We’re back!  We’re back online and we’re back together, but this time it’s just Mommy and Me.  A lot has happened in the past 8 months A LOT.  Let’s get you updated!

1. Me moved back to Ohio
2. Me’s devoted father and Mommy’s loving husband passed away. 

Whew.  That one sentence was harder than I thought it would be.  I guess we’ll start with the hard stuff.  On Sunday, March 24, 2019 my dad passed away.  We shared information about his mobility issues in our Italy posts and that I was at home helping, but that was about it.  My dad had Parkinson’s disease for the past 8 years.  The last year was by far his hardest.  With the disease progressing, impacting other functions and daily living, it was difficult for all of us to see a man so full of life slowly lose his ability to live the way he had for so many years.

Through it all, we persisted.  We went to doctor’s appointments, therapy 3 times a week, seated dance classes, but we didn’t forget about fun.  He went to Italy!  He went to Florida three times!  He came to my MBA graduation and my sister’s residency banquet.  He was at my brother’s wedding.  He was on the East coast visiting my sister and his old football buddies.  And of course, consumed plenty of Steak n Shake and milkshakes.  It was a rough year, but a good year.

Three months later, it honestly doesn’t feel real.  I catch myself feeling emotional at seemingly insignificant memories.  To many, my dad was a great man, a caring husband, and a spiritual leader, but to me, he was just Daddy.  He will be forever remembered and missed.

1. Me moved back to Ohio

This brings me to the other reason we’re back….I recently moved from Indianapolis to Ohio.  Knowing my dad was sick, I jumped on an opportunity to return to Ohio with work.  My planned move turned from the opportunity to help at home to supporting Mommy after his passing.  So now it’s Mommy and Me hanging out, going where the wind takes us.

I love my mom, but golly!  The transition has been real, y’all.  My Mom literally wakes up talking and goes to bed talking.  I cannot deal.  I, on the other hand, wake up quiet and go to sleep quietly.   I am definitely an appreciator of silence.  At work, I can turn up and be super energetic, express excitement as I talk to candidates.  As a natural introvert, my time alone, generally at home, is important.  As a natural extrovert (although she’ll never admit it), my Mom’s time chatting it up right beside me is important.  We’re slowly re-learning each other’s schedules and needs.

On my own, part of my weekend routine was planning out my weekly meals to grocery ads and shopping accordingly.  I was also in the habit of using a cash envelope system to budget.  Thankfully, Mommy hopped on the bandwagon.  The cash keeps us on budget, but the planning keeps us sane!  We’re both pretty busy with work, church, gym, etc.  Alone this might mean getting home at 7:30pm and hastily cooking a meal.  Together we discuss the week ahead and I plan to cook on her busier days and vice versa.  Preview: we’ll be sharing some of these meal plans and quick recipes in the near future.

Well that’s it! We’re back!  Mommy and Me are glad you’re still reading with us and hope you stay tuned for more adventures.

-Me