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Thursday, June 19, 2008

It's been one of THOSE weeks! (By Melissa)

Okay, so we have had a hard week...a really hard one!! We all know that life is full of ups and downs, and you do the best you can, but sometimes it just seems so unfair. Things seem to just happen all at once, and while you are just trying to get through it all, it just keeps happening!

So the back story on all this drama is this; most of you know that we love animals in this house...and even though sometimes it gets overwhelming having a dog and 3 cats, it's fun, and we like them...even if our parents didn't always relish the idea of adding more pets to the house...they let us...we love the animals! So, my girl cat, Lucy, started disappearing this spring, she'd be gone for a day or two, and then just re-appear...she'd done this a few years earlier, but it always worries me. So, a few weeks ago she disappeared for about 5 days, and I was convinced that she had been hurt, and run off to pass away...but then one day while JT and I were playing in the living room, we heard a soft meow, and there she was, in all her fluffy, white glory!! So, once again she has disappeared and with the heat and all I have been on pins and needles waiting for her return...5 days now , and nothing...so pray, for the cat, and for me, I get so worried!

That being said, my other cat Flipper, is the opposite, he loves to be around all the time, and even though he ventures off across the street or down the street , mostly to find lizards to bring home and play with, he is always around! So, the other night, I was typing some emails on the computer, and of course Flipper was bugging me, and stepping on the keyboard and just really getting on my nerves, so I put him outside while I finished. When I was done, I went to bring him in but he wanted to stay out...probably because it was like 90* in the house, and so nice and cool outside...so I just went on to bed. About 5 am my dad who was leaving for work , noticed that Flipper was stretched out on the grass...and if you know Flipper you know that he does this a lot, but he looked different to my dad so he went over to him and realized that Flipper had passed away.....he came to tell me...I was in shock, I couldn't believe that my sweet, friendly, kitty was gone! I was beside myself standing there in the front yard...just standing...we couldn't really see what happened to him so we thought that maybe he was hit by a car, but then when we picked him up to wrap him in a blanket, we saw the BIG gash on his little neck...something attacked him...our vet, who we took him to for cremation, said that either a large cat, or dog did the damage....I still can't believe it...I was so frustrated with him that night, and all he wanted was my attention...guilt sucks!!! I know that it might be weird to think that such a small little kitty could have such a profound impact on a persons life, but Flipper did...he was amazing! Flipper was Grandma Sadie's companion, all the way to the end...she loved that cat, and he adored her...and my mom, she was always with the cats, and they loved her too! Flipper was a little runt, but he was spunky, and full of life, and he loved adventures! Flipper was JT's favorite, mostly because he didn't care if JT pulled his tail or his ears, or if he tackled him full-on, he loved all the attention...he was a total ham!!So, we are all very sad over here, and our loss is deep and real, he was a big part of our little existence here, and he will be so deeply missed!!! So, to our little Flipper, thank you for 10 funny, adventurous, wonderful years, you were such a great friend, and companion to us all, you never ceased to amaze us with all the crazy things you could do, or all the trouble you could get into. Thank you for being our comfort in times of sadness, and our comic relief in times of despair, you were amazing...and we will always have a place in our hearts reserved for our little Flipper...the smallest cat, with the biggest heart!!

So, as we are trying to deal with all of this...Scott and Sarah make the generous offer to get me a new kitty...(not to replace Flipper, because no kitty ever could),so that we can give a kitty a home filled with love and add some joy back into our lives! So, I think great, let's at least start looking..so today we brave the 100* weather and go out to see kitty's..we find a cutie..but decide to wait until we find just the right one. We come home, and I notice that our doggy, Jackie, has decided to come into the garage to cool off, so I go to check on her.....she is not doing well. Jackie has been getting older, she went partially blind, earlier this year, and she lost some of her hearing too! She has just been having some trouble, and we had decided that we were going to have her put down in about a week...her quality of life was just getting bad. So, when I went to check on her this afternoon, she was just so pitiful, and mind you this morning, I put her outside, gave her the water and the food, walked her a bit, but now she was just listless, she wouldn't take water, or food...and there was this smell..I couldn't place it at first...but then Sarah said I think she's bleeding, and sure enough, on her back side area she was damp-ish, with blood and fluid....so now I am feeling really awful, this poor puppy is suffering, and it's awful. So, I decide, let's take her to the vet, only I can't lift her, and she won't budge, there's wetness everywhere, a bad smell,and now the flies have come to swarm her...I call animal control, and ask them what to do...they dispatch an officer...it takes them 2 hours to get to us, but the officer is so nice and caring, he is gentle to her, and is very kind to me, he lets me know that they will take her to the hospital and examine her, and a vet will decide if she can be helped, or if it is too late, but based on her condition, we all know that she is not going to make it. The officer is so nice, and I am so grateful to God for sending such a caring and considerate person to us in our hour of need. So, now in just a matter of 36 hours, we have lost our kitty, and our dog, and our girl kitty is missing...the only one left is Mr. Brightside, who has been thoroughly traumatized by all this...so all I can say is...PRAY...that our other cat comes home, that the void left by our animal family heals soon, and that our sadness leaves soon! So, to Jackie, the never-barks dog, I say thank you for 5 years of faithful service and love. For the many mornings Sarah and I chased you down the street in out PJ's, for the holes you dug in the back yard, for all the cookies and table food that you shared with us, for all the movies that you sat next to mom through, for doing your best not to pee on my new carpet, and for hanging out at the old apartments with me and Sarah, and for all the great times you gave us, we will miss you. You came to us at a time when we were sad over the loss of our beloved doggy Dreyfuss, and you cheered us up, and while some say that we rescued you from that pound, I think that you rescued us from our sadness....so while we mourn your departure from us and this life, we will hold dear all the many memories that we shared together these last years...may you find peace, sweet little girl!! So like I said, it has been a rough week, and hopefully the weekend will be a time a peace for us! We turn to God in our sadness, even over the death of our beloved furry friends...he sustains us, he brings comfort...we lean on Him in our grief.


Flipper Huckeba (1998-2008)





Jackie Huckeba (in our family since 2003)

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Father's Day weekend!

So, Happy Father's Day, to all you dad's out there...hope you all had a great day! This father's day was super special for us, because it was Scott's 1st father's day!We asked both Scott and Joe what they wanted for father's day, and they both asked only for a special dessert of their choice. They wanted a family dinner at home, not a restaurant and Joe wanted an ice cream cake from Baskin-Robbins, and Scott wanted his mom's famous double-decker chocolate cake! So, we aimed to give them what they asked for, Joe's was an easy request, but Scott's a bit harder, since Mary isn't able to make the cake for him, but since Mary had shown Melissa how to make the cake, she offered to teach Sarah the art of the famous chocolate cake. So, armed with all the ingredients...including the most important...LOVE...Sarah, Melissa and JT headed off to Grandma Vanderpool's house to bake the cakes, since the oven here is still not working. Big thanks to Gma Vanderpool, for the use of her kitchen! After baking, they headed home to decorate the cake and to get ready for Sunday's dinner. On Sunday, Melissa prepared a great meal, with bbq ribs, corn on the cob, potatoes, rolls, and a beautiful salad.....and of course...the 2 requested desserts!!! We opened gifts and then took family pics in the front yard, it was a great day! Dad's are the best!!!

(below) Sarah decorates Scott's 1st Father's Day cake.
(below) the finished cake....JT tired out from all the fun!!
(below)JT @ dinner, view of the dinner table, Scott digs into the ribs!!

(below) The gorgeous salad Melissa made, Joe relaxes in the swing before pictures.


(below) Sarah presents Scott with the cake, Joe's ice cream cake!




(below)Joe opens gifts, JT helps to pass out the gifts!


(below) Scott laughs at his card, Scott w/ the 90210 dvd.


(below) 3 generation of Huckeba men, JT and Grampy Joe.



(below) Joe, JT, Scott, and Melissa, Scott and Joe


(below) Grampy Joe dunks JT's toes in the birdbath!!


(below)Scott, Sarah, and JT pose for a family photo.
Scott and JT!!


HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

Friday, June 13, 2008

JT and Mr. Brightside

JT loves to play with the cats in the house, and Flipper is usually the one who obliges him and lets him tackle him, pull his tail and ears and chase him, and Lucy does her best to get away from all the attention...and Brightside likes to strike back and scratch, claw or bite, to make it clear that he DOES NOT enjoy these games. So, on this morning we caught JT trying to make friends with his kitty...he struck at JT , but then when JT offered his hand again in peace, he seemed to want to make friends with his tiny little buddy and offered JT a fist bump...way to go Brightside!!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

JT and Grandma Mary



JT has this incredible connection to his Grandma Mary. When he was 1st born he spent countless hours being held and rocked by her, and although she passed when he was only 5 months old, he seems to feel very connected to her. There are several photos of her throughout the house, some of her by herself and some with other people, and yet he seems to be able to point her out in each one...even the one's where she is very young. So, one of the things that he does several times a day is talk and wave to the collection of photos of Mary that is in the dining area...he points at her, babbles to her and waves, it is so touching. So, eventhough she is no longer with us in the physical sense, her spirit seems to live on, even in the youngest among us!

Saturday, June 7, 2008

A very busy weekend!!

This was one busy weekend...Sarah and JT had 2 birthday parties on Saturday, the 1st was for Tyler, the son of Sarah's friend, Rhonda from high school, and the 2nd party was for twins, Max and Eli from Sarah and JT's, mommy and me class. Although they planned on going to both bashes, by the time they arrived at Max and Eli's party, JT was so tuckered out, Sarah opted to just stop by long enough to deliver their gifts.

Sunday was also eventful...first off, Joe installed the new birdbath in the front yard, and purchased a new Hydrangea plant for Melissa, and a new Bamboo tree to put in the yard as well. Later on, Joe's best friend, Jim, dropped by to deliver the new front yard swing and to help put it together...it was a lot of work,(mostly for Jim) but the end result was a brand new swing with side tables for us to enjoy on those long, hot, summer nights!

(below)Rhonda, Sarah, and JT @ the party. JT plays with a water ballon!


(below)JT tries lime for the 1st time....his reaction after he swallowed it!


(below) The Bamboo Tree...The Birdbath...Melissa's new Hydrangea!


(below)Purple Geraniums that Mary planted a long time ago, that just started growing this spring....A pretty yellow Lily from the yard!


(below)Joe and Jim building the swing.....Sarah and Joe searching for the screw that fell in the grass...JT cheering everyone on as they build HIS new swing!!


(below) Sarah and JT try out the swing...Joe relaxes in the swing!!

Thursday, June 5, 2008

LAKER FEVER!!!

Laker fever has set in at the Huckeba's. The Lakers have made it to the NBA Finals against their long-standing rivals, The Boston Celtics. We are eagerly awaiting Game 1 of The Finals! GO LAKERS!!!
(below)Sarah & JT all ready for the Lakers' Game!
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Our Family Update--2007-2008

Since it may have been awhile since we've had contact with some of you, we thought that we'd give a brief update on the last 16 months or so--Jan 2007-April 2008.
Jan 2007-New Year, a time of renewal and joy-1 year and 1 month since Grandma Sadie had passed.
Feb 2007-A month filled with love!
March 2007-Scott and his fiancee, Sarah find out that thebaby they are expecting is a boy!!
April 2007-Joe turned 63!! Scott and Sarah take the family up on the offer to come and live back home for a year or two, in order to save for a house!
May 2007-Mary turns 59! We began a slight remodel in order to make room for the happy family!
June 2007-Sarah has a babyshower given by Melissa. The house re-do is almost complete.
July 2007-4th of July, Sarah complains of bad cramping--braxton hicks, Scott and Sarah move in.
JULY 27TH--LITTLE JACOB THOMAS HUCKEBA IS BORN!
7.2 lbs, 21 inches long, at 1:44 pm@ Presbyterian Hospital in Whittier.
JT, is born with jaundice, but is sent home with bili lights...the next day we are told to rush to the ER his blood levels are deathly high, he is admitted to the NICU, they prepare us all for the worst! JT may not make it, he may be brain damaged, they want to do a massive double blood transfussion...they are searching for blood...10 days later, he is released, doing much better and thriving wonderfully!! God answers prayers, everyone is amazed!!
August 2007-JT comes home from the NICU!!
September 2007-Sarah turns 27. Mary begins to feel tired and weak, we begin doctor's visits to find out why!
Oct 2007-Scott turns 26. They have found some enlarged lymph nodes in Mary's abdomen, she is admitted to the hospital for tests...she is getting weaker.
Nov 2007-1st Thanksgiving with JT. Mary is still ill, but still tries to remain hopeful, it looks like some kind of cancer, but all the tests come back inconclusive! Still, little JT is the delight of his Grandma Mary's life!!2 more hospital visits, and a trip to a Pasasena Oncologist to determine if it's some kind of gynecological cancer...good news, it's not, but we are still uncertain of what type of lymphoma this may be!
Dec 2007--Back and forth to specialists...still no answer, Mary is all but bed-bound, we work tirelessly to find some explanantion for all this..we pray constantly for peace and understanding.Dec 19th, Melissa turns 3o, we celebrate with cake in bed with Mary.
Dec 21st--Today is a big day, we are to get some tests to figure out what is going on. Joe and Melissa drive with Mary to Pasadena, but while getting ready in the bathroom at the testing center, Mary passes out...the paramedics are called, she is transported across the street to Huntington Memorial Hospital...they prepare us for the worst, she has been vomiting blood in the ER. We call all the family together..we are devastated...we wait on word...they put her on a ventilator and move her to CCU...it's a strange world up there, monitors and machines...we are frightened..we stay until 1am, they tell us to go home and rest for the long day ahead tomorrow...they are going to try and extubate...this will tell us how weak or strong her body is.
Dec 22--They take out the tube she is wide awake...says she felt like Alice in Wonderland...like the Rabbit popping up out of the hole!! We are happy she is starting to stabilize...the doctors are amazed! More tests...her blood is still behaving badly, as it had all the times before...they are puzzled..calling specialists from City of Hope!
Dec 23-25-We spend the holidays at the hospital...all the family is here...Aunt Ruby flew in from Tampa...we take turns spending the night. She feels bad that she "ruined" Christmas, we tell her she didn't, we just want to be with her! More tests, they want to do a biopsy, but they must get the blood count high enough...more blood is given...
The next few days all blur together, but finally they get the blood up enough to do the biopsy...death is a real possibilty, we move forward, she wants to know what is going on inside! We brace ourselves for the surgery...they call from the OR, she is doing better than expected...no bleeding, they got the sample they need, an answer will come soon! Early the next morning Melissa and cousin Marissa are with Mary, a seizure begins...we summon for help, it stops, they get a CT, no brain bleed visible...they are concerned about the sudden seizure...everyone rushed to the hospital about 4 am.
We are told they can't do anything else, since they still don't know what's going on, and even if they did know she is too weak for treatment, and the kidneys have begun to go...we have a decision, lots of tests and pain and suffering, or to let God take care of her..we opt for peace and no pain..she hates pain! She is in and out of it...we are all there, we talk to her and sing to her...they move us out of CCU, to the hospice wing... it's a round the clock vigil, they give her meds for pain, she has none, and she is just peacefully sleeping....it take days...we 2nd guess our aproach, it's just our pain talking though, we know that this is the best for her, and it's what she would have wanted...we wait...
New Year's Eve 2007- we spend it in the hospice wing, she is sleeping, I think to myself about how much she loves the Rose Parade...we are a mere 2 blocks from the parade site...she hangs on...we take turns getting a few hours of sleep...
Jan 1st 2008--At 5:51 am, we are there when Mary leaves this world and enters into the presence of God...I imagine Jesus saying to her, Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter now in to the joy of the Lord!! We are inconsolable...our angel here on Earth has left us and we are lost...but we have hope in Jesus!! We take care of all the hospital stuff and leave the hospital...there is much to do...we drive past the parade route...I think to myself, she has the best seat in the house now!
Jan 2008--We have a rosary for Mary, and the funeral the next day...it was raining...but stopped that morning to give us beautiful sunshine, and a rainbow.....Mary is buried at Rose Hills in Whittier, Ca.
Jan 2008- The rest of Januray finds us all trying to come to terms with all of this, Joe has taken time off work, Sarah has resigned from work to be a full-time stay-at-home mom, Mary was going to care for JT, but that was not to be...Scott has gone back to work, but is still terribly sad...Melissa, who left her full-time job, to get a part-time job in order to help care for Mary, is beside herself with grief...only the love and smiles of her baby nephew fill the void. Mary's mom and family try to find a way to come to terms with all of this...we lean on God for support and comfort.
Feb 2008-Scott leaves Downey Savings after 7 years...while between jobs he stays at home with Sarah and JT , the family bonds!!
March 2008--Scott begins a job with Interbusiness bank, an international bank, he work in Alhambra.
April 2008--Joe turns 64!! We are spending our time bonding as a family and watching little JT grow and change each day!!
That's the sum up, until now...lots has happened, but our faith in God and family has sustained us along this weary road.
We hope that you will continue to check in with us and see where this year 2008 leads us!!
Below you will find some pictures to show you a few highlights of the past year!!

Jacob Thomas Huckeba is born!!

Jacob Thomas Huckeba is born!!

Mommy(Sarah) and baby JT

Mommy(Sarah) and baby JT

Daddy (Scott) and baby JT

Daddy (Scott) and baby JT

Grandma (Mary) and little JT

Grandma (Mary) and little JT

Grammie(Sarah's mom, Kathy) and JT

Grammie(Sarah's mom, Kathy) and JT

Auntie Mel and JT

Auntie Mel and JT