Not much new out here in Seattle. I was just thinking about you all and wanted to post a quick hello.
We’re leaving for Ohio tomorrow night. To save a little on the plane tickets, we’ve opted to fly a red-eye, which puts us in Columbus at around 11:30 in the morning. I’m planning on drugging myself with large quantities of Dramamine and alcohol in order to sleep the whole way. Either that, or Adam and I will duel it out on the computer Scrabble game we were nerdy enough to buy.
I’m looking forward to seeing my family – especially my sister and her kids, who I haven’t seen in quite a while. It’s always a little tiring being there though – family tensions and all. But we’ve got a jam-packed schedule already full of plenty of picnics, shopping, and golf outings, which should keep everyone happy.
Adam and I got lost in the ghetto last weekend. I’ve been trying to keep the whole experience on the DL, just because it was completely his fault and I didn’t want to embarrass him. But enough time has now passed that I think it’s safe to really blame the whole traumatizing experience on him.
We had gone downtown for the day, and Adam decided we should try taking a different bus home than the one we normally ride so as to avoid being smooshed into the back against the wall between two stinky homeless people. Yeah, I’m really that insensitive.
The bus he chose, however, took us far, far away from our home and dropped us off in the middle of a construction zone on the loneliest, most crime-infiltrated street in the city. There were no bus stops nearby, so we walked. And walked. And walked. Until we reached a gas station and a bus stop. Not a normal bus stop, though, where buses actually visit – but a bus stop so far away from civilization that a bus stops there about once every seventeen days.
Not willing to wait in the ghetto for seventeen days, I decided to call a cab. But no, cabs don’t even frequent this part of the city – it’s that bad. So we sat there, waiting for a bus, a cab, or a drive by shooting for over an hour.
Well, a bus finally showed up and took us closer to our home, though still on the edge of the ghetto. So we walked some more. And finally made it home almost three hours after we had left downtown.
The moral of the story is that being smooshed in the back of a stinky bus is much better than being stranded in the ghetto with whores and crack dealers. Remember that, girls.
Love you all!
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Craziest Summer Ever
Ok, I thought it was high time I blogged again. I enjoyed reading all of the recent posts. I'm so glad to hear that everyone seems to be doing well as the summer winds down. My summer has been absolutely insane! We kicked off by going to Michigan for the 4th of July, then to Maine the following weekend for our anniversary. After that, Cally came into town for a week and a half. Then about a week to focus on stuff here. Off to Oregon for a week (which was amazing), and now Lisa is here. I start school on Monday and can't believe my summer is over! Somehow I squeezed in grad classes and community outreach work for our new church (I'm now the coordinator). I have an outreach planned for this Saturday, so that's added to the insanity of getting ready for the new school year. Maybe a little too much going on, but it's definitely been a blast. A summer to remember for sure. I think I've taken more pictures this summer than I have in the whole past year. Oh, and I also have a new nephew. My older brother had his baby boy July 28th. So all in all, it's been awesome. I've tried to send out pictures to keep in touch. We have more from recent activities that I'll send out soon. Lisa and I went to New York this week, and she's convinced she needs to move there, despite the fact that she didn't quite care for the public transportation and the overall stench of the city (can you tell it's not my favorite city?) But we had so much fun. It's fun to do stuff with people who have never done it and are so excited.
So now it's time for school to start, which I think I'm actually looking forward to. My focus now is there, with my classes, and on the community outreach. I should be taking a pretty intense course this term, and am a little nervous about it. But so far school has been going well. I've got about 4 classes under my belt, and probably will be done in a year and a half or so. Ok well, I've got to get working on the outreach for this weekend, and Lisa will be up soon. I'm glad to hear you're all doing so well.
So now it's time for school to start, which I think I'm actually looking forward to. My focus now is there, with my classes, and on the community outreach. I should be taking a pretty intense course this term, and am a little nervous about it. But so far school has been going well. I've got about 4 classes under my belt, and probably will be done in a year and a half or so. Ok well, I've got to get working on the outreach for this weekend, and Lisa will be up soon. I'm glad to hear you're all doing so well.
Blog-iversary
This August marks the one year anniversary of our little blog. To commemorate this momentous occasion, I've decided to repost some snippets from the past year.
August 2005
From Angie:
I had a fab time with Steph this past weekend in Chicago - giving me a glimpse of the fun in store for our Sapphire weekend there. There is so much to do and everything is so much fun. By the way Steph, I love the area you live in, it is so cute, and your apartment - in spite of not being all that you invision it to be yet - is very cute and comfortable.
From Jen:
There are these tiny whitish-green bugs flying all around in the air today. They somehow sneak inside your car also so end up flying around your head, up your nose, etc. it’s very annoying and I just felt the need to share my annoyance.
From Julie:
Hey girls! Not to be rude or bitter... but it's still 100 degrees here in the scorching wasteland that is Tulsa. I don't even want to here about how you got to wear sweatshirts, or how you can feel Fall in the air, yada yada yada... It won't be like that in Tulsa for 2 more months!
From Steph:
Not to sound weird or anything, but does anyone else find that Tuesdays are just sort of a "filler" day? It like the day that kind of gets shoved in there because there's space and we need another day to get stuff done.
September 2005
From Angie:
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.
October 2005
From Liz:
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.
From Jen:
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!!
From Jamie:
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. :)
November 2005
From Angie:
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.
December 2005
From Steph:
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.
January 2006
From Kim:
Happy 2006, everyone! I just want to say how great it was to see you girls over the holidays (we missed you, Jamie!). It's always so amazing to me how we can all just sort of pick up where we left off last time. I truly believe we have something special in our little group. I hope all of you know how much you mean to me. And Angie, I'm sure you won't be reading this any time soon (hope you had fun in Mexico!) but the wedding was truly gorgeous. It was so you and so classy. The whole weekend was such a huge whirlwind of fun. I'm so glad we were able to be there.
From Jen:
We even sat naked in the swim-up bar and held conversation with a group of nude people. I just felt so free!! no sunburn!
From Julie:
I just found out that I'm pregnant again. In case you're wondering, it wasn't planned at all. Quite the accident actually. But we'll just call it a surprise blessing.
From Liz:
We've also taken up snowboarding as a hobby (or I should say I have taken it up since Nathan did long ago). I am quite banged up from my first time going last weekend. I could hardly move the day after. But Nathan tells me I have a good "center of balance". Somehow I'm not feeling it as I'm continually falling on my tailbone.
March 2006
From Julie:
My doctor is very nice, but let me tell you girls, I am apparently not naming and claiming my healing from pregnancy nausea nearly enough because Dr. Ross (who is a very high strung, holy roller, Christian) told me yesterday that it is not God's will for me to be vomiting all the time...But I can tell you, by the time my quick checkup had turned into a 2 hour church service with Seth sitting in his stroller the whole time crying, I was about ready to shove the speculum down my doctor's throat. Seth handled things pretty well though by pulling an entire tray of sterilized equipment over onto the floor.
April 2006
From Jamie:
This time of year reminds me of you all so much. I was thinking about making Easter dinner, which brought back memories of the Easter dinner we had at my apartment my senior year. You guys are so special to me!
From Jen:
My tulips are in full bloom and they are gorgeous. On Easter morning I walked around the corner of the house to see the first red tulips blooming. I was so excited, Chris thought I wet myself.
From Julie:
Based on the view we got with the ultrasound (and it was a pretty wide-open angle if you know what I mean), it looks like we can pretty confidently expect the first member of the Sapphires Club, the next generation. It's a girl!
May 2006
From Liz:
And my goodness, is my little godson adorable. He's now saying a couple words at not even 9 months, and standing. I love it! It's an amazing feeling to put a little person down, and ee them cry until they make their way crawling and walking back to you.
June 2006
From Jamie:
I'm so excited. I need some good hugs from you all. I miss you so much!! I can't wait to see you in less than a day!! WAHOO!!
Hoping and praying our next blog-year is full of even more joy and happy memories. Love you all!
August 2005
From Angie:
I had a fab time with Steph this past weekend in Chicago - giving me a glimpse of the fun in store for our Sapphire weekend there. There is so much to do and everything is so much fun. By the way Steph, I love the area you live in, it is so cute, and your apartment - in spite of not being all that you invision it to be yet - is very cute and comfortable.
From Jen:
There are these tiny whitish-green bugs flying all around in the air today. They somehow sneak inside your car also so end up flying around your head, up your nose, etc. it’s very annoying and I just felt the need to share my annoyance.
From Julie:
Hey girls! Not to be rude or bitter... but it's still 100 degrees here in the scorching wasteland that is Tulsa. I don't even want to here about how you got to wear sweatshirts, or how you can feel Fall in the air, yada yada yada... It won't be like that in Tulsa for 2 more months!
From Steph:
Not to sound weird or anything, but does anyone else find that Tuesdays are just sort of a "filler" day? It like the day that kind of gets shoved in there because there's space and we need another day to get stuff done.
September 2005
From Angie:
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.
October 2005
From Liz:
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.
From Jen:
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!!
From Jamie:
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. :)
November 2005
From Angie:
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.
December 2005
From Steph:
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.
January 2006
From Kim:
Happy 2006, everyone! I just want to say how great it was to see you girls over the holidays (we missed you, Jamie!). It's always so amazing to me how we can all just sort of pick up where we left off last time. I truly believe we have something special in our little group. I hope all of you know how much you mean to me. And Angie, I'm sure you won't be reading this any time soon (hope you had fun in Mexico!) but the wedding was truly gorgeous. It was so you and so classy. The whole weekend was such a huge whirlwind of fun. I'm so glad we were able to be there.
From Jen:
We even sat naked in the swim-up bar and held conversation with a group of nude people. I just felt so free!! no sunburn!
From Julie:
I just found out that I'm pregnant again. In case you're wondering, it wasn't planned at all. Quite the accident actually. But we'll just call it a surprise blessing.
From Liz:
We've also taken up snowboarding as a hobby (or I should say I have taken it up since Nathan did long ago). I am quite banged up from my first time going last weekend. I could hardly move the day after. But Nathan tells me I have a good "center of balance". Somehow I'm not feeling it as I'm continually falling on my tailbone.
March 2006
From Julie:
My doctor is very nice, but let me tell you girls, I am apparently not naming and claiming my healing from pregnancy nausea nearly enough because Dr. Ross (who is a very high strung, holy roller, Christian) told me yesterday that it is not God's will for me to be vomiting all the time...But I can tell you, by the time my quick checkup had turned into a 2 hour church service with Seth sitting in his stroller the whole time crying, I was about ready to shove the speculum down my doctor's throat. Seth handled things pretty well though by pulling an entire tray of sterilized equipment over onto the floor.
April 2006
From Jamie:
This time of year reminds me of you all so much. I was thinking about making Easter dinner, which brought back memories of the Easter dinner we had at my apartment my senior year. You guys are so special to me!
From Jen:
My tulips are in full bloom and they are gorgeous. On Easter morning I walked around the corner of the house to see the first red tulips blooming. I was so excited, Chris thought I wet myself.
From Julie:
Based on the view we got with the ultrasound (and it was a pretty wide-open angle if you know what I mean), it looks like we can pretty confidently expect the first member of the Sapphires Club, the next generation. It's a girl!
May 2006
From Liz:
And my goodness, is my little godson adorable. He's now saying a couple words at not even 9 months, and standing. I love it! It's an amazing feeling to put a little person down, and ee them cry until they make their way crawling and walking back to you.
June 2006
From Jamie:
I'm so excited. I need some good hugs from you all. I miss you so much!! I can't wait to see you in less than a day!! WAHOO!!
Hoping and praying our next blog-year is full of even more joy and happy memories. Love you all!
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Scrapbookers unite
Jen, I have thought about doing the exact same thing! We could go into business together – you taking on the Midwest/Eastern sector, and I could handle the West. We could be Scappers for Hire or some other name that’s actually cute. We could have a website and everything. Oh, the possibilities.
Can you believe I haven’t actually done any scrapbooking since we moved – over a month ago? Yeah, all my supplies are buried in a box still somewhere. Even more appalling is the fact that I still have boxes. Many, many boxes. They taunt me every day with their haphazardly thrown together contents. And yet I wonder, what can possibly be in these boxes that I haven’t needed in the past month? Nothing that important, I suppose. Well, except my scrapbook supplies.
Love to you all!
Can you believe I haven’t actually done any scrapbooking since we moved – over a month ago? Yeah, all my supplies are buried in a box still somewhere. Even more appalling is the fact that I still have boxes. Many, many boxes. They taunt me every day with their haphazardly thrown together contents. And yet I wonder, what can possibly be in these boxes that I haven’t needed in the past month? Nothing that important, I suppose. Well, except my scrapbook supplies.
Love to you all!
Michaels
Today for lunch, I ventured over to Michael's to see what was on sale. Ok, I'm planning my next purchase at this store because if truth be told, I could spend hundreds of dollars there every week and still want more scrap book supplies! This week they just so happen to be having a really good sale... paper 4 for $1, paper packs marked down 35%, ribbon wheels for $1... it's a scrapper's dream! I am euphoric every time I think of visiting this store. My reaction got me thinking today - this can't be healthy! I really need to get out more if simply the thought of a craft store brings me to total relaxation. Someone help me!
Outside of freaking myself out about my obsession, I think my perfect job right now would be making scrap books for other people. Any thoughts on this?
My assistant, Gretchen, has left me. I have a new girl, April. I hate training. April's doing well but i still hate training...
In other news, everyone is currently healthy. We're on a nearly 2 week stretch of no one being in the hospital!
Julie, those pics of you and Seth you recently sent are so beautiful! thanks for sending them!
I miss you girls - Kimmie thanks for breaking the silence, I was about to go insane :)
Outside of freaking myself out about my obsession, I think my perfect job right now would be making scrap books for other people. Any thoughts on this?
My assistant, Gretchen, has left me. I have a new girl, April. I hate training. April's doing well but i still hate training...
In other news, everyone is currently healthy. We're on a nearly 2 week stretch of no one being in the hospital!
Julie, those pics of you and Seth you recently sent are so beautiful! thanks for sending them!
I miss you girls - Kimmie thanks for breaking the silence, I was about to go insane :)
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
update
Hey girls! I will join Kim in breaking the silence. I also don't have much new to say, but I'll try. Things have been kind of busy here the past week. I went with Josh to Philadelphia last week for his clinical board exam. We had a good time and very much enjoyed eating authentic philly cheese steaks with Angie and Aaron and Joe Caswell and his girlfriend. =) Josh is back in Columbus this week for his last week of surgery in Ohio. We'll be heading back to Tulsa this weekend with Lauren (my brother's new girlfriend) in tow. She's coming with to spend the week with Daniel because they're dying being apart. They're talking about a May wedding, so it's moving along quite quickly. I've been busy this week helping my other brother, Ben, move into his new house. Mostly I've been watching the kids so everyone else can move things. But I did spend the last couple of days helping Sarah unpack. They have a bit of a family crisis happening so they need all the help they can get. Sarah's prents came into town to help them move and her dad was having horrible headaches and vomiting. He finally went to the ER with my dad for a work up. My dad found a small tumor in his brain that was causing some minor hemoraging (spelling?). They think that the tumor is non-cancerous. But they are doing surgery next week to remove it and stop the brain bleeding. Sarah's parents will be staying with them now for at least a month because he has to be near this hospital for his treatment. He's kind of stranded here. In the meantime, Ben and Sarah's house is an absolute disaster because they just moved in on Saturday and nothing's unpacked. Now Sarah's sibling are all coming in to stay for a couple weeks too to be with her dad. Ben and Sarah are pretty overwhelmed. They could all use your prayers for sanity and her dad's health. It's a pretty scary situation. Unfortunately, I am not able to help out quite as effectively as I normally would. I'm slower and and can't lift anything heavy and I have to rest like every 20 minutes. I feel useless! I'm getting quite large and am ready to have the baby. I hope I have her a little early because I don't think I can make it 4 more weeks. But I just realized something quite exciting. The baby is due in September, which means her birthstone will be a sapphire! Anyways, love you all and miss you and can't wait to see most of you in November for Steph's wedding. Later!
Monday, August 21, 2006
Breaking the silence
You'd think that after not having written for such a long time, I'd have lots of insightful, important things to say. But I don't. So here's what we've been up to.
We bought a new bed over the weekend – we’d been sleeping on a king sized mattress on the floor for a couple weeks and decided it was time to upgrade. It’s a really pretty wrought iron frame that we bought at Ikea. I was so excited to find it, since my given budget for buying a bed didn’t really give me any alternative besides Ikea. The only problem is it didn’t exactly fit into the back of our Jeep once we got it out of the store. We unpacked it from the box, and tried fitting only the frame inside. But it still didn’t work. We tried a few different angles, thought about tying it on top of the Jeep…still no dice. By now, everyone had left Ikea, including the employees, and it was almost midnight and pitch black. So I stood around the empty parking lot and watched while my husband, the MacGyver genius he is, rigged up some kind of closure system so we could drive home twenty-five miles without the metal frame crashing out onto the highway. It worked, and now I don’t have to sleep on the floor any more.
I also got my hair done over the weekend. It’s a little redder than I had first wanted. But I’ve gotten a few compliments about it, so I guess it can’t be too bad. But it is fun being a redhead.
Work’s going well – just more shoes. And bags. And shoes. And bags. And occasionally some apparel here and there. I’m thinking about enrolling part time in a master’s course at the UW next spring. My company does a small tuition reimbursement. But thinking about it is about as far as I’ve gotten so far.
Well, I should get back to my shoes…Love you all and miss you bunches!
We bought a new bed over the weekend – we’d been sleeping on a king sized mattress on the floor for a couple weeks and decided it was time to upgrade. It’s a really pretty wrought iron frame that we bought at Ikea. I was so excited to find it, since my given budget for buying a bed didn’t really give me any alternative besides Ikea. The only problem is it didn’t exactly fit into the back of our Jeep once we got it out of the store. We unpacked it from the box, and tried fitting only the frame inside. But it still didn’t work. We tried a few different angles, thought about tying it on top of the Jeep…still no dice. By now, everyone had left Ikea, including the employees, and it was almost midnight and pitch black. So I stood around the empty parking lot and watched while my husband, the MacGyver genius he is, rigged up some kind of closure system so we could drive home twenty-five miles without the metal frame crashing out onto the highway. It worked, and now I don’t have to sleep on the floor any more.
I also got my hair done over the weekend. It’s a little redder than I had first wanted. But I’ve gotten a few compliments about it, so I guess it can’t be too bad. But it is fun being a redhead.
Work’s going well – just more shoes. And bags. And shoes. And bags. And occasionally some apparel here and there. I’m thinking about enrolling part time in a master’s course at the UW next spring. My company does a small tuition reimbursement. But thinking about it is about as far as I’ve gotten so far.
Well, I should get back to my shoes…Love you all and miss you bunches!
Monday, August 07, 2006
Condolences
Jen, I am so sorry about Nipper - as you know, I can identify! Also, I am keeping your grandparents in my prayers always. Thanks for keeping us posted! And, I had a feeling you guys would make it down for the wedding, but thanks for confirming! :) Give me a call sometime and we'll chat.
As for the rest of you girls - I miss you all dearly and I hope all is well with you!
As for the rest of you girls - I miss you all dearly and I hope all is well with you!
Friday, August 04, 2006
Nipper
Nipper is the name of our dog... my brother's dog actually. the summer before the 7th grade, my mom and I went on a mission to find my brother a miniature schnauzer. We found one, took her home, and named her Nipper. Tonight, I said goodbye to Nipper. She will be put at rest monday morning. I hurt for my brother. I am sad, and surprised that I cared that much for this dog. She was a good dog.
Thanks for listening!
More news... Grandma went in yesterday for an angiogram. They put two stints in one bloodvessel. though the surgeon was happy with the outcome of the proceedure, once again as she recovered, something else went bad. This morning, she had a slight stroke. The left side of her body has been effected. Everyone seems optimistic at this point, but there's also not much they know yet. there was no bleeding in the brain and for that we are so thankful. more to come as i get updates. I went to visit as soon as i heard today. Grandpa is taking this really hard. I've never seen my grandpa cry before today, it was heart-wrenching.
other than than, things are going well. The tomato plants are going wild right now and we've gotten to taste sweet cherry and grape tomatoes. Some large yellow ones should be just about ready too, yum!!
much love to you all.
Yes, Steph, Chris and I are coming to your wedding... but you knew that :)
Thanks for listening!
More news... Grandma went in yesterday for an angiogram. They put two stints in one bloodvessel. though the surgeon was happy with the outcome of the proceedure, once again as she recovered, something else went bad. This morning, she had a slight stroke. The left side of her body has been effected. Everyone seems optimistic at this point, but there's also not much they know yet. there was no bleeding in the brain and for that we are so thankful. more to come as i get updates. I went to visit as soon as i heard today. Grandpa is taking this really hard. I've never seen my grandpa cry before today, it was heart-wrenching.
other than than, things are going well. The tomato plants are going wild right now and we've gotten to taste sweet cherry and grape tomatoes. Some large yellow ones should be just about ready too, yum!!
much love to you all.
Yes, Steph, Chris and I are coming to your wedding... but you knew that :)
Thursday, August 03, 2006
My Girls
I just wanted to let you girls know that I have been thinking about you and praying for you! Juls - I hope you're doing better with your back! You're in my prayers with everything that you're going through and feeling right now - emotional and physical.
Jen, it's been a while! I hope the granparents are doing better! Kimmie - I missed your call last night, too! I'll try to call you tonight or this weekend sometime.
My life is pretty much the same. It's pretty full with wedding stuff and work. We have our site booked and I have my dress in my possession and the flower girl dress is purchased. We are ordering our cake today, I think. There are just the details to work out. We have our website up, sort of, but it's still a work in progress. We just got internet at Shawn's house, so hopefully I can work on things a little more there. Our RSVP page isn't popping up the way it should, so I have to figure that out.
Other than that, there are a few health issues that I am trying to figure out. I have to go in for a colonoscopy (sp?) sometime soon, but I am hoping that it can wait until after the wedding. They're expensive! Mom only has one treatment left (next Wednesday), so that's really cool. The bad part is that the chemicals are really getting to her now. She is pretty much sick all the time now. On top of that, she had to put our dog to sleep yesterday. It was SO sad. I cried and I wasn't even there. My dad was super upset about it - it's the only pet that he had ever been attached to. So rough times at the MN Rohde household this week.
Anyway, I hope to get the info up and correct on the website soon, then I'll give you the address so you can check it out. Also - if you guys could let me know if you're really planning on being here for the wedding, it will help me see how many rooms I am gonna have to get blocked. I have to sign the contract next week, so I better get on the ball with that.
Love you girls and I think about you all often!
Jen, it's been a while! I hope the granparents are doing better! Kimmie - I missed your call last night, too! I'll try to call you tonight or this weekend sometime.
My life is pretty much the same. It's pretty full with wedding stuff and work. We have our site booked and I have my dress in my possession and the flower girl dress is purchased. We are ordering our cake today, I think. There are just the details to work out. We have our website up, sort of, but it's still a work in progress. We just got internet at Shawn's house, so hopefully I can work on things a little more there. Our RSVP page isn't popping up the way it should, so I have to figure that out.
Other than that, there are a few health issues that I am trying to figure out. I have to go in for a colonoscopy (sp?) sometime soon, but I am hoping that it can wait until after the wedding. They're expensive! Mom only has one treatment left (next Wednesday), so that's really cool. The bad part is that the chemicals are really getting to her now. She is pretty much sick all the time now. On top of that, she had to put our dog to sleep yesterday. It was SO sad. I cried and I wasn't even there. My dad was super upset about it - it's the only pet that he had ever been attached to. So rough times at the MN Rohde household this week.
Anyway, I hope to get the info up and correct on the website soon, then I'll give you the address so you can check it out. Also - if you guys could let me know if you're really planning on being here for the wedding, it will help me see how many rooms I am gonna have to get blocked. I have to sign the contract next week, so I better get on the ball with that.
Love you girls and I think about you all often!
Thursday, July 27, 2006
update
Jenn, I'm glad to hear things are improving healthwise for the grandparents. I hope the rest of you are doing well. Things are fine here. I'm still in Ohio and it's been nice being with family. Josh is working all the time, so I really appreciate havig other people to hang out with while he's working. I feel like I never see him. He'll be in Columbus in August and I will only get to see him on weekends. I'm dreading that rotation. But, then we'll be back in Tulsa and his ER rotation in September should be quite a bit lighter. He just has to work like 15 12 hour shifts throughout the month and he'll have the other days off. Which will be nice because I will be needing him quite a bit that month as I will be ready to pop and we've still got a few things to do before baby #2 comes. The pregnancy is going well for the most part. All seems to be quite healthy. I'm still having a kind of rough time with nausea. It's lasting a lot longer with this baby than it did with Seth. But the worst thing recently has been back pain. I seem to have damaged the muscles in my lower back and it just won't get better. Dad and Josh gave me a cortizone injection last week and it helped, but then the muscles got inflamed again a few days later. There's nothing else I can do medically. So, dad has me on complete bedrest until it heals because it's been so bad that I can't walk or stand up. This happened when I was pregnant with Seth a couple times too but it healed in about 4 days and I'm going on 2 weeks this time. According to dad, my bones are splitting apart in my hips and lower back to make room for baby and this is causing my muscles and tendons to stretch beyond their capacity and get inflamed which causes crippling pain. Ah... the joys of motherhood! Anyways, I don't mean to bore you guys with my complaining. I only mention it because I would actually really appreciate your prayers that the back pain heals and goes away. It's not such a big deal right now, but I'll be in trouble if I'm still struggling with this when I have to go home because I can't lift Seth at all. My mom is basically taking care of Seth 100% right now, but I'll be more on my own in September. Daniel's girlfriend has offered to come stay with us and help with Seth if I'm still on bedrest in September, but I hate to ask her to do that. Plus, I just miss being able to hold my baby and cuddle with him and take care of him. Seth's been acting wierd the last few days and I think it's because he doesn't understand why mommy isn't taking care of him anymore. It hurts my heart. I was hoping to really be able to give him some special attention this summer since the baby's coming and he'll have to start sharing me soon. But now I can't even give him a hug. Anyways, your parayers are appreciated. I miss you guys and hope to hear some updates from all of you soon. Love you!
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
another update
thanks for all your prayers ladies, they are making a difference! Grandma is home and doing very well. She is able to drive once again. The angiogram is scheduled for thursday afternoon. Grandpa is still in the hospital and will remain there until thursday. He will see an infectious disease specialist friday in Iowa City. The antibiotics are making a slight difference still. Hopefully my next blog will be a report that everyone is home and doing well!
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
update on grandparents
Grandma went home yesterday! Grandpa though, is still in the hospital. They have ruled out a blood clot in his leg at the site of the infection and his white blood cell count is lowering little by little. On the flip side, they are doing an ultrasound today to see if the infection has spread to his stomach. He is still bed-ridden and had another fever last night. Keep praying!
Monday, July 17, 2006
praying
Hey girls! I just wanted to let Angie and jen know I'm praying for you guys. Angie, I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm glad you were able to get to spend timed time with family. I'm sure that meant a lot to them too. Let us know if you need anything at all. Jen, I'll be praying for both of your grandparents' quick recovery as well as for your family as they deal with the situation. It can be awfully tiring to be there to meet all the needs when loved ones are in the hospital. I'll pray for you all to have extra energy and peace. Keep us posted on how the grandparents are doing. Love you guys!
grandpa's turn
Now both grandma and grandpa are in the hospital. At least they placed them just across the hall from each other. Grandpa was admitted Saturday when he started shaking violently due to a fever spike to 103. They are unsure where the infection is, but are keeping him on 24 hour antibiotics. Meanwhile, Grandma has a nuclear stress test this afternoon. If all goes well with that, she could go home tonight. My mother is there this week taking care of both of them.
Oh, and my parents were named citizens of the year in Waterman, IL this weekend :)
Angie, so sorry for your loss. I'm glad you were able to make it to visit with the family after all. Those times can be quite precious.
much love,
Jen
Oh, and my parents were named citizens of the year in Waterman, IL this weekend :)
Angie, so sorry for your loss. I'm glad you were able to make it to visit with the family after all. Those times can be quite precious.
much love,
Jen
Weekend Whirlwind
Hey girls... I wanted to update you on the latest in my life.
Unfortunately my grandmother passed away this past Thursday, which put our whole family into a whirlwind for the weekend. Because of Amish things I don't entirely understand, we were under the impression that the grandchildren were not invited to the funeral. We were allowed to go to the viewing, but with it being in Indiana a lot of us did not think it would be worth the trip for only a couple of hours with the family, etc... I had planned to go anyway and spend the day out there on Sunday, and drive home on Monday when the funeral was. Well... Last minute they decided to bump the funeral till Saturday. Unfortunately I had plans Friday night that I felt I couldn't get out of and thus had decided to not go at all. Well, my whole family went out Friday morning and I felt bad that I couldn't be there. Friday night at 7pm they called me and told me to fly out Saturday morning so I could at least spend time with the family after the funeral on Saturday. So after getting home at 3:30am on Saturday morning I packed, slept for an hour, and left for the airport at 5am. I am so glad I went. The time with my family and especially with my grandfather was priceless. He is doing well, coping well, and already looking for things to keep him busy. Please keep my family in your prayers as we all adjust to the change. It was not a sudden death, she had been dealing with tumors in her body for a couple of months and there was not much the doctors could do for her. We are all sad for the loss, but are rejoicing that she is in heaven and no longer in pain.
I returned home Sunday and now I am back to work.
Thank you all for your prayers and support. I miss you all.
Jen - I will be praying for your grandmother.
Unfortunately my grandmother passed away this past Thursday, which put our whole family into a whirlwind for the weekend. Because of Amish things I don't entirely understand, we were under the impression that the grandchildren were not invited to the funeral. We were allowed to go to the viewing, but with it being in Indiana a lot of us did not think it would be worth the trip for only a couple of hours with the family, etc... I had planned to go anyway and spend the day out there on Sunday, and drive home on Monday when the funeral was. Well... Last minute they decided to bump the funeral till Saturday. Unfortunately I had plans Friday night that I felt I couldn't get out of and thus had decided to not go at all. Well, my whole family went out Friday morning and I felt bad that I couldn't be there. Friday night at 7pm they called me and told me to fly out Saturday morning so I could at least spend time with the family after the funeral on Saturday. So after getting home at 3:30am on Saturday morning I packed, slept for an hour, and left for the airport at 5am. I am so glad I went. The time with my family and especially with my grandfather was priceless. He is doing well, coping well, and already looking for things to keep him busy. Please keep my family in your prayers as we all adjust to the change. It was not a sudden death, she had been dealing with tumors in her body for a couple of months and there was not much the doctors could do for her. We are all sad for the loss, but are rejoicing that she is in heaven and no longer in pain.
I returned home Sunday and now I am back to work.
Thank you all for your prayers and support. I miss you all.
Jen - I will be praying for your grandmother.
Friday, July 14, 2006
gramms
Hey girls, keep my grandma in your prayers. She went in the hospital Sunday with pain in her abdomen which they determined to be gall stones. Wednesday evening she had surgery to remove the gall bladder. In recovery, she had a minor heart attack. Hopefully today she will be moved out of the CCU and into her own room, providing her condition improves. I'm hopeful that she will recover and then we can continue finding out where the blockage is in her heart. It's really hard on grandpa, so also pray for him please... the man doesn't know how to make coffee, use the microwave, etc, etc. He just wants to take her home and asks for that every 5 minutes. Their names are Gerald and Marian (nicknamed 'Red' and 'Pat'). Thanks girls, love you all!
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
missing you!
Hey girls! I'm missing you all a whole bunch. Nothing is as much fun after being with all my girls for the weekend. I hope you've all been having a good week. Steph, I can't wait to see your dress! I'm sorry your location didn't work out. I'm sure you'll find something else that will be great. =) Congrats Jen on your new nephew. Very exciting! I'm glad you're having fun in San Diego Jamie. All is fine here. I've been in Ohio and it's been nice. Josh has been working 15 hour days and every weekend, so I'm thankful that I have some family to keep me company and help out with Seth. It's been pretty relaxing for me because there are so many people wanting to play with Seth and mom has been getting up with him in the mornings a lot so I get to sleep in. Very nice! =) It's kind of hard not having our own place and I have to admit that I struggle a bit with living in a house that I can't keep as organized and clean as I like. (Two of my brothers are still living at home and nobody in the family seems to enjoy order and cleanliness quite as much as I do, so keeping things clean enough for my taste is pretty much a lost cause and I don't have the energy for it). But at least I'm not really lonely like I would be in Tulsa. =) Seth is doing well and loving all of his family in Ohio. He seems to prefer his grandmas over me and I'm not sure how I feel about that. He never just wants to cuddle with me anymore and he cries for my mom. I'm afraid he's going to go through withdrawal when we have to leave and he'll be upset that he's stuck with me. Oh well, at least I'm getting a break for now. Well, I'd better get some sleep. Love you girls!
Monday, July 10, 2006
A dress
Hi everyone!
I hope this finds you all doing well! I haven't had a chance to post any of the pictures that I had wanted to from the weekend, but I have a goal to get that done this week!
Just some updates on the wedding...we didn't get our deposit in on time for our place, so we are starting from square one. I can't tell you how frustrated I am that people charge so much for these places. We really need your prayers to find another one in our price range soon.
Better news, though, is that I bought my dress yesterday! I spent a total of two hours at David's Bridal yesterday and found "it" as well as bridesmaids dresses. SO that's a big checkmark of my list. Again, I have pics of that, too, but haven't downloaded them yet.
I'd love to know how life is for you all, so email or post a blog!
Love you all!
I hope this finds you all doing well! I haven't had a chance to post any of the pictures that I had wanted to from the weekend, but I have a goal to get that done this week!
Just some updates on the wedding...we didn't get our deposit in on time for our place, so we are starting from square one. I can't tell you how frustrated I am that people charge so much for these places. We really need your prayers to find another one in our price range soon.
Better news, though, is that I bought my dress yesterday! I spent a total of two hours at David's Bridal yesterday and found "it" as well as bridesmaids dresses. SO that's a big checkmark of my list. Again, I have pics of that, too, but haven't downloaded them yet.
I'd love to know how life is for you all, so email or post a blog!
Love you all!
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Yippee!
Yeah! Congrats Aunt Jen. Sounds like a beautiful baby boy. I can't wait to see pictures.
I so enjoyed seeing you all this past weekend! I don't know if I can even express how much your friendship means to me. :) Thank you thank you thank you! I will try and keep this up a bit more this year.
Nick and I are in San Diego right now, and we must have a reunion here someday! This city is absolutly amazing. :) The conference that I am attending is a lot of fun for me. Nick calls it "Geek Fest 2006". There are a lot of techies here, but they are all teachers. It is so great to be among people to aren't afraid to use techonolgy. :)
Well...I hope you are all adjusting after this weekend. I love you lots!
PS. Could you all email or post your current address and your and your hubby's birthday and anniversery? I will put together a sheet for you all and send it to you! :)
I so enjoyed seeing you all this past weekend! I don't know if I can even express how much your friendship means to me. :) Thank you thank you thank you! I will try and keep this up a bit more this year.
Nick and I are in San Diego right now, and we must have a reunion here someday! This city is absolutly amazing. :) The conference that I am attending is a lot of fun for me. Nick calls it "Geek Fest 2006". There are a lot of techies here, but they are all teachers. It is so great to be among people to aren't afraid to use techonolgy. :)
Well...I hope you are all adjusting after this weekend. I love you lots!
PS. Could you all email or post your current address and your and your hubby's birthday and anniversery? I will put together a sheet for you all and send it to you! :)
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