Merry Christmas!

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to post a note to let you all know that I will be thinking of you guys this weekend and I hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas!!! I love you all and my prayers are with you guys! Travel safe to where ever you're going! Juls - keep me posted! You're in my thoughts constantly! Love you, Ladies! Merry Christmas!

Sapphires News

It's late and I should be in bed... But I'm still up doing stuff for the wedding that is coming up so quickly.
I'm holding my own, but let me tell ya, it hasn't been easy this past week. Lots of little things that I need to make sure gets done. But most of it is fun stuff. I just wish I didn't feel the pressure to work... It would make things a whole lot easier if I didn't have to work this week. Yea well... Just one more thing to work around.
I'm so looking forward to all of you coming in for the big day, but I almost don't want to come, cause then I know it will come to an end... Almost is the key word in that sentence. It's amazing how much planning and money can go into about 6 hours of one day... Its gonna be so worth it though... At least I hope so. I think my biggest fear is that everyone will be bored.
Anyway... I can't write long cause I have to get up early for work tomorrow so I can leave early for appointments, etc... (I have my final dress fitting tomorrow - so exciting). I wanted to find out when everyone is getting in for the wedding... What are your plans? Does anyone need picked up at the airport, if so, what time? I want to make sure you all are taken care of in that department.
I'm so glad you all are coming in... I can't wait to see you all and spend a fabulous weekend together.
Julie... My prayers are with you and your family, I know its been a hard month.
Jaime - I'll miss your smiling face and hugs at the wedding. I'm disappointed you and nik can't make it, but I understand completely.
Liz - I heard you were not feeling well... Hopefully its getting better by now. I expect Nathan is taking good care of you.
Kimmie - How are things in Seattle? I guess you are getting ready for the holiday travels. I can't wait to see you.
steph - I miss you and can't wait to see you in 9 days... I'm so happy for you and Shawn and can't wait to see how the rest of the story unfolds.
Jen - How is the music coming along? I can't wait to hear your beautiful voice and see your shining face... My thoughts and prayers are with you and Chris.
Anyway... Its way past my bedtime... Sleep has been one of those things I haven't had enough of lately.
See you all soon.

Here's the news!

Hello friends! I know it's been a long time since i have posted anything on here. I am so sorry...
There was a reason for that, and now I get to tell you the whole story. But first, I want to say that I have been thinking about all of you a lot lately, and i hope that you all have a very merry Christmas! I will see most of you at Angie's wedding in LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!
Julie, I've been thinking of you a lot lately! If you get time, give me a call. I know you're busy, though. My prayers are with you. You've had a rough season. Liz, I hope you're feeling better! Angie, well, I just hope that you are not stressed and that you are motivated and getting things done! It's almost here! Kimmie, I hope you're ready for your travels! I will talk to you tonight! Jamie, I hope you enjoy your first Christmas with Nick as your hubby! I'll be thinking of you! Jennifer...thanks for supporting me. It means the world to me. And tell Chris thanks for everything, too. I really appreciate it.
Ok, here's the deal:
As most of you know, I have been talking to a guy from Tulsa for about the past month or so. His name is Shawn Cobb. He's 26 and he works at Kaiser Aluminum in Tulsa. He graduated from OSU in Engineering and he also has his own consulting business for that. He goes to Celebration Family Church (where Lee, Kathy, Erika, Danie and everyone go) and he is also going to Victory Bible Institute as well. I started talking to him because of Danie (she's really good friends with him), and even though I had never met him, we had a great connection. It started as just talking all the time...just fun conversations getting to know each other because Danie is close with both of us. That turned into, "Wow, we really have a great chemistry, at least on the phone, maybe we should meet." So, after some major thinking, praying and planning, he bought me a plane ticket and I flew there this past weekend to meet him and have our first date. I knew he had a lot up his sleeve, he wouldn't tell me much about what we were going to do. I was a little nervous about meeting him, and rightly so, I think. :) but as soon as I flew in on Friday night, I went to see him (he had to work that night), and from then on I knew it would all be ok. Better than ok. I knew it would be perfect. And it was. (Don't you just love the drama?! Hee hee). I was staying at Erika's house and the next morning, her oldest, Justyce, had a basketball game. I went to that and then brought Justyce with me to have breakfast with Shawn, his mom Karen, his niece Summer, and his nephew Skyler. It's a long story as to why they were around, but the point is that we had a great time. I'm not gonna lie...it was a bit awkward at first, but that was gone quickly. We all had a great time. Then Shawn and I took Justyce home and he took me to the Tulsa Aquarium. Now, it's no Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, but it was pretty cool and we got to pet lots of slimy scaley animals. Then we went back to his apartment (his fam was still there). He had to run an errand "really quick" and so I stayed with his mom for another 45 minutes. Yeah. It was cool, though. It gave us a chance to chat a little more and I hung out with his niece - we did a Soduku puzzle! He finally came back and then i went to Erika's to get ready for the evening. He came to the door about an hour later with 2 dozen roses -yellow and orange- and a limo to take us to dinner and then to the Nutcracker ballet. It was AMAZING! Everything about the night was great. It was perfect. And yes, he kissed me, but it wasn't until we were on our way to the ballet in the limo. That was perfect, too. Then on Sunday, I spent some time with Erika, then I picked him up and he came over to watch Muppet's Christmas Carol with Erika, Aaron and the kids. It was a great time spending the afternoon with all of them. Then I had to go, but we stopped by Pottery Barn on the way to the airport, so he met that whole crew as well.
So. Now you guys get to meet him too! He's flying in for Angie's wedding.
As far as our status, yes we are a couple. And as most of you know, as well, I have been considering a move back to Tulsa again for a while, and for various reasons, but it seems like this is something that I really want to see through, so that is pretty much the plan. I think I will move back there in April. That's what I know now.
So that's that...this is a novel. I'm sure I'll talk to you all soon! I love you and I miss you!

hello ladies!

Hey girls! We all need to step up the postings, we're getting pretty skimpy on new stuff to read. =) I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season. Only about a week left to shop for Christmas! I'm almost done. I really had all of my shopping done early, plus I mostly just made gifts for everyone except Seth. But then my grandma in Tulsa called and asked me to do all of her shopping for the family in Ohio. Like I needed one more thing to do... I did all my stuff early so that I would be available to just deal with any family stuff that came up. I'm still trying to visit my grandma in Ohio as much as possible. She's lost her voice now because the tumors have pressed her nerves that control her voice. So she can't really talk. My heart breaks for her because now the only thing she had in life was to visit her family and she can't hardly do that anymore. I really hope she makes it to Christmas. She just needs to hold out 10 more days... She's really excited about coming over for Christmas to watch the grandkids open presents. She can't walk at all. So my brothers will carry her and her oxygen stuff if they have to to make sure she gets here. I went over last night to give grandma a manicure and pedicure. It was a nice time together. I'm actually just home today getting caught up on stuff. We're snowed in and Seth is sick. So, I'm not going anywhere. It's actually kind of nice though because this last week has been very busy. Josh's other grandma died on Friday and we had her funeral on Tuesday. Plus all of the family came in and stuff and that's always hectic. Josh is in Iowa right now burying his grandma. Then Josh's mom got married on Saturday (day after her mom died). She didn't decide to do it until like a day before. So, Josh, Vanessa and I had like 24 hours to throw her a wedding and be with her and grandma when grandma died. Let me tell you, it's a difficult thing to watch someone you love take her last breath. It was a rough week. I feel like all we've done since we've been here is cook and clean for events and people (like Sarah and my neice, Vicki, my grandma, and all the funerals) and then go to funerals and visit people in the hospital. I'm enjoying the short break I have because I'm afraid I'm going to have to do it all over again in a few days for my grandma. Except that will be harder because I just don't know how to be there for my mom and grandpa emotionally. I'm afraid of what it will be like when everyone is hurting so much. Josh's grandmas were both ready to go, they were widowed and older. My grandma is still young and married with a very healthy husband and should have a lot more years of health and active years. It's hard to watch her go through all of this. But anyways... I don't want to write about such miserable stuff. It's just that this is the only stuff we've got going on right now and I don't really know what else to say. ... Seth cut his first tooth. =) That was kind of cute, although it made him crazy because it's hard on them when they cut teeth. He's crawling all over the place now and getting huge. He's pretty funny. Josh is enjoying his rotation with my dad in the ER. He's gotten to do quite a bit and he's stitched several lacerations. So, that has been good experience for him. It's frigid in Ohio and we've been snowed in several times now this month. I'm actually missing Tulsa a little. I missed Tulsa a lot this week when it was like 16 degrees in Ohio and I saw on the weather channel that it was 55 degrees in Tulsa. Oh well. At least I'll be sure to have a white Christmas this year. Well, I'll stop writing now. Sorry this has been so long. Seth has been napping for 3 hours now and I don't have anything else to do but tell you all my every thought. Anyways, love you girls!

brrr

Hi ladies,
It's really cold. -11 with wind chill. Really cold.
Last night I decorated my Christmas tree :) I love doing that! But I ran out of lights and had to spend double time trying to fix them to cover the entire tree.
As life goes on, I discover how "adult-like" we are really becoming. For example, our company had a really good November, and since my pay plan is partially based on that, I got a good check. So, we bought a snow blower. We didn't go out and party, or have a shopping trip, or do anything fancy... we bought a SNOWBLOWER! crazy isn't it!
Thanks for your prayers for Chris and his health. I'm anxious for the next CT scan when they find out it's nothing. Julie, your family is in our prayers also. I'm glad you can be home during this time. When I read your blog the other day about how you got to go see a movie with your mom, it caused me to call my mom and arrange a Christmas shopping excursion. I like spending girl time with mom.
Nothing really big and exciting going on here, just preparing for Christmas. This year, all the brothers and sisters are coming home to mom and dad's. It's going to be crazy but I am so excited to see all the babies! It's so much fun buying gifts for little ones :)
Miss you all!

Finally some happy news!

Hey girls! I'm glad to hear all of your updates. Angie, I hope your shower was a blast and that you and Liz and Steph had a great time together. Jen, I'll be praying for you and Chris. I'm sure you're a little stressed about Chris' nodules. I would be. I'll just be praying that it's nothing and goes away. Steph, we need to talk so you can tell me more about Shawn. =) I really appreciate all of you girls' thoughts and prayers with my grandma and stuff. It's been pretty rough. She's not doing well right now. It's shocking how quickly she has deteriorated. But we had a good Thanksgiving and the ENTIRE family was together, so that was special. Anyway, we had good news this week because my new niece was born on Thursday. Her name is Olivia Lynn and she is 6 pounds 12 oz. She and Sarah are both doing well. Here are her pictures. She's looking a little rough here because she was like an hour old. So, believe me when I say she's cuter now. =) Anyways, I'd better get going to watch a chick flick with my mom. We're both very excited to have another girl to watch movies with this month. Love you girls! See you in about a month!

My life...

Hi everyone! Happy December! I miss all of you so much! I get to see Angie and Liz tonight, actually, and I can't tell you how excited I am! This weekend should be really fun as we prepare Ang for her big day! Lots of fun...
Well things here have been pretty crazy lately. Work is really busy...end of the year stuff. We are also starting a new company out of our same office, so we are doing all the start up stuff for that. We plan to start advertising in after the first of the year. At that time, I will have a part time position with that company as a sort of "webmaster". I will be in charge creating and maintaining our two websites. That will be interesting...but fun, I hope.
In other news, we had some family drama over Thanksgiving, as most of you know. My uncle has been going through a lot and attempted suicided the day before Thanksgiving. He's ok and is doing well now - beginning to work through some things. My grandparents have been here with him for a while, and my mom is coming this weekend and staying until Wednesday or Thursday, I think. I am hopeful that this time with family will be good for him. I get to spend the whole day Tuesday with both of them, so that will be nice.
There's been drama on the romantic front as well. I've been talking to a guy named Shawn for the past few weeks. He's from Tulsa, though, so I haven't actually met him yet. He's a good friend of Danie (Erika's sister) and their family. We have really hit it off so far, and we are planning to meet the weekend of Dec. 16th. I think i am going there, just because it will be a little easier to coordinate...AND...he is trying to come to Angie's wedding as well so he can meet all of you. So, I guess that gives you an idea of how much we are interested in each other without having met, so we'll see what happens and if we're really compatible when we do meet. Ok, so that's not really drama. But, it's eventful, and promising...
Ok, I better get some work done! I hope to hear from you all soon! Juls - I am thinking about you and praying that things go as well as possible for all of your situations. Keep us posted on what happens! Love you girls!

CT results

Chris talked with his doctor this morning. They found 2 nodules in his lungs but aren't too concerned now. He goes back in 3 months for another CT scan and they are expecting for them to either disappeared or grow bigger. If bigger - biopsy, if disappeared - yea!
I wish it were definative though - either "it's nothing" or "we need a biopsy". So we wait instead!
Love you girls!

Season's greetings!

We just made it home from a weekend with the fam in Colorado. I can say it was a productive weekend as far as the way Jen described productive -- plenty of eating and shopping. We were only able to spend an afternoon with the Linds because of different holiday plans, but we did do a lot of hanging out with the other side of the family. Our nephew Dylan stayed at Adam's mom's house with us, and kept us all entertained for hours on end. He's such a little chatterbox and is finally starting to say everyone's names. Unfortunately, my name sounds more like "Mimi" than "Kimmy" which I hope does not stick -- I do not want to be a Mimi -- at least not until I'm around age 60 or so. He's quite good with all the dogs' names though. It's pretty funny. He won't even try to say Uncle Adam, but the three dogs' names, he has down pat. I'm really excited to see him on Christmas morning -- he's just now old enough to be really excited about presents, especially presents that have to do with dinosaurs, his new favorite thing in the whole world.
Ok, I'll stop blabbering about Dylan. :p He's just my baby fix right now, so I have to eat it up!
We also avoided the Black Friday crowds as much as possible, but those 60% off sales were calling our names by Saturday. So we hit Kohl's (which we don't have in Seattle -- so sad!) and I got a couple gifts. But I'll still have some shopping to finish up in the next few weeks.
Juls, we'll keep praying for your family. I'm glad you were able to make it home -- I'm sure your mom feels better just having you around.
Ok, it's Monday night and I'm exhausted. Back to work tomorrow...
Love you girls!

CT Scans, Ultrasounds, and the Chick Magnet

I commonly feel as though I have nothing to write about, and then it seems that lots of little stuff happens. Then I feel like I have so much to tell you all! So here’s the latest…
Chris had another chest X-ray this morning. The Pneumonia has cleared out. Chris is still coughing and they say this could continue for another month yet even. I’m really glad we postponed the honeymoon. BUT, his doctor saw a nodule on one of the lungs and is bringing Chris in for a CT scan tomorrow afternoon. A little scary but no worries as of yet…
Last week I went in for my annual yucky appointment. The doctor felt what she thought could be a cyst on my left ovary. So I had to wait an excruciating hour and a half to see the ultrasound lady. That was not a fun time. But everything turned out just fine. I guess she was feeling part of my intestine which had moved around the ovary.
I hope the Thanksgiving season was productive for all of you – and by productive, I mean fattening and full of shopping :) We were able to get started on our Christmas shopping. I think we’re about half way done. We did most of the shopping later in the day on Friday and Saturday to avoid the crazy ladies getting all their gifts before 7AM. We managed to have 3 thanksgiving dinners over the weekend. I refused to step on the scale today and am anxious for my new tennis shoes to arrive and start the workout program once again.
We have decided to sell the “chick magnet” minivan. We are trying to make it as a one vehicle family. Yes, it’s difficult and frustrating at times. It also provides for many cases of compromise. We wanted to take this step in order to pay off the car loan and get out of some debt. As it looks right now, there is no room for little Jen and Chris juniors in the budget and we want to be able to have some freedom with our money and alleviate some budget pressure.
And I think that about does it for me! Can’t wait for Angie’s wedding to see you all!

Happy Holidays!

Hey Girls!!!! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I love the holiday season. It's my absolute favorite time of year and Thanksgiving ushers in the seasonal fun. =) Sorry I haven't written in a while. We've been very busy. Josh is finally done with his wretched rotation in Poteau, OK. So i have him to myself again. Seth is doing fine. he's so big and he's started teething, so he's a bit fussy lately with the pain. We are in Ohio now for josh to start his rotation for the month of December here in Ohio. We had to rush in about a week early because Josh's grandma died on Tuesday night. So, we weren't planning to be home for Thanksgiving, but we ended up being here because we had to get home for the funeral. My grandma is not doing well and we're all a bit edgey about that situation. She is awfully weak and I just don't know how much time we have left with her. I just really hope she makes itthrough Christmas. Josh's other grandmother had a heart attack last week. So, we're also kind of waiting to see how she does. My sister-in-law, Sarah went into early labor a couple weeks ago and has been on bed rest since then so it's good that we're home to help her out with my toddler nephew. =) My mom has her hands pretty full with grandma. So, I just really feel like it was God's plan for us to be in Ohio this month. Anyways, I finished my Christmas shopping for Seth today and that was fun. I'm enjoying being home for the Holiday Season. And I cannot wait to see you girls in a few weeks for Angie's wedding! (Angie, I just RSVPed for me and Josh today... we're coming). Love you all!

Gobble... Gobble...

Hello my beautiful friends -
It's turkey day here, which means lots of time of relaxing and eating. My dad is away on a trip and all of my siblings are with the in-laws today, so its just me, Aaron, my mom, and Joe. It's kinda fun cause its quiet and my mom is teaching me how to make a turkey today, which is easier than expected. My turkey is coming along quite nicely.
I feel bad for not writing for so long... Its been kinda crazy, as I'm sure you all understand. It's under 6 weeks till the big day and I still have lots of detail stuff to do. Aaron and I have been working on music for the ceremony and reception for the past week and a half. I decided to go non-traditional with the ceremony songs, which of course makes it harder for me. I have yet to find the perfect song for me to walk the isle to... If you have any ideas, please let me know. I plan on getting a lot of stuff done this weekend cause I have a holiday today and tomorrow. I'm going to try and get the programs started and I have to order the favors ASAP. Anyway... I don't want to bore you with the long list of things I need to get done this weekend...
Let's see, wedding has been all-consuming lately, so I haven't a whole lot more to talk about. My shower is next weekend, which means I get to see Liz and Steph... I'm so excited about that. I cannot wait for you girls to come! I miss my girls tremendously and can't wait for the wedding so I can see most of you again. Speaking of... Kim, I'm so excited that you and Adam are coming in for the big day. We are going to have so much fun. Besides my 2 bridesmaids who I know are coming, I haven't heard from the rest of you... I hope that you all can come and I'm anxious to hear if you are for sure. FYI, rumor is that Bryce is coming in for the wedding, which was very unexpected but very exciting. I also invited Hanna, but unfortunately she is in California - in school again - and doesn't have the funds to make it in.
So yea... I tried to talk about something other than the wedding, and obviously it did not work out so well. I wish I had some very exciting news to tell all of you... But like I said, wedding is all-consuming.
Well... I guess I'll go. I hope all is well for everyone. I miss you girls!
Have Wonderful Thanksgiving!

Turkey Day

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving! Hope you all have a great holiday.
Love you girls!






Here's a random picture from our trip to Canada...
(We're pointing at starfish in a tidepool.)
:)

Dry spell

It's definitely been a blogging dry spell lately, girls. I've been meaning to sit down and write something for a week now, but haven't had the time nor the content -- my life is very unexciting at the moment.
We are going away for the weekend with Neal and Naomi. They reserved a cabin by the ocean up on an island by Vancouver. I have a three-day weekend because of Veteran's Day, so I'm looking forward for a few days of doing nothing. Of course, I'm sure they'll have a few twenty-five mile hikes planned for us. But in between those, maybe I'll get some down time.
I was kind of stressed about crossing the border again, since last time the border guard gave us so much flak for not having our passports...you know, since we're obviously terrorists. Of course, I'd put them away somewhere safe and secure and couldn't remember where that was. But I did find them the other night -- in a totally practical place, by the way -- so we should make the Canadians happy this trip.
Starbucks had all their Christmas decorations up this morning. It was so festive -- I really want to go shopping now.
We're supposed to be making our presents for Adam's family this year. Yeah, we have about...oh, twenty presents to make from scratch and we haven't even bought the materials yet. They might all be getting popsicle-stick picture frames.
Steph, I'm sorry to hear things didn't work out with Jay. But it sounds like it might be a good thing for both of you. Anyway, you'll have to catch me up with the whole story soon.
Jen, congrats on being a real aunt! That's very exciting. And I hope Chris feels better soon.
It is the baby season right now, isn't it? Really makes me want one... :p
Julie, we need to talk and plan out our wedding trip over to PA . I'll give you a call early next week so we can chat.
Love you all!

Breaking news!

Yeah, really it's no big deal - sorry to get your hopes up! :)
You remember that I mentioned that I had met and was seeing a guy? Well, scratch that. He wanted a little more that I was willing to give, so we are no longer considering anything romantic. We'll still talk, I'm sure. Ok that's it...just wanted to make sure you were all updated! :) I love you girls!

Auntie

I think Steph and I were on the same mind track... I was opening up the blog thinking "if someone doesn't write, I'm going to have to break the silence!".
Life's been really good lately! I really enjoyed seeing Stephanie this weekend. It was refreshing to have girl time, and to get out the Quad Cities even if just for one night.
The best news of this week is that my brother (my real brother,Brian, who walked me down the aisle) called last night to say he and his wife (Carol) are expecting! I screamed and jumped up and down of course. This is entirely different as this will be my first time being a real (flesh and blood) Aunt! I've been praying for a red-head girl but i don't think Brian's too thrilled about that idea ;) Anyway, he's thrilled and overwhelmed and I'm just plain HAPPY as can be.
Chris is recovering from Pneumonia slowly but surely. He's off the antibiotic now so we just wait and see if it worked. He has a chest x-ray scheduled for the 28th of November to check again. Please continue to keep him in your prayers!
Oh, and if i haven't posted it already, we've changed our honeymoon plans - again. We're going to Jamaica still, but in January instead. Doctor's orders i guess. So we'll be leaving on January 7th, just a few days after I get back from Angie's wedding! I looking forward to going at that time as the holidays will be done and over with and it will be frightfully cold here.
Lastly, i got new allergy testing done today and it seems that today (as compared to 10 years ago) I am less allergic to cats and dogs! So maybe someday... if i can convince Chris...
hope everyone is happy and healthy!
miss you all!

Break the silence...

Ok, ok. I can't stand checking this thing a million times a day and there's nothing new, so I am going to ramble on about my life for a while - just because I know there are others like me who check this all the time just for something to read. :)
Things here have been pretty good lately. I was working at Pottery Barn, but due to some scheduling conflicts, I am not there anymore...yes, that was short-lived, but it just wasn't working out. They thought I was going to be here for the holidays, and when they actually looked at the availability sheet I filled out when I was hired, they realized I wasn't - plus some due to Ang's shower and wedding. And I just didn't want to work there anymore. :)
So, I am down to one job again, but that's ok. It leaves time for other things. For example, Jen came to visit for a day this past weekend. We got some good quality time together and some ideas for the Sapphire's reunion that is here next year. Is everyone still ok with the July 4th weekend? That's what we were planning. There is a LOT to do around here that time of the year.
Also, I met a girl when I did the Breast Cancer Walk last month (she was doing it alone as well) so we hung out a little this weekend - went to lunch at a diner that Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn have been spotted at, then to the Art Institute for a wonderful display of French Photography. Very educational.
And, lastly, I have met a guy. We've been talking and hanging out for about 3 weeks now. Just seeing where things will go. We don't live very close to each other (he lives in Hyde Park/south Chicago and I live west), so we don't see each other often, but we talk on the phone a lot and meet up when we can pencil it in. His name is Jay (Jason) and he's lived in Chicago his whole life...works in an office near me right now, but is training to be a firefighter. Very intellectual (degree in fictional writing from Columbia College) - great conversationalist. Hilarious. So yeah. I'm not keen on the idea of jumping into something to quickly with this guy, but I know he's sort of looking for something a little more serious, so I don't know how I feel about that. But it is nice to know that he's interested...I'll keep you posted.
Let's see. I don't think there's too much more going on. I am getting ready for all the holiday travel. I am running down to the south 'burbs this weekend to see my aunt and my cousins, then it's just two more weeks until Thankgiving! Is that going incredibly fast for anyone else?
Ok, that's me...who's next??

Halloween

Hey girls! I think I already sent these pics to you, but I thought I'd post them just to make sure you got to see them. This was Seth on Halloween night. He helped greet trick-or-treaters at the door as the Cat in the Hat. Hope you all are doing well. Love ya!

Take a guess!

Hey girls,

I was thinking about the Ladybug Tree and I was trying to decide if I had anything to share. I do agree that Kim should write a book. I see a pretty amazing picture book that could be illustrated by kids. Let me know if that is something you would want to do!! I know a place to get it published!

Anyhoo, I was thinking about my childhood and I do have to say Halloween used to be one of my favorite days of the school year. The funny part of all of this is I can honestly say I've never been trick or treating in my life. I think I've only dressed about 4 or 5 times and that was all before the age of 7. But I used to LOVE Halloween. My parents did not like the parties that happened at school, so they started pulling us out and having a family day. It was so fun!! We would go to the zoo or to the museum and hang out all day as a family. Then after dinner we would turn out all the lights and head to the basement. There we would watch old musicals. I'm trying to talk Nick into watching Carousel or Seven Brides for Seven Brothers or Singin in the Rain. You know, classics! ;) I do think this is something I may instill with my own kids someday. Just taking a day off of school to do something as a family. I remember loving those times!!

I hope you all have a happy and safe Halloween. Julie...I would LOVE to see a picture of Seth in whatever cute costume you came up with!! I'm off to do a pumpkin activity with my kids. How many seeds do you think is in one large pumpkin?

Love you all lots!

I love Fall

Hey girls! It finally feels like Fall in Tulsa! We have finally started dropping tempertures below 80 degrees. Although, I was taking pictures of Seth in the pumpkin patch last week and it was 90 degrees. So, I looked crazy... because I was determined to have Seth's Fall pics look authentic, I took him to the patch in a onesy and then put a sweatshirt, corduroys and a hat on him for pictures. The poor baby was so grumpy because it was hot that he wouldn't smile. So, the pics didn't turn out that great. But it's cold out now. We have several costume parties to go to this weekend for Halloween and we have no idea what to dress up as. Do you guys have any suggestions? The only thing I found that I though was kind of cute, was the Spartan cheerleaders from SNL. But the costumes are sold out now. So, I don't know what to do. Anyways, I got a new job this week that looks like it will work out pretty nicely. I'm going to be doing freelance writing for a website. (Just like my writing hero, Kimmy!). It pays OK and I think it will work out to let me stop watching Jacob during the week. I really don't enjoy babysitting. I love Seth, but I'm not one of those people that can just do the kid thing all the time and love it. I'm actually thinking of putting Seth in a Mother's Day Out program 2 days a week to give me more time to write and focus on developing my publications design business. I would come out better financially than what I'm doing now and it would give me a little breather during the week to get stuff done and not have to be burned out taking care of Seth. I'm very thankful that I get to stay at home, but being a stay-at-home mom is not the easiest thing to do. You just mentally and emotionally get fried. Although if you ask a mom who works and wants to stay at home, she would tell you that I have the greatest situation in the world and have nothing to complain about. Which is true... but I'm still burned out on kids. Well, enough of that. I need to go get Seth. He's crying. Love you girls!

change of plans

This is a picture of the lobby at Secrets Excellence Resort, Riviera Maya - the very location I am scheduled to be at in 2.5 weeks time for my honeymoon, sipping fruity beverages, sleeping a lot, and laying on the beach day after day after day (by day, by day :)) We're looking to reschedule, preferably somewhere that wasn't torn to shreads by Wilma...
That's what I'm busy with - trying to get travel plans all changed. Thank goodness for travelers insurance!
Thinking of you all!

Um...

So I thought I'd help break the blogging dry spell and write a bit...even though I don't have anything really new or exciting to tell.
I was home sick yesterday with some kind of yucky virus. But I'm feeling some better today and decided to drag myself into work. It's been so dreary and rainy that staying in bed seems so appealing. But I have to be productive at some point, I suppose.
A group of us went to a pumpkin patch on Sunday in Fall City (isn't that appropriate?) then carved them afterwards and drank cider. It was very festive and really gave me a hankerin' for pumpkin pie.
Sometimes I get in this mood where I really want to go do something -- something like save the world, join the Peace Corps, adopt an orphan, or contribute tons of money to AIDS research or something. It's frustrating because I'm not really involved with a church yet or any organization where I can put this energy to use. So I mainly sit around and plan out things, or write about them. We do want to get involved, and we know we need to, but where do you find the time? I suppose that once my contract is up here in Everett, and my commute doesn't steal two hours from my day, I will have more time to devote to things like saving the world. But I also suppose that there will always be things that will steal away my free time, and that if I don't learn to make things like that a priority now, they will only get lost by the wayside on my way to the next great opportunity. I guess I don't really expect any answers to this post, but I just thought I'd send my thoughts out into the void...(stealing a line from a favorite chick flick).
Well, enough rambling for one morning. Love you girls and miss you all!
Go White Sox! :)

my latest mishap

I locked my husband out of the house yesterday!!! Before I left in the morning I put a spare key in his vehicle as we had planned so that when he arrived home at 3:30 from the conference, he could get in the house. Well, I got everything just perfect except for the part about leaving the minivan unlocked so he could GET the key. So there he stood outside the van, looking in at the house key. oops! I have never felt so stupid!!!
There was another spider in my bathroom this morning. Just as I was noticing him, he jumped right down at me! You know, how they can string down so quickly from just one little strand of web. Yeah, I screamed. stupid spiders!!
choir starts this weekend - so excited!
back to work!
Kimmie! You need to write a book about the ladybug tree!!! I'd buy one (or 100) for sure!

Just a friendly "Hello"

Good day, girls...
I love checking the blog and seeing that someone has posted - it is seriously what gets me through my day sometimes. I know that's sad, but this little piece of cyberspace is what keeps me connected to the lives of those I love. Before, I even go any further, let me just tell you that I am PMSing in a major way. I don't understand me because every month, the stupid thing hits me differently. This month, I have had a headache, been sick to my stomach, been VERY emotional and so tired I could sleep for a week. But enough of that, I know we all endure it. Don't even get me started on how I resent the other half of our species for not having a CLUE as to what this is like.
Other than that, things are good on my end. Just taking things a day at a time and working my little life away. I have to work both days this weekend at PB so that leaves me with no days off until Jennifer comes to visit next weekend (YAY!!!). So needless to say, that will be a welcome relief. Julie, my heart goes out to you and all you are dealing with right now. Please don't hesitate to call if you need anything...that i can supply from all the way up here...:)
Kimmie - yes, we do need to connect. I will hopefully get a hold of you sometime soon. I should be home tonight, I will go to the gym at about 8, probably, but other than that i should be available. Same with tomorrow. And Friday. And...well you get the point.
Ok, well, I better get back to my real job...yes, I do have a job even though, i email and blog-check so often it wouldn't appear that way. But before I go, i just want to add to Kimmie's idea of sharing...I am in favor of it. (And, I loved the story of the Ladybug Tree...you should write a children's book about that...seriously.) But in light of the fact that I agree with her on this I can't think of anything to share with you guys. The only thing I can think of is that sometimes I feel like people assume that I am pining away here in Chicago, sulking because I am alone and single - without a man in my life. And although there are brief, oh so brief, moments where I may feel this way, I really don't for the most part. I have amazed myself by actually feeling great about being single right now. And I can honestly say that I do NOT want to be in a relationship right now...well, let me rephrase that. I don't want to be in a "getting to know you uncomfortable dating" relationship. So, unless I find someone who has an abnormally attractive personality and completely captures my attention, this girl will be happily single for now. :) There, I said my piece. Have a great day.

Ladybug tree

I'm getting ready to go to a meeting in a few minutes, but wanted to post a quick hello this morning first.
I would be happy to send some of our very fall-like weather to Tulsa for you, Julie. It's just plain yucky here right now. But it is the northwest -- not like I'm surprised by the dreariness or anything. So sorry about your grandma, too, Juls -- we'll definitely keep praying for you all. I wish I could come to Ohio to visit with you...but I'm sure you'll just want some good quality time with your family. We'll just have to catch up at Christmas :)
So Jennifer and I were saying the other day that while the blog does allow all of us to keep up with each other in a new and exciting way, it doesn't really allow for many deep, personal thoughts and reflections. I know that posting our innermost desires out in the vast black hole of cyberspace is a little scary...but, on the other hand, it's not like we haven't all totally embarrassed ourselves in front of each other at some point. That's what friendship is all about -- looking ridiculous and having the other person still love you regardless. (example: "I like boys!") :p
That being said, I'm going to risk sounding cheesy and post something about myself that most of you may not know. It's nothing brilliant or extreme, but just a little tidbit from my past to liven up the blog a bit. If anyone else wants to share something a little weird or unorthodox, please feel free. Of course, the normal day-to-day stuff is always interesting -- especially with our being so far away from each other...but I really have nothing new at all to say...so here we go.
Until I was about 5, my parents and I lived in this big, old, drafty farmhouse, complete with a barn and surrounded by corn fields. We had a big collie/german shepherd mix that was like my nanny dog. She followed me everywhere. We had quite a few trees surrounding our house, and one in particular was really special to me because, for some reason, it attracted millions of ladybugs. Any time of the year, whenever you'd go outside, the first thing that would catch your eye was this huge old tree, its bark red and crawling with ladybugs. I used to scoop them up in my hands and let them crawl over my fingers, tickling me with their little legs. The tree has since been cut down, but I think I'll always remember it as my "ladybug tree."
Love you girls!

I'm bored

Hey guys! I miss you all. I'm very bored. I'm busy all the time, but everything I do is boring. I wish I lived closer to you guys so that I could call you up and go somewhere every once in a while. Plus, none of our friends here drink coffee. Can you believe it?! How can life be good without a reasonably steady flow of coffee? So nobody here ever wants to go to a coffee shop and hang out or anything. Josh and I were just saying the other day how we missed all of us from ORU going to Starbucks and sitting for hours over coffee talking and laughing. Anyways.... I'm glad to hear everyones updates. Kimmy, I'm sorry you had kind of a rough time in Ohio. Divorce is hard no matter how old you are. I know that Josh had a rough time when his parents got divorced last year. It's still like you're grieving the loss of something, sort of like a death. Please let me know if you need anything. I'm going to call you tonight by the way. Sorry I missed your call on Sunday. I was in Bible study. And then we've been crazy busy this week because our washer and dryer died. So, we've been frantically trying to find new ones. My laundry is piled up halfway to the ceiling. But we bought a new set at Lowes yesterday and it is being installed this very minute, so that situation has been resolved. We're going to go to the pumpkin patch today with the boys because we thought that would be fun. Although it is like 90 degrees so it does not feel much like pumpkin patch weather. I'm going to be going back to Ohio in November. (Nov. 7-12, Kimmy... just in case you need another trip. hehehe...). My grandma is not doing well. We're not really expecting her to make it to Christmas. Dad said he's not really even sure she's going to get through Thanksgiving. So, I'm making a trip back again to spend some more time with her. I want to get as much quality time as I can before she's not able to even enjoy us visiting. She's in an awful lot of pain. So I guess Kim and I both have some yucky reasons to be visiting Ohio these days. It's been hard for my family these past few months. I've never really seen my mom be so down. Anyways, your prayers are still much appreciated in that situation. That's about all that's happening here. I love reading all of your posts. Keep em coming. Love you girls!

Juls

the lady of the house

hey gals, hope you all had good weekends! Mine was very productive, especially if you measure productivity in the amount of money I saved (and spent!) shopping! I hit Gordmans and Kohls pretty hard with some hits to Target, WalMart, and Old Navy along the way too... it was time to stock up for winter!
Chris is in Chicago for the next several days at "Straight Up" which is a leadership conference for all the 'Harvest Bible Chapel's'. He's there with all the pastors, church staff, elders, and a couple of small group leaders. Pray that he gets built up and inspired! Thus, I am the lady of the house until wednesday evening. And this means... the house is CLEAN! well ok, it's getting there anyway. But the big king size bed isn't so much fun without my human furnace just a couple inches away. I had to add another blanket last night.
Saturday afternoon we also cleaned out the garage. That was absolutely lovely (just what this obsessive gal needed - to clean something!). So now we can park both vehicles in the garage, what a concept. Here's my funny story about the garage... Until now, Chris has been the only one to use the garage and park there on occasion. I had always seen him push the button on the inside to close the door and then walk outside with no problem. Well! Sunday evening after dropping Chris off, I drove into the garage for the first time and attempted to close the door as I had seen him do so many times. NOTE: I grew up with a manual garage door. So, in all my excitement of finally getting to park in the garage last night... when I'd push the button and try to walk outside, the garage door would stop and go back up. I didn't learn about the laser-activated safety feature until about 10 minutes ago when Chris (laughing histarically) explained to me how this works! I must have tried 15 times to exit that garage yesterday! ugh!
Anyway, this week I'll be making myself busy and I can't wait for him to be home again. I hope nothing breaks in the house while he's gone, I won't know what to do!
Praying for all of you!

Long time, no write

Since it's been, well, forever since I've written, I'll try to keep this short and sweet without getting too carried away... :)
Thanks, girls, for all your prayers and warm thoughts in the past couple weeks. Being in Ohio was definitely something I needed to do, but it wasn't exactly the most fun time in the world, for the most part. Things with my parents are still pretty shaky. I did get to see my dad for a couple days while I was there, and I think that talking with him gave me a little more closure. But I'm still having a hard time dealing with the fact that he can be so cold to my mom after all the time they spent together. It just really scares me, and makes me realize how important it is to devote lots of time and love to my marriage. I do not want to end up in the same situation. Not that I really see that happening with Adam and me, but still it makes one think.
I guess I'm just not totally okay with the situation yet. I mean, you'd think that it would be easier to deal with my parents divorcing as an adult, but it brings up a whole different slew of emotions. I keep having all these flashbacks to the vacations and fun things we all did together as a family. It really makes me sad to think those days are over. Dad has pretty much made it clear that he wants nothing to do with my mom at all. I'm sure he is hurt by her leaving, but the fact that he's so closed up and won't talk to anyone is part of the reason there were so many issues in the first place!
Anyway, I'd really appreciate all of your continued prayers for my family.
On the other hand, I did get to spend some good quality time with my sister and nieces and nephews. It was so great being a part of their lives and being able to just drop by and go shopping or whatever. It was a little hard for me to be apart from Adam while I was going through all the emotional rollercoasters of that week. But being by myself also allowed me to have plenty of opportunities for spending time with everyone.
I did get to check the blog a couple times while I was away. It was so nice to hear about everyone's lives -- made me smile when I was getting too emotional about things!
Adam and I went to Vancouver this weekend. We both just needed to get away and catch up with each other. We hadn't really had a chance to do that since before he went to Colorado. The city of Vancouver is a very fun place, and the fall colors were absolutely beautiful. We stayed downtown, right across the street from the water. You'd think I'd be used to seeing the ocean by now, but I still love it. We did some sightseeing and a lot of walking, which was good because we also did a lot of eating! I'll just say, all-you-can-eat sushi, and leave it at that. I got a manicure, which was very nice, but almost left my wedding rings there, and had to run back about a mile to get them! Then I spent the whole rest of the day hacking like an asthma patient...I don't think I've run that far since I was about ten. :p
Well, it's time for my Sunday night shows...gotta keep up on the drama. Love you girls and miss you all!

Greetings From the Not-So-Windy-But-Breezy City

Helloooo friends!
Not a lot to tell here, but I wanted to let everyone know that I have been enjoying the posts...
Julie - you are a wonderful mom and I think it's commendable that you have that instinct to protect your child. There are too many parents out there that don't have that in them. And I know you will be ok alone for a while, but by all means don't hesitate to call on friends if any of it gets to be too much for you. You know that if I were still there, I would come stay with you. (*sigh*)
Jennifer - I hope you are getting all of your projects done around the house. It seems like forever since I have seen you, so one of us needs to make the 2.5 hour drive soon. I'll let you know if I ever get a weekend off, but if you want to make it here, just let me know and I'll arrange something. I miss you dearly!
Jamie - So so so glad to hear that things are on the upside again. I assume those little bumps in the road are what make marriages stronger. I really hope all is well and I am VERY glad that you get some time away from school! I am thinking of you!
Kimmie - we have to chat. I feel as though you've dropped off my radar and I don't know what's going on with you! Maybe I'll try calling this weekend...Love you!
Liz - Thinking about you and all you have on your plate makes my head spin, but I know you are one of "those" people who can handle it. Call me when you get a minute. I am usually available in the evenings and Sunday, but I know you go to Seekonk on the weekends, so whenever is fine. I miss you!
Angie - Can I just say that I am so glad that I get to be a part of your life via email everyday. I love it! Though, it's really no subsitute for the real thing. It's like constantly having Diet Coke everyday but every once in a while, you just want the Real Thing...hahaha I just came up with that :)
Ok, so as for me, things are pretty routine in my life at the moment: I go to work, come home, go to the gym, come home, go to bed. Now, there is a little TV (lately the White Sox games, The Biggest Loser, and all the regular Thursday night programming) and a lot of talking on the phone in there, but that's the bulk of my day. :) With weekends come Pottery Barn and household projects with an occasional leisurely walk to the Lake and reading. That's it, that's my life. Not too much there, but I'm ok with it for right now. This keeps the drama out.
Work is going very well - everyday I learn something new. The recruiters are very good about teaching me about the business as we go along (I would have never known the difference between an Account Executive, an Account Supervisor, an Account Director, and an Account Manager in the advertising world...), and are continually giving me more opportunities to grow. We'll see how long I am here, but I will say that this experience is making me rethink what I want to continue my education in.
My family is good. Nothing really new there. So I guess that's about it for me...
Oh, Henry is good, too. We've been dealing with a relapse of ear mites, and he REALLY does NOT like his medicine for that, but I just keep telling him it's all for his own good. Yeah that doesn't work. I end up covered in cat hair with a few minor scratches, and he seems to give me the cold shoulder for a while. Ah, well.
Ok, better get back to work...slow day, can ya tell? ;)
I love you girls dearly! I miss you all...But don't worry...it's only a few (12ish, right?) weeks until the next wedding!

Cat in the Hat

Hey there! I'm so happy to hear everyone is doing well. Jamie, I knew you and Nick would be great again soon. Always remember that just because you have occasional issues, it doesn't necessarily mean your marriage is in trouble. Relationships are a series of ups and downs that are just a part of doing life together. =) Angie, thanks for the tip on that website for invitation ideas. I hope you're not getting too stressed out with all of your wedding planning. That's cool that you guys are taking dance lessons. Josh and I want to do that, but we don't really have someone to watch Seth for us. Kimmy, how was Ohio? I hate that we keep missing each other on the phone.
So things are going pretty well here. I just got Seth's halloween costume. He's going to be the Cat in the Hat. Obviously he can't really have any candy, but we'll dress him up and take pictures. We went to the Zoo today. Josh had the afternoon off so we took Jacob and Seth to the Zoo. Jacob loved it. It was good to get out of the house. Otherwise, you kind of go crazy just being inside with kids by yourself all day. I am so dreading the month of November because Josh will be gone the whole time. Not only will I go insane from loneliness, but I get really nervous when I'm home alone at night. Josh is having our security system activated and he's getting me a gun and teaching me how to use it. Plus I have Wyatt (although he would just lick somebody to death). I don't really want to learn how to use a gun or even have one in the house... but when you have a baby, there's this intense drive to protect at all cost. Oh well, my cousin, Cheryl, said she might be able to come and stay with me some and my other cousin Holly invited me to come stay with them in their guest room whenever I want. If I get too freaked out I might go do that. Speaking of that... Jamie, my cousins, Jared and Holly Newman are moving to Colorado in the next few months because Jared is going to be the Junior High youth minister for New Life Church. Is that where you go? Anyways, I really don't have anything new to say. I love you girls!

Julie

Fall Break!

Hey girls! Thank you all so much for the marriage advice. I just needed to vent and hear from some Godly women that I am normal. Things between Nick and I are great. Of course they were close to great the next night. I'm learning so much at how to be selfless and put my needs down. I'm still a work in progress. But Nick tells me everyday that he loves me.

We went on our Fall Retreat with theMILL this weekend. (theMILL is our college/twentysomethings group at church where we met and serve together.) It was a lot of fun and challenging at the same time. Nick and I have really seen the need for a young married's section at theMILL. So, we are praying about stepping into that roll and what it would look like. We did find out that the missions trip next summer is going to be going to China. So, we are praying about that too. I'm hoping to go and spend 2 weeks on my first missions trip. We hope to have 100 people go on this trip. So it should be a good time.

Right now I'm on my fall break; two weeks of no school!! We had our first snow Sunday night/Monday. It was so pretty! Nick stayed home from work on Monday, so we just got to hang out. He even took me shopping. :) I'm planning on getting my wedding pictures online so you can see all of them. I'll let you know when that happens!

Well...I should get to bed. I love you all dearly and I'm praying for you often. Kim, I hope your trip went well. Ang, sounds like things are coming together. Liz, I would love that recipe! I usually don't like squash, but a watermelon smelling squash can't be all that bad. Jen, be careful on that ladder. I hope you get all your projects done. I totally understand the weight thing. We are battling that here too. Praise the Lord for winter and big clothes. :) Julie, I will be praying for you, I don't know you do it all!! Steph I love your updates! Let me know how Henry takes to those plants.

I hope you all have a happy Wednesday!! Love ya lots!

update

Happy monday morning girls!
I've been really busy these last few days, getting ready for the fall and winter. We have so many household projects that need to be taken care of before it gets too cold. This saturday we purchased the paint for our shutters and new doors. While Chris is away next week I will be painting away! Hope I can manage to get the shutters taken down withouth breaking my neck. I'm going to try and surprise him and have it all done when he returns. Wish me luck! Oh, and I still haven't gotten the ceiling painted in the kitchen and hallway. I'm about 5 weekends behind on that project, oops!
Last night we went to a bonfire! We had a blast with friends from church. It was the perfect weather for a bonfire - just cold enough to have to stay by the fire all the time :)
Jaren had to come and stay with us last night. It seems the sewage from her apartment building had backed up during the night on saturday night. So she awoke to a glorious smell and wet carpet. How terrible that must be! Since she's on the lower level, only her apartment and the next-door neighbor were affected by the "flooding" but the whole complex was upset that they had no water all day. Other than that, things seem to be going well for her. She loves her second job - at GAP kids. And she's working with our worship director on getting a childrens choir together for Christmas service. They are going to sing the offering song that week.
Speaking of choir, we held auditions this weekend for our Christmas choir that I'll be directing. Looks like we'll have almost 25 people for the first choir at Harvest Bible Chapel. I'm so excited we have such great interest and am really looking forward to working with a choir again. It seems I've been spending every free moment writing out choir parts. It was a little bit easier and faster while I was in school and thinking 'music' all day long. But I'm having a blast so far!
Ok, so it's finally happened, the marriage weight has set on me. I had a few months where I was bobbling up and down with my weight, but it seems now that 10 extra pounds has permanently found its way to my hips and belly. Today the workout starts! Thankfully (or not so thankfully), Chris has also put on some marriage weight so we can encourage one another in working off that weight. So depressing knowing our honeymoon is in just over a month and we have weight to loose for the beach!
I'm so glad that everyone has been writing updates on the BLOG! Doesn't look like I'll be having a busy day at work so far, especially since I've taken the time to write this during office hours. Anyway, love you all and miss you too!

It's Finally Cold!

Finally... After 6-8 inches of rain in two days, we have cold weather... We needed the rain desperately, but we would have been better off getting it a little bit slower - we had some flooding in low lying areas. But it's better than having no rain, I guess. Luckily we live on top of a hill and have issues with flooding. Anyway... I'm more glad for the cooler weather. It has been in the 80's for like 4 or 5 weeks, which is very unusual for this time of year. It was compounded by the lack of rain.
Anyway... Enough about the weather. Sorry I've been slacking in the blog thing, it's not that I haven't been reading... It's just hard for me to find the time to write. Since I sit in front of a computer all day at work, I have a hard time doing it when I get home... My eyes already have issues.
So... Let's see, What's new? Well, apparently not a whole lot. Aaron and I had our first dance lesson on Saturday night... We had a good time, and he was surprisingly good. He only stepped on my feet a few times. No really, I had to keep up with him. We started with the fox trap and did some fun stuff with that, including the emergency step, the promenade, and the promenade spin. And at the end, we did a little swing intro, but we had a harder time with that, so we didn't get too far into that. Our instructors are really fun and its just us in the full hour session, which makes it really nice.
um... Other than that, its just the same old stuff. Wedding stuff is keeping me busy of course. We have started working on the invitation, but its still in conception stage, nothing on the computer yet. I ordered the paper and hope it comes by the end of the month. They haven't given me a ship date yet, so I am a little concerned. Maybe I will call this week to see if they can give me an idea on when it will arrive.
It is so great to hear from you all. Kimmie - I am so jealous of your eyes. Unfortunately I don't even have the option of lasik - I'm far sighted. Jamie - I really don't have the experience in marriage to give you any advice, but I must say that Jules advice sounded pretty sound. I'm praying for you and have all the confidence in the world that this is just a season of change and learning for both of you. From what I've heard, marriage is a huge adjustment and takes time to work out all the kinks. I love you girl and I'm glad you had the courage to share with us. Jen - I'm inspired by your willingness to open your home and heart to the home group crowd. I'm sure that each one of them has been impacted more than you see or will ever know. I'm so proud of you. Liz - I miss you... I hope you had a wonderful birthday, and I'm sorry I missed your call on Saturday. It sounds like married life is keeping you busy - but that's not so unusual for you. Call me when you get a spare moment, we really need to catch up. Julie - It sounds like you have you hands full with your kids. I can just hear your little guy cracking up... That is so fun. If your looking for invitation ideas, I saw some really good ones on http://www.remoteassistance.com/index.htm - they have some really cool and different ideas. Just thought I would pass the source on to you. Steph - I'm glad for you that your life has finally slowed down. I'm sorry we missed eachother this weekend. Maybe we can catch up tomorrow. I'm definitely with ya on the whole cold weather thing - I love it!
Anyway girls... gotta go for now.

BRRRR!

It was down right chilly this morning on my way to work! I think the flashing sign I saw said 48 degrees. Whoa.
Anyway, I really don't have a whole lot to say except that I am very excited to get home tonight. I have a few plants from work that are just babies and they are ready to be potted, so Tony is letting me take them home. I will have just a little more life in my apartment than before and that makes me happy. The only thing that concernes me is that the plants have long dangling vines and I think that Henry may see that as his new toy. Not cool. So other than finding some sort of way to keep it out of reach from him, it should be a welcome additio to my decor.
Work has been much of the same routine, although things are picking up a little. I have had a few extra things put on my plate as far as that goes, but its all good, fun stuff.
I have been going to they gym just about everyday, but I seem to have to drag myself there everyday. Maybe the cooler weather is making me lazier, too. It makes me just want to cozy up inside with a cup of hot cocoa. But...nope. Hot cocoa has too many calories. :)
Uh, let's see. Yeah, that's about it on my end. For once I really don't have much going on and I like it that way...except that it doesn't give you guys much to read about...

butternut squash and apple pie

Hey girls, sorry I've been so long in writing. Jen, I tried to email you a birthday card, but it came back to me. Do you have a new email with your new name or something? Anyway, Happy Belated Brithday. Julie, I'm so sorry to hear you've got to be mostly on your own next month. That's gotta be touch. Kim, I hope you have/had a wonderful trip to Ohio, and that it wasn't too stressful or difficult. Life here is good, and very busy. I've tried to attach a picture of my new little godson, Jahari. I hope it works. It's him at about 3 weeks. Don't tell the picture be deceiving....he's actually just a tiny little peanut. He was not even 7 pounds yet at this picture. Anyway, everything else is going well. We're in the midst of participating in the New England fall activities here. I had Tuesday off, and thought I'd try this awesome new recipe for butternut squash soup. Well let me tell you, I had never cut up a butternut squash before, and although the soup was delicious, I don't know that I ever will again. It's the hardest thing to cut in the world, and so slimy after you peel it. And it smells like watermelon. Weird. But it was yummy, and we had apple pie for dessert fom apples we picked. I love the fall. Ok well, I've got a class the school is paying for me to take on Fridays, so I should get going so I'm not late for my first one. But that's about my life in a nutshell here....babies, fall, my hubby, and of course family too, since we see them almost as much still as when I lived there. I hope all is well with you girls, and that you're also enjoying the beautiful fall weather!

Marriage is a trip

Hey girls! I'm sorry I haven't been getting into this as much lately. It's been a busy week. Kim, I am also sorry that I have not had the chance to call you back. If I had known Adam was out of town, I would have put everything else on hold because I know how much it sucks to be home alone. Josh will be on a rotation like 3 hours away for the month of Novemeber. He'll come home on weekends, but I'll be alone all week every week in November. I'm going to call you today though. Jennifer, congrats on making dinner consistantly. You're a better woman than I am. Although I did a GREAT cookbook from my grandma that is good recipes but quick cooking. I highly recommend it. It's called "Best of the Best: Recipe Hall of Fame Quick and Easy Cookbook, Winning recipes from hometown America." Jamie, welcome to marriage. I'd like to tell you that once you're past this hurdle, you'll be done with these kind of challenges... but it seems that no matter how well you know each other, you will always run into these sort of situations. The good news however, is that you will get significantly better at solving your problems together as a team. I would recommend a couple of things. First of all, you could both write down how you're feeling and what is bothering you. You might also write down possible solutions to your situation. This way you can think things through calmly without being in each other's faces. Then go out for dinner or coffee or somewhere public to discuss what you've written down. This way, neither of you will freak out or go out of control because you'll be more concientous (sp?) about your actions. You'll be able to have a calm, organized discussion and hopefully come to compromise on some solutions. Be sure to use "I" phrases such as "I feel hurt and left out when you ask for alone time after dinner..." rather than "you" phrases such as "You hurt me and leave me out when you ..." "You" phrases tend to set a more defensive tone to the conversation. Anyways, just a suggestion. I know this all sounds silly, but you'd be amazed how little things can make a difference. Most of all just keep praying on your own and as a couple. You'll feel more connected and open with each other the more you share your spiritual life with each other.
Well girls, Seth is screaming and Jacob needs his nap. So I need to go. Love you all!

Relationships...

Oh, aren't relationships so much fun? Jamie, I feel ya, girl. I'm sorry things are tough for you two right now. I don't know if you can check your email at school, but I sent you a novel in response to your blog. I hope hearing about how weird Adam and I are helps you a little. Just know that you are not alone! Since the beginning of time, men and women have had communication issues. And when you actually move in with one, guys become even more impossible to understand. At least for girls it's constant -- we're always emotional. But guys...sheesh.
So I'm leaving for Ohio tomorrow. It's going to be a little strange seeing my dad. Now I have to schedule time to see him separate from the rest of the family. It's really a big pain in the butt. But anyway...looks like my mom is going to have to pursue a divorce. She really doesn't want to, but Dad isn't giving her much choice. He keeps going back and forth on supporting her financially. First he said no way, then he said he'd refinance the house and buy her out, but now he has a lawyer and it looks like he's going to be kind of nasty about the whole thing. It's not like my mom wants alimony -- she only wants her fair share of what she put into the house. Basically, he's keeping the house so she needs some other means of taking care of herself.
But apart from that mess, I am looking forward to seeing my sister and her family. It's been forever since I've gotten to spend any time with all of them. And they're growing up so fast! Thomas is turning 20 this year and Anna will be 18! It's crazy!
Adam and I saw Flightplan last night. It was pretty good...I won't give anything away, but I thought the ending could have been better.
Love you all!

Midnight

Hey girls,

I guess it isn't really midnight for me, but it is for most of you. And I hope you all fast asleep, like I should be. I wish I could say I was better at this blogging thing, but I'm not. So sorry! I have been so busy trying to keep up with my life and communicate with my husband.

I need some advice from you all! What do you do when communication seems to suck between you and your husband. We are struggling right now. I can't seem to tell him what I need and he can't seem to do the same. We feel like we are in the biggest rut at the moment. And the worst of it all is that my feelings seem constantly hurt. Help!! All I do is cry every time we talk. It's horrible. (No, I'm not pregnant.) I have finally put my trust in that tiny little pill I take every morning. I thought it didn't work last month, but as of Sunday morning...yep...We are in working order, cramps and all. So...I figured that is why I'm weepy, but give me a break!!

If you have some good advice at how to actually talk let me know. We've even done trips together in the past few weeks, and that didn't even help. I'm in the biggest stress week of the 1st semester at school right now. I'm sure that doesn't help us. It's conference week. I'm not getting home until 6:30 or later. Nick is so wonderful and is taking on dinner. It's nice to have the break. But then he wants to have some alone time. He gets home at 3:30...isn't that enough alone time? I'm trying to not be clingy and needy from him. I totally feel this way. He feels like I constantly put guilt trips on him. I'm not doing that on purpose. AHHH....what do I do?

Ok, I better go to bed. Sleep always helps situations. I couldn't even get myself to relax, but letting you girls know what is going on in my life at the moment, is a wonderful thing. Thank you. Pray for me. I don't know how to pray for myself or Nick right at the moment. I know we need God's revelation in our lives, but it's seems pretty quiet right now in that part of my life.

I sure do miss you all. Angie, we are doing everything possible to figure out a way to make the wedding. Thank you for letting me know I have 3 months to rob a bank. :) Ok...I won't rob a bank, but I hope the lotto comes through. :)

I love you tons! Thanks for keeping up with this, so I can read it and know what is going on. I love each and every story!!

paper slinky

Today I got a fun new office supply. It's a sticky note pad (post-it type) that has the sticky stuff alternating on each side. So you can play with it like a slinky when it's placed on your desk. It's quite entertaining!
I have just finished up the month of September at the office and get to go home early! We had a very profitable month, which is always uplifting. So this weekend I get to do some painting too! I am going to paint the new side door frame so it's ready to be put in place. And I'm going to try and paint the ceiling in the kitchen if i get adventerous enough. I've been trying to do that for quite some time now...
Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Good news

Good news: Adam called this morning to report that Amy did not have to have any ovaries removed at all. Apparently they didn't look as bad as the doctor had orginally thought. Adam was on his way to the hospital with Dylan and hadn't gotten to see Amy yet, but it sounded like everything went super well.
It's very cold and dreary here today -- it has been for the past couple of days. I went shopping for a new sweater last night to help me combat the dreariness. It helped.
Congrats on getting your place painted, Angie. That does sound like a lot of work, but I'm sure it is beautiful.
Gotta scoot... Have a great day, all!

Mistake

Just so you know... we have the trim not the trip to do in Aaron's place... sorry for the error and confusion.

Frustrating Phone Service

I'm currently on hold with Nextel... The worst cell phone service available, so please do us all a favor and not join Nextel.
Anyway... Since I'm just sitting here in front of the computer, waiting to talk to the 3rd person from Nextel's customer service department, I thought I will give you all an update.
Aaron and I painted the his whole place this past weekend. We were blessed with a lot of help - including Joe - and miraculously got the whole place painted in one weekend. We still have the trip to do... Which is going to be a huge task, but at least there are nice colors on the walls now. I can't wait for you guys to see it. The colors turned out really nice.
With all of that going on last week was somewhat crazy. I barely had a spare minute to catch my breath. This week has been more low key, but I am way too exhausted to do anything productive...
oh wait... Its ringing...
This girl is nice... She is going to fix everything up for me. Ok... Nextel isn't so bad. Although I wouldn't recommend it cause it cuts out way more than it should.
So yea... Tonight is veg in front of the TV night - although I have been doing that all week and really should be doing things that are productive - oh well... I have no plans for Saturday.
OK... I know, I have no interesting stories, but that my life in a nut shell.
I love you girls... See you soon. (3 months from Saturday is the big day - ahhh!!)

wierd dreams

ok, so i woke up this morning thinking i should admit myself to a psychiatric ward... I had two vivid dreams in my sleep. Please don't stop being my friend because of the strangeness of these dreams! In the first dream, I gave birth to a beautiful little girl. This is not so strange as i seem to have baby fever lately and can't get babies our of my mind. Many times in the immediate past I have had dreams of getting pregnant - mostly with twins, because Chris really wants twins. OK, now in the second dream I am on a big boat. It must be the size of a cruise ship or something. Anyway, there is this psycho killer on the boat who just looses it and kills everyone. He killed me too, but since it was my dream, I still got to watch the rest of it. In the end, someone he thought he killed ends up shooting him so he dies. I figured I shouldn't tell my husband this dream since he might admit me. Friends, please do not turn me in! I swear this is the only time i have ever had this sort of a dream!
Small Group Chili Night tonight!
Small accomplishment - I have made dinner every night for the last 2 weeks. It's quite an accomplishment since I have made dinner a total of 2 times in the time I have known Chris. He's been impressed, but I'm out of recipes. So now it's his turn again :)
Hope you all have a good night!

Quickie

So I don't really have any exciting news to report. I just wanted to say a quick hello.
Adam left this morning to go to Colorado for 4 days...I still hate having to say good-bye to him. His sister, Amy, is having surgery tomorrow to have one ovary removed for sure, and possibly two depending on how bad it looks. She's been doing better as far as pain goes, but the ovary is so badly covered with cysts that it has to come out.
So I have the apartment to myself all weekend. I've got some plans to go out with friends and such, but it will still be a little lonely, though I have plenty of housework to catch up on!
Yesterday was my last day for putting the medicine in my eyes. So I only have to do the lubricating drops now, which is nice. Those medicine drops hurt and made my eyes all cloudy. My left eye is still red...the size of the red area has gone down, but it's a brighter red now, if that makes sense. But I can see!! So I guess I can handle looking like a freak for a few more days.
I will continue to pray for your grandma, Juls -- wish I could give you a hug. (Sorry we keep missing each other's calls! I'm totally free the next couple days, so feel free to give me a ring when you get a chance.) And I can't believe how big Seth is getting! Thanks for the pictures! He does look like a very happy baby. Can't wait to see him again. I love that picture from a little while back where he's just cracking up all by himself. At least he can keep himself amused.
We got a new couch yesterday. Well, it's new to us anyway -- it's actually Neal's old couch since he just got a new one. We didn't really have a couch yet, just this little uncomfortable loveseat, so it's nice to have somewhere to stretch out in the living room. I'm selling the little loveseat on craigslist -- it's funny the crazy people that respond to those kind of ads. No, I won't deliver my loveseat to you in the middle of the ghetto after dusk. Duh.
Anyway, gotta get back to work. Hope you are feeling better, Steph! Love you girls! Blog, blog, blog!

No hablo Espanol

Hey there! I'm sorry to hear that you're sick, Steph. That sucks. And I can't believe that you had to give ID to buy Robitussin. That's ridiculous. I've never had to do that and Tulsa's a pretty major meth zone. Anyways, hope you feel better soon. Seth is doing very well. I haven't bought my back belt yet. Haven't had time. I'll let you all know how it works when I finally get one. Seth is getting up on his hands and knees and rocking back and forth now. He's getting pretty close to crawling I think. He's almost sitting up on his own. He also started cereal this month. I'm going to start introducing vegetables and other things gradually pretty soon. He's turning into a big boy! He's a pretty happy baby. He LOVES to just laugh and blow razberries all the time. He's never quiet. I've honestly never seen a baby laugh as much or as hard in my life, and I'm not just saying that because he's my baby. =) My grandmother's still really weak. I think that's just the way she's going to be now. She has decided to forego any chemo or treatment. So, barring a miracle, it's just a waiting game now. The doctor has not said how much time we're looking at... So, it's a rough time for my mom and family right now. It's hard to see someone you love so much who was once so vibrant be so weak. She doesn't really talk anymore and she's kind of lost her spark. I think she's probably having a difficult time emotionally and is probably a bit depressed as well. I hate dealing with this. But anyways, that's enough of my sad story for now. I still very much appreciate all of your prayers. I'd better go because Jacob is waking up from his nap. Love you all!

Me too!

Hi girls! I was hoping that since I couldn't check the blog all weekend I would see at least a half dozen posts, but Kimmie's probably right - we're all pretty busy lately.
I was at home in Minnesota all weekend. Like Jen, I had a few birthdays to celebrate (my brother who is 31, if you can believe it, and my Grandpa who is 75). I also had a baby shower on Sunday for my cousin's finace. She is due in November and they are getting married next August, I guess. Anyway, I also took away a nice gift from MN - the flu...or something just like it. So, I spent all day yesterday in bed (or on the couch), mostly sleeping. I should be there now, but I felt bad taking more than one day off of work. And can I just vent about a terrible thing that happened yesterday? Ok, thanks. Well, it was like 7am and I had just called in to work and I needed to get some medicine and soup so I went to the grocery store. I had two kinds of meds, soup, OJ, and Kleenex in my hands and was proceeding to check out when the lady asked for my ID. Yeah, an ID for Robitussin. Can you believe it? I realized that I didnt' have it with me - I had left it in my jeans pocket from flying home the night before. The supervisor nazi lady still wouldn't let me buy it. It was quite obvious that I was sick and wasn't on my way home to make up batch of meth. At that point, I was so tired and sick that I just started crying and walked out of the store. I went home (still crying) got my ID, and went to a different store. I got all the same things and this store did NOT ask for my ID. So by the time I got home it was over an hour later, and I just went straight back to bed. Didn't get back up until 3:00.
SO...other than that, things here are pretty uneventful. I am on call this weekend at Pottery Barn, so I will more than likely work at least one shift there. That will be nice for a little extra cash.
Juls - How is Seth? And your back? Is that thingy helping when you have to carry him all the time? And how is your Grandmother doing?
Jamie - I am about to look at those picures...how is everything else?
Liz - Any more incidents with the crock pot that I should know about? :)
I hope you all have a great, great day! Lots of love!

estoy aqui!

hello friends!
yes, it has been a busy last few days for Chris and I. Saturday we celebrated my grandparent's 80th birthdays. They have the same birthday, isn't that adorable! Sunday we celebrated Chris' great uncle's 80th birthday. Yesterday was Chris' birthday (29!!!) and next week is mine. I'm sick of birthdays!! anywho, i'm turning the big 26 this year and THAT's just WIERD!!! There's no possible way of saying I'm in the young 20's any longer. I'm well into the mid-20's and next year, dare I say... late 20's?!? Nnnoooo!
More spider stories... there is a spider that continually builds it's web in the entry way to the kitchen every night. So each morning when I can't see a thing, I go to get coffee, and wham! Spider Web! You'd think I'd learn... nope! i need to find that darn spider and kill it.
We have a new front door and it's so beautiful, I love it! If you've been to my house i'm sure you remember the old one... partly painted brown and part orange where it's scratched off. Now it's new, pretty, and all one color.
It's officially that time of year when you can run your car heater in the morning, air-conditioner at noon, and heater at night here in Illinois. That's wierd.
Nothing else going on in my world... just house projects!

Donde estan mis amigas?

Hey, girls. Looks like everyone's been equally as busy the past couple of days. That's good -- now everyone will have a multitude of things to blog about :)
My weekend was pretty full. Amy and Dylan were in town visiting, so we had fun showing them around and just watching Dylan. He's a very funny boy. His favorite new phrase is, "big tractor truck". Every loud car or vehicle he hears is officially a big tractor truck to him. He also gets very excited about fish. There's a set of locks here that have an underwater viewing window and you watch salmon going upstream to spawn. We took Dylan there and the kid practically had a fit he was so excited to see the fish. He kept grabbing anyone that was nearby (strangers included) and yelling "Fish! Fish!" at them. It was hilarious, if not a little embarrassing.
After carrying Dylan around all weekend, I can definitely sympathize with you a little bit, Julie. I could barely move this morning, and that was only after a couple days. You'll have to let us know how the belt thing works out. If my children have the same genes as Adam's family (and I guess there's no way of getting around that) then I'll definitely be needing one some day.
Another big event for me -- I had LASIK eye surgery on Friday. I was terrified to do it, but I'm so glad I did. My vision is now 20/15, and I had a customized laser fix any night vision problems, blurriness and haloes, so I basically can see better than perfect. The only side effect is this red "bruise" on the white of my left eye, which makes me look a little evil. But it's supposed to go away in a couple days, so everyone keep your fingers crossed. I also can't wear eye makeup for a week, which is actually a lot less of a nuisance than I thought it would be. It saves me time in the mornings.
Anyway, if any of you have thought about getting LASIK, do it. It is a little scary, but the procedure itself takes less than 10 minutes total. The key is not to let yourself imagine how horrible it's going to be -- because it's really not that bad. And it's so worth it. Especially for me, since I couldn't really wear contacts any more. Now I don't have to worry about walking into doors in the middle of the night. It's a much safer world out there for me.

hey there

Hey girls! The boys are napping, so I'm going to write a quick blog while I have the chance. I was missing you guys 'cause nobody had posted in a little while. Angie, I'm still working with people on their invitations here, so I don't have them done yet to send you. But the one I'm doing right now is just a formal script on a white cardstock with a pale pink vellum overlay with the bride and groom's initials on it in a watermark style. The vellum is just tied to the cardstock with a white satin ribbon. The bride is going pretty simple. But if you're really dying for some ideas, you can give me a call and I'd be happy to describe some concepts to you of what I'm kind of working on. =) Either way, I know you'll come up with something fantastic. I'm with you... we do need to use Silverline Communications someday. It was too good. Speaking of spiders you guys... Tulsa has had an infestation of brown recluse spiders this summer. Gross!!! They're everywhere! I cannot even tell you how many times I've had Seth on the floor and caught a spider going towards him. I hate Oklahoma. Not to mention that while you guys are getting a taste of Fall weather, I'm blasting my air conditioning right now to try to ward off the 97 degree heat outside. Thanks for praying for my back pain Ang. My mom and grandma said they had the same problems because their kids were butterballs too. My grandma suggested that I get one of those heavy lifting belts that men wear. She said she used one when my uncle was Seth's age and that really helped with the back pain. She said to just wear it over my clothes when I'm at home and I should feel a lot better. I think I'm going to do it because Seth has quite some time before he's going to be walking. Anyways, love you girls! Bye!

Window to the world

I just wanted to share my joy with you all that I finally have an Internet connection in my new office. Yay! It took them a while to get me one -- guess they had to make sure I wasn't a hacker or something -- but today I came in and was able to connect to the world.
Now I can obsessively check the blog again. I was going through serious withdrawal.
I've got to find something to break up the monotony. The job I'm doing right now is a little mundane -- I'm basically just making inventories of what content we have already on the web site. Once that's done, I get to start writing and editing, which is what I'm looking forward to.
My office is a little sad though. I guess no one's used it in a while, because it was completely empty. White walls, white desk, black blinds...everything is blah! I bought a tiny, little violet to help brighten it up in here, and it's doing the best it can...but it has an awful lot of blah-ness to combat.
We just found out that Adam's sister Amy and nephew Dylan are coming out to visit us this weekend! It was a kind of last-minute thing. Adam found a weekend special from Denver to Seattle, so we called the fam to get someone to take advantage of the deal. It's the first time Adam's family has ever visited us anywhere we've lived without there being another reason (like graduation, etc.). They're just not too big on travel. So hopefully we can show them a good time and they'll want to come back.
Jen, you and I must be on the spiders of the world hit list, or something. I almost ran smack into one in our stairwell last night. I had to take the elevator back, just to avoid the bugger. And we only live on the second floor, so that tells you how much I detest those little creepy crawly things. It must have to do with my killing that one that jumped on my leg the other day. Now his whole family is after me.
All right, I'd better get back to looking busy. Love you girls, and thinking happy thoughts your way.

Secrets

Hello all,
Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. We got much accomplished - birthday party for a nephew, took my wedding rings to be soddered together, checked out mother's rings for a christmas present, got some good shopping deals including my new swimwear for the honeymoon in November :), installed the new front doors without too many complications, cleaned house, and spent time with friends. I'm exhausted!
Grandma Ruth is in the hospital in Iowa City with a bad infection and a galbladder (sp?) that needs to be taken out. Please say a little prayer for her. Sad to say, her body is slowing down... I hate to say things like this but, it looks as though she doesn't have too much time left. I just pray that she not be in too much pain with all of the 'stuff' going on with her body.
Yes, Angie we are going to the Riviera Maya - Secrets Excellence resort in November. We had a difficult time deciding between the two resorts there. Two months from today we will be flying back home with gorgeous tan lines and all traces of the bags and dark circles under our eyes vanished :) I'm really looking forward to the swim-up bar!!
Looking forward to this friday. Mother's joining me for the afternoon and I'm thinking of suckering her in to help me paint the kitchen ceiling... ok, that part I'm not looking forward to. But at least i don't have to work in the office.
Small Group update: we now have 15 total groupies. It's fun playing hostess each week :) We are feeling so blessed to have so many wonderful people in our group.
So this blog doesn't have much in it, but i just really wanted to say HI :)

For Steph's Benefit

So I just got off the phone with Steph and she informed me that none of us have blogged all weekend long... So I decided I needed to give her some entertainment for Monday morning.
I'm so glad you all got the stds I sent (sorry for the gross abbreviation, but its just so much easier to write that). I hope you all have saved the date :). I am steeped in wedding planning and having a good time doing it. Considering how long it took us to get the stds out, we need to start asap with the invites... Aaron has already put together some ideas. Speaking of invites... juls I would love to see the ideas you put together, if you get a chance, send them my way. I'm also glad to here you are keeping your talents up to par for when we start our business :) - maybe someday we will live in the same area again and can start that business we talked about so long ago. I was actually reminded of it tonight cause I was transferring files to my new computer and I came across the logos we had put together for Silverline Communications. It really is a great name - one of us has to definitely use it someday.
So Aaron and I are taking full advantage of his upcoming days off (Friday and Saturday of next weekend) by painting the townhouse. It is one of our projects for the fall and since Selah's wedding got postponed to a later date, we decided since he already has the days off that we would use them to paint. Joe is coming up to help as well. We just decided this last week, so we have to do a lot of prep work this week to get the place ready for paint. It looks like a have a long week ahead of me, but it should be fun. We haven't even picked out our color schemes yet... So much to do!!
um... Aaron and I also finalized our honeymoon plans this past week. We decided on Riviera Maya, Mexico. We are going to Secrets Capri for seven days and are so excited about it. Jen, I know you have plans to go to a secrets in Nov - which one are you going to? There are two in the Riviera Maya and 1 in the Dominican... It would be funny if we are going to the same one. You'll have to tell me all about it when you get back.
So yea... That's a quick update on me. I need to get to bed and I have to write a couple emails yet. It's so great to hear all of your stories. Juls, I'll be praying for a quick recovery with you back. I'm sure its not easy to take care of Seth with a back pain. Kim - I'm kinda jealous of your cold weather, it turned hot again here and I'm hating it. I was also glad to hear about all you job opportunities.
It's good to hear from all of you... Steph I hope this brightens you Monday morning!

I'm still alive

Hey girls! Sorry I haven't posted in a couple weeks. I've been reading all of your posts, but I've been busy traveling and all that the past couple weeks. My visit with grandma was good. She was so tired and weak, she could only handle visits about an hour at a time. But I think she enjoyed it and she's slowly regaining her energy. At this point, it's hard to know whether she's so weak from the surgery or from the cancer. Maybe both... Anyways, that's kind of a rough subject for me right now. Kim, I'm so happy to hear about all your different job opportunities. That's awesome. You're such a good contributor! =) Angie, I also got your STD! (that does sound gross) It's really cute and I can't wait for your wedding! Liz and Jamie, I just have to tell you both how sorry I am that I still have not sent your wedding gifts. I have had them on my kitchen table to send to you since the beginning of August. The problem is getting to the post office. It's not that easy with Seth and Jacob. I wanted to go today because I only have Seth today, but I threw my back out. I can't carry Seth around so I can't really go to the post office because I'd have to get him in and out of the car. But I have your gifts and I will send as soon as I possibly can. I am SOOO Sorry. Seth now weighs like 22 pounds and my body was not made to hoist that kind of weight around all day long. I now suffer from chronic back pain. Steph, it was SO great getting to see you a couple weekends ago. I miss having you close by. Jen, it sounds like you're enjoying married life and everything's going well. I'll be praying for your job situation (you too Kim!). I know what it's like being a difficult job situation. I'm pretty much back to the normal grind of childcare and housewife stuff. I've gotten a couple offers to design wedding invitations and other publications. So that's been kind of fun. It's nice having something interesting to think about every now and then. I have to admit though that it will be nice being in Ohio for the month of December while Josh is on rotation in Ohio. It's good having extra hands to help with Seth and I won't have to watch Jacob that month. However, Josh's mom has decided to get remarried (probably in December), so that could pose some extra holiday stress. She wanted to get married on January 1, 2006. But I told her she was welcome to do that, but I would not be there because my friend Angie had already saved that date! =) So, I think she's gonna do it a little earlier. Anyways, I need to go because Seth is squealing on the floor. I have ignored him for a full 5 minutes and he's furious with me. Love you all!