopkins. To say I love her books is an understatement. You may remember that I reviewed one here on the blog. I purchased autographed copies of her two books I am holding above and will be sharing them very soon.
The Texas Library Association annual conference is always a blessing to me and this year was no exception.
During our lunch break on Thursday, Valerie and I were able to slip away for a few minutes to meet up with Lauren and baby Lucia. I believe I have shared with you all that Lucia has a few health problems that Lauren, Francisco and Lucia’s doctor are working to help baby girl overcome. One problem is something called torticollis. It is defined by MedlinePlus as “a condition in which the neck muscles cause the head to turn or rotate to the side. Congenital torticollis (present at birth) may occur if the baby’s head was in the wrong position while growing in the womb, or if the muscles or blood supply to the neck were injured.” [source]
Valerie and I sat in on Lucia’s weekly physical therapy appointment. I was a little worried about watching the physical therapist “work” on strengthening Lucia’s neck. I wasn’t sure what that would look like, and wasn’t sure if I could bear to watch if it brought Lucia discomfort. Instead I found myself wondering when the therapy was going to begin…the therapist was that gentle and that good! Her treatments just appeared to me to be a series of lovingly delivered massages and holds.
In the first picture, Lucia is just upset because the therapist set her bottle down in order to burp her! Ha! Like someone snatching your plate away mid-meal. Part of the therapy is done while Lucia takes a bottle. The second picture shows the therapist holding Lucia’s shoulders and pulling back on them in order to encourage baby girl to use her muscles to hold and turn her head.
I am so grateful that Francisco – yes, Lucia’s very, very smart daddy – picked up on Lucia’s torticollis the day she was born. Three pediatricians missed it. And we are so blessed to have a wonderful pediatrician and physical therapist on board now working with lil bit.
In the first picture below, you can see how Lucia naturally wants to hold her head.
But look at my big girl in the second picture! Her neck is becoming stronger. And there’s her beautiful mommy and my baby, Lauren. God has blessed me in so many ways.
The Saturday after TLA was supposed to have been my sister’s Relay for Life event but with all of the terrible rain and flooding, the relay was postponed. My brother Kevin flew in to surprise Valerie and to participate in the relay and PC flew in to be with us, too. I was sad that we weren’t able to actually do the relay but I am so grateful to have a brother and a husband who support my sister and me. Speaking of supporting…it’s not too late…the relay has been rescheduled for May 21. You can still make a $5 donation to my sister’s team, here. Thank you for being a blessing to those fighting cancer for their very lives.
And all was not lost, because my PC and Kevin got to meet baby girl, and vice versa.
My daughters are not PC’s children so he doesn’t really have to be as supportive of them and my granddaughters as he is but thankfully, he does care about them. Cady calls him grandPaul. And my brother dubbed himself Mimi Kev, since my sister is Mimi Val and I am just plain Mimi.
Just Plain Mimi had to get her share of snuggles, too.
Pig heaven.
Valerie and I try to scrapbook every chance we get when we are together and this trip was no exception. She and her husband Roby, PC and I went to breakfast together and then the boys watched “Patton”, the movie, while we scrapped.
I love to scrapbook. Love to scrapbook with my sister. I am grateful that we have this activity to share when we get tired of talking “shop”.
I am thankful to God for my family, for our opportunities to be together, for the love we have for one another. And I am already looking forward to the next time.
Here’s the view from the window of our plane, leaving the soggy skies of Houston and heading home to the Sun City.
When PC and I arrived home, we grabbed my suitcases at baggage claim (I had been gone ten days and had two over-stuffed bags!) then walked to the long-term parking lot to get PC’s car. We threw the suitcases in the trunk and I tried to open the passenger’s side door but it made a horrible noise and acted as if it was hung up on something when I tried to open it.
After looking more closely, we realized someone had hit PC’s Mustang right where the door meets the front quarter panel and had dented it just enough to keep the door from opening on the passenger’s side. They had also scraped the passenger side mirror. And, lo and behold, there was silver paint just the color of my Prince’s carriage on the raggedy van parked beside us.
Thankfully, no one was hurt. The damage was fairly insignificant, only $80 above our deductible, and the car was only in the shop for a couple of days.
Another little miracle.
It is probably a really good thing that I am not interested in becoming an insurance adjuster based on the quality (or lack thereof) of the photos I took of the car.
Good thing I can sing and dance up a storm!
So much to be thankful for and still more to share but I will save that for seed for next Monday’s post.
Won’t you share one of your little miracles with me in a comment below?
Hugs and kisses,
Whitney @ Whitney à la mode
The conference looks like it was a lot of fun! Being surrounded by books, authors and other book-lovers sounds delightful!
Deena
Love seeing all those sweet Lucia pictures- glad they picked up on the tortothing!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I am so glad they are addressing the torticollis, too. Last night I could hear little bit screaming as she was doing her exercises and tummy time, while I was on the phone with Lauren. Broke my heart. I don’t think it hurts her but she sure didn’t like it!
Shaunacey
wow she’s getting so big already and that pic of her on you and smiling just melts my heart! Seriously, how sweet is that? I’m glad she’s getting so well taken care of, her mommy is just beaming with pride, isn’t she? Beautiful.
I love that you and your sister are both librarians, that’s kind of AWESOME!!
so glad to read so much positivity!! hope this week is full of shining moments! xo
Leslie Roberts Clingan
My sister and I have shared so many special moments together as librarians. Thank you. And thank you for the compliments on baby girl and her mommy.
Excited to hold that bundle of chubby wubs tomorrow!!
Sarah @ Foxy's Domestic Side
That little tongue sticking out at the end…love it! So great that they caught it early so you can start therapy early! Glad you had a good time at the library conference.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Ha! Both Brennyn and Lauren stuck their tongues out so much that they were tested for Down’s Syndrome! Guess it is definitely a genetic thing, just not Down’s.
Jill
That is so cool that you and your sister are both librarians! Love seeing the pictures of Lucia! What a precious girl!
Jill
Doused In Pink
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you, Jill! I am so excited that I can hold my chubby wubs tomorrow night! Going to Houston for the weekend. 🙂
Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom
Lucia is such a doll! I think I’ve heard of her neck condition in the past, I am glad it is something they can help her with through therapy. I got a scratch on my car when we had it parked at the airport when we went to Disney last summer. It was just minor and my car is so old, it wasn’t a big deal. But, it’d be nice if people left a note or something! How wonderful that you and your sister share the same career. I always wished I had a sister!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Leslie Roberts Clingan
My sister has become such a friend to me as we have grown up and grown older. We were close as kids but we are very different in some ways and that always seemed to keep us from being as close as we are now. We have grown up and realized our friends and family don’t have to be exactly like us. I love Valerie dearly. And that little chunky baby is one of my favorite people ever. Get to hold her tomorrow when I go to Houston for the weekend. Yay!!
Lana
It’s so wonderful that you and your sister are both librarians. How fun to give a presentation together! I do think you look alike – especially your smiles. Your little granddaughter is so beautiful!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I kind of think Lucia is pretty special, myself. Thank you. And my sister is the best!
Lauren Buendia
Love this post…and love you! Thank you for writing about little Lucia. She’s one sweet plumpies who loves her grandma.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you, Buff. I love you and your baby girl. Thank you for involving me in so much of her life. Can’t wait
til I have you guys back in the southwest!