Wanish Wisdoms- Chapter 6

A common theme

2010-02-26T12:56:00.002-05:00

I love my friends near and far in the blogging world. Before the days of facebook this was the one and only realistic way to stay connected since emailing all of you on a regular basis just does not happen. And now, even with facebook, I prefer to share the private things here with you. This is a much more personal site for me where I connect with my close friends who happen to be geographically far.

Dear Friends,

As I read each of your blogs and see various posts it appears there is a common trend among all of us. The winter has been long and we are all tired. Tired from deployments, husbands long days in the office, crying children, cold rainy days, and probably the most prevalent reason: being too hard on ourselves. Each one of us struggles with our own worst enemy: ourselves. The pressures we face to be a good wife, mother, sister, neighbor is sometimes overwhelming. I know I have these battles on a regular basis. I am pointing this out because I hope as you are reading this you can take a moment to realize that you are wonderful, caring, loving, and giving and that it is ok to need help and not do it all. I know this is a giant struggle of my own.

Some days are better than others- this probably sounds familiar. There are days where I just feel so defeated and overwhelmed and others where I think I have it all down. As I type this I am contemplating deleting it. It is as if putting this into words admits that I have weaknesses, or that I too struggle. It is hard to be vulnerable and it is even harder to let others know that you are vulnerable. I am not sure the level of detail to share ( I am just not sure what I am comfortable with), but I wanted to type this post for some burning reason. I don't have any answers or way of making the pressures magically disappear, but My faith in the Lord has gotten me through everything thus far and I am confident He will continue to provide for me.

I think the bottom line is that nobody can do it alone. Without getting cryptic and long winded I will end this with hope that each of you will find Peace and joy in the little and big things in your lives.

With love to you all-
Tricia

What we have been up to

2010-01-31T19:36:00.005-05:00

It has been a very long time since I blogged. My home computer, which was lent to me by my sister in law after I had to give up my work laptop last year, has a security setting I can't fix that does not allow me to log into the blog and update. I use Mark's computer when I update. I truthfully could have updated a lot more often, but enjoy my evenings with Mark and Tess and don't often find myself online at night.

Tess is growing quickly. She is thriving on breast milk and at her two month check up had gained over 3 pounds and grown 2 inches! We did discover she is lactose intolerant. This is especially challenging for me since my diet consisted of cereal and milk every morning and yogurt and cheese at some point each day. I have not had dairy in over a week and may finally be getting over the cheese withdrawals. Tess is much happier and healthier without dairy, so it is all worth it. Her main symptoms were spitting up / borderline vomiting curdled milk, and chronic diarrhea accompanied by diaper rash. All of the symptoms are much better or gone in just one week with out dairy.

I am still working on my delivery recovery. Since I tore so badly and pushed so long I dislocated my tailbone. I have been in physical therapy since Christmas time and am still going weekly. Hopefully, one day soon I will sit down without pain.

I am starting to exercise more, but still have pain with long strides walking, so running is out at the moment. I am using the elliptical again and am hoping in a few weeks I will be able to run especially since I am planning to run the Cooper Bridge run in Charleston, SC in the end of March. It is a 10k, so as long as I can start running in a couple of weeks- or at least by the end of February I should be fine- just not as fast as I probably would like.

Tess is doing great. She smiles all the time. She giggles a little here and there and is working very hard on sucking her thumb. She likes her thumb and index finger combined. She has lost a lot of hair since her birth and most of it in the last few weeks. I really hope she does not lose much more because I lover her long brown hair on the top of her head. Tess has also rolled from her back to her side multiple times now. She is so fun to watch grow and change. We can't get enough of her!

Finally, here are some photos that were taken recently.

Tess looks so much like Mark it is scary! The hair is all I can claim!

Her first day in the bumbo! She is getting so strong. She is 11 weeks old in this photo.

Tess Sophia's arrival

2009-11-25T19:56:00.002-05:00

Here is the story as I recall it- as grammatically incorrect as it may be...

Wow what a whirlwind it has been for us...As you know Tess Sophia was born on 11/8, but I went into labor on 11/6. I spent all day Friday cramping and just in pain. By 8 pm I knew something was up and I went to bed. I woke up all night with contractions as they went from an hour apart to 15 minutes. By morning I was certain she was coming. It was the 7th- my due date. We joked at how fitting that someone like me who hates being late would have a baby right on time.

I had already scheduled a massage appointment for that day at 1pm, so as I sat waiting for my massage my contractions had moved from 6-8 minutes apart- but were not excruciating yet. We went home and I laid on the couch groaning...Mark convinced me around 4 or 4:30 to call the doctor (mind you I was at the doctor on Friday and they said there was no way my body was ready to deliver a baby). I called and the doctor advised me to come to the hospital.

We got to the hospital around 5pm. When the doctor checked me I still was barely dilated...he was considering sending me home. When he left the room I cried for a good 20 minutes at the thought of going home to have contractions for days...Once I stopped crying we went for a walk- as we walked the halls of the hospital the contractions continued. When we returned to the room it did not take long for them to start becoming "excruciating." I went from breathing throught them to clenching my eyes closed and bracing myself through them.

The nurse told me at around 8pm I was staying and the doctor would "check me" again around 10. Well, at 10pm with no doctor in sight I finally took some pain medication-whoa. Whatever it was made me absolutely wasted! Holy cow. I was affraid to open my eyes it was so strong. I could hear myself slurring my words and there was nothing I could do about it. The best quote from the drugs (as Mark so kindly reminded me): "Mark, you need to say the prayers now. I am too wasted to pray." So, I laid there wasted, but still feeling contractions. The doctor visited around 11 or 12. I wouldn't know since I was affraid to open my eyes. He told me he saw a change (that is all I remember) and then he broke my water. I do remember the contractions becoming much worse after that.

At around midnight or 1am the anesthesiologist came in to give me an epidural. With my eyes clenched shut and my contractions getting closer together I shoved my face in Mark's stomach as he stood over me and tried to remain still. Of course, the first time the epidural went in they hit a vein- what does the anesthesiologist say: I couldn't have done that if I tried. I will have to do the epidural again. So, it took what seemed like forever to get the darn epidural, but once I did it was so worth it. I managed to sleep until around 5 am.

By morning my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and I was 6-7 cm dilated. My doctor had come on duty and she ordered some pitocin to speed up my slowly dilating body. I was told to plan to push around 11am. 11 came and went and no doctor in sight...Finally at nearly 12 I began pushing. I was told that Tess had moved so low I should not have to push long. After just a couple of pushes they could see her head- and I was told she had lots of brown hair! I opted out of the mirror so I could just focus. I pushed for an hour and there was no progress.The doctor then realized that Tess was face up in the birth canal, not face down. Face up is much more difficult to deliver. The doctor then asked me if I needed a break. I said yes- and exhausted and fearful of a c-section I rested for 20 minutes. Words could not express how tired I was at this point. The nurse came back and I pushed for an hour more- with no additional progress. when the doctor came in I begged her for a vacuum extraction or forceps. I just couldn't get her out on my own. She said a vacuum was not an option since she was face up- they could not attach the vacuum in this position. So, the forceps was the only choice before a c-section. Once the forceps were in place I pushed one time- I kid you not- and her head was out. The doctor asked me to hold- which was nearly impossible- and then I pushed her the rest of the way out. What a sensation. I sware it felt like she flew out of me. All 8lbs 2oz. of her. They rested her on my chest, but quickly whisked her away.

Little Tess was not crying. She was having a "difficult transition" out of the womb and her breathing was labored. She was not able to breast feed because they said she was not breathing well enough. So, they called the NICU and told me they were taking her to intensive care as a precaution. My doctor was busy sewing up my miserable tear, but was great at comforting me as I could not even see my baby at this point never mind hold my baby. Over the next half an hour - all the while I am being sewn back together - Tess managed to get control of her breathing and did not have to go to the NICU. Thank GOD!

The rest is just plain gory and bloody, but the outcome is a beautiful baby girl who I love more than words.
We left the hospital on Tuesday morning only to return to the children's hospital Wednesday evening with Tess so they could place her "under the lights" for her jaundice. We saw the doctor a lot in her first week, but she is now doing great! We love every minute with her although we are exhausted!

I am recovering still- My tear was the worst kind. I asked the nurse how many stiches I had and she said, "Honey, I couldn't even begin to count!" Not what I expected to hear.

I knew labor would be tough, but I did not expect the whirlwind that was my labor and delivery. As a matter of fact, the nurse who checked us in on the 7th finished her shift, went home and returned to work only to find me still in the delivery room 21 hours later!

As for the timely delivery- we decided she started coming on her due date since she is my daughter, but since mark is late for everything she didn't arrive until the 8th!

A blogging Glitch

2009-10-12T10:07:00.002-05:00

I have not been able to post / log-in to my blog for some time now since my loaner laptop has some odd security setting I am unable to control. I am able to use Mark's work computer (when it is free) to update the blog, but that ends up being a rare occasion. I plan to have my glitch fixed someday, so the blog will not be abandoned. Sorry to everyone for not posting for nearly 3 months!

We are almost ready for baby at this house. I think we have all the necessities and then some, but the little one has about 4 weeks left to hang out in my belly. I am between 36 and 37 weeks right now and I have been truly blessed with a good pregnancy. I have recently had a few unpleasant side effects, but the worst of it is swelling. Although it is extremely unpleasant to not have ankles anymore and fingers that feel like sausages, in the grand scheme of things I am pretty fortunate.

I will see about getting online soon to post some photos and provide more updates. I hope everyone is well.

Babies first quilt

2009-07-23T19:23:00.002-05:00

I have been having some blogging issues where I Can't log into my account from my home PC to updae the blog. This photo was taken at almost 22 weeks. Tomorrow I am 25 weeks. I am starting to feel large although I know I have a long way to go.

photo worthy?

2009-06-17T12:52:00.003-05:00

It is exciting to think that I am a couple of days shy of half way through my pregnancy. All along I have heard from people how "tiny" my belly is. Despite what others have said, I went to put on one of my "big" t-shirts last night and found that it was surprisingly small. I was slightly impressed with the bump and decided to have Mark take a photo to show our baby girl's progress. Don't mind my face in the photo as it was the end of a long day and I was exhausted.

This past week I feel like I have developed a slew of new symptoms and since this is all new to me and most of you will be able to relate just humor me. The most notable change is my no longer wanting to bend over to pick something up off of the floor. I used to not let the dogs eat any food that dropped on the floor and I would instead bend over to pick it up. This week I decided that they are helping me out if they eat what falls on the floor when I am cooking so I don't have to bend down to get it! It is not that I can't bend, but it just isn't the best feeling. I am also learning that squatting is a lot more comfortable than bending. This will be good for my butt which I fear is taking on a new shape of its own!

Pink or blue?

2009-06-08T09:35:00.003-05:00

Friday was a very exciting day for Mark and I. My appointment was at 11, but of course the ultra sound technician was running late. We waited a bit and then were placed in the room. Sitting there Mark and I were so nervous and excited all at once. All along boy votes were casted by family and friends and even though everyone is just guessing it is very convincing. So, naturally we sat there waiting to confirm every one's assumptions.
The technician seemed to look at everything except what we were aching to know. It seemed like forever went by...although we were loving every minute of seeing the spine,the hands, the feet...but we really wanted to cut to the chase! Finally, at the very end she said she had looked a few minutes ago (we obviously were clueless) and she could not tell.

She gave it another shot and then said, "I think I know...yep I know."

All I could think was spit it out! She then went on to say do you see those three lines? And of course we said yes, but thought, "What the heck does that mean?" And for those of you with babies you may know...the three little lines means girl! She then continued on writing "girl" all over the images of the tiny ultrasound screen. There it was in writing- she is a girl!

After listening to our family and friends for so long I was honestly surprised it is not a boy. My response to the technician? "Really?"

We are overjoyed! I couldn't have been happier either way, but now my 7 month niece will have a new best friend!

Amazingly I did not cry when I found out the news, but I am so excited that I can now refer to the baby as her...I hated using it and have apologized to HER for any times a may have used HE in the last 18 weeks!

There is so much love in our hearts for this little girl. I can't wait to meet her in November!

Anticipation of big news

2009-05-27T11:11:00.003-05:00

We are going to find out what we are having in just over a week. I am so excited to learn a little more about the identity of our little one. As the date gets closer I get more excited for the news.

I am sure all of you moms have heard that the heart rate of the baby can predict the sex as well. I hear girls hearts are faster and boys a bit slower. What I don't know is where the line is drawn of fast verse slow. Any insight?

How about guesses? Since I hope the baby will cooperate and we will know the sex very soon feel free to cast your vote / opinion as to if it is a boy or a girl!

no news and big news

2009-05-13T18:52:00.002-05:00

Hey all,

It has been some time for a few reasons. One, I am still looking for work and have had an interesting run at the job market recently. I have had such positive leads that I have thought, "how could it not work out," only for the jobs to not work out. So, the search continues. I have a phone interview tomorrow, but we will see. The job market is just one tough place right now.

My job search had a wrench thrown into right away with a big exciting surprise! Mark and I are expecting our first baby in November! We are thrilled. Although the baby was "planned" I am sure it is always somewhat a surprise when the miracle occurs. We are over the moon excited, but I am also a bit nervous about not being able to find work now. I hate to mix these two topics since work is so blah and a baby is such a miracle! Anyway, I was waiting to share this news until some time has passed- and now I am in my 14th week.

More updates to come...

NC SNOW

2009-03-04T21:26:00.003-05:00

NC saw the most snow this area has seen in five years on Sunday night / Monday morning. It was beautiful, but not for the first day of March! I am ready for spring in the south!

Sam on the other hand thought the snow was wonderful. She and bailey had a great escape running through the neighborhood jumping through the snow. Luckily, the "let's go for a ride trick" they fall for every time and they both were returned home safely.

Twists and Turns

2009-02-26T11:09:00.002-05:00

It has been a long while and mostly due to the fact that there has been little good news to report. I would hate to have this blog be a drag for anyone to read, but at this point I want to let my few faithful readers that are left that I have not abandoned ship.

Some of our highlights over the last month:

the 2009 Hemby Cup a charity hockey game for the local children's hospital took place last weekend. Mark played for Bank of America as the Suits and Microsoft played as the Geeks. The suits won for the third year in a row. It was a fun event and after the game friends and family could ice skate. I of course did not bring my camera along.

We had the opportunity to meet up with some military friends on a couple of occasions which is always a great time. We love seeing old friends-

Finally, for the bad news. I have been laid off at work and tomorrow is my last day. I am interviewing for a couple of positions and would appreciate your prayers. It is such a dismal time in our economy and the thought of unemployment at this juncture is rather frightening. I do have a couple of solid leads, but nothing certain. I will keep everyone posted on my journey, but will have much less access to the Internet since my laptop is being returned tomorrow and my home computer is a dinosaur at this point.

Grace and thanks

2009-01-21T09:59:00.003-05:00

I am so pleased to announce that my Grandfather is cancer free! What an amazing accomplishment for my 89 year old grandfather! He is a survivor and a man of faith. Thank you for all of your prayers over the past months!

Warm Thoughts

2009-01-20T14:24:00.001-05:00

Who would have thought NC could be so cold! It is another freezing day here in NC. I am sending everyone warm thoughts until this chill is over!

Overwhelmed, overjoyed, and just plain grateful

2009-01-16T14:06:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was quite a stressful day in my corner of the universe (as well as many others). Not only did we ask for a bail out and our stock prices plummeted to all time lows, but a plane miraculously crash landed into the Hudson rive carrying 19 fellow associates. The news hit the office like the plane crashed into the icy water- we all heard one by one and quietly said our prayers. We watched patiently and word began to trickle in that the heroic pilot had saved each passenger on board! To see the photos of the event fill me with overwhelming feelings of amazement, joy, and just plain fear of what could have been. What an amazing event. If only, we woke up today to as good of news as last nights that the 19 associates being safe and sound- we instead got the worst earnings report in history. I pray for our country- that humanity will do what is right, that people will lean on each other and we will save ourselves from this disaster. I just can't help but wonder: When will it all end? Where is the bottom? Are we going to be ok?

Missio Dei

2009-01-14T18:46:00.002-05:00

"The Sending God"

6 Weeks ago I looked at myself in the mirror and said "what the hell am I doing? What is the point?" I did not say this in desperation or even depression- I said this looking at myself and wondering why I have not achieved the goals I have set or done the things I said I am going to do. I looked at myself and said it is time to change. It is time to remember who I am and what God put me on this earth to do. The first order of business for me was to get back in shape. To build my as I like to call it "bod for God" so I can function like the person I want to be. I began going to the gym 4 days a week and have successfully made it to the gym each week ever since increasing the intensity of my workouts and in turn my strength and stamina. Slowly, I am seeing physical changes and starting to feel like my old self.
It is not that I am overweight and need to diet and lose all kinds of pounds. I need to regain my physical strength that I once had when I felt the best I ever have. This was in Germany. I used to run for fun for the sake of running because of the glory of the strength I would feel- and secretly running was my alone time to pray and sort out my purpose.
Although an ongoing and everlasting task Step 1 of getting back on track with physical activity is complete. Step 2 was and is to tackle my diet- or how I eat. There are starving people in this world and here we are stuffing ourselves, overeating, indulging in food that we don't even need. I have carefully worked to eat healthy, foods that are natural and less processed and will help to create my "bod for God."
Once my bod for God is created it is up to me to do what I was sent here to do (Misio Dei). We were sent here with purpose- to lead, to teach, to love, to befriend...you get my point. This is the hard part. This is where the profound thoughts end and all of the questions begin. This is where I wonder why I do what I do each day. Why I work where I work, live where I live, drive what I drive. This is where the real soul searching begins. I can't say I have the answers I can only hope that God will guide me and that eventually I will find my peace and no that I am doing what I was created to do. In the meantime I will be the best person I can be.

It's a beautiful day

2009-01-08T17:03:00.002-05:00

The sun is shining! Finally- after what seems like months of rain- or maybe it really was- the sun is out and beaming on me through the window while I sit at my desk.

A side note- The Song by U2 Titled" It's a beautiful day" is what Mark and I entered our wedding reception to. I still love that song.

It has been a long time and that is the only real reason for this post. I am not abandoning ship, just lacking words these days.

Happy New Year to everyone!

Christmas Spirit

2008-12-23T10:51:00.002-05:00

It is almost here and I can hardly wait! Our plans involve no major modes of transportation this year and I am thrilled about it.

Tomorrow I will work a half of day (I had only enough vacation for the 25th through the 5th of January and my sister will be here all that time) and then M and I are off to Crisis Assistance Ministry for an afternoon of volunteering. This is the first Christmas eve we have done this sort of thing, but I would like to make it a tradition. I am excited to bring the cookies I made on Sunday night too (minus the ones that I messed up). I figure I surely do not need cookies and others may not have the luxury of baking them at home this season. Anyway, that is our Christmas Eve Day and then Christmas Eve night we will go to Midnight Mass with M's family. Our church had their Christmas service on Sunday that will also be on Christmas Eve, so we will not be going to our usual Church.
Christmas morning M and I will exchange gifts and then head to his parents to meet up with my mom and his sister. We will spend the afternoon there and Christmas Night M and I are going to see Marley and Me. I can't wait to see this movie. I read the book a few years ago and LOVED it. I hope the movie does not disappoint.

Merry Christmas to all!

still here

2008-12-17T10:21:00.006-05:00

I have not had photos, so have in turn not blogged. Sorry to all of those out there who check in on me and have come to "expect" updates. In one word we are: Well. We have nothing to complain about and everything to be thankful for. We are healthy and are blessed with having our family come to us this season.

I have one more week of work before a week of vacation. I can hardly wait. Since I don't have any new photos I am going to post a few older ones just for the sake of it. For no particular reason:

Everyone loves a rainbow and this photo does not do this one any justice. It was over the summer and a hot hot day- we had some quick rain and then this beautiful image appeared in the sky.

Who am I kidding- we do have BIG news. My sister is moving 5 miles away from me early next year into this beautiful home! EXCITED does not even begin to describe it.
This beautiful family will soon be close by - right where they belong.
And Romeo too! Of course my favorite nephew.
This is an Army vs. Eastern Michigan game photo from October. Army won!!!!

Enough randomness for one day. I will get some photos of our Christmas decorations and post those soon-- and of Mark's surprise birthday party!

Great thanksgiving

2008-12-01T15:10:00.004-05:00

Could this years Thanksgiving have been the best ever? Absolutely! And there is one little reason why:

One word: LOVE!!!!

Do they get any cuter than this?

2008-11-10T15:32:00.000-05:00

Hey all you Vets!

2008-11-07T11:36:00.002-05:00

Check out this free offer in honor of your service!

Applebee's salute to the Military this Veterans Day

Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurants invite all active duty and veterans to one of 164 participating restaurants nationwide to pull up a chair for a delicious meal and heartfelt thanks this Veterans Day. With gratitude for their service and sacrifice, active duty and veterans will eat free at participating locations on Veterans Day (November 11, 2008) during regular business hours.

Veterans and active duty with proof of United States military service will be able to go to one of the participating Applebee's and select one complimentary entrée from a selection of delicious favorites: a savory House Sirloin, hearty Riblet Basket, zesty Fiesta Lime Chicken®, a juicy Quesadilla Burger or fresh Oriental Chicken Salad. All the traditional sides are included.

"It's an honor to host an event that helps the neighborhood come together and say thanks to our veterans and active servicemen and women," said Mike Archer, President, Applebee's Services, Inc..

Proof of military service includes:
* U.S. Uniform Services Identification Card
* U.S. Uniform Services Retired Identification Card
* DD214
* LES
* Citation or Commendation
* Photograph in uniform
* Veterans Organization Card

So relieved... and tagged?

2008-11-06T11:40:00.003-05:00

I am so relieved my week of training is over and I passed my test!
I am so relieved that the election is over and I don't have to hear anymore political ads on the radio and TV!

Aside from the above note not a whole lot is new with the exception of having been "tagged." I'll admit it took me a little while to figure out what that meant, but it appears I am to list 7 things that you may not know about me. Hmmmm.

1. I am registered as an independent and strongly believe that I am for the right person not the right party.
2. I am about to become Six Sigma Green Belt Certified! (Hence the training)
3. I remind myself daily that I am a Christian first. When people act inappropriate or anger me in the office my technique before reacting is to remind myself to act Christian like regardless of how the other person is acting. I find this very helpful and comforting and I am able to be kinder to people who don't necessarily deserve it, but the kindness is often returned with something positive and then I can feel good that I am leading by example.
4. I have always wanted to be a nurse and wonder why in college I did not go that route. I have still not ruled out the possibility of going to nursing school one day.
5. I can't stand clutter. I become slightly OCD around lots of "stuff." I can deal with messy or dirty, but clutter gets me!
6. My sister and I shared a room for our entire childhood.
7. I find this task much more difficult than I expected. I am relatively private.

How about seven things you probably know about me?
1. I love dogs
2. I like to decorate and sew
3. my sister is my best friend (next to Mark)
4. I cut off all of my hair to donate to locks of love
5. I love the beach! and dream of a beach house someday.
6. Sam and Bailey are our kids
7. I am from Massachusetts originally

Details

2008-10-31T08:52:00.004-05:00

Our trip to the Bahamas was very relaxing and the beaches were absolutely gorgeous, BUT the hotel / TimeShare that we stayed at was a dive! We did not let it affect our trip and most days we enjoyed relaxing at the on-site beach. We did snorkel one day at a beautiful cove and it was incredible. I forgot how much I love to snorkel- but also forgot the MW does not so much love it. He was a good sport though.
Back to the hotel- the rooms were decent size and relatively clean- the dilemma we faced was that the furniture / appliances were old. Our shower actually screamed like an airplane taking off when we used it. It made for quick showers since the noise was barely tolerable. I overlooked it and continued enjoying my vacation until one day I was in the shower and water stopped coming out of the faucet! Soap in hair I began to pitch a fit. Our sinks were dry and the shower was too. So, this went on for TWO days before we were moved to a new room (our last night). Well our new room's shower did not scream at all and I had wished I pitched a fit days earlier. I just did not want to have to get worked up while on vacation.
All in all it was a great trip- and now we laugh about not having running water- and to top it off- the day the water ran out MW had been at Happy Hour and thought it was very funny we had no water- then he preceded to shower at the beach shower (shorts on) with shampoo and all. Meanwhile I made a point of speaking very loudly to hotel workers about not having ANY water in my room so other guests could hear.
The island itself has very little to see, but the beaches are great. It is not a place I would visit twice, but it was nice to get away!

Finally photos

2008-10-29T18:23:00.006-05:00

West Point Trip:

Group photo on campus
Bus ride to the game

At the game- Army WON!!!!

Anne's wedding:

I have this photo from 6 years ago for my wedding, 1 year ago for Alicia's and now for Annes! I love it. I don't have them electronically or I would post all for comparison.

Bahamas:

Are only photo of us! How pathetic.

No words to express it...

2008-10-24T13:12:00.003-05:00

While we are all overwhelmed with love and joy....

Little Romeo is going through an adjustment phase.

She is here!

2008-10-21T16:18:00.006-05:00

I have some catching up to do from all of our recent travels, but first and foremost, Gabriella Grace has arrived!

I missed her arrival during my recent travels by a mere 4 days, so I am anxious to meet my newest little family member. She was born October 16th and is a healthy GOOD baby. She likes to sleep which pleases her mommy and daddy very much. Without further ado I present my niece:

Already Daddy's little girl.
These photos were taken when she was just hours old. She is now rounding out her first week and I am anxious to see more pictures. You can be certain that in the coming weeks there will be many photos of her!

Vacation is almost here!

2008-10-06T13:01:00.002-05:00

I have not been in the blogging mood for sometime now. I still have photos on my camera from a wedding I went to a month ago and have not downloaded. Terrible.
Anyway, we are more than busy here- but we are getting ready to take a nice long break! We are going to MW's reunion this weekend and a football game. I will be sure to get photos there-

We are also visiting my sister- who is due Sunday! I will see her Thursday and Sunday- and hopefully, the little one will make her appearance sometime before Sunday.

Finally, we are going to the Bahamas! I can not wait to get away and just relax.

Work has been wearing me out to say the least, so this vacation is much needed.

Finally, a quick update on my grandfather- He is currently in the hospital and is fighting an infection. They admitted him last Thursday and he is not sure when he will be released. His next chemo treatment was supposed to be this Thursday, but now is uncertain. Please pray for him.

I probably will not blog until after I return - in two weeks!

Negative emotions

2008-09-29T09:48:00.003-05:00

I may be the most negative person this Monday morning. I know I have not taken to the blog lately, but I have been incredibly busy.

Today is one of those days where I know I am in a "funk" and just can't shake it. Many of you know MW and I move to Charlotte a year and a half ago when Wachovia relocated us here. We love Charlotte and hope to stay a very long time. With all that is spiraling out of control in the US Economy I am starting to just feel crippled. The office does me no favors since I work at a Bank! With Wachovia being sold to Citi it is bound to significantly impact my city and the landscape in which we live. With last week's purchase of Merrill Lynch my company now has a significant amount of real estate in NY and NJ- mind you this is where we moved from. Does anyone see where this is heading- I don't want to move again and although I probably will not have to I fear for my little city, my neighbors and the community as a whole. My neighbor has worked for Wachovia for 33 years. I am sure his day is a lot harder than mine.
Of course while all of this is happening we have zero gasoline in this city and as with the rest of the country everything has gotten SO expensive! I just feel as though we are spiraling out of control- and I am much safer in my own little world somewhere where I do not have to deal with this- unfortunately, none of us our exempt and we are all trying to see this through to the other side. I know that MW and I are much better off than most during this trying time for our country, but I want to put it out there that the fear is in me and I sweat over this every day....I pray for all of my friends and family and that we will all come out of this as better stronger human beings.

Off Again

2008-09-17T09:36:00.002-05:00

I am heading on a last minute trip to the fine state of Delaware. Work has been nuts, so the posting has gone to the wayside.

As a quick update- the 1/2 marathon is in Charlotte and anyone who is interested in joining can stay at my house for the weekend. We have plenty of spare space!!!!

More updates soon.

Running

2008-09-05T08:48:00.002-05:00

Maybe if I blog about running it will make my commitment that much more real. I have signed up for a half marathon on December 13th. I know I mentioned it before and then the crazy summer heat set in and I hid from the outdoors. I set September 1st as my benchmark of when I had to get my act together.
So, sure enough September 1st I set out for an easy, but hilly 3 mile run. It was still HOT out, but the breeze made the 88 degrees more bearable (I don't know how so many people do it- running in the extreme heat).
Tuesday I spent some time looking at various training plans and then yesterday I absolutely forced myself out the door. I DID NOT want to run- it was 6:30 when we got home and I was starving- running did not sound too exciting. It must have been the mentality because the entire run was painful. It was hotter than Monday and there were people BBQ'ing along the entire run. I probably ran just shy of three miles, but the run was just not a good one. I had cramping and muscle pain. Either way, I did it and accomplished my goal: Run 2 work nights a week- the next goal: Begin longer weekend runs on Saturday or Sunday.
I read blogs like Fresh Toth and am so inspired and I only hope that I can be that strong. I remind myself of my competing priorities and am going to try and make running more of one. MW is not overly supportive of this initiative because he wants me to get a road bike to ride with him (ever since his knee surgery in January running is not comfortable). I am all for biking, just not spending the money on a road bike. I also really want to accomplish this goal. I do not desire a full marathon, but a 1/2 is something I have been wanting to do for years. December is the perfect time for me to run it since I am not a great warm weather runner.

I will keep everyone posted on my progress as I begin to dive into training. If anyone has any plans or advice I welcome it. I did find some great info online, but there is nothing like advice from a friend.

Next post will be photos from last weekend's wedding in Hartford. Anne was the most beautiful bride!

Update

2008-09-02T10:26:00.004-05:00

My grandfather successfully completed round one of therapy. And in true fashion to his personality he says, "I feel fine." So, we are all praying that he continues to "feel fine." He felt so well, that he received the full dose of chemo. He had half of dose the first day and the second half before he left the hospital. His next treatment will be in three weeks and he will continue treatments for three months. The next dose is supposed to be a bit stronger or different and that is when they caution extreme fatigue, but for now my grandfather is proving to us how strong he really is.

As a side note, his doctor told him she is a bit concerned for him because the oldest patient she has ever treated was 86. He is 89. Imagine being the oldest patient a doctor has ever treated? It is almost an honor if it wasn't for such a lousy illness. He is blessed to have lived to 89 and to be strong enough to fight this cancer.

Prayer Request

2008-08-28T14:21:00.003-05:00

I wasn't sure I was going to share this on the blog, but then I considered the power or prayer and all of my amazing family and friends.

My grandfather is having her first treatment of Chemotherapy today at 89 years old. He was diagnosed about three weeks ago with lymphoma. At this time it is confined to his throat area, but it is an aggressive form of cancer that is growing. He is adamant that he can do this and he would like to take a full dose of chemotherapy as any other healthy person would, but his doctors are having him try a half of dose today to see how he does. He is also going to spend the night at the hospital tonight for observation. His loving wife of over 65 years will be by his side.

The Rains Came

2008-08-28T13:33:00.002-05:00

We received so much rain over that 48 hours. It is incredible. Just a week ago the news was reporting will we or won't we get rain from Hurricane Fay? It was thought it could go either way and at most we would get a couple of inches of much needed rain. Now, 48 hours after Fay initially travelled over Charlotte, we have a good 10 plus inches of rain in our soil. We are one of the lucky ones, who aside from some giant puddles and some mushy grass do not have severe flooding. Many local areas went from being in extreme drought one day to a flood the next. The concept is still amazing to me. I don't think I have ever heard it rain as hard as it did two nights ago. That coupled with extreme thunder and lightning made it impossible to know if the much threatened tornadoes were coming. Fortunately, for this area no tornadoes appeared, but north a couple of hours was not so lucky. The weather has been volatile, but the rain in my yard is still much appreciated.

This weekend we are travelling north and going to a dear friend's wedding. I can hardly wait to see "the girls" from college. I will be sure to take and post photos.

Beautiful San Diego

2008-08-25T08:30:00.010-05:00

Breathtaking...

The happy couple at the end of the night.

The nuptials were supposed to take place at 6:30- but at nearly 8pm the sun had mostly set. It was still a beautiful wedding.

This may be the prettiest little girl I have ever seen.

Temecula county vineyards.

Stay tuned there will be more updates soon.

Back from San Diego

2008-08-20T08:12:00.001-05:00

More photos are sure to follow, but this one was just sent to me. It has been a long time since a photo of M and I appeared on this blog. In case you forget what we look like- here we are! : - )

Finally a photo or two.

2008-08-13T08:22:00.005-05:00

After more than two weeks I finally got a few photos from my sisters shower.

Not sure why this one came with the bunch, but here is her first child- Romeo. Romeo is going to have to get used to a little sister very soon.

Tomorrow night we are off to San Diego- and I will not forget my camera this time!

Funny Story

2008-08-08T15:13:00.003-05:00

So, I got a call from my sister today who said she had a funny story for me. Usually, I find them funny, but not laugh out loud funny! This one was different. See for yourself. It goes something like this:

"So, you know my cleaning lady who I love, right? Well she hadn't cleaned my house for a while and she came back today with her young daughter. They were cleaning and kept looking at the photos in my house and speaking in Spanish. I couldn't quite understand what they were saying, and finally my cleaning lady asked me if the man in the photos with me was my husband. I said yes and then they discussed a while longer. Finally, her daughter said my mom is afraid to ask you this, but is your husband a twin? I said yes. Then the girl told her mother (in Spanish) and she said, 'thank God. He looks just like another person's husband whose house I clean for and I thought he may have two wives. The cleaning lady went on to say that she told her husband about it and he told her not to say anything, but it was really bothering me."

How sweet she was concerned for my sister and the other lady.

And there you have it. Something we could never understand not being a twin. I guess being an identical twin this sort of thing happens a lot, but this is all new to my sister since she has only been engaged to a twin for a short while.

I hope you enjoyed the story as much as me.

why so long?

2008-08-06T12:04:00.002-05:00

Besides being swamped at work, I am embarrassed to admit that I travelled north for my sister's baby shower and engagement party and forgot my camera! I am at the mercy of friends and family to send photos and a week and a half later I have none! I am still so upset over this!!!!

We are getting ready to travel to San Diego next week for a quick three day trip. M's cousin is getting married. I think while we are there we will check out the San Diego zoo.

Then we have plans to continue the party train and head to Hartford for another wedding labor day and finally a last stop in NY in October for a college reunion. Someone in my household (not me) is having a TEN YEAR reunion. Crazy. After all of the traveling we will probably take a vacation to rest from all of our "vacations." I am currently exploring the option of the Bahamas. A beach and a drink with an umbrella in it sounds just about right.

Once I get photos from the party in NJ I will post.

priceless!!!!

2008-07-14T16:11:00.001-05:00

I couldn't resist posting this. This was forwarded to me and I loved it!

An older, tired-looking dog wandered into my yard; I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home and was well taken care of. He calmly came over to me, I gave him a few pats on his head; he then followed me into my house, slowly walked down the hall, curled up in the corner and fell asleep. An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out. The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard, walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and again slept for about an hour. This continued off and on for several weeks. Curious I pinned a note to his collar: 'I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful sweet dog is and ask if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.' The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different note pinned to his collar: 'He lives in a home with 6 children, 2 under the age of 3 - he's trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?'

Puppy update

2008-07-14T10:40:00.002-05:00

So, to make a long story short Bailey is doing better- with medication. After longer observation it became evident that Bailey could not comfortably lay down- hence the pacing and he was in pain- the panting. We began giving him pain medication on Friday night and he has been much better ever since. He is on a ten day supply of dog ibuprofen. We have our fingers crossed that he pulled a muscle or did something minor that will heal while he is resting on medication. Unfortunately, we have no idea what happened to cause this and hope there is a reason and not just that his hip displaysia or spinal chord injury is acting up. The thought of him being in pain and needing medicine indefinitely is not a good one- so we are praying he gets back to his usual - mostly healthy - self soon.

Sick pup

2008-07-11T09:23:00.002-05:00

Our little problem child seems to have received another dose of bad luck. He is at the Vet right now waiting to be seen. There is a slight bit of humor in the story- I called this morning a different pet smart vet that we had not yet been to. It recently opened and many of the same people who worked at our primary vet moved to the new one. I decided to move to this new one since it is closer to the house- Anyway, I called and asked to drop Bailey off and they said we couldn't because we had not been seen there before- OK. Well, when I got there they immediately recognized me and Bailey and said it was ok to drop him off! Not good they recognize us, but good I could drop him off and head into the office. Not sure if this is humorous or sad, but I did get a slight laugh thinking about how well all of the local vets know us : (

Anyway, back to the problem- our boy had shots on Tuesday morning- many shots. We do this every year, so I thought nothing of it- until Wednesday night when he started pacing and panting and acting very odd- best description "beside himself." He kept us up in the night and then in the morning he seemed somewhat better. We went to work- and then last night we got home and had a repeat, only it seemed to be getting worse. I tried to give him water and food, but he would not eat. He is out of his head- it is so sad and strange all at the same time. So, this morning he was dropped off for a check up and now I am concerned that the panting and pacing is coupled with no food or water for I don't know how long- we feed the dogs together and we don't monitor too closely. Last night is when I realized the eating problem.

To top it all off he has not responded to what we call "the magic treat machine" aka the ice-maker. He loves ice cubes and if you go to the ice machine he is instantly standing there looking up at you waiting for a treat- no interest! That is how we know he is sick

Being the stressed mom that I am I decided to post about this- I will update when I know what is ailing him...keep him in your puppy prayers.

Coming soon...

2008-07-07T14:56:00.004-05:00

My sister would probably kill me if she knew I posted these, but since she does not read my blog I think I am safe! Isn't she the cutest pregnant woman you have ever seen? !!! I can't wait to spoil this little girl!

Don't mind my chubby face (not sure what happened in that shot), but here is a photo from our visit with Jill in Nashville on Thursday evening. You can also note the short, but not too short hair.

photos

2008-07-03T10:14:00.009-05:00

The other night we had the most unique experience- We were driving in the sunshine while the rain poured down on the car. It was difficult to see since it was close to sunset, but the glare was amazing. The result was this rainbow. I can not tell you what this plant is, but it has some of the most unique flowers that I have ever seen. It looks to me somewhat like a parrot.

So, I said a while ago I would post some photos...this is what we do- we garden, clean, work, and exercise...so there are not always the most exciting photos, but we do take pride in our hard work. I purchased two urns this past spring to fill with flowers and place outside the front door.

These are the fruits of our labor : ) Blackberries! And we have many of them right now.

Our lovely home office....

Quick question: Do I bring back the short do? I will get a photo of the current cut up, but have been contemplating reverting back to the shorter hair style. Thoughts? I am not sure this is the cut / photo to best represent the shorter hair, but am curious for those of you who know me with such long hair what your thoughts are.

Not a pity party

2008-07-01T08:45:00.002-05:00

The previous post was not intended for anyone to say how great my blog is- that would be a lie- just me voicing my frustrations with the lack of interesting posts!

I do have photos and when I get to TN that will be one of my first orders of business - post photos!

I am getting excited to get away. No house cleaning, no errands to run, still a bit of work, but peace and quiet! Thank God for the Mountains - and the Mountain House! I am looking forward to visiting my piano- Did I ever share that story?

My great grandmother bought a 1936 Baby Grand Piano back around 1936 and it was then given to my grandparents- and on to my dad. A few years ago in casual conversation my dad told me he was having trouble "getting rid of it." To my complete shock he had already offered it to local churches etc., but due to the size and need for tuning etc. nobody wanted it. EXCEPT ME! Who he never really asked- I announced I would take it. Except I lived in a tiny condo in Jersey???? So, I shipped the piano to J's house in TN- and there it rests until our children (yet to be conceived) are old enough to take lessons on it. At that point I will ship it to our house and have it tuned and refinished- I truly LOVE this piano and can't believe my dad was going to just rid of it without telling me or my sister! Crazy.....so when I go to TN I usually polish it- and it drinks the polish in and then I go on my merry way- I have no idea how to play the piano, but it is a beautiful piece. I will add a photo of that to my list to post.

Traveling in less than 3 hours!

What to do.

2008-06-30T15:18:00.002-05:00

I have considered posting multiple times over the past few weeks and decided not to since I did not have any photos to post. I did take some shots of "what we have been up to," but to be perfectly honest it is somewhat boring.
Most of my fellow bloggers have children to update photos of and their happenings- but truly how many photos can you take of me, MW and the dogs? It is pretty lame. So, I ask you, what do I post photos of? Do I continue to blog, or abandon it all together? I would hate to let the blog go, but I sometimes feel like I am just boring the population. With that said, I will post my not so exciting pictures later and let you re-evaluate. I do find this a great means for staying connected with others, but am curious if this blog is a boring as I fear it is.

In the mean time we have been getting fit- running, swimming, enjoying the community pool- A little bit of golf here and there, some yard work, and regular work. That is what our days consist of. MW got a new road bike over the weekend, so he is enjoying that- looks like he will be riding in a few upcoming races.

We are heading to TN tomorrow for a getaway. I can hardly wait.

Latta Triatholon

2008-06-16T15:14:00.013-05:00

The first event: THE SWIM It is difficult to see the course, but it was out to the last barrel- which I don't think I can even see knowing where it was. AKA 750 meters. This photo was taken around 6am. This is the bike setup- I have a few other shots of this, but loved the way the bikes looked all lined up. It was an art how people set up there things for the transitions.

Here is MW and George getting ready to swim. The water was reportedly too warm to be refreshing. MW completed the swim in about 17 minutes. When he came out of the water we had a plan that I would try and take a photo and Julie would hand him his glasses. Of course, after swimming that far he was disoriented to the plan and looked at me with this sense of desperation for his glasses- this is the shot.-

I missed the photo of him coming in off the bike - but here he is getting started on his run. I guess the run was rocky and windy- so not too easy. Especially after a 750 meter swim and an 18 mile bike ride...

Here is the place everyone is trying to get too!

And here he is reaching the finish line- 1 hour and 41 minutes later. His goal was 1 hour 45 minutes, so he made it!

Here are the proud wives with the sweaty husbands!!!!I was careful to not touch MW (so mean I know).

I am so proud of M. I may have to try one of these sometime....

Be nice

2008-06-13T13:30:00.002-05:00

I almost post something yesterday. There was a woman who I ran into in the office multiple times who was wearing the most ridiculous outfit- and it made me giggle a little. I was going to blog about it and then decided not to.
She obviously got up and ready for work and felt she looked nice- and presentable to go to work. WHO AM I to make fun of that? It is not my place to laugh or joke at someone else's expense. So, I refrain.

The bike didn't sell. We have some great leads, but we came up $300 short of our reserve on E-bay. We will see what happens with the leads and if those don't pan out probably post it again.

MW's triathlon is Sunday. I am not sure I will be able to go, but we will see. If I do I will take a photo to post.

Last chance

2008-06-05T08:49:00.004-05:00

Hopefully, next week at this time our bike will be sold! Last night I spent an hour and a half posting this bike to Ebay because somebody else in the house (who will go unnamed) has been putting it off for over a year now!

I took it upon myself to post not realizing how much time it would take. The good news is 12 hours later there is a bid- it did not reach the minimum bid yet, but it at least means people are looking at it. So, I will take that as positive news.

Monday night I sold a volvo accessory on Craigslist which motivated me to get the bike sold. If you have never used Craigslist I recommend you check it out.

Notice our nice green grass! Note I will not show you the drought stricken front yard. For whatever reason the back and side yard came back beautifully while the front yard looks like junk.

Keep your fingers crossed that this baby goes!

Happy Monday

2008-06-02T11:22:00.002-05:00

Summer hit over the weekend and I was blown away by the blast of hot air! I finally broke down after a long experiment and turned on the AC. I was trying to see how long I could go without AC or heat and how low I could get the energy bills. I ended up not using AC or Heat for a long time. Exact timing I am not sure, but I think the heat has been off for two months now and the AC did not come on until unofficially May 24th and officially May 31st. I turned the AC on when my sister was here since she was unable to open the windows at night while sleeping since there are no screens on the front of the house. It was not until Saturday that I declared the weather too darn hot to be comfortable indoors. The dogs looked at me like I was a freak on Saturday as they were panting in the house. I felt similar to them and broke down. The house is now officially closed up to keep it cool.

We had a yard sale on Saturday- got rid of a bunch of junk- unfortunately, we were not as lucky as our yard sale back in Oklahoma. We did not sell the Harley. Some of you may remember that we sold our Truck at a yard sale in Oklahoma. I guess that is another item to add to the "only in Oklahma" list.

We are pretty boring otherwise- I have committed to something very freightening though- A 1/2 marathon - but it is not for a LONG time. December. K Toth if you are interested- I know you will crush me, but I would love for you to come over with the Kevin and the kids for the race if you are interested. We are only about a 6 hour drive from you.

MW is competing in his first triathlon in about two weeks. Yikes. It is a sprint triathlon, but they are still no joke. I have been swimming with him to help him get ready - 750 meters a pop. He is quick- and competitive. He drives me nuts. He races me - and I get so angry. He swims slightly faster, but if I speed up so he doesn't lap me he speeds up and before we know if we are all out racing. So annoying : )

No new photos. maybe soon...

It's a niece for Auntie Tricia

2008-05-27T10:49:00.002-05:00

Just a quick announcement: It's a girl! We had a great weekend with my sister and the big news is finally here. More to come later...

our corner of the world

2008-05-22T08:26:00.004-05:00

It has been a little while and we have been running around our corner of the earth entertaining ourselves through life. I have no photos to share right now, but here are a few tidbits of what we are up to:

the boring: yard work, yard work, and some house cleaning. Words of Wisdom: Even if you desire and can afford a big house with a large yard remember that it all has to be maintained! I love our house and are yard, but it is our livelihood at times. Last night I planted Dahlia's in the front flower beds and I love them- but the not so fun is I spent a long while pulling weeds, sweeping the mulch that moved into the driveway during the rain storm, picking up branches, sticks etc., and finally my favorite! Pulling weeds. What fun!! I complain, but truly I love being outside and enjoying the yard- it is just needy. What I don't like is cleaning inside! Dusting, sweeping, laundry-yuck

Green note: Yesterday we had our family room windows tinted. I did not want to put blinds on them, but needed to control the afternnon sun / heat. So, we have invested in window tinting and our hoping to significantly decrease our energy consumption this summer-

the fun: last weekend we made a trip to Fayetteville (sorry Anna and parents we missed you) for a quick 24 hours to see the 3 Holbrooks before they head off to Kansas. What fun seeing the three and soon to be four. I have been told pictures we will be shared soon- I will post when they arrive. We BBQ'd ate too much and had a lot of laughs. I love seeing old friends!

the necessary: work- boo. My job has been nuts- although I am grateful to be employed. The position is getting ready to take on new adventures which hopefully will be a positive change. MW seems to be doing well in the office- no complaints voiced recently. It may be because I am taking all the complaint time up- oops

Upcoming fun: My sister is arriving tomorrow night with her Fiance- yes they are engaged- so exciting. Tomorrow she finds out if I will have a niece or a nephew- I am so excited. I already have such an urge to spoil this child!

A miracle: I have blogged about Bailey a bunch- and I have to post again what a miracle he is - how strong, determined and inspirational a dog can be- he is doing AMAZING and we are so thankful. He walks up the stairs now- although it is slow and not always perfect he does it on his own each night. He is a wonder dog. Thank you everyone for your prayers for him. He is a good dog.

Looking ahead...we will have friends joining us in the south in the fall...we are pleased to welcome the "Everyday Life" bloggers to the south! Hurray. Looking forward to it.

Take care everyone. Happy Memorial Day!

What's your dream?

2008-05-09T15:27:00.003-05:00

Every one's got a dream!

For me it is simple: A beach house. I long for a beach house- to hear the waves crashing while laying in bed at night or reading a book on the deck with the sand dunes and waves in sight. Bliss.

Last weekend we lived my dream- sort of- we went to the beach. We spent the days riding our bikes up and down the shore line and sitting at restaurants on the marina. It was so relaxing to get away. I have come up with a quote for my future beach house. It will hang upon the entry for all who visit. It will read: "There is peace in the world when at the beach." And I don't mean the sandbox- I mean the Ocean- the amazing thing that it is. What a creation.

Sunday when we packed up to leave we took one last walk on the beach and a dolphin decided to join us. It swam playfully along the coastline while we walked. I could have followed it for hours!

I brought my camera but did not take a single photo on the trip. I did not do my hair once and I did not wear any make-up the entire time. It was a great trip!

I am already searching out beach locations for our next getaway! I can hardly wait.

2 Little Girls

2008-04-23T15:29:00.002-05:00

It's a hot summer night and my sister and I are laying side by side in our twin size beds with no air conditioning. The windows are open and we can hear a combination of crickets in the field and trucks passing by on the street outside. We lie there too hot to sleep. We are young and the summers seem endless. The following morning we most likely will get up and go to the beach. At the beach we may swim or make sand castles- together of course.

It is a cold winter day and the snow has just stopped falling. Our mom sends us out with a shovel and begin to clear the stairs and around the car. We work quickly so we can begin to make a snow fort. We have to have a better fort than the other kids on the block so we can win the snowball fight. We love to play ball and snowball fights are so much fun.

It is a school night, but we are at the town park- we have little league games tonight. There is a slight chill in the air, but that does not stop us from playing our games. I am on one field, my sister on another. We head home for a late dinner and go to bed.

Lying in bed at night we get yelled at. We may be giggling too loud or thumping around as we jump from bed to bed and sometimes miss. It is all worth it though.

Sometimes we fight too. We fight terribly with fists and kicks along with yelling. We don't hold back and often hurt each other. We always make up in the end.

Nobody is allowed to hurt me. My big sister will always protect me. Everyone knows my big sister and knows that she will protect me at all costs. Nobody bothers me.

My sister leaves for college when I am fifteen and I have my own room for the first time. Freedom to decorate, talk on the phone, and just have my own space. Of course, college dorms are not officially moving out so my sister comes home and we fight. She is on my turf now.

We both graduate college and live in different cities. We talk on the phone all the time. I have been bigger than my big sister for some time now. She loves asking people who they think is the older sister. Everyone always chooses me. All of a sudden my sister no longer introduces me as her little sister. She seems to like it better to just call me her sister. She thinks she is getting away with everyone thinking I am older.

We are two years and four months apart. In school we were separated by three grades. She reminded me we were ages apart and when I got to her age I would see. Now, we are two years and four months apart. And we are the same age.

My little big sister is having a baby. We don't know if it is a girl yet, but both of us secretly hope for one. We remember those hot summer nights and cold hot chocolate drinking days. We have a bond that only "twins" could have- only we're not. Someday, she may have two little girls so close in age that she and I will be able to sit up at night and giggle over her knowing her little girls are not asleep, but upstairs giggling too.

I hope this post does not allude to anything other than what is posted. I am not pregnant, nor do I have two little girls. I only share the thoughts above because as my sister begins the adventure of becoming a mom I can't help that hope she has the experience of 2 little girls.

more pictures!

2008-04-17T10:13:00.005-05:00

With a comment as great as the Holbrook's for posting photos I had to post more!

Here is the handsome pup in his newly painted adirondog chair. He loves his chair, but only sits in it when there is a cushion on it. Pathetic- I know. Here is the finished product of the old blue room- It is now the Black and White Room. I had posted photos a while back of the curtains and beds. The walls have since been painted and I created my art on the wall too. The other photos of the room had bad lighting effects from the window, so you will just have to remember the curtains.

Here is our hallway. We had the hall and family room painted this light tan color.

The lighting is not great, but this room was painted a cinnamon color. I love it. It is different than the red we had in Jersey, but still a warm color. I know it is bold, but that tends to be my style.

And I had to add a photo of MW and his brother! So cute.

Hope everyone is well! I have another post I would like to put up, but am trying to not post all in one day and then not again for two weeks. So, more to come!

Our recent travels

2008-04-09T12:25:00.005-05:00

I am trying to live up to my promises. Two weeks ago we went to TN and I blogged about it but did not share any photos. In no particular order here are a few:

Here we are packing up for the ride home. You may notice that this is not a volvo or a mini- ??? You ask? Well, we are slightly nuts and we traded in both of our cars for two certified pre-owned BMW's. You see in the photo the autobahn racer- aka the BMW wagon and then we also have a sedan. The cars are so luxurious it is great! And we are getting better gas milage these days in addition to our carpooling to work. Here is Bailey chilling out- or licking his lips- on the ATV. He decided he liked it after a while and then he just smiled!

Here is the Palace where we like to visit. On a nicer weekend I will take photos of the views and share because they truly are beautiful.

I also took pictures of some of the painting at our house. I will post those later.

Weekend of labor

2008-04-07T15:19:00.004-05:00

I do have photos from our trip to TN, but I have not sat still long enough to post them. I know everyone else's blog I look at has great photos, but they also have children. Nobody needs to see endless photos of me and MW, so bear with us....we are not in the same league as the rest of you.

We had a great time in TN although the weather was bad. Bailey swam without his life jacket for the first time and the wonder dog climbed the stairs at his aunties house multiple times like an old pro! He is amazing!!!!
I have photos of him taking an ATV ride with MW after a swim. He was scared at first since the ATV is louder than even the big monster of a vacuum cleaner, but once his Daddy hugged him he started to realize he like the ATV. Then the two of them did a little joy riding. It was very funny. That photo will appear.

This past weekend we still had crappy weather (in NC) but that did not stop us from spreading three and a half pallets of mulch in our yard. We got rid of the ugly pine needles the southerners use and replaced it with mulch. What a project, but it looks SO MUCH BETTER.

The house has been transforming. Even the adirondog chairs have been painted recently. I will, i vow, to post some house photos up.

We are still running around at crazy speed, but enjoying life in the south. It is starting to feel like home sweet home here and I like it. Finally, we are settling in and have a place that is home. At the end of this month we will have been in our house a year- which usually means it is time to move- but not this time. We are staying here for a while. So, get a plane ticket, hop in your car, whatever it takes- we would love to have you visit.

Stay well everyone! Best wishes.

Over the River and Through the Woods!

2008-03-26T14:38:00.002-05:00

To Jeannie's mountain house we go!
We need to get away- and the best place at the best price is to good old TN. We are heading out and not looking back (although I will be working remotely from there). Actually, that is a complete lie since I am paranoid to even say I am leaving town with the amount of break-ins that have been occuring in our area. So, to all of the thieves and crooks who read this blog my house is armed and my neighbors are watching!
What a terrible feeling- to be affraid to leave your home unattended for fear of vandalism. We live in a nice area, but that does not necessarily mean anything anymore.
Enough about that-
I am going to the mountains to kick back and relax- Bailey will get some water therapy and I will get some R&R. I packed the camera so just maybe a photo will appear on this blog!

Wacky Monday

2008-03-17T10:05:00.005-05:00

Is anyone else as shocked that Bear Stearns went belly up this morning as me? I can't believe that after 80+ years as a reputable bank on Wall Street they have fallen. For those of you who don't recall, that was my place of employment less than 1 year ago. WOW. That is nuts. My heart goes out to my old manager's whose profit sharing disintegrated over night. What does this say about the state of our economy. Everyone knows it is bad, but really- how bad is it going to get? I know I am a bit shocked and nervous today.

On a seperate note- I have recieved some requests for photos. Well, I don't have many, but I stole this one off of Jo's website to post here.

We had a fantastic time when D, J and K visited us a few weeks ago. We hope to see them again real soon!

Remember a while ago I mentioned the dogs Adirondog chairs? Well- here is a shot of one. It turns out that they are also great kids couches!

This one is not so flattering, but it at least reminds you what we look like. I know it has been ages since either of our faces has appeared on this blog.
My sister will be in town this weekend for Easter, so I will get the camera out for that.

In loving memory- by MW

2008-03-13T11:01:00.000-05:00

All,

On this day, four years ago, a patrol from B Company, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, from the 1st Infantry Division was ambushed in the streets of Tikrit Iraq. While driving down a street known as “RPG Alley” at 0300, the second vehicle in the patrol was attacked with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and small arms fire that mortally wounded CPT John “Hans” Kurth and SPC Jason Ford.
As the Company Commander, CPT Kurth constantly made sacrifices for the soldiers in his command. On this night, only two weeks into the unit’s one year deployment, Hans assigned himself the midnight patrol. Being the third patrol of the day and the middle of the night, this was the hardest patrol to conduct. It was also the most critical, because it helped demonstrate to the good people in Iraq that coalition forces would not allow insurgents to move freely through the night and conduct acts of terror at will. Hans was a leader and always led from the front. This night was no different. Only, on 13 March 2004, Hans made the ultimate sacrifice, not only for his unit and his men, but for his country (each and every one of us). Hans was a father to a beautiful young boy, a great American Soldier, and a dear friend to many.
As the commander, Hans knew the strengths and weaknesses of each soldier in his unit and subsequently selected the best soldiers in the unit to accompany him as a part of his regular patrolling force. Not only was SPC Jason Ford selected to join the patrol, he was selected as the Radio Telephone Operator (RTO) to manage communications in commander’s vehicle. Jason was an outstanding soldier who knew his trade better than most. He knew how to manage the command group’s difficult communications setup, had a masterful understanding of all the weapons within the convoy, and was an expert marksman. Jason jumped at the opportunity to join this patrol group. Not only because he wanted to show that he was the best, but he knew that this group, led by CPT Kurth, would push itself to its limits to accomplish their mission. He knew that this group would be responsible for a positive impact on tens of thousands of lives in Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit, Iraq as they eliminated the violence and acts of terror that were present from insurgent forces. On 13 March 2004, Jason also made the ultimate sacrifice and gave his life for his country. He always had a positive attitude and was fun to be around. The officers and non-commissioned officers admired his motivation and the soldiers loved his sense of humor. He was a fine soldier and also a friend to many.
While I could write about how these great men and that night have impacted my life, I will not. There are over 3000 American soldiers who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty in our current war on terror. Each have people whose lives they touched who could write a novel on their behalf, but that is not why these individuals choose to serve. There is an old phrase that is used everywhere from country songs to Hollywood movies stating, “Freedom Isn’t Free.” The freedoms that many of us take for granted were earned by the sacrifices of our forefathers over two hundred years ago and are maintained by our brave men and women in uniform today. Whether you agree with our current military campaigns or not, the service members and their family members are making tremendous sacrifices on a daily basis for each and every one of us. If you see a soldier, sailor, airman, marine, or their families…just take a second to say “Thank you” for the lives that they have chosen and the sacrifices that they have made.
There is no need to reply or forward this e-mail. The intent of this e-mail is to ask each of you to take a minute during your day today to stop and reflect on your own lives. Be thankful for the family, friends, and freedoms that each of us hold dear. This day is especially important to me since it is the anniversary of when a close friend lost his life and serves as a time for me to pause. All I am asking is that you add meaning to their sacrifice. Take a minute to appreciate all of the little things in life and remember what it takes for each of us to be able to enjoy them. Thank you for your time.

One hour. Big Change.

2008-03-12T09:24:00.003-05:00

Mark this on your calendar- two posts in two days!

I just received a notice from the World Wildlife Foundation that I wanted to share with everyone. It reads:

On March 29, 2008, cities around the world will join together to literally turn off the lights for one hour to offer leadership and symbolize their commitment to finding climate change solutions. Individuals, local businesses and corporations will also be asked to turn off their lights. Will you join in?

I thought this sounded pretty neat- but then I realized that the time is from 8-9pm. So, 8-9pm where? EST, Central, What? I guess the idea is great even if it is on a rolling time clock. I think it is a simple way to join a cause and thought you may be interested.

So, mark your calendars to sit in the dark on 3/29 from 8-9pm!

...and by the way Earth Day this year is on April 22nd- don't forget to plant a tree!

This is Kermit the frog here reporting for the usual blogger that fills this space.

Have a great day- and remember "It's not easy being green!"

Bad blogger

2008-03-11T10:34:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone- We have been super busy and I have not posted in a while. I do have some photos on my camera I need to post.

We have completed phase I of painting the inside of the house. I will post pictures one day. We also had a visit from Jo, Deric, and Kai two weeks ago. It was great fun seeing old friends. We hope to be able to see them again soon.

I took my first business trip last week and went to Detroit in Chicago. It was exhausting. I am glad to be back.
Bailey and Sam are doing well. Bailey is walking even better than before. I am so excited that he has shown new strength! I was starting to worry that he had fully healed with the limp, but my wonder dog is still proving to have more healing to do! Soon we should be able to take him swimming.

Speaking of dogs- check out this pup! He was working hard to help build his dad's waterfall in the back yard, but he got so tired...

He took a puppy nap. Not to be confused with a cat nap!

Hope all is well.....

My new brother in law

2008-02-28T08:39:00.003-05:00

Brace yourselves. This may be the cutest little puppy that has come along since Sam and Bailey! I would like to announce the arrival of Hemingway's Pale Brandy. The newest member of the Wanish clan. As reported by the proud papa:

We are pleased to announce that yesterday, we added a “little one” to our family. It’s a BOY!
He weighs in at 8 lb 3 oz.
He is 24 inches (dog measures 9 inch leg and 9 inch from shoulder to hip).
He was born in Bloomingburg, Ohio on 12January, 2007 (six weeks when we got him)
He is a English Yellow Labrador and is named “Hemingway’s pale brandy” (or probably “Hemi” for short).

Who couldn't love that face?

Color

2008-02-20T13:39:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we had some of the rooms in our house painted! It looks so nice having color on the walls. As some of you know we had our entire house painted in NJ right away. We have waited until now to start coloring the walls here. It makes the home instantly more comfortable and ours. We painted the livingroom a color called: Spicy Hugh- it is a cinnamon orange sort of color. It is very warm and matches are things perfectly. The black and white room I posted photos of a while back is finally complete with gray walls and finally, the room off of the master is Svelte Sage- the name of the color says it all! We are working on the master bath- the painter does not remove wallpaper (go figure) so we have begun tearing it down ourselves so he can paint. I will be so excited when that is done! I will get pictures up soon of the changes.

Weekend Recap

2008-02-11T10:50:00.000-05:00

Friday night we went to this new tiny little cafe like place that sells only wine and cheese and crackers. They do wine tastings for $5 to taste five wines. It was very quaint and a lot of fun. We will definitely go back. It is almost walking distance from our house, only the street is so busy to get there and there are no sidewalks. So, we drive.

Holy WIND yesterday. The weather was gorgeous with the exception of the strong winds. The gutter blew off of the side of the hosue- that was fun. And then, I had to go find the cushions to the outdoor chairs since they were blowing down the driveway and into neighbors yards. It was quite impressive. The rest of the day was not however. It was very nice to just rest a bit. We rearranged the furniture in the family room and I like it much better. It opens the room up and is just an all around better look. So, I am happy about that. I also planted pansies. The weather here has been great. In MA it is still snowy and frozen and I am already seeing my bulbs come up and doing my "Spring clean up." The yard needs lot's of love, but luckily I enjoy it.

Still here

2008-02-08T10:03:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone. I know I am now officially a bad blogger and it has been ages since I had steady posts. To our defense, we have been very busy!

When we returned from Florida my workload exploded! I have been so busy at work that when I get home I do very little. I am beat. We did have friends come to visit for my birthday and it was a great time! We had a full house for an evening and an extended stay from our old neighbors in NJ. It is always so nice to see old friends. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever have that good of friends here - locally. The week following our visitors MW had knee surgery. Apparently, during one of his "jumps" in the military he landed off enough that he had torn cartillage. It started to bother him more often and they decided to operate. When they got "in there" they found a torn miniscus as well. So, the surgery was a little more than expected, but went well. He is pretty much recovered from a day to day stand point, but is still unable to run or bik or play hockey for another couple of weeks. Hopefully, his pain level will be muc lower now.
MW also switched jobs and is working at the better bank in town! I am glad we finally saw eye to eye on that one : )

We missed our planned trip to Fayetteville due MW's recovering from surgery, but we hope to visit there soon. Marie- I will let you know when we are in the neighborhood!

I have finally gotten a grip on my lazy self and started running again. It is cyclical for me and I don't get why I punish myself like this. It is easier to continue running than to stop and have the pain of building up the stamina again. Last night I ran to my mom's house for the first time since she moved there. It was really nice to run over, visit, and then get a ride home! Eventually I will work up to running there and back, but I am not up for 10K just yet. I am looking for some "fun runs" to do to keep me going. This city is a very active running city and is full of running clubs and things, but I prefer to run alone- unless it is a race.

Bailey is doing well. He is starting to have a little more confidence climbing stairs. He still is unable to climb more than a few on his own, but is making some progress. The pretty princess is still the same. It is her birthday month! We don't know when exactly she was born, but we do know that this month she is 8! Are baby is growing up! I have to get photos of their Christmas presents. They got "adirondog chairs." Most of you probably know what an adirondack chair is for people, so picture a dog specific one. They are on the back deck and Bailey loves them!

OK- That is what is new here. This weekend I am lookinf forward to a little yard work and relaxation!
Take care and I will post again. Sorry to be such a bad blogger!

28 years young

2008-01-18T14:44:00.001-05:00

I think today is the perfect day to create a bucket list.
Before I die ... in no particular order ... I would like to:

hike the grand canyon
ski Utah
have children
tour South Africa- maybe Jo can help me through this.
forgive myself for leaving my sister in NJ
Live near my sister again
sponsor / adopt a family / child in a developing country so they can be afforded opportunity
lead by example and help to conserve the earth- help people to realize the small changes they can make to change the world
visit all of my friends who are not near
serve the poor- and volunteer more
master my game of golf
run a half marathon
Go to the Macy's day parade in NYC on Thanksgiving
Go to Normandy

Traveling is my favorite hobby and I could write all day where I want to go...but I am not sure that is the point of the bucket list.

Maybe I need to see the movie and try again? The movie seems to sad to though- I think I will pass.

2008-01-14T15:54:00.003-05:00

I know there are typos in the below post, but I was moving quick...enjoy the photos and disregard the poor spelling!

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-01-14T15:39:00.001-05:00

trying to upload!!

2008-01-13T16:30:00.000-05:00

Here is one photo chosen at random of the many I want to post, but I am getting errors!!!! Stay tuned for the real update.

Happy New Year!!

2007-12-27T21:19:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas and I do have a few photos to share, but I am too darn lazy to upload them right now. I would like to say I got a few great gifts. Those topping my list this year: The Willow Tree Nativity Set which was given to us a bit early so we could display it this year. I had a very small Nativity that I picked up at market in Germany, but wanted a little larger of a set. I do love my little set, but when I say little I mean tiny! Anyway, I also got a king size down comforter! It is fabulous! I love it. It is so warm and fluffy and big on a queen size bed. MW gave me freshwater pearls - a necklace and bracelet and Rachel B. you will be excited to know that I finally got the Chi Hair Straitener!!!
The holiday was nice and I have been enjoying working from home this week. Saturday we are leaving to go to Orlando where we will meet up with friends for New Years! Very exciting.

Stay tuned for photos of us and old friends. You can see who you recognize. If you are a West Point grad you should see a lot of familiar faces.

So far behind.

2007-12-22T22:21:00.000-05:00

I have not posted in so long that I have concidered leaving the blog behind...but then I think of all of the people this site has helped me stay linked to and I know I have to pick this back up. It has been so great catching up with old friends from the links on each others blogs. I will continue the blogging journey in 2008.
Some of you may have received a Christmas card from us. If you did not, I am sorry- I got so darn confused this year! I had some addresses and send out a bunch of cards and then had addresses I needed to locate. Well, without a list I got confused about who I sent cards to on the "seek address list" and who I had not. So, some people could have gotten two for all I know. It was a disorganized mess. In the end I sent out close to 50 cards, but again, I know I missed some people I wish I had not.

I hope everyone is well. It has been a while. We are well. Christmas will be at our house this year and we will go to Orlando for New Years for a few days of sun and relaxation.

There is no big one thing I want this year. I have a long list of "wants," but needs are a different story. My big thing has been scissors- they disappear from the kitchen. I got so fed up with waiting for Christmas that I bought some yesterday. I hope EVERYONE gives me scissors. Scissors disappear about as fast as socks in this house accept I can't blame losing them on the dryer!

Photos and more posts to come. Thanks for welcoming me back.

Turkey for you and Turkey for me...

2007-11-20T19:49:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I often find it hard to remember where I have on a holiday / birthday in the years past. How bad does that sound? Anyway, if my memory serves me right this is how the last five have gone:

2002 - Nashua, NH - this was the last Thanksgiving at my grandparents house. They moved the following year. It is a great memory. We had MW's family and mine together to celebrate a holiday together for the first time

2003- I haven't a clue! Maybe it will come to me, but right now I have not idea. It was in Germany somewhere, but I can't recall for the life of me right now.

2004- MW was in Iraq and his parents and sisters visited Germany. We had a feast with family and friends in Eltingshausen. It was a lot of fun even though MW was not there to celebrate

2005- We went to MW's parents in Poughkeepsie, NY. This was just before they moved to NC. It may have been the last time we visited the house- surprisingly I can't recall.

2006- I stayed in Jersey while MW traveled to NC to see his parent's new house. My sister and I had a chicken dinner at my house and we hung out just the two of us. We had a good day.

This year we are going to MW's parents. We are not traveling and we will not have any house guests.

I am looking forward to Black Friday. I don't have to work on Friday, so I am going to go out early as a crazed shopper. 6am I will be at the stores! I don't know where yet, but I am going to do it. I have never done a "black Friday craze" so I figure what the heck. I'll let you know if the deals are worth it.

Evening ritual

2007-11-18T17:30:00.000-05:00

I have told some of you about this ritual and everyone has agreed we need to get it on camera. Our loving lab is still unable to climb up the stairs to the bedroom so every evening MW carries Bailey up to bed. They have it down to a science by now.

Here is Bailey getting ready to get in position.Here is the life. Notice Bailey holds his head high! A safe landing on the second floor.

And as soon as he lands safely he runs to my closet where he sleeps soundly all night. Yes, the dog sleeps in my closet and he Loves it. I can't explain it. I finally moved the dog bed in there since that is where both dogs like to sleep.

Not a whole lot new here. I am still suffering from a killer cold that won't go away. Really, I think it is a sinus infection. I think I need to break down and see the doctor tomorrow.

I hope everyone has safe travels for Thanksgiving. We will be staying here for the holiday.

My project

2007-11-13T19:52:00.000-05:00

I need to work on before and after shots. Recently, I recovered the cornice boards in my kitchen. The photos our below. I could not have done it without the help of JW! It was a fun project since it was something I had never done before. Where the brown fabric is used to be a pink gingham and the blue was an ugly striped fabric. I reused the board and voila!

My next project is the family room. Stay tuned.
In the meantime I have a miserable cold so I am going to bed...

A new chapter?

2007-11-06T07:38:00.000-05:00

I have been busy running around trying to get projects done last minute. I did recover a cornice in my kitchen and plan to post the photos - soon. I started work yesterday with a long day of orientation, so my first real day is today. I am used to being at work early, so meeting at 9am feels so late. I am ready to go, but have time to kill, so thought I would type a quick update.

Let's see...

Bailey is doing very well and wrestles with Sam all the time again. He likes to run, but he hops like a rabbit when he does it...he is still making progress, but is doing exceptional.

MW is running around as usual working, playing hockey and an occasional game of golf. He is still planning on applying for an MBA program at Duke for next year.

I am working! Yeah. Finally. I joined the book club I mentioned before, but of course now need to read the book before next week- I am not sure if that is going to happen since I don't have it yet.

My mom is packing up and prepping for her move south! She should be here by Christmas. Her house looks great.

Our little corner of the world is pretty peaceful right now. As I sit here the dogs are asleep right next to me and their is silence all around. I hope wherever you read this blog you have peace, if even just in the tiny circle that surrounds you.

The fear of a jinx has kept me away

2007-10-29T09:33:00.000-05:00

Since I was afraid it may fall through, as many opportunities have for me recently, I did not post when I received my job offer last week. This position I have been interviewing for over a month for and I felt like I met the entire firm in the process. Anyway, I landed a great job and I could not be happier about it! Hallelujah! Since I am a little weirded out about who can read Internet posts I won't say where the job is, but it is at one of the banks in town and I was offered an officer title. Again, I could not be happier. It took six long months and I often felt like I was losing my head, but I made it!!! I start my job next Monday.

While I wait to begin this new adventure I am trying to tie up any lose ends around here, but basically I have been out of work so long I could care less about all the other day to day stuff. I am just eager to dive into my new career.

I did find a book club here- so I am planning on joining. I have always wanted to be part of a book club, but they always meet in the middle of the day- and I work : ) But finally, our church has a woman's book club that meets in the evening one night a month- so in an effort to get out and meet people, and live this life to the fullest I am joining a group. I really am trying to find ways to meet people since I feel as though I still have no friends here. Thankfully we have family that helps me through that. MW has made friends through hockey, work and golf, but when I tried to make friends through golf all I met was retirees. Go figure.

Bailey is doing great. He is getting stronger each day. He still is not able to walk upstairs so MW carries him up each night for bed and down in the morning. It is really adorable and I need to get a photo. Bailey's right leg is still dragging a bit when he walks so he can't really walk on cement without cutting his feet up - but aside from that he is a happy tail wagging lab and that is what we like to see.

If any of you are wondering why I have not called---- I managed to talk my way through my cell minutes and then some and when I got the bill my jar dropped....Nights and weekends only for me for a while. Whoa. And if you want to call and chat please try my home phone first. I have managed to talk myself into a steep bill... yuck.

Stay well everyone.

Sammy's Home!!!

2007-10-22T08:46:00.000-05:00

After careful consideration we decided that it was time to bring Sammy back into the house. Bailey had seemed depressed for days now and we all missed pretty princess prancing around. So, Friday afternoon I picked Sam up for the reunion. We spend a lot of time in the yard and on the deck this past weekend. I took a bunch of photos that are posted below.

We have two guard dogs whenever we go outside. Especially Sam. She is the Chief of Security at this house. Nothing is getting passed her.
Bailey never seemed to figure out that he weighs 80 pounds and not 8! He is a lap dog in his mind. Meanwhile, this is supposed to be Sam's reunion and Bailey is hogging all of the attention. Of course, this is nothing new.

The princess

I have a photo just like this one from when Bailey was 8 weeks old. He is a ham.

My lap dog.

Showing off his Salty Dog bandanna.

Notice the tongue.
Other than this, the weekend was pretty uneventful.

Time Flies

2007-10-17T09:09:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it is the middle of October already. It feels like yesterday was September. Since I last posted we traveled to Jersey City and Belleville NJ, Hyde Park and West Point NY, and Hilton Head Island, SC. While at the brunch following Bill and Ro's wedding we got a photo of the entire Hyde Park clan plus the additions of wives and children. A few people could not make the brunch, but for the most part this is MW's old crew. I love group photos like this.
When we got back from NY we were only home for two days before we left for Hilton Head Island. We "won" a free stay there, so we took advantage of the opportunity. It was a beautiful place, but nothing like what I expected. The island was very residential and other than going to the beach you could not see it...meaning there were not many restaurants on the water or you could not drive along the coast line, and there was no kind of boardwalk. We did rent bikes while we were there and cruised all over the island. It was a lot of fun. You are able to ride your bikes on the beach there, so we rode for miles and at one point had dolphins literally swimming right next to us. The water dropped off quickly, so the dolphins were swimming maybe 15 feet from shore. It was incredible. They were so beautiful. We also went to "The Salty Dog" which is the islands famous restaurant. If anyone has ever been to Martha's Vineyard or heard of "The Black Dog" it was similar as a trademark and a legendary story.

Now that we are back I had my final? interview for this one position that has been dragging on forever. No final word yet... What a frustrating experience. Meanwhile, it still has not rained in months and the earth is so dry our yard is dead and the dirt is drying and cracking as if it were the desert. The drought is so serious that I heard the other night on the news that in some areas there is only a three month water supply left. CRAZY. We need rain so terrible. I guess tomorrow or Friday we may get a little and we will take whatever we can get!

I have traveled the past three weekend and am looking forward to spending this weekend here doing things around the house. I hate that I can't do yard work- meaning I can't do anything worth while since I can't use water on plants, grass, or flowers...I am not even sure it makes sense to put down fertilizer unless it is raining. Maybe tomorrow I will run out in the rain, if it rains, to fertilize the ground.

The Bailey News

2007-10-05T15:51:00.000-05:00

It has been a little bit since I posted an updated on the brown pup. He is doing AMAZING! Last weekend while I was away he decided to become independent and start walking around on his own all over! He can now walk on the wood floors and deck! Although it is much more difficult than the carpet, he is getting around just fine. He is still unable to take on steps, but I did see him climb the two side steps by our house once and down them twice. It is just too risky for him to do it on his own still. He got lucky those times, but he has also fallen and it is not worth him injuring himself again- so we use the sling to get him up and down the stairs.

Today, for the first time he lifted his back leg to pee! -Which shows he has strength to hold his body weight on his right leg- the injured side of the spine. Huge accomplishment.

I did unfortunately contribute to a minor injury today. I thought it would be special to take a short "walk" so I put his leash on and we walked down the sidewalk about four or five houses- he loved it!!!, but on the way back I realized his back right foot was scraped up and bleeding again and his toenails were completely worn down. I felt terrible even though he was smiling.

Anyway, that is what is up with the pup!

We are heading to the Hudson Valley for the weekend! One more wedding!!! I am sure the foliage will be beautiful. We are also hoping for a trip to West Point while we are there.

What a day...

2007-10-04T17:29:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I feel like my day is so crazy I need to go home and find a "safe" place. Today was one of those days. It started with a phone interview that I don't think went all that well. The lady grilled me and I just had a bad vibe. It was the 8th person I have interviewed with for this job and I am interviewing with four more people within the next week. If i don't get this offer I am going to be so frustrated that I spent all this time interviewing!!!!

Then MW called because his glasses broke- I drove to Charlotte to bring him a new pair. Next, I go to his parents house to get the mail and feed the cat. NOTE: If you are a Wanish and have not spoken to any parents today please do not read this. I arrived at the house and began filling Widget's (the cat) water dish. I shook her food and she did not come running. I bet you all know what I am going to say next. Yes, the 17 year old cat was dead. The poor thing was sprawled out on the sun room floor. I have never actually seen a dead animal other than on the side of the road, so this was pretty traumatic. I called MW and told him I am not moving the cat. I leave.

I then go home to care for the pup (who is doing very well by the way) and eat lunch. After that I headed to the mall to try and get MW's glasses fixed. Of course they can't fix them. They will replace them for half price since they are less than a year old, but they no longer sell that frame. OK, but I can't pick them out for him and we fly tomorrow to NY. Oh well I figure since I can't do anything else about it.

I leave the Mall only to see that the bank next to the mall just got robbed. OK- I see the police running around and them putting yellow tape all around the building. I continue on.

MW came home a little early to change his clothes to go bury the cat.

And here I am. What a day. What a day. It was just one thing after the next. I know the glasses breaking is minor, and the interview was just an interview, but it was sad to see Widget-t it was obvious though that her tiny little soul was gone and I knew that she was in kitty heaven. I just felt slightly responsible for her death and not being there and that she maybe died from being old and lonely. She has been alone for a week with only two visits. Who knows.

OK- that was the day. Thought I would report it. Sorry to rain on your day.

Tomorrow we head to NY for another wedding! Wow. Last one for the season.
Did I mention I am having my first dinner guests since moving here over tonight? Fun times.

September 29, 2007

2007-10-02T15:38:00.000-05:00

A perfect day for a wedding in Wilton, NH. Congratulations Meredith and Shane. I had a great time!

My sister is the tiny one- aka third in from the right.

Although I wish MW could have been there it was great to see such a good friend get married. I was able to catch up on girl time with some friends I have not seen for a few years. Hopefully, not as much time will go by before the next visit.

5 YEARS

2007-09-28T11:58:00.001-05:00

This blog was never supposed to be overrun by the dogs, so here is a note on MW and myself. And if you only care about the dogs then scroll down to the post below for an update : )

Yesterday, September 27th was our FIVE year Anniversary. WOW! I thought it may be fun to recap the last five anniversaries.

The Honeymoon- A week long stay on the island of Kauai and a brief stay on the big island and Waikiki. Aloha!!

1 Year- We packed our bags and hopped on Ryan air for a (belated) anniversary trip to Scotland. We drove as far north as Inverness before heading back to Glasgow to meet up with a friend MW had met in Bosnia that works with the British Army. We spent an evening bar hopping like locals and getting a real taste of Scotland.

Year 2- MW was in Tikrit and I was living in Schweinfurt- more specifically Eltingshausen. Luckily, Rachel Bellard took me out to eat at the Luwenzahn so we could celebrate! Now that is what friends are for!

Year 3- MW planned a surprise for this anniversary. We went to the castle in Wurzburg for dinner and stayed in their "honeymoon sweet" with a gorgeous view of the city! Oh how I miss the beautiful German countryside.

Year 4- Being back in America we took to NYC and saw RENT on Broadway and stayed at the Hilton Times Square!

Year 5- Last night we found a great new restaurant nearby that had not only excellent food, but also a great atmosphere! We also discovered a love for a new bottle of wine. It is the Marietta Old Vines Zinfandel Lot 43. If you like Red Zinfandel this is a MUST TRY.

All in all these are great memories that I thought would be fun to share. I love the excuse to reminisce about our travels... Let's hope for a return to Hawaii in '08!!

I know photos would have made this post better, but I have a plane to catch. Check for wedding photos early next week....

wobbly legs

2007-09-28T11:52:00.000-05:00

Our little big man is really working hard. He is now walking on carpeting and grass. It is both sad and adorable to see. I don't really feel sad when I see him walk considering where he was three weeks ago, but at the same time you can see his frustration in his face. Today he impressed me by walking on the deck for the first time. Another surface he can control his little legs on. His right foot is scraped, so I am forever cleaning up bloody foot prints on the carpet, but it is all worth it to see him walk. I tried a baby sock on his foot- it is what the vet recommended- but after a couple of steps it slides right off. I am trying to keep him off the pavement and brick since that scrapes his foot the worst.
Bailey has really taken to the water! He can hardly stand the excitement of going swimming. I love seeing him so happy. I am leaving in about an hour for the airport and am sad to separate from him. Yesterday I left him for 6 hours, which is the longest he has been alone since the accident and when I got back he was just overjoyed and excited and falling all over the place. He did not know what to make of being alone without his beloved Sam.
Speaking of Sam. That lucky lady has gone on Holiday. She has left for the mountains of TN for ten days. Lucky dog.
Hopefully, when Sam gets home she can come back home to stay with us. We miss her.

That's all on the pup front.

Swimming like a fish

2007-09-26T12:54:00.000-05:00

Just as we suspected Bailey took right to the water. He pretty much fell into the pond yesterday he was so excited to swim. At first he did not realize he could float so easy so he was scared, but once he realized all he had to do was propel himself through the water there was no stopping him. He got to be the Lab he was born to be for a minute yesterday. Swimming and fetching just like the good old days. Here are a few photos of his adventure. You can really tell from this photo that the water was not so clear. Back in July he swam in this pond and it was crystal clear- yesterday to our surprise we found a lot of algae. He smelled a bit like mildew last night! I couldn't hose him when I got home since there are water restrictions and our shower is up a flight of stairs. Today the smell has worn off and he smells like his usual dog self again.

So happy to fetch.

I was thinking- when did this blog become all about Bailey, but then I remembered that this injury has taken over my entire life. Did I mention that MW sleeps on the couch next to him each night since he can't stand to be alone downstairs? He is so loyal and would drag himself around until he got to us despite any injury that may take place. It is the same determination that is healing him so well that would have him spending the entire night trying to get up the stairs.

Interview number three tomorrow....

A floatation device

2007-09-25T08:24:00.000-05:00

To my surprise there are a ton of doggie life vests out there! So, my buddy has a new jacket!!!

Here he is modeling the outift. Isn't it adorable? It is hard to tell from the photo, but the reflectors are a line of reflective dog bones.
Here he is thanking us for his new swimming device

Tonight will be the test! He is going to get a chance to try it out in the open water. I can hardly wait!

Baby Steps...

2007-09-24T13:09:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the best day yet in Bailey's recovery. He managed to stand up and start walking! It was not exactly a sturdy or balanced walk, but he was able to get up and shuffle around about fifteen feet or so- the furthest since the accident. He is only able to walk like this on the carpeting where there is good traction. The wood floor is still much too difficult to try and walk on. We are THRILLED with his progress and strength.

The little big guy had his two week check up today and passed with flying colors. Our next method of physical therapy you ask? Swimming! I am going out today to get him a life jacket to start building strength!! I am very excited for him that he has made it to this point in only two weeks. He has such determination and drive- As soon as we get the vest and take him swimming I will get photos of him- I am sure he will look adorable with his life jacket on! I am hoping I can get a bright orange one.

I have a third interview for the same position this week. Please keep your fingers crossed for me. I really would like this position.

This weekend I am heading north to NH for a wedding. I am very excited, but sad that MW has to stay behind to care for the pup. Anyway, photos of that event are sure to show up early next week. Lots of things happening.

Take care everyone!!!!!

What I am up to

2007-09-20T12:34:00.000-05:00

I did not want to post photos of the blue room until I was done and it became the "black and white" room , but the painting has been put on hold until the dog is a bit better. Since I have been trying to be home with him as much as possible I have taken out the sewing machine and entertained myself for hours! I made some very boring curtains for the garage which I will spare you, but I also have been working on my vision for the blue room. It started with two headboards...

I decided I on a black and white theme and plan to paint the walls a light gray. So, imagine gray walls instead of blue as you look at these photos.

I had black fabric from the IKEA in Furth for ever now and finally put it to good use. I picked up some ribbon at WalMart and voila! And by the way, to stuff them- I was frustrated how much pillow forms cost, so I bought the cheapest pillows I could find at target and cut them to size. They worked beautifully and only cost 2.72 for one of the big pillows and two of the small ones.
In case you are wondering the ribbons are sewn into the seems and then I used no sew iron adhesive to hold them in place tightly.

I picked up black sheer material for 2 dollars a yard at a local fabric store and used the existing white curtain rod. I tied the curtain to the rings and hung them- Note: sewing sheer is very slippery!
I am missing a bed skirt because target sold out of them. I am waiting to pick another one up. only 14.99 and the comforters were buy one get one half off at Linens N Things- I bought down alternative and it is super soft.

I have some artwork plans for the walls as well- I may hang them now even though the painting is not done since I am not sure when I will paint.

Anyway, this is a bit of what I have been doing in the house.

And as for outside...
Let me just throw this out there. I started my day chasing a squirrel. Since I am the rear legs of the lab and he started running forward- I followed. It was interesting trying to stop him once he started really going. Interesting....

Since fall is here so is the yard work. Lucky for me I like it. Not so lucky for me is the MW does not. We really are different. I like to organize everything including the yard and he could just keep it all in a heaping pile....Embrace the differences.

Theme Song

2007-09-19T10:12:00.000-05:00

Everyone has one, right? At least I think we all do. About seven years ago there was a remake of a song that played in my head over and over during a tough time. I declared it my theme song back in 2000 or 2001. Just recently I was talking to a friend about having a theme song- it was a funny sort of conversation, but I said we should both rename our blogs to what are theme song is. Well, I am almost convinced it is a good idea. What do you think? I know- you need to know what my theme song is. Are you ready? Don't laugh too hard. It is..................the remake of "Stayin' Alive." Hey, I didn't pick it, it picked me!!! Let me know if you think this blog should be titled Stayin' Alive, Chapter 3.

On to the pup update: He is ready to run if only his back legs would cooperate. He gets on his sling and tries to take off. He does not like sitting still and will not put up with it much longer. He is determined as anything. He is motivated and driven and I have no doubt he will walk again it is just a matter of when. His left leg is moving in a walking motion and carrying a little weight when we walk him. His right leg is starting to swing a bit, but often swings into his left leg wiping out his back legs hard work. He is trying very hard though. He can stand up on his own however his balance is not usually good enough with his back legs to stay up. Either way he could not do ANY of this ten days ago. He is trying so very hard and I am very proud of him.

On the home front I have been sewing!!! I will post photos of one of my many projects later....

Hope all is well in your worlds....

A mini reunion

2007-09-17T07:52:00.001-05:00

Saturday we were fortunate enough to have puppy care and went to the Army vs. Wake Forest game in Winston-Salem. We met up with old friends and had a great time! Here are some of the shots I took.

Yesterday we had a relaxing day hanging out with the pup. He is making progress. He is even standing up on his own at times- although he is not very steady. We are really impressed with his progress and hope to see him walking again soon. The most exciting thing is that on Saturday he began wagging his tail a little bit! If anyone knows a labs tail they know it is the clearest indicator as to what they are feeling- with out the wagging tail it is hard to know....

On the job front- it looks like I will have a second interview with a company this week....at least I am interviewing these days. It took a long time just to get people to call. Hopefully, one of these interviews will amount to something. Ideally, the one I am interviewing for a second time this week. It seems like a good match. Keep your fingers crossed.

Home Sweet Home

2007-09-11T11:53:00.001-05:00

Last Weekend

2007-09-10T17:29:00.000-05:00

He is home!

2007-09-10T17:24:00.001-05:00

We picked our boy up today and brought him home. He is currently sleeping in the family room on his bed. He looks peaceful.
We have only taken him out once since he got home, and I am not sure I can do it by myself. I am nervous because he is heavy and I have to hold up his back part of his body. His little feet will drag if I don't hold him up.
Anyway, he is here and we are educated on how to exercise his legs etc.
Now all we need is prayers and hope.

48 hours later

2007-09-10T10:15:00.000-05:00

Monday morning has arrived and nearly passed and I still have not heard an update on Bailey. I am trying to be patient- but am going to call if I don't hear anything by noon. I am prepping for bringing him home. His bed and blankets have all been washed and are in the family room waiting for him. I am so anxious to hear how he is this morning. I am going nuts trying to wait!!!! I will post an update on his health later- and great photos of him swimming last weekend.

Bailey

2007-09-09T17:22:00.000-05:00

What a surprise it is to have spent most of the weekend at a doggie hospital. Thankfully, such a thing exists, but still this whole thing is a shock.
After an extensive evaluation by a vet and a neurologist vet it has been determined that Bailey has a spinal chord injury. While running one of his discs in his back shot pieces of the disc into his spinal chord injuring it. There is no surgery that can repair this condition, just medicine, steroids, and a will to live- and lots of love. Bailey is currently paralyzed from the waist down, but has some feeling in his toes. He is unable to move his rear legs at all. The neurologist believes that he has a good chance of recovering to a decent quality of life- with that said his odds are 90% that he will walk again.
After about 18 hours of IV steroids and pain medication Bailey is able to move his left leg slightly although I did not see this when I visited him today. MW did see him levetate his leg at one point. This is a huge advancement from yesterday when he had no movement. We visited him today and he seemed much more like himself and not quite as in shock as he was yesterday. His back legs are sort of just dangling and he is clearly confused or frustrated with the situation.

As for us, we are trying to figure out how we are going to bring a dog home that can not walk. Amazingly, there are many devices available to assist with this. For us, we are going to construct a sling to hold up his back legs for him as he walks with his front legs. We are also going to try and create some sort of a wheel chair for his rear legs- We don't know how long it will be before he walks again. We were told 3-4 weeks to 3-4 months. We don't really know. For now this is a day by day situation where we are trying to determine what is best for our dog.

For all you cynics out there who are reading this and thinking we must be crazy for caring so much for our dog there are a few realizations I have come to. (and you must not know me and my dogs very well if it comes as a surprise what lengths I am willing to go through for them)
One, there are truly very few people in this world that I love more than my dogs. Bailey was a gift to me basically the day I moved out of my mom's house. I have never spent any long amount of time away from him - he has been a partner for exercise, a pillow for crying and most of all he was there in Germany while MW was in Bosnia, Iraq, or Graf. He has been a rock for me.
The other thing- As a pet owner I owe it to my dog to give him the best quality of life possible. Until it is evident that I am unable to do so I will try. And lastly, money is no good to have in the bank if you have misery or sadness in your heart.

The bottom line is Bailey is part of the family. We love him and will do whatever we can to help him heal. He has proven to be strong through many other trying times and we do not doubt him now.

Bailey is expected to be released from the hospital tomorrow.

Sad Saturday

2007-09-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

Today started out with a BANG!

Bailey is currently at the vet while we wait to hear his prognosis.

He was running around this morning and all seemed fine in the world. He of course took his tennis ball out with him and despite the vet telling us to not play ball with him we through it for him. Not throwing the ball for this dog is like taking away his one true love in life. So, MW through the ball, a gentle toss, and what should have been a simple fetch ended terribly. Bailey wiped out, which he does often with his lack of grace, and instead of jumping back up to retrieve the ball he lay back and winced in pain. His two back legs had completely failed him. Unable to move, MW picked him and took him to the front door ringing the doorbell to get my attention. I came running out to see Bailey laying in MW's arms- I instantly thought he had been hit by a car again- Although this time was different the wretched pain in my gut was the same.

We rushed Bailey to the car, MW layed in back with him trying to keep him stable as I drove quickly to the vet. We carried him in and they immediately took him to the back....they then said they were sedating him and would x-ray his legs. In the meantime we should go home. So, I came home and now here I am. ANXIOUS AS HELL and just yearning for my baby. We have no idea if his hip is broken, dislocated, or even if he is paralyzed. We don't know anything- just that my baby boy is hurt- and BADLY.

Please pray for him. He is only five years old and is heart is so young.

What the week was all about

2007-09-07T16:01:00.000-05:00

We returned from TN on Monday to find that my mom's preconstruction home is sheet rocked! It looks great- (photos to follow once MW returns home with the camera chord).

Tuesday we were both exhausted from the relaxing weekend in the mountains. (again photos in a bit)

Wednesday I started on operation redecorate the blue room- actually it has been an ongoing process, but the curtain was made on Wednesday. I am buying paint this weekend and once it is done will post the changes.

Last night we volunteered as a family, at a local shelter providing dinner and dessert and serving it to approximately 30 people. It was a good experience and I think we will do it again.

Sometime in the night Wednesday our air conditioning died on the second floor. It is still 90 something during the day here, so it is quite problematic. We woke up TH morning to an 83 degree room. Last night at "bedtime" it was 88 in our room. Needless to say the sleeping has not been great. The AC repair man is here now and we have a 425 dollar repair needed- the only good thing is when we closed in April we bought a one year home warranty- So, cross your fingers we can claim this. I am hoping in a few hours the upstairs will be restored to its cool temperature- that being anything below 82 degrees.

I had an interview today- that is all I will say, but please keep your fingers crossed that something comes up soon. I am really tired of interviewing and even more tired of being unemployed. I never thought it would be so difficult to find work here. I am frustrated and tired- at least I had an interview though- that is half the battle.

Photos to follow later. Happy Friday.

Checking in.

2007-08-28T12:36:00.000-05:00

I have not had the most of exciting of days to report as of recently, but we did have one special event on Saturday. We drove north to visit old friends. We had not seen Brandon and Jenn in a long time and there little baby that we last saw is now four and there is a new beautiful baby boy. I wish I had a photo to share, but unfortunately, I did not take my camera.

Tomorrow we head out on our road trip. I am really looking forward to it. It is a six hour drive, so we think we will be there by ten pm. I am excited for Baiely to be able to swim. I will be sure to take photos.

Since there is nothing else exciting going on I am ending this post- I just wanted to make sure I posted so my faithful readers know everything is going smoothly here.

By the way- My grandmother is doing a little bit better. Her memory seems to be recovering some. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. Let's hope her leg heals well too.

A new address

2007-08-22T14:34:00.000-05:00

Thanks for linking back to check in on me. I hate to have to change my blog address, but it is not a comfortable feeling when someone you don't want reading your business is checking in on you!

Today has been a pretty simple day and there is not a lot new, but I wanted to say thanks for finding your way back to my site!

Love to everyone.

Say a prayer for her

2007-08-21T20:36:00.000-05:00

It seems that someone always has a request- someone is ill, hurt, tired, depressed, in danger, or just plain struggling. We all know a family member or friend that needs our support and we in turn need support at different times from our friends.
My grandma is 90 years old. For some time now life has been a struggle for her and she is getting "tired." For as long as I can remember she told me she did not want to live to be 90 because that is too old and all the old ladies she sees- it isn't worth it. Well, she is a strong lady and has lived to 90. She has been plagued with a slew of bad luck which has consisted of medical testing, a fall where she broke her foot, and now what should have been a simple procedure to make her see better- cataract surgery. Unfortunately, the surgery yesterday may have been too much for her and to make matters even worse they could not correct her vision. She was anxious to have the surgery to see better and all she was left with was a tired body. Since she fell last week she has not been getting around well and has been confined to a wheel chair since her walker is too difficult to use with the cast. Now, after yesterdays procedure she has memory loss and is not well enough to get up out of bed. She is not really eating and just wants to sleep.
It is so hard for me to imagine her in this condition. I have not seen my Grandma for two years. This woman helped raise me first hand and is more than a grandma, but a second mom. I wish I could take all her pain away, but she is old and tired. I am not ready for her to give up. Please pray for her.

A road trip is in order

2007-08-21T11:55:00.000-05:00

With Labor Day upon us we are taking to the open road and heading West. Well, west to Tennessee that is! It is not quite as exciting as it once was to travel when we had Europe at our fingertips, but we will make do. We are taking the kids to Chateau St. Jean for the weekend. Along the way we will stop in Nashville for a visit with MW's sister and then head to the mountains for a few days of peace and quiet. I do hope that we are able to visit a very special place. Those from Mt. Olympus should remember it- The Looking Glass in Clarksville, TN. It is really where our relationship started. Many of days we spent drinking peach tea and playing chess inside, or sitting out in the back by the ponds relaxing while to the sounds of the waterfalls. It was our first summer together and we would ride the Harley to the looking glass and "hang out." Here is a little info on the place: http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2007/07/26/step-into-the-looking-glass-45-stars/ For those of you considering your next duty station Ft. Campbell is a great place and it is not too far from the mountains when you want to get away!

I need to go now- I have an afro to deal with. It has not gotten any better- each morning I wake up looking like an absolute freak! I could be super creative on halloween though....