Liam night

I picked up Liam this afternoon and it was grandpa and Liam night.  The picture on the right was taken at Christmas but the picture on the left was taken during dinner tonight as Liam wanted to roast hot dogs in the fireplace.  He is now sleeping (I think!!).  He was tired so he went down about 8 with 2 stories from grandpa about how he had no potty in the house when he grew up and no bathtub.
It got cold in the house tonight.  I usually do not have the fireplace going when it is this cold (+4) but of course tonight was special.  I did not think of turning the heat up but when the fireplace is on it warms the living room so the heat does not go on but the rest of the house gets very cold.  As I sit in the den at the computer the temp in here is 62, a bit chilly I would say.
I wanted to have overnights but I knew the first time it would be difficult.  It is so much fun to have the kids but to not have Gail here is sad.  Liam likes to talk about grandma so we talked a bit about her.  He said he would like to make something for her.
I took a tape measure to the cemetery today with the idea of measuring some stones and then I was going to stop in and perhaps order one.  When I arrived at the cemetery I realized I need more time.  There are several kinds with benches and also it is very clear that in the winter the only way you are going to see much of the writing is A if the monument is large or B if the writing is fairly high.  So---I need to think a bit more.  The last thing I want to do is get something and not be happy with it.  I do not need to go out to the cemetery and say everytime that I wished I had done things differently.
For people who have not done this (I think that would be most) it brings you face to face with your own mortality as you make decisions about what monument to put YOUR name on and how to put your name on it.  I will be putting Gail's name, date of birth/death along with my name, date of birth and I will leave the date of death off for now!!!!!!!   So as you look at monuments they seem to stare right back at you and say in their own stony way: "Life is fleeting and you too will be here before long."   I am not saying I will die soon I just am saying that life seems to move in a blur and all of us will be facing death it seems in a short time.
Perhaps I have said this before but in this whole process of death, funerals, cemeteries and monuments among many other things I think I could give a great speech on the positives of preplanning and paying for things like this.  That would save many difficult decisions at a time of emotional stress and it would also save a lot of money.
I actually got some work finished today, I got about 40 containers of old paint out and I finished the birthday potato salad which was the most satisfying event of the day. 
No news from Aaron/Amy yet.  Aaron called last night and Leo was on the phone.  He talked and talked and I thought maybe his little sister had come but no, not yet.  Aaron said that Amy continues to work but if the little girl does not come over the weekend they will see the doctor on Monday.  I would imagine that you can't wait too long or that little girl may just walk home from the hospital.