FEBRUARY 2015 - MILESTONE #2

                                    Milestone = a Significant Event

Our Granddaughter Oksana is no longer a teen-ager!!!

Oksana's 20th Birthday Dinner and Celebration February 20th

Her location choice for celebrating her birthday was BROOK SOUTH.

It was a packed Friday evening crowd but we got seated fairly quickly.

Aunt Jacque, Brother Aric, Grandma Susan & Grandpa Mickey

Dad Marc & his friend Gayle 

Birthday girl with her friend Derick 

Not a lot of pictures of gifts because Oksana had requested the family go together and replace the broken, back left window of her car and that is what we did.  There of course were cards but I failed to get pictures of those.


Since this was a "milestone" Birthday it was now my turn to give my granddaughter a special keepsake from her Grandmother Susan.  

This note accompanied this bracelet & earring set.

HAPPY-HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY

2-20-15

Your 20th Birthday is a milestone taking

you to another decade.

I wanted to give you something of mine that

has happy memories.

I was given this

MEXICAN SILVER & ONYX BRACELET

& EARRINGS

when I was 15.

That was 62 years ago.

I trust they will become a happy memory for you

of this occasion and of me your Grandmother.

I love you and am so proud

of the beautiful young woman

you are becoming.

Grandma

Friday, February 20, 2015 

Beloved Grand-daughter

OKSANA - Now age 18.  How can that be ??!!!!

Beloved Grand-daughter #2 was picked up by her dad in St. Louis on Saturday, August 3rd.  Starting out from her current home in Indiana her mother had driven her 1/2 way.  For the past several years, St. Louis has been the pick-up point.

Her dad Marc's birthday was August 2nd - but we waited till Sunday the 4th to celebrate with dinner at The Cheesecake Factory.  We choose The Cheesecake Factory because it is one of Oksana's favorites and since we weren't together to celebrate her 18th in February we wanted to do so here with her dad. 

 Grandpa Mickey - Oksana - Aunt Jacque

 Later at our house

Brother Aric and Cousin Jessica 

 The family shot that day ~~

Aunt Jacque, Cousin Jessica, Grandpa Mickey, Grandma Susan,

Dad Marc, Brother Aric & Oksana (so sorry Uncle David not present)

The visit was a short, but blessed 9 days long.

We are so very proud of the fine young lady that Oksana is growing up to be.

She has graduated High School and is currently working at McD's. She has already had 2 promotions in her short time there:

  1st to assistant and just recently to Shift Manager.

She and her dad are discussing her taking some courses at the local Jr. College.

The agreement being, he will pay all tuition costs and books as long as the GRADES remain high.    

 Yes, we do a LOT of celebrating eating out!

Here we are on Tuesday at Chili's

One of the things Oksana did, during these 11 days, was a LOT of driving.  She does not yet have her license, as she has not had much opportunity to practice her driving skills. So that was one item high on the priority list.  When Marc recently purchased his Cadillac he kept the 2005 Ford Taurus which he is giving to Oksana as soon as she gets her license and can have the automobile in her name.

Dad Marc even let her drive the Cadillac once!!  To my surprise! 

 Sad final, for this trip, "last dinner" at Delta Cafe

Sunday, August 11th.

 Aric finally got around to doing one of his favorite photo tricks!!!!  Giving Oksana "ears"

Last look for this time as we leave the restaurant and her dad and brother take her to the airport to catch her flight back to Indiana.

A very sad note on this trip was Oksana received a phone call that her beloved dog, Swagg, had gotten very ill and had to be put to sleep.  She called Grandpa on his cell phone and was crying so hard he could not understand her.  He told her to hang up and call back on the home phone so both he and I could be on the line with her.  When she finally got out the words what was happening she asked me to please pray.  I was able to pray a prayer over the phone with her.  She had already called her dad at work who was on his way home to be with her. They got here a few hours later for our visit and meal at Chili's.

We love you Oksana, and are so very, VERY proud of the lovely young woman you are becoming. 

You have a very bright future ahead of you!!

Oksana's 2012 Visit - Part II

I just want to praise the Lord for all He is doing in our lives!!

Oksana, our 17 year old grand-daughter, just spent 3 wonderful week here with her dad, Marc, and us. He dad flew her in on Saturday, June 16th so she was here to celebrate Father's Day with her Dad and Grandpa on the 17th at the celebration that Jacque & Benny hosted at their home.  It was so good to have her home and to see the maturity, growth and calmness in her. 

Helping out at The King's Kitchen on Tuesday, June 26th

 I treated Oksana, Jacque & myself to manicures & pedicures on Saturday, June 23rd

Proud Grandma Susan with 2 of her 3 Grands, Aric & Oksana - just having fun and enjoying each other.

 Aric, Jacque, Susan, Oksana, Marc

Aric, Mickey, Susan, Oksana, Marc

The above 2 were taken outside Meme's Cafe where we enjoyed a wonderful meal after having family portraits made

Yesterday, Saturday, July 7th, Marc drove both Oksana & Aric 1/2 way to St. Louis, MO where they meet up with their mother to take them the other 1/2 of the trip to Indiana.  Aric is going to be visiting there with his mother for 3 weeks.

It was a wonderful 3 weeks that flew by.

Oksana's Visit

This is our 17 year old grand-daughter, Oksana.  Marc, her dad, flew her in Saturday, the 16th, from Indiana where she has lived with her mother the last year and ahalf.

The above 2 photos are one's from her fb that I asked her if I could "steal/borrow".

 Here she is Father's Day on this "contraption" that Bennie has that you hang upside down in.  Suppose to help your back.  She was fixing to swing back up on her head.

 Oksana & Aric (with Mickey's arm :o) and Lori (Bennie's daughter-in-law) fixing a plate for her 2 1/2 year old son, Max at Father's Day celebration at Jacque & Bennie's.  With Bennie as the wonderful Chef.


Yesterday, Saturday, June 23rd, I had the joy of taking my girls out for a treat at the nail salon.  Daughter Jacque got a manicure and a pedicure.  Granddaughter, Oksana got a full set of nails put on with a pretty cool shade of green on the tips.  Grandma Susan got some pretty red polish on her pedicure.  Then Jacque treated all of us to lunch.  How blessed to get to spend this special time with my girls - but missed Suzette :o(  

No pictures at the Nail Salon or lunch with this post because we're having some computer problems and can't down load them right now :o(

Oksana will be visiting for 3 weeks - surely is good to see her and get to spend some time with her.  

DIFFICULT TIMES

Marc drove to St. Louis (1/2 way) to pick up Oksana on June 4th.  We could not believe how much 12 year old Aric had grown these past 6 months and is now taller than his 16 year old sister.  You can see his big grin of satisfaction.

 Marc will be taking Oksana back to St. Louis (1/2 way) this Sunday, July 10th.  We met the 3 of them Friday, at Friday's!!!!. to share lunch with them and say good--bye to Oksana.  She is returning to live with her mom.

 Aric will be going to stay with his mom for 2 weeks, but thankfully will be back with his dad and us soon.  It's difficult for Marc and Mickey and I to have had Oksana here only 5 weeks so far this year.  Such is the plight of divorce.

Today Mickey and I finally conquered another difficult task that we had discussed with Dave and needed to do but had been putting off.  We called Dave about picking up some China and Crystal that we had given Suzette.  He answered the phone and was in Dallas (aren't cell phones wonderful? !!!) but he said to feel free to go over and get the items so we did.

This is the first time we'd been to their house since the day after Suzette's memorial service on May 24th when we went to clear out all her clothes, but I was still numb that day.  Today I was not numb, as I've been dealing with her no longer being with us for 7 weeks and 2 days.

Walking into that house, with everything exactly as she had fixed it and decorated it, without her being there was almost more than I could bare.  But life goes on and we must face reality as painful as it sometimes is.  I sobbed and bawled my eyes out for some minutes and then we got to the task at hand. 

We had given Suzette this 36 pc set of Rose China - Japan - in this Rose Villa 3912 pattern when she was 19!!!  36 years ago!!!

The set was service for 8: dinner plates, soup dishes, bread and butter plates, and cups.  Also a serving dish, platter and creamer and sugar bowl set.  It is trimmed in silver.

I had a 12 serving pieces set of 8 different crystal pieces.  When Suzette and Dave married, on Valentines 1994, I had given her 4 pieces of the 8 different sizes of crystal.

Here I am putting the very last piece into the storage box.  We plan to give this china and crystal to one of Suzette's 2 nieces(Jessica or Oksana)  or nephew (Aric) as a heirloom from her.

Two other items we also packed away were: (1) a flowered cup and saucer set that had belonged to Mickey's mother and (2) a ceramic teapot, 4 plates and 4 cups that I had made YEARS ago.

Another milestone and big hurdle out of our way.  It feels good and the best part of all......we know Suzette is smiling down on us!!!!  We love you honey and miss you sooooooooo much, but we WILL see you again soon.

1-1-11 New Beginnings

Even though 1-1-11 is truly NEW BEGINNINGS there are things that we carry over from the old year that need to come to completion. Such is where we find ourselves at this point in time.

FIRST - is the manifestation of Suzette's healing of Lung Cancer. This battle began on September 22, 2009 with an appointment to her primary care physician which she thought was routine. September 23rd and 24th she was hospitalized for tests and a Pulmonary Dr and an Oncologist were brought in. September 28th came the dread diagnosis. We are 102 days into this BATTLE. We've been fighting since day 1 and we will fight until the battle is WON.

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses. let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doeth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God." Hebrews 12:1 & 2

We don't run the race until it's DONE - we run this race of life until it's WON.

We stand firm in our Faith and. more importantly, THE WORD OF GOD, that 2011 is going to bring victory in this attack that satan has brought against our daughter, and our family. He is a defeated foe!!!!!

SECOND -

This, Marc, Oksana & Aric, is becoming-

This
Marc & Aric

As Marc is, at this very moment, driving across states, taking Oksana to live with her mother.

Marc has been the custodial single dad since April, 2006 when Oksana was 11 & Aric was 7. During these past 4 years & 8 months they have seen their mother three times. Once for 1 week in 2007, this past summer for 2 weeks, and once in between for breakfast and a couple of hours when she passed through Tulsa traveling.

In 2007, when they were 8 and 12, and went for the first week visitation, Oksana asked her father for permission to stay with her mother which he granted. She was to come to Tulsa for a visit for Christmas and we were all praying when she came she would decide to stay here. As it turned out she called her dad just before Thanksgiving and he immediately brought her home. She has been here with us these past 3 years.

Divorce and abandonment are horrible and it has been hard on Oksana & Aric. Oksana, especially, has had a very difficult time and Marc has provided her with professional counseling during these ensuing 5+ years. Prior to Marc remarrying, last February, Oksana made it very clear she did not want him to re-marry. She wanted Marc & Deann to date and each keep their own homes and for her not to have to move.

We had great hopes for this marriage and for the merging of Deann & her 3 sons with Marc & his 2 children and becoming a happy family of 7. Unfortunately, from Oksana's point of view this did not occur. In October, just 7 months into the marriage, in order to try and work out the problems, Marc moved himself, Oksana & Aric into an apartment close by in Owasso. The two parts of the family spent the week-ends and every Wednesday evening doing things together and working on the issues.

SO, after 3 months of no progress and Oksana insisting she wanted to go live with her mother in another state, Marc finally agreed, a month ago, to let her go for one year and then re-evaluate. Oksana will turn 16 on February 20th and Aric will turn 12 on February 3rd.

We ask you to join us in prayer for all parties concerned. Marc, Oksana, Aric, Deann, Mason, Aaron, Cody, the mother and her boyfriend (I do not feel it is my place to give their names). Marc and Aric will remain in the apartment for the remaining 3 months of the 6 month lease as he and Deann work on blending their homes, sons , and lives into a strong, healthy, happy family.

Our final good-byes!!

Oksana came and spent Tuesday and Wednesday this week with us. Marc, Aric & Oksana came by Friday, December 31st, for a visit & to leave Aric with us. MANY tears and MANY prayers have been prayed over this situation. I surely have a BIG container of tears which God is collecting in heaven!!!!!!!

This has been a very difficult post to write. As you can see, I began it yesterday on that special date of 1-1-11. Aric was with us as Marc & Oksana were traveling to meet her mother 1/2 way. Marc arrive late and alone last evening to get Aric and the 2 of them return to their apartment.

I have always been as transparent as I could possibly be here on Penless Writer and still protect others privacy. We pray blessings on Oksana & her mother and desire nothing but GOD'S best for our family.

VETERANS DAY HONOR

This beautiful granddaughter, Oksana, invited her grandfather to be her special guest of honor at a Veteran's Day memorial at her school. I got to tag along, too :o) She recently blessed us with this 9th grade school picture so I thought I'd share it here.


First was a lovely BBQ luncheon served by some of the students, who were all wearing camouflage t-shirts with "Owasso".



This was on the wall in the room where we ate.
Standing in the buffet line.

After lunch we were shuttled by bus over to one of the auditoriums on this lovely Owasso campus for the program which began at 1.

The program was absolutely outstanding. This was Mickey & my first exposure to the Owasso school system since this is Oksana and Aric's first year to attend here. We are so pleased and delighted with all we've seen and heard and the good experience it has been in their lives.

The program was a jam packed 45 minute program with 2 guest speakers, lots of video's, taps by two student, the Chamber Choir, honor guard presentation of the colors, etc. and then over 50 veterans in attendance who were honored by name.

The program ended with all the veterans coming to the front and standing beneath the flag of their military branch.

It was a lovely, impressive program and to think it was put on by 9th & 10th grade students just blew our minds.

Another added surprise for us was getting to see Jessie. She and Oksana meet 3 years ago in the Tulsa school they attended and it is so wonderful that they are both still together here at Owasso. We had not see Jessie since Oksana's 14th birthday party.

It was a great day!!!