Happy Updates

I've been trying to force my sleeping schedule back to normal, since I had stopped sleeping at night at all for a couple of days. I'm just scaling the hours back, though, and it's starting to work. I've always been a bit of a night owl when I could be, but this was getting a bit too intense.
I was able to visit my Grandmother this week. It was a little jolting at first, because she looked so small in the bed at the care center. But, we started chatting and I knew it was still my fiery Grandma. :) She can get a little cranky pent up in the care center, but she says funny things that make me laugh when she is. She's making progress with arm movement and she's trying hard to begin walking again. Grandma insists she'll be home soon. :) The sad thing was that I took this big pretty geode to show her, but I could tell she couldn't see it. Her eyesight was greatly affected by the stroke. My Great Grandma also had vision problems in her old age. All in all, she's in pretty good shape and getting better all the time.
John and I have started getting ready for my field study coming up at the end of the summer. We got some replacement shoes (pink and tan :) because my awesome blue ones will probably never be the same after the study. I've had them a few years now and they've just begun to show wear. They will make an awesome pair of Geology shoes. And today we picked up a nice rock hammer. It has a good weight to it and a nice length, so I will probably be using it for a long time. Now I've just get to get a hand lens and rent a Brunton compass and we'll be in good shape.
I also got to see my nieces, Megan and Elise, today. :D Megan needed to go through some of her boxes in my parents' attic, and Elise came to help her and see the family. It still amazes me how old they are now. Elise will be turning 16 in June and Megan is 19. They have become beautiful women from those adorable little girls I knew. :) It was nice to be able to spend time with them and talk and reminisce a little. And I don't mind realizing just how old I'm getting, either. ;)
Johnny is doing well with his job. The boys, however, seem to take the fact that John is in the army as a challenge and have been pulling pranks to get a reaction out of him. But, he doesn't lose control. He speaks sternly and bluntly. And he's a master with the guilt. He asked one to please give him a reason to trust the boy again. Ouch! John has a way of inspiring people to want to be more, to be better. His boss says that he is perfect for the place. =) It's a difficult commute and we're trying to figure out how we'll be able to cover all of our expenses, but I don't mind. I'll get rid of tv. I'll get rid of phone. I'll pay lower payments and be in debt longer. Because he loves going to work and he's good at his job. And it will probably be a good job to have while he goes to school, also. I have a feeling that it will be ok. :) And I'm so proud of my boy.