The Party, my cousin, and taxes

So, Granny's 90th birthday party went fine. She was sursprised (or if she wasn't, she faked it well). Unfortunately everyone was talking amongst themselves and didn't even notice when she walked in, though, so there was no shouting of "Surprise!" or anything. Everyone just kinda looked up and said oh she's here. LOL The place had 2 connecting rooms, so we went to the back room (as did my sister and my cousin) so that all of our kids could run around without knocking anyone down. It's really interesting that all of us have boys...not a single girl in that generation of the family. I have 2 boys, my sister has 2 boys, my cousin has 3 boys, and my other cousin has 1 boy (he wasn't there though, he is in his 20's and by far the oldest of the great-grandkids). So, we had 7 little boys all age 5 and under there. They had fun running around and playing hide and seek together. We ended up leaving shortly after the meal, because Adam was getting so tired (it was almost 9pm by the time we ate and everything).

Unfortunately in the back of everyone's mind was worry for my other cousin. He had been admitted to the hospital the night before (and noone told Granny until after the party)- he was bleeding out both ends, and had seizures and was totally out of it. His girlfriend/wife (I can't keep up with his women...can't remember if this is one he married or not) was there, thank goodness, when this happened and she got him to the hospital. The doctors said if she hadn't been there and gotten him to the hospital he would be dead. He is in the ICU with liver failure. His liver is shot. It can potentially regenerate and heal some, but it will take time, and he will have to 100% quit drinking. He is hooked up to all sorts of things, on several meds, etc. He is only in his upper 30's and they (family members) said he looked like a tiny shriveled up old man there in the hospital bed. I wish I had a picture of him to post...he used to be very good looking...like a cross between Brad Pitt and someone else I can't think of right now, only he has dark (almost black) hair, not blonde like Brad. Now, just 10 years later he looks like a shriveled old man, and he could literally be on his death bed. So sad. He is going through withdrawal in there on top of everything else. He (obviously) is an alcoholic, and I know he used to be a drug addict for many years too. He probably was again, I don't know. He has had a hard life, (self induced) I can't even begin to list everything he's done and been through...and I don't even know 1/2 of it, I'm sure. It's sad to see a life go to waste. I feel bad for him, but at the same time he did it to himself, so what can you say. I just hope he makes it through and that this will be a major wake-up call for him to change his life around. Everyone deserves another chance at having a good life.

But anyway, enough about that.

We did not get our taxes finished on Sunday like we'd hoped. We're using Turbo Tax for the first time this year. (yes, I know we are behind the times). We got a good start, but realized we had forgotten to get the amount we paid in daycare from the daycare director, so we had to stop. We do have it now. Gosh daycare is expensive!!! We paid almost $13,000 in daycare in 2005!

Well, my lunch break is almost over and this is getting long, so I'm off!