I hear

I just heard that there needs to be a big Congratulations sent out to Dawn and Larry. They recently got married. I am so happy for you. May you have many long happy years together.

Visits with dad

Our Veterans day visit 2009
Me Nichole, her 4 little ones (Jessica, Bethany,Miriam, Beck) and Eric.






Dad was not having a very good day. I think he is getting sick.

more pictures

Grandpa and Back
The pizza the grand kids helped make.
Happy halloween
Helping grandpa make pizza
Monkey Bethaby
Princess Jessica
Chicken Bethany
60's Nichole and bunny Beck (beck is wearing the costume Peter wore his first Easter)
Fall colors

Nauvoo temple fall colors
Erics Birthday he won 1,000 tickets


We went bowling

some pictures

Erics 18th birthday

Nauvoo Temple
Erics eagle project
Reflections at Nauvoo Temple

A crazy summer.

Wow has this summer been a crazy one. I never thought I could get even busier but I did.
First Eric was off to Especially For Youth (EFY) then we had house guests in July for 11 days. Then Eric was off to Scout camp and before he got back I was o ff to Salt lake for 11 days for a woman's camp and wedding planning with Mariah. Before I got back Eric was off again to a high adventure for scouting and our 2nd. round of house guests had arrived. they were here for 7 days.
Inn amongst everything were work at the resteraunt, yard work, house work, hostessing and my visits to dad (except the 11 days I was gone. but Nichole went to see him a several times while I was gone.) What a good grand daughter.

So School started August 21st. And Eric started his Senior year.He is also very busy getting his Eagle Project finished.Yes Eric will be an eagle scout. Mom would be proud she loved scouting.

Mariah is Getting married November 28th. In the Las Vegas Temple. Her fiance' is a great young man his name is Kyle Stewart. His Family lives in Vegas and so we will have have a reception there on the day of the wedding and one here at our house in Carthage on December 12th.

Diana will be moving home when Mariah gets Married and live with us a few months while she gathers some money to get an apartment here. She is planning on taking some classes when she gets here.

Nichole is doing well I hope you are all fallowing her blog. she does an excellent job keeping it up.

As for Don and I the restaurant is doing ok. Just barley paying the bills but that is good for a new restaurant we are told.

Here are a few recent pictures (Aug. 27,2009) of Dad Taken by Jon.This was the best smile we could get out of Dad. All the pictures on this post today were done by Jon he does a good job.


I hope this finds all of you well. All my Love Jo Ellen

new post soon

sorry August was a crazy month I will post again in a few days.

Update 11 August 2009

As some of you already know, I finished my first college course in Computer Science and got 100%. After all the stress of not knowing what I was doing and no one to help, I finally found an 18 year old girl who was able to teach me a lot about excel and a little about power point. I am going to miss the teacher I had - Mr. Fisher from Texas was incredible. Now as of yesterday I began 2 new classes. One is on general science and the other on health care programs. My major is Hospital Administration and medical billing. I will graduate hopefully the end of November 2010.
Also, we have finished the paperwork to become foster parents again for the purpose of Adopting Isaiah. We had him in our home from the time he was 2 months old until 22 months, when the judge gave him to his mother while finishing drug rehab. She had him for 3 years and then he went back into the system. We were not informed of this and moved out of the area for a while. Heavenly Father put things in motion to get us back here to Imperial, Ca. and now in less than 2 weeks, he will be living with us again! Hopefully to be adopted and be ours for eternity.
David is working 3 days for free for the state of California and Mr. Arnold Swartzenegger wants him to work another 1 to 2 days for free. He said that unless we are losing our homes we are not suffering! Unbelievable! I'd like to see him try to live on less than $4,000 a month!
Anyway, David is losing weight and even though he has water on the knee, he is running 6 days a week on his treadmill. He is running 5 or more miles a day and the pounds are really coming off. Pretty soon, he will be able to stop taking the medication for his type 2 diabetes. What a great blessing that will be. We will however, keep eating the way we have adjusted because of the diabetes - it's just healthy. I also continue to lose weight although slower than David at this point.
We are extremely busy with school, work, church callings (David is the Young Men's President) in the ward and I am the ward activities chairman. Now with an almost 12 year old too, we will be even busier. We are really feeling the blessings of the Lord in our lives and hope that as we try to better our lives, we will become who we are meant to be.

A sunny day today

Today it was a beautiful 88 degrees outside. So when I got to the Veterans Home I Decided to take Dad outside . We sat for a while just enjoying the birds chirping and the cool shade with the gentile breeze. The grounds at the Veterans Home are Beautiful.
Dad sure loves it when we go outside. After being outside for a little while Dad all of the sudden went ouch and tightly closed his eyes. I asked him if he hurt somewhere and he said yes. so I started the guessing game as to what hurt. then he rubbed his chest right at the sternum and I asked him if that is where it hurt he said yes. about 30 seconds later it stopped hurting. not long enough for me to get him to a nurse. any ways he seemed tired but ok after wards. I took him to get lunch in the little coffee shop they have there he lived it and ate every bite as well as drank a whole root beer by himself. this chest pain happened again 2 more times while we were eating but did not seem to last but 10-15 seconds.




















After we ate Nichole and Peter came to show Dad his Newest Great Grand Son Beck. I think they look alike.




He enjoyed seeing him and holding him. When back messed in his diaper I asked Dad if he wanted to change him he just laughed.












Before I left his chest thing happened once more. I let the nurses know and I have called Hospice to make them aware of it. I told them to keep him out of pain.


I do not know what will happen and when but I do know that dad told me Mom has been visiting him. asking him to go with her. he told me this today.









I love you all and hope all is well with you. Jo Ellen

just a reminder

I just want to remind al of you this is a family blog and anyone can post comments and create posts. I hope this finds all of you well.

I love you all Jo Ellen

I just wanted to say thank you for your diligence in visiting with Dad and keeping us posted on how he is doing. I really miss being there and seeing him like I did now over a year ago.
I am so glad that Bethany is better and that Nichole and the baby are well.
Good also to see pictures of Jon and Terri visiting as well as Betsy and Bill. Betsy sure looks a lot like grandma!

On the homefront, David is again taking a paycut thanks to the governor of California. That will be 20% in less than 6 months! Luckily when he leaves office 15% will come back to us. In the mean time, I am going to school online for medical billing but won't get any pay from that for 17 months!
We are also working on doing paperwork to adopt Isaiah - the first foster baby we had nearly 12 years ago. We got to visit with him nearly 2 weeks ago and it went well. We are hoping to be able to spend more time with him as our paperwork progesses. He is still a sweet and happy child. He is nearly as tall as I am and wears 1 size shoe smaller than I do! He is definately going to be a tall one.
It has gotten very hot here and have lost 7 tomato plants and 3 strawberry plants and all my bean plants but the zuchinni is doing well as are my beef tomatoes that are in those topsy turvy containers that you might have seen on t.v. We will do more gardening in the fall. Our pink grapefruit tree is doing good too. It has lots of buds on it now.

Thank you

News From Maraih

Last night Mariah got engaged. The young mans name is Kyle Stewart. His family is from Las Vegas. No date set yet will post more news as it becomes available.

It's a Boy

A big congratulations to Nichole and Peter on the Birth of there son Beck Abraham Ivie Born today July6, 2009 at approximately 6:30 pm. 4 pounds 12.7 ounces.

Mom and baby are doing fine.

wow now they have a family of 6 Becks big sisters Jessica, Bethany and Miriam think he is soooooo cute.

A day of thought and reflection

Today has been an interesting day. I have had the flue for the last week or so so have been unable to go and see Dad. So today was the first visit with him since before I got the flue. When I arrived to see Dad he was in the dinning room waiting for his lunch. He smiled his big smile when I walked up to him. I love that smile. they asked if I wanted to feed him and I told them yes. so I talked to dad and joked around with him. He ate nearly 100% of his lunch. They said his appetite has picked up a little the last week or so. this is good. but it still fluctuates from meal to meal. His extremities are always cold now his feet and hands. he always holds my hand so tight that he doesn't want to let go. it is hard to get him to let go some times.

After lunch Dad was very tired. (eating wears him out) so I took him back to his room put some Pavarotti on for him to listen to oh he loved that. then I went to get a nurse so they could lie him down for a nap. I didn't want to leave. I found myself getting to the door and turning around. Its as if something is pulling on me to stay with him.

A while later they came in to lie him down I still did not want to leave. Dad told me as best as he can how he loves us all. and how he wants us to be kind to each other.

I don't know why I feel so sad because it was a good visit but for some reason I feel a loss.
Dad seems to be doing OK physically mentally he is about 15% understandable. he talks allot to spirits that are in the room and you don't understand most of what is being said but he knows we love him.

I hugged him today (as I usually do) and told him " Dad I love you so much" He made the comment "I don't know why that should mean so much to me but it does. It means allot."


I also thanked him for finding the Gospel and taking our family to the Temple to be sealed so we can be with each other for all eternity. He made the comment he is so glad he did.


This was my visit with Dad today. Very Loving and gentile.

Till another day
Love you all Jo Ellen

JB Westergren family: A link to a vidio Jon did in Dedicated to Dad

Jon created a music video for Dad he has worked hard on it please take the time to view it. he has several other videos as well.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lLONBrUB84


you will have to copy and past the address due to the fact that I do not know how to create the link.

Ziggie's is moving along

Wow Life for us has been busy, busy, busy. As you know We opened a Pizzeria and last Saturday the 13th. of June We had our Grand opening. wow we had great response and great comments. That day the town also helf a race called the strawberry strut and the relay for life. all on the same block our restaurant is on. this gave us great exposure to the locals.

Dad is doing ok He is still loosing weight 6 pounds this last month. but he is in good spirits. yesterday was a good day. he enjoyed the company of me and Nichole and her girls (Jessica, Bethany and Miriam).
It was a good visit.

They moved his room and he has a room mate now the enjoys it I think he enjoys the company. Dad room mate is very talkative and friendly.

As for the family we are doing well other than tired we do ok. We are getting ready for summer visitors and camps and such. before we know it summer will be over.

Don has been working hard on putting in a raised garden they look great. I am exited.

As for all of you I hope you are well.

My love to you all. Jo Ellen

Visitors

Dad has had many visitors the last few months. This is great Jon, Terri, His brother Bill and his wife Jeanie, His sister Elizabeth (Betsy) and her husband Dan. Dad enjoys the visits but as most of you know who have seen him recently he does not remember the next day ever seeing anyone.

Dad has been in good spirits lately and eating a little better. if he stops loosing weight he will graduate from hospice care.

As for me any my little family we are moving right along. Don lost his job with Varsity last month and so we took everything we had and opened a pizza takeout place. it is new york style and very yummy. We have great desserts and pasta as well.

Bethany was in the hospital and had surgery she is doing great now and all recovered.
I got to watch Jessica and Miriam for a night luck grandma.
like I minded.

We are gearing up for summer and all the activities involved. Guests coming and going as well as a few little trips one or two of us have to go on.

other than that life is going along.

until next time my love to all of you.
Jo Ellen

In Memeory of our Mother this Mothers day 2009

I think back on my Primary days when we would work so Hard on the songs we would sing in sacrament for our moms.

Mother I love you
Mother I do
Father in Heaven has sent me to you.
When I am near you
I love to hear you
singing so softly that you love me to.
Mother I love you , I love you I do.


I often go walking in meadows of clover.
and I gather arm fulls of blossoms of blue.
I gather the flowers the whole meadow over
dear Mother all flowers remind me of you.


Mom I Love you
I miss you
I look forward to the Day when I will see you again.

Love Jo Ellen

March and April

Wow March and April and spring is coming. Life changes and many more happenings in the Ziegler Family.

First of all the family picture is the first picture we have had done as a family since Nichole and Peter's wedding. Far to Long.

The end of March Brought on a new change in our house. Mariah and Diana Moved To Salt Lake City Utah. This is a fun and exiting adventure for them and a sad time back here in Illinois. The house feels empty with just one at home. Eric is loving his being an only child and the fact that he gets the big room. After it is painted of course.

Dad (Jerome) is not doing very well his Alzheimer's is progressing and he is in the final stages of the terrible disease. He is under hospice care now. I visit several days a week and stay for several hours. sometimes reading, sometimes holding his hand and other times feeding him so he will eat something.

He is down to 176 pound to thin for a man that is 6 foot tall. He talks the last few days about how these people he does not know are asking him for something he cant give them and how others are asking him to go with him but he cant go till he finds what the others are asking him for. I feel his time is short.

The picture of him above is from April 8, 2009 he is listening to Ravel's - Bolero.

Well that is all for now. Keep smiling My Love to all Jo Ellen

Life at the Ziegler home

Life Here at our house is busy. with work, School, going to see Dad and running errands. I wake at 6:00am every morning and fall into bed about 11:00pm

Eric is busy at school, play practice, young man's, Scouting and Tong so do. Eric had a play the other day and did a good job playing a chicago Mayor he even did a great job holding his accent the whole time. he has a talent to voices.

Diana working and getting ready to move with Mariah in April. Mariah is working and also getting ready to move. She has been accepted to attend LDS Business Collage summer semester. So she is Off to Salt Lake City Utah. Diana will be attending Cosmotology school in salt lake as well.

Don and I are doing ok We are getting ready to start a new adventure business wise and are very exited. Don will still be doing his photography but only part time. he is also still working as an area manager for Varsity Contractors.

As for me I keep myself busiy being a mom, a wife and taking care of Dad. I go and visit him whenever posible it usualy turnes out to be 3-4 days per week. The Veterans home is 42 miles from my house and so when I go visit him I usualy stay 3-4 hours. it is nice. some days we laugh alott and others we just sit and he holds my hand just about the whole time. He is fun as you can see in the pictures he has lost a lot of weight. but that was to be exspected with Alzheimer's .

Don and I attended a celebration for Abraham Lincoln's 200th Birthday. It was so much fun. The town of Carthage held it in the Historic county courthouse. it was nice it is only 5 blocks from our house. how fun to spend time with the grand kids at something fun and educational.

We are all hopeing it will stop snowing soon we are so ready for spring. I want to get my garden planted. mmmmmm fresh vegies right off the vine yum.

I truly hope you are all well I love you all
Jo Ellen